Bursa Day Trip from Istanbul: Green Mosque & Cable Car

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Free cancellation

1/26

Duration12h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN · AR

PickupAt your hotel

Travel to Bursa’s Ottoman treasures without the hassle of driving or crowds

A full-day small-group tour from Istanbul to Bursa, the Ottoman Empire's first capital, with a local guide, hotel pickup, ferry ride across the Sea of Marmara, and lunch at a mountain restaurant. The tour includes a 30-minute cable car ride into Bursa's city centre (not a chairlift), visits to the Green Mosque with its distinctive green tile decoration and the Green Mausoleum, and a stop at a 600-year-old plane tree. Groups stay under 25 people. Return to Istanbul is by ferry or highway depending on traffic, with arrival typically late evening.

12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day Bursa tour from Istanbul

Hotel pickup in Istanbul
Bus drive to ferry harbour
Ferry ride across Marmara Sea
Stop at Turkish delight shop
Cable car ride to Bursa city centre
Visit 600-year old plane tree
Lunch at Uludag Mountain restaurant
Free time at Uludag Mountain
Visit Green Mosque in Bursa
Return bus to ferry harbour
Ferry or highway return to Istanbul
Drop off at hotel in Istanbul

The Experience

The day starts with a pickup from your Istanbul hotel in an air-conditioned bus. The route takes you to a harbour where you board a car ferry for the crossing to Bursa across the Sea of Marmara — a two-hour journey that gives you views of the Bosporus and the bridges connecting Asia and Europe. On the way, there's a stop at a shop selling Turkish delight, a chance to pick up the confection before reaching the city.

Once you arrive in Bursa, you ride a real cable car for 30 minutes into the city centre — the operator distinguishes this from a basic chairlift by putting you in an actual cable car cabin. At the top, you visit a 600-year-old plane tree for photos, then head to a local restaurant on Uludag Mountain for lunch in a quiet setting with free time afterward to explore. The cable car is included in one option; the other skips both the cable car and lunch, so you choose at checkout which suits your day.

The afternoon centers on the Green Mosque, one of Bursa's most important monuments. Its interior is covered in green tiles, and the building holds a library and tombs. After this stop, the bus begins the return to Istanbul, following the same route back — either by ferry across the Sea of Marmara or via the highway and bridges, depending on traffic. Arrival at your hotel is typically late evening, though traffic and weather can push it as late as 11 p.m., so plan accordingly if you have evening plans.

What’s included

Local guide in English or Arabic.
hotel pickup and drop-off.
air-conditioned bus.
ferry crossing the Sea of Marmara.
30-minute cable car ride into Bursa's city centre (Cable Car option only).
lunch at a mountain restaurant (Cable Car option only).

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Sultanahmet Old City Travel Turizm Organizasyon

Is this one for you?Book the Cable Car option if you want the full Bursa experience with the cable car descent and a meal included; choose No Cable Car if you prefer a shorter day and plan to eat on your own, though you'll still see the Green Mosque and the plane tree. Either way, the ferry crossing and guide are the same, so the choice is really about whether the cable car and lunch matter to your day.