Istanbul could fill a lifetime, but a day out of the city shows a different side of Türkiye: car-free islands, the first Ottoman capital, a frontier city of great mosques and the battlefields of Gallipoli. Some trips are easy to do by public ferry or bus; others, like Gallipoli, are best done with a tour. Journey times below are approximate and depend heavily on traffic, which can be severe leaving and entering the city.
The Princes’ Islands
The Princes’ Islands, Adalar in Turkish, lie in the Sea of Marmara south-east of the city, and their car-free lanes of wooden mansions, pine woods and seafood restaurants make the easiest and most popular day trip. Büyükada is the largest; Heybeliada is quieter. City ferries leave Kabataş, Eminönü and Bostancı, and the crossing to Büyükada takes about 90 minutes from the European side. Under the city’s July 2026 tariff, an Istanbulkart fare on the islands ferry lines costs 151.23 TL, and the faster İDO sea buses from Kabataş cost 272.18 TL. On the islands, small electric buses and bicycles replace cars. Go on a weekday if you can; summer weekends are very crowded.
The upper Bosphorus
For a day on the water without leaving the city, the Şehir Hatları long Bosphorus tour sails from Eminönü to Anadolu Kavağı, a fishing village near the Black Sea, at 10.35am on the winter timetable. It stops there for about two and a half hours before returning to Eminönü at 4.40pm. Foreign passengers pay ₺640 return. Climb to the ruined Yoros Castle above the village for a view of the strait opening into the Black Sea, then have fish by the harbour before the boat back.
Bursa
Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, sits at the foot of Mount Uludağ, south of the Sea of Marmara. Its Grand Mosque, the Green Mosque and Green Tomb, the old silk market of Koza Han and the hilltop tombs of the first sultans make a rich day, and İskender kebab was born here. A cable car climbs Uludağ. Most independent travellers take a fast ferry across the Marmara and a bus into the city, about two to three hours each way; guided tours are the simplest option for a single day.
Edirne
Edirne, near the Greek and Bulgarian borders, was the Ottoman capital before Istanbul. Its glory is the Selimiye Mosque, which Mimar Sinan considered his masterpiece and which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old covered markets, the Ottoman bridges over the Tunca river and the Museum of Health in the Bayezid II complex are also worth seeing. Intercity buses take about two and a half to three hours from the main bus station, so it is a long but rewarding day.
Şile and Ağva
On the Black Sea coast north-east of the city, Şile is a small resort with a castle, a lighthouse and sandy beaches, and Ağva, further east, sits between two rivers in green countryside. İETT bus 139 runs from Üsküdar to Şile and Ağva. Under the July 2026 tariff, the full fare from Üsküdar to Ağva is 282.35 TL. It is a summer trip above all, but the coast is wild and empty in winter.
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula, scene of the 1915 campaign, is a place of pilgrimage for visitors from Türkiye, Australia, New Zealand, Britain and Ireland. The cemeteries and memorials of Anzac Cove, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair lie along a beautiful coast. It is about five hours’ drive each way, so a guided tour with transport, lunch and an English-speaking guide is by far the easiest way to visit in a day. An overnight stay in Çanakkale lets you add Troy.
Sapanca and Maşukiye
East of the city, Lake Sapanca and the wooded village of Maşukiye are a favourite weekend escape for Istanbul residents, with lakeside walks, streams, waterfalls and riverside trout restaurants. It is about two hours by road, and organised day trips with lunch are widely available.
Planning tips
Leave early to beat the traffic, and avoid Friday afternoons and Sunday evenings, when roads out of the city are at their busiest. Carry your passport on longer trips. Check ferry timetables in winter, when sailings are less frequent and can be cancelled in rough weather.