This Spring during a visit to Istanbul with my two-year-old son, we decided to decamp to the Princes Islands for the Eid holiday with my mother-in-law, for a bit of a retreat from the rest of the city. The ferry ride takes about an hour, but transports you to a place full of old Ottoman architecture, grand konaks, and lots of bicycles, as the islands are car-free (except for a few vehicles for the municipality). It’s a place I’ve been several times before, but never stayed overnight, and had never been with a little kid in tow.

During holidays or just weekends with nice weather, be prepared for the main shopping and dining areas of Buyukada (the largest of the three islands) to be absolutely packed. Luckily, the crowds thin out both as you walk further away form the ferry station, and as evening wears on, things get quieter.

We stayed in a big old konak (masnsion) situated high up on a hill ovwerlooking the water. It’s a family-run guesthouse that gives some more personal touches to your stay compared to a regular hotel: the couple that ran this place were excellent conversationalists, absolutely doted on my son, and cooked the most fabulous Turkish breakfast for us.

Getting there: you’ll need to take a ferry from Kabatas – either one of the public transportation ferries (which are slower but less expensive) or through one of the privately run companies. Always check at the ferry station for the most updated timetables, and keep in mind that prices change frequently in Turkey due to high inflation. 

Stay: We stayed in a big old konak (mansion) situated high up on a hill overlooking the water. These family-run guesthouses can offer some more personal touches to your stay compared to a regular hotel: the couple that ran this place were excellent conversationalists, absolutely doted on my son, and cooked the most fabulous Turkish breakfast for us. 

We ran into a couple of problems with our reservation in that this guesthouse was, I think, relatively new as a business, and evidently many places in Turkey have problems accepting reservations through third-party booking websites. When we showed up, even though I had paid for the reservation in full, they had no record of it. After a rather stressful hour or so on the phone with the booking company and talking with the hotel owners to see whether they actually had a room for us, I got refunded for my original (nonexistent) reservation and had a new reservation at the hotel. 

Activities: We walked along the cottage-lined streets, stopping in at cafes and ice cream shops along the way. We found a small playground close to the seaside, where many families sit down for a picnic, and can be a relaxing place to sit for some people-watching. Unfortunately, even though the islands are largely free of cars, it’s not a place where young children can safely just run around unsupervised: there are many electric scooters and taxis often racing to overtake each other on the roads. 

Toward the south end of the island, you’ll find hiking paths that take you through pine trees and plenty of nature. At the top of the highest hill on the mountain is the St. George Church and Monastery – which might not offer a lot in the way of entertainment for kids, but the steep walk up the hill might burn some energy; there is also a cafe/restaurant and panoramic views at the top that make it worth the visit. You won’t find large expanses of sandy beaches here: the “beaches” are usually a small dock with some lounge chairs and require an entrance fee. Also, swimming this close to the city is not the most pleasant due to pollution, and sometimes, algae blooms in summer.

Accessibility: Like most of Istanbul, Buyukada is very walkable, but not always the easiest to navigate with a stroller in tow, if you have little kids. Sometimes the ferry boats will have ramps, but usually, we found that it was easier to fold up the stroller and hold the kiddo when boarding the boat – there are stairs to the upper deck and narrow doorways and passageways that our stroller couldn’t roll through. This is challenging if you’re alone with a young child and have a lot of stuff to manage – luckily, in Istanbul, you’ll almost always find a helpful stranger who’s happy to carry something up the stairs for you. There are also many steep hills on Buyukada and throughout Istanbul, and pushing a stroller up (or down!) these hills can be exhausting and a little nerve-wracking if you’re not used to it.