Bosphorus Yachts Karaköy · Group island swimming tour from Istanbul If you search "day trip from Istanbul" you'll get the same results every time. Topkapi Palace. The Grand Bazaar. Maybe Cappadocia if you have a few days. What you won't find, at least not easily, is this. A full 8 hour sailing and swimming day to the Princes' Islands, on a yacht with a small group of travellers and locals, breakfast on board, drinks included, and the Sea of Marmara opening up around you as Istanbul slowly disappears behind you. It's one of the best things you can do in Istanbul. And almost nobody knows to look for it. 1. What are the Princes' Islands? The Princes' Islands, known as Adalar in Turkish, are a group of car free islands in the Sea of Marmara, about an hour from central Istanbul by boat. No traffic, no noise, pine forests, Ottoman mansions, clear water, and the kind of slow pace the city never quite manages. They've been a summer escape from Istanbul for centuries, Byzantine monks, Ottoman royals, and now travellers who are smart enough to skip the ferry and come by private yacht instead. 2. What actually happens on the tour You board in Karaköy in the morning. Breakfast is served on board as you leave the city behind and sail south towards the islands. The group is small, up to 25 people, and the kind of day this is tends to bring people together. Something about being on a boat with good food, open water, and no fixed agenda does that. You visit one or two of the islands during the day. The yacht anchors and you swim directly from the boat in front of the islands, clear, calm water, no city noise, just the sea and the pine covered hillsides around you. There is time to float, sunbathe on deck, eat, explore and do nothing in particular. A few drinks are included throughout the day. The crew handles everything on board. 3. Who is this for Solo travellers who want a proper full day out and easy company. Couples looking for something different from the standard Istanbul itinerary. Small groups of friends who want to escape the city without organising a full private charter. People visiting Istanbul for the first time who want to see a side of it most tourists never find. And people who live here and keep coming back because this never gets old. It's a shared experience in the best sense. You're not on a tour bus. You're on a yacht with a small group of people who all chose the same day to do something worth remembering. 4. What's included Breakfast on board. A few drinks throughout the day. Swimming at one or two of the Princes' Islands. 8 hours on the water departing from Karaköy. A small group of up to 25 people. The crew takes care of everything. 5. Want the boat just for your group? This experience can also be booked privately — the whole yacht exclusively for you and your group, fully customisable. Just message us and we'll put a package together.