In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Go on your own. The Şehir Hatları ferry from Kabataş reaches Büyükada in under two hours and costs ₺151.23 per boarding on an Istanbulkart, so a return to one island is ₺302.46; each hop between islands is another full fare. Boats run from early morning to late evening, with fewer on Sundays. On Büyükada the electric minibuses are ₺158.35 a ride for visitors. A tour with lunch is €13 to €18 (the 7-hour tour from €14ad has 1,806 reviews and the 8-hour tour from €18ad 3,570) and takes 7 to 9 hours, including a shopping stop in Istanbul before the drop-off. Cash is not taken on the boats. Fares are the municipality’s tariff from 20 July 2026.
The options compared
| Option | Cost | Time | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Şehir Hatları ferry from Kabataş | ₺151.23 per boarding | Under two hours to Büyükada | The main boat; calls at Kadıköy and all four islands |
| Ferry from Eminönü | The tariff sets ₺151.23 for private sea motors too; GetYourGuide sells a return ticket from €11 | Morning departures, afternoon returns | Run by Turyol from the pier opposite the Spice Bazaar |
| İDO sea bus from Kabataş or Yenikapı | ₺272.18 | Faster than the ferry | From Bostancı it is ₺171.89 |
| Full-Day Princes Island Tour with Lunchad | From €14 | 7 hours | Büyükada plus Kınalıada or Heybeliada |
| Princes Islands Tour with Hotel Transfer and Lunchad | From €18 | 8 hours | Kınalıada and Büyükada |
| Princes’ Islands Day Trip with Lunchad | From €13 | 8 hours | Büyükada and Heybeliada |
| Büyükada with an electric car tripad | From €16 | 8 to 9 hours | Büyükada only, with a licensed guide |
Going on your own
The boats
₺151.23 per boarding · Kabataş, Eminönü, Beşiktaş, Maltepe, Bostancı
The Şehir Hatları boat from Kabataş is the main service. Most sailings call at Kadıköy 25 minutes later, then Kınalıada, Burgazada, Heybeliada and Büyükada, the last stop. In the 2026–27 winter timetable, boats leave Kabataş roughly every hour or two from early morning to late evening, Sundays and holidays start later, and a few evening sailings run direct to Heybeliada and Büyükada. Other lines run from Beşiktaş, Maltepe and Bostancı, and the private sea-bus company İDO runs faster boats. Strong wind and fog cancel sailings. The Şehir Hatları app shows the day’s boats, including the last one back, and the IBB help line is 153.
The ferry terminal at Büyükada. Photo: Darwinek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The fares are the municipality’s tariff for Şehir Hatları and the private sea motors (tuhim.ibb.gov.tr). A visitor pays ₺151.23 for each boarding, and there is no transfer discount between islands; the ₺90.70 and ₺56.64 fares are for residents with an Adakart. A single-use ticket or a contactless card is charged as four rides. Children from 7 pay.
On the islands
Electric minibus ₺158.35 a ride · island taxi from ₺207.75
Büyükada is the largest island, and the tour listings describe its streets as car-free. The public transport is the municipality’s electric minibuses: BA-1 from Çarşı, the town centre, to Tepeköy and Kadıyoran, BA-2 to Maden and Nizam, BA-3 on the Büyük Tur circuit from Lunapark Meydanı, and others, each ₺158.35 a ride for a visitor. Heybeliada, Burgazada and Kınalıada have their own minibus lines at the same fare. An island taxi starts at ₺207.75 and charges ₺166.27 per kilometre without an Adakart, and ₺249.29 to start if you pay by card (adalar tariff).
On Büyükada, the ferry-ticket listing on GetYourGuide names a pharmacy dating from 1870 in the centre, the ruins of the villa on Hamlacı Street where Leon Trotsky lived in exile from 1929 to 1933, the Greek Orthodox St George church at the top of the highest hill, the former Greek orphanage, a large wooden building, and the public beach (Halk Plajı) (listingad). Plan a day for one or two islands, because every hop costs another fare.
The tours
Every tour lists a 30 to 45 minute shopping stop in Istanbul before the drop-off, apart from the Heybeliada tour, which lists it as optional. The crossing takes 1 to 1½ hours each way.
Full-Day Princes Island Tour with Lunch
From €14 · 7 hours · 1,806 reviews · All Tours Istanbul
From Istanbul: Full-Day Princes Island Tour with Lunchad goes by coach to the port, then by boat to Büyükada and Kınalıada or Heybeliada. Lunch is on the boat in summer and in a restaurant in winter, and the guide feeds the Büyükada seagulls with simit. Hotel pick-up is an option. It lists a leather and gift shop visit as optional.
Princes Islands Tour with Hotel Transfer and Lunch
From €18 · 8 hours · 3,570 reviews · We Go Türkiye
Istanbul: Princes Islands Tour with Hotel Transfer & Lunchad collects guests from hotels between 8:00 and 9:15, sails for about an hour to Kınalıada, spends 2½ hours on Büyükada and includes lunch. A reviewer advises checking the weather before booking.
Büyükada with an electric car trip
From €16 · 8 to 9 hours · 59 reviews · Abracadabra Travel
From Istanbul: Büyükada Day Trip in the Princes’ Islandsad boards at Kabataş for a 105-minute crossing and spends almost four hours on Büyükada with a licensed guide, lunch and an island electric shuttle tour. It meets at 8:30 and ends with a 45-minute stop at a fur and leather shop.
Büyükada and Heybeliada
From €13 · 8 hours · 53 reviews · Kaptur
Istanbul: Princes’ Islands Day Trip with Lunchad takes the ferry for 75 minutes each way and gives an hour for lunch on Heybeliada and two hours on Büyükada.
Çam Limanı Bay on Heybeliada. Photo: Oystercard, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Before you go
- Bring an Istanbulkart: the ferries take no cash, and the card is much cheaper than a single-use ticket. Istanbul public transport explains it.
- Check the day’s last boat back before you leave the harbour.
- Carry a passport or photo ID.
The Princes’ Islands are one of the day trips from Istanbul. Kabataş is the end of the T1 tram, next to Dolmabahçe Palace and the cruise piers in the Bosphorus cruise guide. What to book before you go to Istanbul lists the sights that need tickets, and where to stay in Istanbul compares the areas.
Common questions
How do I get to the Princes' Islands from Istanbul?
By Şehir Hatları ferry from Kabataş, which calls at Kadıköy and then Kınalıada, Burgazada, Heybeliada and Büyükada. There are also boats from Eminönü, Beşiktaş, Maltepe and Bostancı, and faster İDO sea buses. The boat to Büyükada takes under two hours from Kabataş.
How much is the ferry to the Princes' Islands?
₺151.23 per boarding for a visitor on an Istanbulkart, under the municipality's tariff from 20 July 2026. A hop to another island is a second full fare. A single return to one island is ₺302.46. The ₺90.70 fare is for island residents with an Adakart.
How much are the electric minibuses on Büyükada?
₺158.35 a ride for a visitor on the tariff from 20 July 2026. The lines run from Çarşı, the town centre, to Tepeköy, Kadıyoran, Maden and Nizam, and a Büyük Tur circuit from Lunapark Meydanı. The ₺46.20 fare is for residents.
Is a tour of the Princes' Islands worth it?
A tour adds lunch, a guide and hotel pick-up from €13 to €18, but takes 7 to 9 hours and ends with a 30 to 45 minute shopping stop in Istanbul. Going on your own costs the ferry fare both ways and leaves the island time to you.
Which Princes' Island should I visit in a day?
Büyükada, the largest island and the last stop of the Kabataş boat, is where the tours spend most of their time. Heybeliada comes before it. Each hop between islands costs a full ferry fare, so plan for one or two.
