Bursa Day Trip from Istanbul: Cable Car & Green Mosque

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Free cancellation

1/15

Duration12h

GroupUp to 25

LanguagesEN · AR

PickupAt your hotel

The cable car descends from Uludag straight into Bursa's city center.

A 12-hour day trip from Istanbul combines ferry travel across the Sea of Marmara, a guided tour of Bursa's Ottoman landmarks, lunch on Uludag Mountain, and a cable car descent back to the city. Hotel pickup and drop-off, an air-conditioned minivan, a local English-speaking guide, and the ferry ride are all included; the cable car itself is optional. You return to Istanbul the same evening.

12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Bursa day trip from Istanbul

Pickup from Istanbul hotel
Travel to port and ferry to Yalova
Bus ride to Bursa
Visit 600-year-old plane tree
Lunch at Uludag Mountain restaurant
Free time at Uludag Mountain
Cable car ride to Bursa city center
Visit natural homemade jam preserve
Visit Green Mosque
Return bus to Istanbul hotel

The Experience

The day starts with pickup from your Istanbul hotel on the European side, then heads to a harbor for the car ferry across the Sea of Marmara to Yalova. The crossing itself is part of the journey — you'll see the Bosporus and the bridges connecting Asia and Europe from the water. Once the ferry docks, an air-conditioned minivan takes over for the drive to Bursa, the Ottoman Empire's first capital. Just over two hours of travel gets you there, and your guide walks you through how this ancient seat of power became the modern city around you, with historical monuments still scattered through its streets.

In Bursa, the route takes you first to a 600-year-old plane tree for photos, then up to Uludag Mountain. Lunch happens at a local restaurant in a quiet mountain setting, and afterward you have free time to walk the area. The cable car ride down (optional on some booking options) is the signature moment — it carries you from the mountain straight into the city center in one descent. A stop at a local jam producer lets you see how traditional preserves are made by hand.

The Green Mosque, one of Bursa's most important monuments, is your final stop before the return journey. Its interior is covered in green tiles, and it holds a library and tombs inside. The minivan then retraces the route back to Istanbul — the same ferry crossing, the same harbor, the same road — and you arrive at your hotel late in the evening. The whole day runs 12 hours from pickup to drop-off.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off on the European side of Istanbul.
ferry ride across the Sea of Marmara.
air-conditioned minivan transport.
local English-speaking guide.
lunch on Uludag Mountain.
free time to explore the mountain area.
cable car ride (optional, depending on your booking choice).
visit to the Green Mosque.
stop at a traditional jam producer.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Emir Tour

Is this one for you?Book this option if you want the cable car experience as part of your day — it's the defining moment of the tour and the reason many travelers choose this version over the version without it. If you prefer to skip the cable car and spend more time elsewhere, the other option removes it from the itinerary and the price.