Buyukada Princes’ Island Guided Day Tour with lunch from Istanbul
Description
Explore Büyükada, the largest of Turkey’s Princes’ Islands, on this full-day trip from Istanbul! Cruise across the Sea of Marmara, watching the sights of Istanbul slip from view, and then explore the pedestrianized island in the best possible way – Hear the history of this laid-back island from your expert local guide and then spend time at leisure, perhaps relaxing on its beaches, before returning to Istanbul. There is no HORSE-DRAWN carriages anymore at the island, guests may explore islands themselves
Tour Options
Itinerary
Topkapı Palace, residence of Ottoman Sultans exhibiting imperial treasury, sacred Islamic relics of Prophet Mohammed, kitchen, Chinese porcelain, weapons, calligraphy section etc. Live guide commentary is not allowed in special sections.
One of the most iconic images of Istanbul surely has to be the Kız Kulesi Üsküdar, known in English as Maiden's Tower, Tower of Leandros, Leander's Tower
Büyükada, the popular summer resort with pinewood scenery and wooden mansions, once the pleasure island of Byzantine Princes. Tour of the island by horse-drawn carriages before lunch at a fish restaurant. Evening return to İstanbul and transfer to hotels.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please if your hotel is outside of our list be ready in front of The Marmara Hotel at Taksim Square at 08:15 and look for blue and white Midibus/Minivan with our logo and Gray Line.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please note: When reconfirming your booking, your local supplier will advise you on alternative meeting points for hotels which are not accessible
Reviews(71)
Our tour to Prince’s Island was very basic. Our guide John was contentious about our pick up, ferry ride boarding both way, lunch etc, but honestly had very little to tell us about the places we were seeing and the history of the place. He seemed to lack experience guiding even a small group of 9 of us. However the most surprising and disappointing part of the tour happened at the end. Even our guide seemed to be surprised by the forced stop at a leather store for a fashion show and shopping. No one was interested in this and it made us an hour and a half late getting back from the tour.
Dear Mr. Gold, We are truly sorry to hear about your disappointment. We wish you had informed us while you were still in İstanbul, as we would have done our best to make it right. We have spoken with our guide, who is originally from the island and knows the area very well. He mentioned that you left a tip which he took as a sign of your overall satisfaction and he deeply appreciated it. Your feedback is important to him as well. We have also taken the necessary steps on our side to prevent similar issues in the future. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
This was not good at all first off no carriages not sure why you advertise it they no longer do that according to the tour guide they have not had them for over tow years , food was terrible and after tour we where taken to couple of shops after a long day and they where trying to sale stuff way more expensive than normal when I booked this I trusted trip adviser now I think I need to think twice total waist of time and money the carriage is a falls advertisement as it has not been available over tow years My feed back for you, you need to do your home work before you put your name behind this kind of joke I should be credited for the Horse and carriage part of the tour at list, if you need more info on this I will be happy to provide it when I get back, thx
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. Your comments regarding the horse carriage, the quality of the meal, and the shopping stops are very important to us. Please kindly note that horse-drawn carriages have been officially discontinued on the Princes’ Islands for some time and replaced by electric vehicles. This change is made by local authorities and is beyond our control. However, we sincerely apologize if this was not clearly reflected in the tour description at the time of your booking — this should have been communicated more transparently. We also regret that the lunch and the overall experience did not meet your expectations, as well as your discomfort with the shopping stops. This is not the experience we aim to provide. We would appreciate the opportunity to review your case in detail and assist you further. Kindly share your booking details with us if possible. Thank you again for your feedback. It helps us improve our services, and we hope to have the chance to offer you a much better experience in the future. Warm regards, Plan Tours – Gray Line Turkey
Its was a very good tour ,thank you so much 👍👍👍👍👍they have show u’s every where in uge Island and eat good Food and 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
We are so happy to hear your satisfaction. Hope to host you and your friends inTurkey again :)
Very much recommend going to Princes Island, however don't use this tour. This tour says "you arrive on the island to spend time exploring by horse-drawn carriage. Learn about the island's history from your guide. Enjoy ample time to lounge on its beautiful beaches. Without going into too much detail..... There are no horse drawn carriage anymore. We were told the beaches were privately owned and we couldn't get to them. The your guide gave us 1.5hrs to mooch around by ourselves before telling us we needed to be back for lunch at 1pm. Lunch was nice but then you get an hour after lunch before you're back on a boat leaving the island. We got no "history of the island" from our guide. The island is lovely...... What you're promised on this tour is mostly not true. Go by yourself and enjoy the island with some time.
Within an hour distance from Istanbul, Buyukada is a serene island offering plenty of shopping, scenic & dining experiences. The horse ride through out the main roads in the island will add up some bills but worth if you are travelling as a couple or more.
Fresh clean air, very silent, no vehicles, no rush. Sometimes scary, we aren't used to such places. Good food.
Excellent opportunity to take teen Kids for family activities. Cycling horse riding etc. Food is not great and expensive
These islands, not only Buyuk Ada, are the best place to go after three days of hectic Istanbul traffic and noise. Start from Eminonu Adalar Iskelesi, and take the Vapur to the islands. Usually the ferry does four islands in a row and then goes back, you can hop off at any one of them, and then take the next ferry to another island or go back to Eminonu or Bostanci. I find the smaller islands much nicer, Heybeli Ada, Burgaz, or Kinali. Buyuk Ada is usually more crowded with tourists, you will see most people leave the ferry (Vapur) here. Just stay on and leave at Heybeli Ada, a very nice and quiet atmosphere awaits you. Old wooden 'Greek' houses are still standing, some almost derelict, but belonging to the general atmosphere
Princes’ Islands is good way to take a bit of a break from frenetic Istanbul. Walk around the residential area and check out the charming housing that is reminiscent of British Columbia. There are very few cars on the islands and you can go in horse and buggy to see the sites. The restaurants near the port can be a bit touch and go with price and quality. Overall a good day out to see a different side of Istanbul.
Well, I've had memories in this buyukada island 30+ years ago when I was a kid. I wanted to do it this trip again but it wasnt that great. Don't be mad if you didn't find the time to go. The horse carriage is over-priced (120 tl which is around US$ 22) and it takes you for half an hour around the island. I didn't see most of the nature and houses because the carriage is covered and if you are tall, you will not see a thing. I'm sure I was ripped off by one restaurant paying $90 for a fish plate and 4 appetizers for two persons. It didn't say the price on the menu yet knowing Istanbul, I didn't believe it would be much till I saw the bill!!