Princes' Islands with a Gulf Family: Büyükada Day Plan and Tips

Yes, a Princes' Islands trip works well for a Gulf family: the city ferry from Kabataş reaches Büyükada, the largest island, in about 90 minutes, there are no private cars on the island, and the town has its own mosque a short walk from the pier. Plan a full day, from a morning ferry to a late-afternoon return, with four to five hours on the island. You can go on your own with an İstanbulkart, or let a guide handle the ferry and lunch on our Princes' Islands day tour with ferry, Büyükada and lunch, from $90 per person.

This page looks at the day from a family's point of view: getting grandparents and pushchairs on and off the ferry, prayer times and the Friday prayer, halal food and alcohol, the summer heat, and the busy weeks around Eid. For the general ferry guide and a description of each island, see our Princes' Islands day trip page.

Is the island day right for your family?

Most Gulf families who visit Istanbul in summer ask about the islands, and most enjoy them. The island suits you if:

• You want a slower day after two or three days of mosques, palaces and bazaars.
• Your children like boats. The ferry ride is part of the fun, with gulls following the boat and the Istanbul skyline behind you.
• You like to walk or cycle along a seafront without traffic.

It suits you less if:

• Someone in the family walks with difficulty. The town by the pier is flat, but the island is hilly and the streets are cobbled. The electric buses help, but there are queues at busy times.
• You dislike crowds. On summer weekends and holidays, the morning ferries and the late-afternoon return boats are packed.
• You only have two days in Istanbul. The island takes a whole day. With a short stay, the old city and the Bosphorus come first.

Getting there with children and grandparents

The usual way to the islands is the public ferry run by Şehir Hatları, Istanbul's city ferry company. It carries foot passengers only, so the car stops at the pier.

1. Get to Kabataş. From hotels in Sultanahmet, the T1 tram ends at Kabataş. With grandparents, bags and pushchairs, a private car to the pier is easier; our private driver tour in a Mercedes Vito, from $299 per group for 8 hours, can drop you in the morning and wait for your return.
2. Pay with an İstanbulkart. Tap the card at the turnstile. No reservation is needed. Give each adult a card, or load one card with enough credit for the whole family, as one card can be tapped for several people.
3. Find seats early. Boats fill quickly in summer. The upper deck is cooler, the lower saloon has more shade.
4. Watch the order of stops. The ferry calls at Kınalıada, Burgazada and Heybeliada before Büyükada. Stay on until the last stop.
5. Check the return time as soon as you land. Note the time of the last convenient ferry back, not the last ferry of the day.

Pushchairs go on the ferry without trouble, but expect steps on board and at some piers. A light folding pushchair is easier than a large one. Families staying on the Asian side can take the island ferry from Kadıköy or Bostancı; Bostancı has the shortest crossing.

A family day on Büyükada, hour by hour

This is the rhythm we suggest for a family with children and grandparents in summer. Prayer times change through the season, so check the day's times on the Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs) website or app and shift the plan to fit.

With teenagers, add the walk up to Aya Yorgi, the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St George on the island's southern hill. Vehicles stop below the summit and the last stretch is a steep cobbled path, so it is not a climb for grandparents or pushchairs. The church at the top expects modest dress, and there is a café with a wide view over the Sea of Marmara.

Prayer, mosques and Friday

Büyükada is a small town with its own central mosque. The Hamidiye Mosque was built on the order of Sultan Abdülhamid II and opened for worship in 1895. The TDV Encyclopedia of Islam describes it as the island's central mosque today. It sits in the town, close to the pier and the main shopping streets, so the noon prayer fits easily into the walk.

A few practical points:

• Friday. The Friday prayer brings the town's community together at the mosque at midday. If the men of the family want to attend, plan the morning ferry so you arrive in good time, and keep the bicycle ride for the afternoon.
• Wudu. Mosques in Türkiye normally have ablution taps outside. Bring a small towel.
• Women. Women can pray in the mosque; ask on arrival where the women's section is.

For visa rules, halal dining and prayer on the rest of the trip, see our Istanbul tours for Gulf travellers page; Turkey visa requirements covers expatriates with other passports.

Food: halal meals, alcohol and where families eat

Türkiye is a Muslim-majority country, and Turkish restaurants do not put pork on the menu. On Büyükada that means grilled fish, köfte, meze, pide, simit and ice cream are all straightforward. What families need to watch is alcohol, not pork.

• Fish restaurants and meyhanes along the waterfront serve rakı, wine and beer, and in the evening many tables order them. If that matters to you, choose a café or a family restaurant in the town, sit inside or at the edge of the terrace, or eat earlier, when the tables are mostly families.
• Cafés and bakeries around the clock tower square serve tea, Turkish breakfast, toast and pastries, and have no bar atmosphere.

On our guided day tour with lunch, tell us about dietary needs when you book. If your family prefers an alcohol-free table, say so in advance, and we will plan the lunch stop with that in mind.

Heat, swimming and modest dress

Summer is when most Gulf families come, and it is also when the islands are busiest. June to August days are warm and humid, though usually much milder than the Gulf. The sun on the ferry deck and on the island hills is stronger than it feels with the sea breeze.

• Cover heads and shoulders from the sun. Hats for children, and plenty of water. The hill paths have little shade.
• Use the electric buses at midday, rather than walking uphill.
• Swimming. The islands have small beach clubs and coves, mostly on the far side of Büyükada and on Heybeliada. They are mixed, with swimwear the norm, and none we know of is reserved for women. Many Gulf families therefore skip swimming on the islands and keep the water for the hotel pool, a Şile Black Sea beach and pool day trip from $60 per person, or a private yacht.
• Modest dress causes no problems. Abayas, headscarves and long sleeves are common in Istanbul and on the islands. Comfortable, closed shoes matter more than anything else, because of the cobbles.

When to go: summer, Eid and the quiet months

• Summer weekdays are the best balance: everything is open and the crowds are manageable.
• Summer weekends are busy with Istanbul families as well as visitors. If your dates are fixed, go Monday to Thursday.
• Eid al-Adha 2027. According to the Diyanet calendar, Kurban Bayramı runs from 16 to 19 May 2027, with the eve on 15 May. Turkish families head to the islands during the holiday too, so expect full ferries and queues for bicycles and electric buses. Go early in the morning or choose a day just after the holiday.
• 23 April, the feast of St George, brings large crowds of pilgrims to Aya Yorgi.
• Spring, autumn and winter are quieter, with fewer ferries in winter and some cafés closed.

Guided, private or on your own

The islands are among the easiest trips to do independently, so the choice is about comfort. Here is how the options compare for a family.

Our prices are in US dollars. The ferry fare is set by the city and changes during the year, so check it at the pier or on the Şehir Hatları website.

An Arabic-speaking guide can be arranged on request for a private day, subject to availability; the shared tours run in English. Our Arabic-speaking guide in Istanbul page explains how we confirm a guide before you pay.

If the island is one day of a longer family trip, our Istanbul tour packages for families and the Turkey tour packages from Dubai and from Saudi Arabia pages show how it fits. For another green day out, see the Sapanca and Maşukiye trip for Arab families.

Tours that cover this

• Princes' Islands day tour from Istanbul: ferry, Büyükada and lunch: from $90 per person, 8 hours.
• Princes' Islands full-day tour: Büyükada and Heybeliada: from $34 per person.
• Büyükada romantic getaway, private overnight trip for couples: from $440 per person, 2 days.
• Istanbul tour package, 10 days all-inclusive with cruises and islands: from $1,750 per person.

More on the islands' history is on our Princes' Islands page, and other ideas for a day out are on Istanbul day trips.

Frequently Asked Questions