Biking

The best biking routes of İstanbul are on the Islands. Since motor vehicle traffic is prohibited on the Islands except public vehicles, this makes an ideal environment for biking. Roads are between mansions, houses with gardens and not more than two stories and all in green space. Most of the sections of the roads suitable for biking are in forests or on the coast with beautiful scenery. Allies and paths in the forests are suitable for both mountain bikes and ordinary ones.

You can rent a bike on the Islands as you can carry your own bike. There are many bike renting points close to piers and centers of Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada and Kınalıada. You can rent bike hourly or daily. Although it may change, price for hourly rent is 10TL and for daily rent is 20 TL. You can get discount from these prices according to age of bike, please ask before renting.

Attention: Although Islands are suitable for biking, on weekends, roads on all Islands, especially on Büyükada have very heavy phaeton, bike and passenger traffic and this causes increasing of accidents.

lease always ask for helmet when renting bike. Do not drive fast. Be careful especially while driving downhill. Try to be away from crowded roads. Don’t forget that there are many roads with beautiful scenery in the forests. You can find these roads on the maps, available for sale around piers.

Phaeton

Motor vehicles are not used for transportation on the Islands. Motor vehicles are mainly allowed for public services such as cleaning, health, ambulance, police, fire department etc. Public transportation on Büyükada, Heybeliada and Burgazada are done by means of phaetons.

There are Phaeton-stops close to centers of every three islands. Usage of phaetons starts at 6:00 am and continues up to 12:00 am. It is also possible to find phaetons when the last boats reach to Islands.

Phaetons give service according to price list approved by UKOME, related to Adalar Municipality and İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Phaetons must carry printed price list. Please ask for price list when you get into phaeton. If you meet a driver without price list or who does not apply regular prices, please inform them with their license plate numbers to municipal officers or policeman.

Phaeton Tours

Phaeton tours are very attractive on these three islands for local and international visitors. It is an opportunity not to be missed, if you visit Islands.

Recommended Phaeton Tours:

Büyükada
Small Tour: It mainly covers residential areas of the Island. It takes 35 minutes including break given at Luna Park Area.

Big Tour: You go around all Büyükada with this tour. It also covers south coast of the Island, full of maquis with beautiful forest and sea view. It takes about 60 minutes including break given at Luna Park Area.

Heybeliada
You go around all Island with this tour. Most of it is in forest and with sea view. It takes about 45 minutes.

Burgazada
Its route is between Burgazada Center and Kalpazankaya.

Map of Kınalıada

Map of Burgazada

Map of Heybeliada

Map of Büyükada

How to get to the Islands?

By sea of course.
There are scheduled trips from both sides of Istanbul everyday of the year.

From the European side: Big boats take off mainly from Kabataş and from eminönü from time to time, the City Lines' traditional boats and IDO's catamarans organize regular trips to the Islands.

From the Asian side: Big boats take off mainly from Bostancı and additionally from Kartal and Maltepe. The City Lines' traditional boats are also available from Bostancı.

Furthermore you can call on a seataxi from either side of the Bosphorus. Even though you will wait for a while and that the prices are not at the same level as the regular boat trips, the seataxis will take you to the islands in a relatively short span of time.

As for the transportation on the islands there are a few different options. You will either choose to walk or hop on a horse carriage, if not you can always rent a bike. If you want to go to another neighbouring island ou can do so by taking one of the boats owned by private companies or the City Lines.

European Side:

If you have landed at the Istanbul Atatürk Airport, depending on the traffic, it will take you between 45 and 90 minutes to get to Kabataş by car. Alternatively you can make use of the City's public transportation system and get to Kabataş by using the subway, funicular, tram and buses. If you have just missed the boat at your arrival you can always relax and enjoy a cup of tea at the shore.

Kabataş is a big harbor. Where you find the IDO catamarans, the City Lines' boats and other piers of various sizes side by side. It is possible to get to many different destinations in Istanbul by sea. Timetables are shown on each pier. You can look at these timetables to get to the Islands. Or you can click here to learn more about the scheduled trips.

Asian Side:

You can fetch a bus ride from the Sabiha Gökçen Airport to bostancı organized by Havaş and havataş. Bostancı, is a central harbour to reach many places in Istanbul including the Islands. The City Lines, Mavi Marmara and IDO piers are all lined along the coastline. The schedules can be found on the piers. Alternatively you can learn the timetable by clicking on the link below.

TRANSPORTATION SCHEDULES

Here you can find the schedules of the boat rides depending on your point of departure and arrival.

These timetables change twice a year. Different schedules are organized during winter and summer. There also may be temporary changes to these schedules depending on the weather conditions

We aim at giving you only the most up to date schedules. Nonetheless we suggest that you check the cmpanies' websites for the earliest and latest boat rides from and to the Islands.

COMPANIES

Mavi Marmara : http://www.mavimarmara.net/

City Lines : http://www.sehirhatlari.com.tr

İDO : http://www.ido.com.tr/

Dentur : http://www.denturavrasya.com/

Prenstur : http://www.prenstur.net/

Turyol : www.turyol.com

SEATAXI

You can order a private boat from the seataxis any time of the day. During the busy summer season it may take a bit longer for the seataxis to arrive at your point of departure. Please ask for the time of arrival and the price for the fair, the first time you call the seataxi.

Süvari Seataxi
İDO Seataxi

Private boat reservationfor groups larger than 10:
Mavi Marmara

A small hint:

If you sit on the right side of the boat while coming to the islands you may enjoy the view of our archipelago during all your trip..

CONTACT INFORMATION

Practical Information

Health

Medical Emergencies:
Büyükada has a hospital and health clinic. Each of the other islands has a clinic, and Heybeliada also has a polyclinic specializing in chest ailments. Büyükada Hospital has eight doctors, including four specialists. Heybeliada’s polyclinic has a team of medical specialists, and the other islands’ clinics are staffed by general practitioners. During the summer months, the clinics have practitioners on duty around the clock. Each island has ambulance service within the island, and an ambulance boat is available for emergency transport to the mainland.

Telephone numbers:
Büyükada State Hospital: (216) 382 62 28
Büyükada Health Clinic: (216) 382 62 10
Heybeliada Health Clinic: (216) 351 88 50
Burgazadası Health Clinic:: (216) 381 19 19
Kınalıada Health Clinic: (216) 381 40 60

Pharmacies:
There are drugstores on the four main islands: Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazadas›, and K›nal›ada. Weekday hours are 08.00-18.30 in winter and 08.00-20.00 in summer. Each island has one pharmacist on duty for emergencies at night and on Sundays and official holidays. The name of the pharmacist on duty is posted in the window of all pharmacies.

Tipping
A five to fifteen percent tip is customary for staff at hotels, restaurants, Turkish baths and hairdressers.

Post Office, Telephone and Internet Services

Post and Telephone:
Post offices can be identified by the letters PTT on a yellow background. The PTT also provides telephone, telegram, and fax services. Büyükada’s main post office, on Recep Koç Caddesi, is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. On other islands, the post office follows government office hours.

The telephone area code for the Princes’ Islands is 0216, same as the Asian side of Istanbul. The code for the European side of Istanbul is 0212.

Internet:

There are Internet cafes on Büyükada and Heybeliada. On Büyükada: near Çınar Meydanı. On Heybeliada: just off Lozan Zaferi Caddesi, at Erkal Sok. No. 1/A and Işgüzar Sok. No. 12

Newspapers, Magazines and Books

There are newspaper and magazine kiosks on the four main islands; the one on Büyükada, opposite the Yap› Kredi Bank, has some publications in English, French, and German. Also on Büyükada, a bookstore at the entrance to the ferry landing stocks books and periodicals, including many about the Princes’ Islands.

Banks

Many of the leading Turkish banks have branches on Büyükada and Heybeliada. Most of them have ATM machines.

Transportation In and Between Islands

Upon Arrival

In case you have heavy luggage you may ask some help from the carriers on the Pier. They can take your luggage to your house/hotel.

You should ask about the fee in advance. Prices change depending on on the load and destination.

Transportation in Islands

Phaeton (Horse carriage)

You can find the Phaeton terminal near the Piers at Büyükada, Heybeliada and Burgazada. It is compulsary that the price list should be hanged in the terminal and in the Phaetons. Please ask the prices in adavance...

Transportation Between Islands

Please look at the schedules. You may use Mavi Marmara boats or Şehir Hatları ferries between islands.

Getting to the Beaches

In all islands special boat services are available for transportation to the beaches. These boats can be found near the main piers.

In general, transportation fee is included in the entrance fee. You can also use the same boats for your return.

Bicycle

You can rent bicycles from around the center of the islands.

Please ask about the rules of renting and driving the bicycle and follow them carefully. Do not allow this delightful trip to become a nightmare for yourself and others.

Rent a Boat or Yacht at Adalar

Phones, Useful Web Sites...

Transportation to Museum of The Princes' Islands

Museum of the Princes’ Islands is the first contemporary city museum of Istanbul. It tells the story of the Islands from the geological formation of the Islands to the present day, displaying hundreds of objects and utilising twenty thousand Ottoman archival documents, six thousand digital photographs, hundreds of documentary films, documentation and filming of today’s Islands, archival records of public institutions of the Islands, temporary and permanent donations of the Islanders.

You can reach the Museum by walk (about 20 minutes from Center) by bicycle or by phaeton.

Taking Pets to Islands

You may take your pets and tour together in Islands. However you should follow the rules in the means of transport. You should have your pet in a cage and mouth collar. Your pet may travel only in open areas of the boats. Also you should bring a bag to collect the excrement of your pet.

Note to interested: In Büyükada there is a dog shelter at Aya Nikola Square near Museum of the Princes' Islands. There you may find several dogs abondened in the forest. Want to vis,t them? (Please see the map)