Heybeliada Island: A Full Day-Trip Guide From Istanbul

Heybeliada is the second-largest of the Princes' Islands and the one we send friends to when Büyükada sounds too crowded. It's a car-free island in the Sea of Marmara, roughly 90 minutes by ferry from the European side, and a full day here fits a swim, a pine-forest walk, and a long lunch without ever feeling rushed.

The whole loop below runs about six hours, ferry to ferry. Add an hour if you swim twice, which most people end up doing in July.

How do you get to Heybeliada from Istanbul by ferry?

Şehir Hatları runs public ferries to Heybeliada from Kabataş on the European side and from Bostancı and Kadıköy on the Asian side. In summer the Kabataş boats leave roughly every hour from around 06:50 to late evening, and the crossing takes about 90 minutes with stops at Kınalıada and Burgazada first. From Bostancı it's shorter, around 50 minutes.

Buy your ride with an İstanbulkart and tap at the turnstile; a single crossing is roughly 40 lira in 2026. Check the current departures on Şehir Hatları's timetable before you go, because the schedule thins out on weekdays and shifts between summer and winter.

The fast İDO sea buses also run to the islands and cut the trip to around 45 minutes, but they cost more and stop less often. For a slow island day, the public ferry is the better choice. Sit on the right side heading out for the best views of the other islands.

Is Heybeliada worth visiting compared to Büyükada?

Yes, if you want quiet over spectacle. Büyükada is bigger, busier, and has the famous hilltop monastery and the crowds that come with it. Heybeliada is smaller and calmer, with fewer day-trippers, a walkable pine forest, and swimming platforms that don't fill up by noon.

Here's the honest tradeoff. Büyükada has more to look at and more restaurants, so if you only visit one island and you like a bit of buzz, go there. Heybeliada is the one for a swim-and-walk day where the point is to slow down. The two islands are one stop apart, so ambitious visitors do both, but a single island is enough for one day.

Neither island allows private cars. Getting around Heybeliada means walking, renting a bike near the pier, or taking one of the electric shuttle vehicles that replaced the old horse carriages. Bike rental runs around 150 lira for a few hours in 2026.

What is there to do on Heybeliada for a full day?

A full day on Heybeliada breaks into three parts: a morning swim, a midday pine-forest walk, and a seaside lunch. The island is small enough that you can do all three on foot, and the loop below starts and ends at the ferry pier so you won't get lost.

Start with the water. Walk left from the pier along the coast road for about ten minutes and you'll reach the swimming platforms near Değirmenburnu, wooden decks built out over deep, clean water where locals swim all summer. Most charge a small entry fee, around 100 to 200 lira, which usually includes a sunbed and access to a changing cabin. Go before 11:00 and you'll have space.

After your swim, head inland and uphill into the pine forest that covers most of the island. The main walking loop follows the shaded ring road around Değirmenburnu point, about a 4-kilometer circuit with sea views most of the way and almost no motor traffic. It's flat enough for anyone comfortable on their feet, and the pines keep it cool even in August. Bring water; there are few shops once you leave the pier area.

For lunch, the seafood restaurants clustered around the harbour are the reliable choice. Expect grilled fish, a few cold meze (small shared plates), and a view of the boats. Two people sharing a fish, three meze, and a drink each will run somewhere around 1,200 to 1,600 lira depending on the fish. Check the price of the fish by weight before you order; that's where island bills climb.

End the day back near the pier with a çay (Turkish black tea served in tulip glasses) while you wait for the boat. The last ferries back to Kabataş leave in the evening and get busy on summer Sundays, so aim for one before the final departure rather than betting on the last boat home.