The Princes Islands tours

İstanbul Departure Daily Tour

The Princes’ Islands (Kızıl Adalar or just Adalar) are nine relatively small islands in the Sea of Marmara. They evolved from a place of exile during the Byzantine era, to a popular destination for tourists and Istanbulites alike to escape the hectic city life for a day. Of those nine islands, only four of them are open to the public: Büyükada, the biggest and most popular, Burgazada, Heybeliada, and Kınalıada.

The main feature of any of the Princes’ Islands is the sound of … silence. All fuel-driven vehicles are banned, making the islands an oasis of peace and quiet. The main transportation means are bicycles, electric buses, and electric taxis. The latter replaced the typical horse-drawn carriages in 2020. The only sounds you’ll hear are bicycle bells and footsteps.

But that’s not the only feature that makes the Princes’ Islands unique. You’ll find yourself walking or riding through narrow streets flanked by either untouched pine forests or fine, wooden Victorian cottages. How is that for a unique fin-de-siècle flashback?