Full-day Princes Island Tour with Lunch in Turkey, Istanbul

Highlights:

Please note: Once at the meeting point, make your way towards the water and look for a boat named "Deluxe". You can access the port using tram T-5 from Sirkeci and get off at the Cibali stop. Please, bring with you passport or ID card

Explore Büyükada, the largest of Turkeys Princes islands, on this 7-hour excursion from Istanbul. Cruise across the Sea of Marmara, watching the sights of Istanbul slip from view. See the pedestrianized island in the best possible way by bike (not included) or spend time at leisure, perhaps relaxing on one of its beaches, before returning to Istanbul.

The largest and most interesting of the islands is Büyükada, which is your destination for the day. From the boat, look back on the sights of Istanbul, seeing iconic landmarks such as Topkapi Palace and the pretty Kiz Kulesi (also known as the Maidens Tower), which was featured in the James Bond film, The World is Not Enough. Dock in Büyükada and Kınali then take a stroll through the streets on your own, soaking up the laid-back atmosphere of island life. Return to the boat and listen as your guide talks about the islands history during the ride. Learn about its time as a place of exile for banished statesmen and royalty, and of its life asI a monastic settlement during Turkeys Byzantine-Christian period. Pass lovely wooden mansions that are stunning examples of the islands late Ottoman-era architecture, and look out over the sparkling sea. Seagulls are everywhere in Büyükada, and if you'd like to feed them your guide will give you simits (bread with sesame seeds) so you can toss them a treat. Have lunch on the boat in summer or in a restaurant in the winter (if the weather gets too bad) , then spend the rest of your day at leisure on the islands. Later, meet your guide at a pre-arranged time for your boat ride back to Istanbul. Gift and leather shop visit (Optional).