Bursa was the first Ottoman capital, and it is close enough to Istanbul to see properly in a single long day.
Two ways to get there
By road around the bay: about 2 hours 30 minutes using the Osmangazi bridge. Simple, predictable, and the driver stays with you the whole time.
By ferry then road: a fast ferry from Yenikapı or Pendik to Bursa, then a short drive. The crossing is pleasant, but you are tied to the ferry timetable in both directions, which makes the day less flexible.
For a day trip we usually recommend the road. For a relaxed two-day visit, the ferry is a nicer experience.
What to see
- Ulu Camii — the great mosque, with its twenty domes and famous calligraphy
- Green Mosque and Green Tomb — the tilework is the reason to come
- Koza Han — the silk bazaar, still trading, and the courtyard tea is worth sitting down for
- Uludağ cable car — one of the longest in the world; the view back over the plain is the payoff
- Cumalıkızık — an Ottoman village on the edge of town, quieter than it used to be but still worth an hour
Timing a day trip
Leave Istanbul by 07:30. Mosques and the bazaar in the morning, lunch in Bursa, cable car in the afternoon, back in the city around 20:00. Trying to add Cumalıkızık as well makes for a very long day.
Bridge and motorway tolls
The Osmangazi bridge toll is significant. It is included in the price we quote, so there are no surprises on the day.
See our Bursa tours, or get an intercity transfer price from the home page.
