The Princes' Islands (Adalar) are an archipelago in the Sea of Marmara, south-east of Istanbul, where private cars are banned. Most visitors stop at Büyükada, the largest, for its wooden mansions, pine woods and the Aya Yorgi monastery at the top of its hill; Heybeliada, quieter, makes a good extra walk. The public Şehir Hatları ferries serve the four inhabited islands, Kınalıada, Burgazada, Heybeliada and Büyükada, in that order. From Kabataş, allow 1h45 to Büyükada, with a stop at Kadıköy; from Kadıköy, 1h20. The crossing costs 151.23 TL with an Istanbulkart. Plan a full day, including the round trip.
Highlights
The Büyükada pier
The pier building, topped by a dome and decorated with tiles, is the island's first image. It opens onto the clock tower square and the shopping district, where the electric minibuses depart.
The wooden mansions
Büyükada's streets are lined with 19th- and 20th-century wooden villas and houses set in gardens. The grandest are in the Nizam district and along Çankaya Avenue, which you can explore on foot or by bike.
Heybeliada
The archipelago's second island, fifteen minutes by ferry from Büyükada, is covered in pine trees. A path leads to Çam Limanı Bay, overlooked by the buildings of the former sanatorium.
The Aya Yorgi monastery
The Orthodox Monastery of Saint George stands at the top of Yücetepe hill, in the south of the island. You walk up from Luna Park square along a very steep cobbled street; at the top, the view stretches over the Sea of Marmara and the other islands. On 23 April and 24 September, pilgrimage days, the climb is very crowded.
The former Greek orphanage
On Hristos hill, this huge wooden building, originally designed as a hotel, is closed to the public and can only be seen from the outside.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Prices checked in October 2026, in force since 20 July 2026: 151.23 TL per Şehir Hatları ferry trip with an Istanbulkart, according to the municipality's official fare scale; without an Istanbulkart, a limited-use ticket or a contactless bank card is charged four rides, i.e. 230 TL; fares are doubled between 00:30 and 05:30. On Büyükada and Heybeliada, horse carriages have been gone since 2020: İETT electric minibuses link the pier to the island's districts (158.35 TL per trip for visitors, with an Istanbulkart). Renting e-bikes and buggies is banned for visitors; regular bikes can be rented on the island, from age 15, and must be returned before 9pm from April to October, before 7pm from November to March. To pay and top up your card, see our guide to [getting around Istanbul](/fr/articles/transports-istanbul). In a southerly wind (lodos) or fog, crossings may be cancelled.
How to get there
Büyükada pier, Adalar, Istanbul. Şehir Hatları ferries from Kabataş, the terminus of tram T1 and of the F1 funicular from Taksim, with a stop at Kadıköy, on the Asian side (see our guide to [Kadıköy and Moda](/fr/articles/kadikoy-rive-asiatique-istanbul)). Other Şehir Hatları lines leave from Bostancı and Maltepe, two Marmaray stations, with a shorter crossing (20 minutes from Maltepe to Büyükada), and a few ferries a day from Beşiktaş. Between two islands, the crossing takes about 15 minutes.
Opening hours
Nearby
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