How to get to the Princes' Islands from Istanbul?

If you couldn't buy the Karaköy ferry ticket online in advance, try arriving at the pier a bit early and explaining the situation to the guide — sometimes they let you board without a ticket and pay cash once on the island.

The sea crossing across the Marmara Sea takes 1h15–1h45 depending on the island and vessel type. Ferries stop at 4 inhabited islands: Kınalıada, Burgazada, Heybeliada, and Büyükada (final and most popular stop).

According to a local resident's experience, departures from Eminönü to the islands are mostly cash-only — except for one evening ferry.

For some island routes tickets are sold online in advance only (tour-style ferries); departure is from Karaköy pier with an intermediate stop at Kadıköy.

At the Şehir Hatlari pier, just tap your Istanbulkart at the entrance turnstile; the sea terminal has a digital board listing all stops. Private operators have separate piers but charge more.

On return trips from the islands to Kabataş, some cheaper ferries cost about 150 TRY, but they are usually much more crowded and boarding can be chaotic. From Eminönü, private-operator tickets are bought before boarding, which lets you go on board and choose a seat right away.

Most ferries stop at all islands in sequence (Kınalıada, Heybeliada, Büyükada) — the fare is the same regardless of which island you disembark at. State operator Şehir Hatlari accepts the Istanbulkart; private operator TurYol takes cash only. Other carriers also operate the route.

From Eminönü pier, private operators run ferries to Büyükada for around 200 lira per person. From Kabataş pier, both private companies and the state operator Şehir Hatlari serve the route; Şehir Hatlari charges around 170 lira. In timetables the destination may appear as 'Adalar' (Islands) — this is the Princes' Islands route.

Direct ferries from Büyükada back to Karaköy/Eminönü/Kabataş after 8 PM may not be available — apps may only show a route to Kartal-Pendik pier with onward ground transport. With a child this can be tiring, so plan your return trip in advance.

On weekends, ferries to the Princes' Islands can be completely full — there have been reports of no seats available. If travelling on a Saturday or Sunday, plan to leave early.

Check ferry schedules from Eminönü to the Princes' Islands in advance — timetables can be hard to find and ferry apps sometimes fail to load.

You can go directly from the airport to Kadıköy and take a ferry to the islands from there. Note that evening departures are limited — arriving around 8 PM means fewer options.

From Kabataş pier, take the metro from Galata to Taksim, then the funicular down to Kabataş. Alternatively, take the metro to Bostancı (transfer at Yenikapı) — ferries to the islands are more frequent from there.

The standard route is from your hotel to Karaköy or Kabataş pier, then a ferry to Büyükada (the main island), and then on foot. Total travel time is around 2.5 hours. Price varies by ferry operator.