5 Days: Istanbul and Beyond
Five days keeps the 4-day spine , Princes’ Islands, the Bosphorus Tour, Edirne and Bursa, then closes with a second, quieter Princes’ Island for the pace that Buyukada’s crowds don’t allow. Want the full overnight trip to Gallipoli and Troy instead of a fifth day here? Jump to the 7-day version .
Book these before you go
- The Princes’ Islands round-trip ferry ticket, via GetYourGuide
- A private Bosphorus sunset cruise, via Viator
- A guided Bursa day tour, via GetYourGuide
- A place to stay near Kabatas or Eminonu, via Booking.com
| Day | Trip | Distance / Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princes’ Islands (Buyukada) | 75-100 min ferry from Kabatas |
| 2 | The Bosphorus Cruise | 2-6 hrs, departs Eminonu |
| 3 | Edirne | 2h15-2h45 direct bus |
| 4 | Bursa | 1h40 ferry + 30 min transfer, or 3-5h bus |
| 5 | Heybeliada | 65-85 min ferry from Kabatas |
Day 1: Princes’ Islands
Morning
Ferries leave Kabatas roughly hourly from 05:45 per the official Adalar timetable , reaching Buyukada in 75 to 100 minutes for around 135-140 TRY one way.
Afternoon
Bike or electric cart around the island’s car-free interior roads, past the wood mansions.
Evening
Return to Kabatas in time for dinner; the last sailing back runs around 21:45.
Day 2: The Bosphorus Cruise
Morning
The 6-hour Long Tour from Eminonu, about 640 TRY, reaches toward the Black Sea with a built-in lunch stop; the 2-hour Short Circle, around 340 TRY, covers less water for less time.
Afternoon
Stay on the open deck for the shoreline villas and both Bosphorus bridges.
Evening
Take the private sunset cruise you booked, or the free commuter ferry to Kadikoy instead.
Day 3: Edirne
Morning
A direct bus, close to hourly from about 5am, covers the 2 hour 15 minute to 2 hour 45 minute run.
Afternoon
Mimar Sinan’s Selimiye Mosque is the entire reason for the trip out.
Evening
Return on a direct bus, with departures running until close to 11pm.
Day 4: Bursa
Morning
An IDO or BUDO ferry to Mudanya runs about 1 hour 40 minutes, plus a 25 to 30 minute transfer into central Bursa; a direct bus alone runs 3 to 5 hours.
Afternoon
The Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) and the Green Tomb and Green Mosque cover the city’s history as the Ottoman Empire’s first capital.
Evening
Reverse your outbound route; count on 10 to 14.5 hours round trip once sightseeing is added.
Day 5: Heybeliada
Morning
Take the Sehir Hatlari ferry from Kabatas toward Heybeliada, the second largest of the Princes’ Islands, at 65 to 85 minutes a shorter run than Buyukada.
Afternoon
Heybeliada carries a fraction of Buyukada’s foot traffic and adds a genuine hiking route up to the old Naval Academy grounds, along with quieter beaches than the main island’s.
Evening
Return to Kabatas for a final Istanbul dinner, closing out the trip on the water the same way it started.
Why visit a second Princes’ Island instead of repeating Buyukada?
Heybeliada gives you the same car-free calm without Buyukada’s crowds, since most day-trippers only ever make time for the largest island. Repeating Buyukada on a fifth day mostly just repeats the same restaurants and the same crowded harbor strip; Heybeliada’s quieter pace is the better use of a bonus island day.
Do you need a different ferry ticket for Heybeliada than for Buyukada?
No. The same Sehir Hatlari ferry line calls at both islands on its regular route from Kabatas, so one Istanbulkart tap covers either stop; you’re simply getting off at a different pier along the same line.
Base yourself near Kabatas for easy access to both island days and the Bosphorus cruise dock at Eminonu. An Istanbulkart bought on Day 1 covers every ferry crossing across all five days without needing a second ticket type.