Istanbul Princes Island Tour with Lunch & Hotel Transfer
Istanbul, Turkey
- 6 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Leave Istanbul’s hustle and bustle behind for a full-day tour of the Princes Islands. With a guide at your side, you get thorough overviews of Buyukada and Heybeliada’s top attractions. Free time on both islands allows for a more personalized sightseeing experience. Traveling by a privately owned boat enables you to avoid the overwhelming lines and limited space of the public ferry that visits the islands.
- Visit Heybeliada, a Princes Island that most foreigners miss
- See a variety of historical landmarks on the islands
- Relax with optional hotel pickup and drop-off
- Enjoy an open buffet lunch aboard the boat
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop (if option selected)
- Transportation by air-conditioned bus
- Boat trip
- Entrance fees to islands
- Lunch
- English Speaking Staff
- Drinks
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Istanbul
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Heybeliada
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
3
Heybeliada
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Buyukada
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
5
Buyukada
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Istanbul
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Bike rental and Electric Buggy ticket (available to purchase on the attraction)
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 200 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Very nice experience
The islands are beautiful, food was good
Special thanks to our guidance kardiland she was an amazing person and with good energy
This trip is It is highly recommended
Reviews
3.9
based on 158 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Too crowded and lunch was poor. Add said buffet lunch (it was not). Add said guided tour on islands (there was none). Can easily do this on your own by taking local ferry. Would not recommend.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We are sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations. Please accept our sincere apologies.
We will review the situation and promptly address your concerns, contacting the relevant teams to improve our services. If the issue is due to our error, we will be pleased to offer you appropriate compensation.
Lots of driving for little in the way of interesting sights. Van was of poor quality w terrible seats. “Guide” didn’t really guide and just stayed around van. Provided little in the way of history or information.
Reached out to tour company and must say they were supportive and committed to address. Offered another free tour as
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We are sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations. Please accept our sincere apologies.
We will review the situation and promptly address your concerns, contacting the relevant teams to improve our services. If the issue is due to our error, we will be pleased to offer you appropriate compensation.
One hour plus late pick up , driver run light!!!!!!!!! tour guide no show , no seats on ferry! All full, arrived princess island still can’t find tour guide! Pay for our own ferry ride back to istabul!
The tour listed on the app was supposed to take us to Heybeliada, it included a visit to the island with a tour guide that was supposed to take us to a Theological School, to the Beth Yaakov Synagogue, a monastery and a church. We were NOT taken to Heybeliada but were dropped of at Kinaliada for one hour where, as per your operator's own words "there is nothing to do".
They did take us to Buyukada where again, we were supposed to be taken by the tour guide through "charming streets", visit the Clock Tower, the Aya Yorgi Church, and the Greek Orphanage.
In conclusion, if the tour operator is offering something that is not what is listed on Viator.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello,
We’re sorry your Istanbul Princes Island Tour did not meet expectations.
Please accept our sincere apologies.
We shall investigate and promptly address your concerns with the relevant teams to improve our services. If the issue was on our side, we’ll gladly offer appropriate compensation.
Your satisfaction matters, and we hope to welcome you again for a better experience.
Nice experience. We liked the tour the guide was good, the food was ok. The toilets on the boat however we're in very bad condition.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you again soon
I gave it 2 stars because we went to multiple islands otherwise it isn't worth doing. The guide told us nothing about the islands we visited. Any information given was said so fast you didn't understand. Other than going to the islands and getting a nice view for pictures it wasn't worth it. Also on the boat there was a great deal of peer pressure sales.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hello,
Thank you for your feedback about our Istanbul Princess Island Tour. We sincerely apologize that your experience did not meet expectations and regret any inconvenience caused.
At your convenience, we would truly appreciate it if you could share a bit more detail about what went wrong. Understanding your concerns will help us investigate the matter thoroughly and take any necessary steps to ensure it does not happen again. If the issue was due to a mistake on our part, we would, of course, be happy to offer appropriate compensation as a gesture of goodwill.
Please rest assured that guest satisfaction is extremely important to us, and your feedback is valuable in helping us improve the quality of our services.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond. I hope we have the opportunity to restore your trust and welcome you again in the future.
Nice break from the city, good value for money trip to scenic and peaceful islands. Good quality lunch included.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
Firstly I never received pickup and drop off from my hotel I had to walk for pickup and for drop off I was dropped 15 minutes from the hotel.
Secondly the tour itself was 50$ , so at the boat they say they will offer a bus service for 400 lira however it was just to take upto the hill to a restaurant where probably they have setup previously and the original cost of bus it 50-80 lira to go and come back.
The food provided was very basic 3 items, even that is a buffet you cannot have such food more than once. The boat ride was nice , serene and nice breeze over the sea. However loud music was not very pleasent.
In the end they took us to an apparel factory and store so that people buys expensive cloths, which was really unnecessary and waste of time.
I forgot my cap on the bus while I was returning, I messaged them however they did not return it.
Overall not recommended. It’s better to take a ferry to the island your self and go with that.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Hello ........
Hope you are well
My name is Can and I am the Manager of Guest Relations department
First of all, I wish you a good day. I am contacting you regarding our Istanbul Princes Island Tour that you participated with us. Since I saw that you were not satisfied after the bad review I received from you, I wanted to contact you directly. Whatever the problem you have experienced, I would like to ask you to accept our apology first.
If you can tell me why you left a bad review in your free time, we would like to compensate you for your inconvenience. We will also try to provide better service by making corrections in our organizations in order to avoid the same problems with our guests in the future.
Thank you in advance for your return and wish you a good day.
Hope to hear from you as soon as possible.
It felt pretty unorganized - we were told pick up at one time and then when waiting said it would be much later. The DJ on the boat was great. Only got about 40 minutes on one of the islands but really brought the rating down was they were making everyone go to a leather factory before bringing back to the hotel which was not mentioned in the original itinerary on Viator. We weren’t up for a high pressure sales pitch so we ended up just walking a mile up hill to our hotel. Islands are cute towns however.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Hello ……….
Hope you are well
My name is Can and I am the Manager of Guest Relations department
First of all, I wish you a good day. I am contacting you regarding our Istanbul Princes Island Tour that you participated with us. Since I saw that you were not satisfied after the bad review I received from you, I wanted to contact you directly. Whatever the problem you have experienced, I would like to ask you to accept our apology first.
If you can tell me why you left a bad review in your free time, we would like to compensate you for your inconvenience. We will also try to provide better service by making corrections in our organizations in order to avoid the same problems with our guests in the future.
Thank you in advance for your return and wish you a good day.
Hope to hear from you as soon as possible.
Please don’t waste your time on this. The island is cute but very very crowded and looks nothing like the features picture. The ferry is not great and the whole excursion was pretty poorly organised. We were picked up an hour before time even though the pier was 6 minutes away from our hotel. The van that picked us up drove by our hotel 2 times after picking us up and even went out of its way to pick up a family that was NOT part of the tour. There was no guide as such to tell us anything and everything was so poorly managed that we chose to come back from the first island to Istanbul by taking a public ferry rather than go to the second island.
June is very very crowded and it’s bloody hot. Avoid it.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Hello ……….
Hope you are well
I am Can and the Manager of Guest Relations department
I recently came across your review and was sorry to learn that your Istanbul Princes Island experience did not meet your expectations.
Could you please contact me directly on whatsapp number: +905350403919 with your booking reference number at your earliest convenience?
Thank you in advance for your return and wish you a good day.
Hope to hear from you as soon as possible.
Not worth the price - this is just a transportation helper with simple lunch included. Prince Island is just a dirty sticky island with pet poops everywhere
Response from Host, May 2025
Hello ……….
Hope you are well
I am Can and the Manager of Guest Relations department
First of all, I wish you a good day. I am contacting you regarding the Istanbul Princes Island Tour. Since I saw that you were not satisfied after the bad comment I received from you, I wanted to contact you directly.
If you could kindly contact me directly on whatsapp number:
+ 905350403919 with your booking reference number and tell me which company you made the booking with, I shall be happy to investigate the matter.
Thank you in advance for your return and wish you a good day.
Hope to hear from you as soon as possible.
It was a nice tour with a beautiful ferry ride from Istanbul to princess islands. The islands themselves were beautiful. You can rent bikes and roam around the island. Deducting 2 stars because the most of the guides involved were mostly interesting in clicking and selling photographs and persuading customers to rent bikes. Also, were asked to come out of our hotel at 8.15. But the driver came to pick us up at 9.35. Horrible unprofessionalism. And not even a word of apology.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
Went on a cold day. Sea was quite bumpy. Islands had little to offer. Had to pay 400tl to wait 30 mins and get on a small bus that drove around 1st Island for 10 mins.
Lunch included pasta and salad was OK.
Server in small shop on board was rude.
All in all didn't enjoy it.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
Average. They don’t pick up from all hotels in Istanbul.
Me, my mother (50 years old) and my child (2 years old) were left behind at an island. 2 minutes late for pick up and they waved goodbye to us while we stood there not understanding what was going on or how to get home. Thankfully a gentleman helped us find our way back home.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
The one star is only for the driver - Who deserves better. Great guy. Very friendly. This is not a reflection on his abilities and customer service skills.
Now, let’s discuss the “tour.” Upon review of the listing’s outline, it is clear that you will be visiting Heybeliada or Halki - Which one did a visit? I still don’t know. It says you will spend 30 minutes there - we spent an hour. It says as you walk around your tour guide will take you to visit “very important sites” such as a theological school, synagogue, and monastery. Didn’t happen. You will start to notice a theme now - every time something should have happened, smoking cigarettes were prioritized instead. Instead, my group meandered around aimlessly and most people were back at the boat early to leave.
Then there is Buyukada… As outlined, “your guide will take you to explore the streets” and you will see a “Greek Ophanage, Yorgi Church, and clock tower.” Nope. Again, smoking cigarettes was prioritized. I got back to the boat 45 min early, surrounded by other tourists on my boat.
Then it says the boat will take you back to the pier for transfer back to your hotel. Again - Nope. Instead, we were told we were going to “Fashion Show.” We were dropped off at a different spot, walked down the street, and arrived at Levinson Leather & Fur. Taken to the basement, we then sat and watched a man and woman pace back and forth taking jackets off. Then we listened a sales pitch from a man telling us we got a special 60% discount if we bought anything. Seriously, google “Levinson Leather & Fur Scam.” We were all played. This “fashion show” was not on the listening, and was your typical ‘shop drop in’ scam. Again, IT IS NOT ON THE LISTING!” How is this allowed??? I paid for a service and you tried to exploit it. I didn’t know where I was and I didn’t want to be there. A girl sitting next to me asked if I thought we were allowed to leave. Allowed to leave?! She thought she couldn’t leave.
After the “fashion show” I immediately walked past countless shop employees looking to catch my ear, found the exit, asked where my bus was, and low and behold one of the “tour guides” was sitting on the bus smoking a cigarette. On the bus. Smoke in the bus. So we loaded on and got to sit in that. Again - smoking takes priority. I then sat on the bus for an hour before we finally pulled away from the shop to go start hotel drop offs.
This was not a tour. Do not call it a tour. Do not advertise giving tours. This was ferry accommodation. And if that is what you are offering, just list it as that. Some people may just want a ferry ride. I booked a tour though. And, I was hoping to get one.
Do not book this trip. And, if you were the driver of my bus, I hope you find a better service to work with. You were cool, and I appreciated it. I hope the best for you.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Hello ......
Hope you are well
I am John and the Manager of Guest Relations department
First of all, I wish you a good day. I am contacting you regarding our Istanbul Princes Island Tour that you participated with us. Since I saw that you were not satisfied after the bad review I received from you, I wanted to contact you directly. Whatever the problem you have experienced, I would like to ask you to accept our apology first.
If you can tell me why you left a bad review in your free time, we would like to compensate you for your inconvenience. We will also try to provide better service by making corrections in our organizations in order to avoid the same problems with our guests in the future.
Thank you in advance for your return and wish you a good day.
Hope to hear from you as soon as possible.
The tour was really not a good experience and definitely not worth the price. We were picked up in an old (and not very clean) bus, went around town picking up about 20-30 other passengers (which took a long time). There wasn’t a tour guide really. They dropped us off at each island (2 of them) for about 1-2 hours each, and we went around exploring on our own. The food was also not good. I think if you really want to do it, just do it on your own (although I’d say the whole islands experience is not worth the time investment either).
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Hello ……….
Hope you are well
I am John and the Manager of Guest Relations department
First of all, I wish you a good day. I am contacting you regarding our Istanbul Princes Island Tour that you participated with us. Since I saw that you were not satisfied after the bad review I received from you, I wanted to contact you directly. Whatever the problem you have experienced, I would like to ask you to accept our apology first.
If you can tell me why you left a bad review in your free time, we would like to compensate you for your inconvenience. We will also try to provide better service by making corrections in our organizations in order to avoid the same problems with our guests in the future.
Thank you in advance for your return and wish you a good day.
Hope to hear from you as soon as possible.
We had such a good time boating over to the two islands, and walking the towns! They were great seaside towns with cute retaurants, shops and cafes. The buffet on the boat for lunch was really really good too! Would highly recommend this tour for a way to leave the city for a few hours, travel on the sea and see another side of Istanbul!
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
This tour is nothing you cannot do yourself but with everything else to see and do in Istanbul it is not a necessity.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Hello ……….
Hope you are well
I am John and the Manager of Guest Relations department
First of all, I wish you a good day. I am contacting you regarding our ISTANBUL PRINCE ISLAND that you participated with us. Since I saw that you were not satisfied after the bad review I received from you, I wanted to contact you directly. Whatever the problem you have experienced, I would like to ask you to accept our apology first.
If you can tell me why you left a bad review in your free time, we would like to compensate you for your inconvenience. We will also try to provide better service by making corrections in our organizations in order to avoid the same problems with our guests in the future.
Thank you in advance for your return and wish you a good day.
Hope to hear from you as soon as possible.
This is good value for money. We would have liked to spend more than 2 hours on the big Island and there was no western toilets on the boat, but the staff was very friendly with good communication.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
While I would give the actual time out 4/5, I don't appreciate stopping at a leather shop after a hot day in the sun or trying to be sold perfume and purses. If you like dancing, the boat is a fun time. The food is okay but you do have to pay for any drinks. You do get 2 hours on Buyukada, which is enough time to shop.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thanks for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
We had booked this trip, including hotel transfer. The organisation of the hotel transfer was awful. We did not receive any details and I had to chase the organiser to try and find out what time they would be picking us up. We were told 8am. They finally turned up at 9:30am - one and a half hours late and only after many chasing phone calls. So, the day did not start well. The boat was very basic. We were herded on along with a few hundred others. It seemed very overcrowded and it was very uncomfortable. Not what we had imagined for a whole day trip. The sea-journey was nice but the Island-visits were a complete waste of time. There was nothing to do or to see except for eating at over-priced restaurants, along with all the other hundreds of passengers coming off other boats. We were supposed to have a guide to take us around, but there was no sign of him. All in all, it was a very poor experience and I would not recommend it. The low point of our Istanbul trip.
Lunch was very bad.
Over booked and overloaded ferry.
Selling items on board were with 4x prices……..
My one criticism was that it took over 2 hours before the ship left the dock. It was a big and diverse tour group. The boat trip is very relaxing. The islands are pretty to wander around, but there is really not much to do there. The lunch on board ship was good. This is a good tour to fill up a day after you have seen everything else.
Response from Host, May 2024
Thanks for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
A must to see if you’re in Istanbul. The islands are beautiful. Streets, houses and shops looks very nice.
Response from Host, May 2024
Thanks for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
The boat ride was nice but gets boring after a while as there isn’t much to look at. The islands have nothing to do or see. The tour guide provided no information about Turkey. You are constantly being sold to on the boat - perfume, photos, bike rides etc.
My trip to Princess Island (Nov 21, 2023) was excellent. Very well arranged. Even though I submitted my request late night but I got all the required information by morning and they provided me pickup and drop service from the hotel. Tour guide was also well prepared and she did everything to make sure visitors are enjoying the trip to the Pricess Island. Good quality fresh Lunch was also included in the tour.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
An enjoyable Princes Island Tour with a tasty lunch and seamless hotel transfer. Thanks to our guide 'METE" for a great experience!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
Very nice experience
The islands are beautiful, food was good
Special thanks to our guidance kardiland she was an amazing person and with good energy
This trip is It is highly recommended
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you again soon.
Horrible food,rude staff on the boat,took us to a leather store after cruise without advertising.Nice tour guide lady
Not much to see. You don't get a proper guide,just someone on the boat giving you a run down in English.
You can do this on your own much cheaper
Not worth it
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Thank you for your comment. You can be sure that we will take your suggestions into account and make the necessary arrangements.
From $20.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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