South of the city the Sea of Marmara opens, and scattered across it lie the Princes' Islands — Büyükada, Heybeliada and their smaller neighbours. Motor traffic is restricted out there, so the islands run at bicycle pace under pine hills, and reaching them by private yacht makes the crossing itself the holiday.
This is the long route, and it behaves differently from the first mile: the skyline drops astern, the water widens, and the boat settles into an open-sea rhythm the strait never allows. Ahead, the islands sort themselves out of the haze — Kınalıada first, then Burgazada, Heybeliada and big Büyükada. Close in, you read their character straight off the deck: pine slopes, monasteries on the hilltops, and tiers of Ottoman-era wooden mansions above the landing stages.
Do not squeeze this one into the minimum slot. The islands sit across open Marmara water, and the trip is planned as a half-day format so the crossing, the shoreline tour and the stop each get their share. It suits a family outing with school-age kids, a friends' day out that wants more than an evening, or simply the fullest single day of an Istanbul visit.
A half-day wants provisioning, not snacks. Catering starts from €30 per person — breakfast for the crossing out, a cold table or a generous lunch at anchor — and on most yachts you may bring your own food and drinks instead. Either way, someone should confirm the coffee and water supply for the whole day; the crew will gladly be that someone.
Base rentals start from €300 for the first two hours on a Comfort yacht, but an islands run is longer by nature, so each trip is quoted individually — hull, hours, season and catering all move the figure. The prices page shows the fixed anchors; put your date and group into the charter planner and the reply comes back as a full day-plan with one price.
Swim stops happen only on this route, only in the warm season — roughly May to October — and only in coves away from the traffic. The Bosphorus itself is a shipping lane: nobody swims there, on any boat, at any price.
Plan half a day. The islands lie across open Marmara water south of the city, and a proper version of the trip — crossing, shoreline tour, a stop and the return — does not fit into the two-hour minimum.
In season, yes: the captain anchors in a quiet cove away from the shipping lane, usually off the islands, and you swim from the boat. Outside the warm months, and anywhere on the Bosphorus, swimming stays off the plan.
Time ashore can be written into the programme when you book — a walk past the wooden mansions and up into the pines suits the pace of the day. Tell us in advance so the stop is planned into the schedule.
Type it here - the button sends your text straight to our WhatsApp. A laser message on the bridge? A cake at midnight? A drone above the deck? We read everything.
Send to WhatsAppTell us the date, the occasion and the group - we reply with matched yachts, menu ideas and a firm price.