Daily guided tour from Istanbul to the Princes Islands.
This package includes realy morning pickup, ferry ride to the Princes' Islands, guiding service by a licensed official, lunch and free time...
Highlights for the Guided Tour at Princes' Islands:
- Discover the secret beauties of Istanbul on neighboring islands where a unique taste of local architecture shines the nature
- Enjoy fresh air and quality seafood at genuine fishermen restaurants right at the edge of the shores
- Enjoy a cruise aboard a ferry to the island and savor a fresh seasonal lunch
- Indulge in free time on the island to swim and sightsee to your heart's content
- Explore Büyükada's majestic mansions by way of an electric car tour
- Spend a day in utter relaxation while sightseeing on Prince's Island
Details of the Princes Islands Tour:
Explore Büyükada, the largest of Turkey’s Princes' Islands, on this 8-hour excursion departing from Istanbul. Begin your journey with a cruise across the tranquil Sea of Marmara, watching the iconic sights of Istanbul gradually disappear from view.
We first pick up the guests from their hotels or specific addresses between 08:00 and 09:15. Then, we meet with the guide at the port and board the boat for Princess Islands tour. After an aproximetly 1 hour pleasant boat journey, we reach our first destination, Heybeliada, (which may sometimes be a different island). Heybeliada is the second-largest among the islands but the greenest. With our guide, we have free time over there. Later, we continue our tour and head to Büyükada. After our guide provides necessary explanations, we take a break for lunch, with the excellent presentation of Turkish dishes. Free time given after lunch, you can explore the islands or savor local flavors.During The Free time, you may have the opportunity to go swimming on the island, but please note that this option is available only during the summer months.
After the allotted free time, you will reconvene with the guide at the designated meeting point and return to Istanbul.
Finally, upon your return to Istanbul, there will be a stop for shopping. After shopping, we will drop you back at your respective hotels.
What To Do And See At The Princes' Islands Of Istanbul?
The so-called Princes' Islands are the largest 4 pieces of an archipelago off the southern coast of Istanbul. They have been loved by locals as an escape from the city since the antiquity. There are no large buildings and no motor vehicles on the islands. Therefore the environment seems like a heaven after an hour of ride from the metropolitan Istanbul.
The colorful wooden houses are definitely spectacular aligned through old-fashioned streets full of green. You can walk, rent a bike or use electric carts to explore the further parts of the islands where you end up in small woods, usually pine groves. Once you land, you may see several shops with bikes in front of their doors to rent.
Chasing fresh seafood is one of the must-do things in the islands! The seafood admirers in Istanbul follows the passage of seasons for seasonal fish. You may ask the staff of fishermen restaurants and greek-style taverns about their suggestions at the time of your arrival. On the other hand, do not be surprised if the famous cold-appetizers of Turkish cuisine steals the show. Thanks to high-quality olive oil and vegetables, the vegetarian kitchen is simply delicious.
If it is early for a dinner, or just after the meal, you may try an ice-cream shop, which would be a favorable stop of Istanbulites there. More than ice cream actually, it resembles to Italian Gelato to be fair.
What's more? Why not a cup of coffee? This should be the finest complementary touch at the end, if you like it.
Eventually, a trip to the Princes' Islands usually promises the travelers fresh air and peaceful time. You would love to read, listen to music or just watch the sea while enjoying one of the most colorful corners of Istanbul.
A bief list of things to do in the Princes' Islands in Istanbul:
- Have a roundtrip tour with ecological cars
- rent bikes or go for a hike
- Observe the prettiest traditional rustic houses around Istanbul
- Eat at a nice seafood restaurant
- Taste Turkish coffee
- Grab a cone topped by famous local gelato of the Island
- Observe the Marmara Sea, the other islands and Istanbul with a nice view on the shore.
The History Of The Princes' Islands
The name of the Princes' Islands comes from the exiled members of the imperial families since the antiquity. As Istanbul was the city of dynasties, hence a stage for harsh political competitions. When there was a winner for the crown, there had to be a place to lock the losing members. These islands were great to keep them close an under surveillance but also disconnected from the capital, the power and the palace. In the past, groups of monks were forming another inhabitant communities of these islands. Because of the distance to the eartly urban lives, the islands were mostly suitable for the monasteries looking for isolation.
The crucial change happened after the industrial revolution. After the steam engine was integrated into the ships, the islands became reachable effortlessly in just an hour or two. So they turned to be residential quarters full of summer cottages. Thus, the pretty streets and cute houses filled the already beautiful landscape.
