Princess Island Group Tour - Essential Marmara Cruise and Island Visit

Tour Overview

The Princes’ Island Group tour is the perfect addition to your Istanbul experience. Discover why it’s a favorite getaway for tourists and local residents alike! Best yet, you don’t have to arrange a thing. Convenient hotel pickup, then off to cruise the beautiful Marmara Sea. This small sea is completely surrounded by Europe and Asia, with gorgeous views of both continents. You will port in lovely Buyukada, where only electric vehicles are permitted. Relax in an electric bus accompanied by your expert TE guide regaling you with the stories of the island, its elegant mansions and unique past. Quiet streets with bicycles and horse drawn carriages add to the charm of this wonderful island as does a lunch by the seaside with beautiful views. As you cruise back to the city let the changing colors of the sky enchant you as your full day excursion comes to an end.

Tour Description

Discover the beauty of the Marmara Sea, with our Full Day Group Princess Island Tour. 

After your morning hotel pick up, you’ll be transferred to the ferry and your escape begins. Accompanied by your expert TE guide, your group embarks on a day’s adventure. First a cruise on the Marmara Sea. The Marmara, which is located between Europe and Asia, is the gateway between two straights, one leading to the Aegean Sea and one to the Black Sea. It is home to rich marine life including three types of dolphins which pass between seas following the migration of fish. Seagulls abound and follow you from up above. Just off the coast of Istanbul in the Marmara Sea is a small archipelago made up of nine islands. The Princes’ Islands. Your excursion begins on the “big island” or Buyukada. 

Exiles of the Rich and Famous, and melting pot of cultures.

The Princes’ Islands take their name from the “princes” or royalty who stayed there, though not always of their own accord! Going back to the days of Byzantium and up to the Ottoman period members of the royal families occasionally, were sent off to the islands in exile. Your expert TE guide will have many stories to share of the rich history of these islands. Learning also about the rich mixed population of the Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Christians and Muslims, who all lived and worshipped there.  

A favorite summer spot loved for its natural beauty and laid back lifestyle. 

When touring Buyukada by electric bus, you’ll understand why the islands became such a popular vacation spot. Surrounded by sea and beaches, the island is famous for its natural beauty. The northern section of the island is residential while the southern side is beautifully wooded. From the 19th century and onward, Buyukada and the Princes’ Islands became the perfect location to get away from the noise of the city and for the rich, build their elegant wooden homes. Your tour will show you some of the most beautiful the island is famous for. After your tour, what better way to experience the culture of the island than to stop for a relaxing lunch in a seaside restaurant enjoying both the incredible views and tasting some of the delicious local specialties. 

Although your visit to the Princes’ Islands may be over, the cruise back through the Marmara still brings new beauty along the way. The sea air is fresh, the light on the water changes with the hours of the day. As you make your way back to your hotel greeted by the sites and sounds of the city, a bit of islands and of the sea, still remain in your soul.