Day trips from Istanbul

Istanbul leads out on three sides for a day: to the islands in the Marmara, across the water to Bursa and north-west to Edirne. Each takes a whole day, though not the same effort. The islands are the easy one, because the way there is an ordinary city ferry, while Bursa is a long day and Edirne a coach ride of two hours each way.

Four of the nine islands are inhabited, Kınalıada, Burgazada, Heybeliada and Büyükada, and the ferry from Kabataş calls at them in that order in about 90 minutes. Büyükada is the largest, at 5.46 km², and there is almost no motor traffic on the islands, so you walk or ride a bicycle. Byzantine and Ottoman princes and clergy were sent here into exile, which is where the name comes from. Trotsky spent four years on Büyükada after 1929.

The ferry costs €2.44 one way on an Istanbulkart and it is the one line with no transfer discount, so the full fare is charged even if you came off a tram. From Eminönü, Kadıköy or Bostancı the crossing takes 50 to 90 minutes depending on the pier, and the timetable differs between summer and winter, so look it up the day before. If you have one day, take Büyükada and come back the same way; Heybeliada, with the Halki seminary that trained Orthodox clergy from 1844 until 1971, can wait for another visit.

Getting aroundWhich line takes you to the piers, and what you pay:Getting around Istanbul →

Bursa was the capital of the early Ottoman state from 1335 until the 1360s, after its capture in 1326. That is why its old core, together with Cumalıkızık, is a UNESCO site. The Grand Mosque with its twenty domes stands in the city, and above it rises Uludağ, a mountain with a ski resort. Food is one more reason to go, since İskender kebap comes from here.

The fast ferry from Kabataş or Kadıköy sails to Mudanya, in 1 hour 50 minutes at the quickest, from €13 one way, and from there the centre is about 32 km by bus. Count on a long day, about 10 to 14 hours door to door. Buy the return ticket in advance, and sleep over if you can.

FoodThe dish that comes from here and is eaten in Istanbul too:What to eat in Istanbul →

Edirne lies about 230 km north-west of Istanbul, close to the Greek and Bulgarian borders, and it was the Ottoman capital from the 1360s until 1453. The Selimiye, which Sinan finished in 1575, became a UNESCO site in 2011, and its minarets are 70.90 m high. Kırkpınar, the oil wrestling, is held in late June or early July, and for lunch you should ask for ciğer tava, the fried liver the city is known for.

Coaches leave from the Esenler bus station, the ride takes two to two and a half hours, and the Edirne station is about fifteen minutes by road from the centre. The trip is long but needs nothing except a ticket, so take the first coach and come back in the evening.

Where to stayKadıköy, where the Bursa ferry also leaves from, as a base:Where to stay in Istanbul →

Further than Istanbul

The rest of Turkey needs more than a day:

GuideValleys, rock-cut churches and underground cities, with a balloon at dawn:Cappadocia →

GuideAn ancient city whose library facade still stands:Ephesus →

GuideWhite terraces and Hierapolis together:Pamukkale →

GuideTurkey's Mediterranean coast and what to do there:Antalya →

GuideA sunken ancient city you see from the deck:Kekova →

GuideAn Ottoman town of white houses with exposed timber frames:Safranbolu →

What fits in one day

Each of the three takes a whole day, so do not stack them: Bursa lies south across the Marmara and Edirne north-west, on opposite sides. The islands are the easiest and cheaper than Bursa, needing only a city ferry.

3 daysThe three days in the city that come before these trips:Istanbul in 3 days →

BudgetWhat a day out of town adds to the bill:What Istanbul costs →

When to goWhich month suits walking and which needs an umbrella is in the guide to when to go.The best time to visit Istanbul →

AirportThe Bursa ferry leaves from Kadıköy, which the M4 reaches from Sabiha Gökçen, as the guide to arriving from the airport explains.From the airport to Istanbul →

MistakesThe islands, Bursa and Edirne take a full day, and the guide to mistakes lists what spoils such a day.Mistakes everyone makes in Istanbul →