Day trips from Istanbul
8 h route3 stopsBest: The islands on a weekday: on Sundays all of Istanbul goesUpdated July 2026
Three escapes earn a day, though the city is so big you barely need to leave: the Princes’ Islands, car-free and reached by ferry, Bursa, the first Ottoman capital, across the Sea of Marmara, and Edirne, the second, with Sinan’s masterpiece.
The islands are the easiest and the most recommendable: an hour of ferry from the centre and nothing to book. Bursa and Edirne need more logistics but repay in history.
The route, stop by stop
3 STOPS- 01
The Princes’ Islands (Adalar)
An archipelago in the Sea of Marmara, a long hour by ferry, where cars are banned: you get around by bike, electric cart or on foot. They were the place of exile for Byzantine princes, hence the name, and later the summer retreat of the Greek, Armenian and Jewish communities.
Büyükada is the largest and most visited, with 19th-century wooden mansions among pine woods and sea views from the monastery at the top.
Go on a weekday: on Sundays it fills with locals escaping the heat.
- 02
Bursa
The first capital of the Ottoman empire, across the Sea of Marmara at the foot of Mount Uludağ. It preserves the mosques and mausoleums of the early sultans, a 14th-century silk bazaar and thermal baths running since Roman times. It’s a World Heritage Site and the birthplace of the İskender kebab, which is kebab served over bread with tomato sauce and hot butter. Reached by fast ferry plus bus: allow the whole day.
- 03
Edirne
The second Ottoman capital, on the border with Greece and Bulgaria, and there’s one reason to come: the Selimiye Mosque, which the architect Sinan built at the age of 80 and considered his masterpiece. Its dome surpasses Hagia Sophia’s, which was exactly the point.
It sits on the World Heritage list and among the summits of world architecture, and it has almost no tourists.
It’s two and a half hours by bus: a long day, but if you care about architecture, there’s no argument.
Frequently asked
What are Istanbul’s Princes’ Islands?
An archipelago in the Sea of Marmara, a long hour by ferry from the centre, where cars are banned: you get around by bike or on foot. Büyükada is the largest, with 19th-century wooden mansions among pine woods.
What day trip should I do from Istanbul?
The Princes’ Islands for something easy with no logistics: an hour by ferry and nothing to book. Bursa, the first Ottoman capital, and Edirne, for Sinan’s Selimiye Mosque, if you care about history and don’t mind a full day.
Can you visit Cappadocia from Istanbul in a day?
Not reasonably: it’s over 700 km away and needs a flight. Cappadocia deserves at least two nights of its own. Attempting it as a day trip from Istanbul means spending the day in airports.