Istanbul
has two major tourist attractions that will take almost a full day out
of your holiday: a visit to one or more of the Princess Island and a
boat tour on Bosphorus. People rightfully ask me if it’s worth
sacrificing one or two days of their often already short stay in
Istanbul?
That is a tough question to answer, and completely based on personal
preferences. So let me explain what you can expect from a day trip to the
Princes’ Island, and how to best go about.
What Are the Princes’ Islands of Istanbul
The Princess Island (Kızıl Adalar or just Adalar)
are a chain of nine rather small islands in the Sea of Marmara. They
evolved from a place of exile during the Byzantine era, to a popular
destination for tourists and Istanbulites alike to escape the hectic
city life for a day. Of those nine islands, only four of them are open
to the public: Büyükada, the biggest and most popular, Burgazada, Heybeliada and Kınalıada.