Bursa day trip from Istanbul: cable car, Green Mosque, Uludag

Glide down Uludag’s slopes by cable car and snap selfies with a 610-year-old tree.

A day trip from Istanbul to Bursa combines cable car access to Uludag Mountain, the Green Mosque in the city center, and a 610-year-old Inkaya plane tree, with hotel pickup, ferry crossing the Izmit Bay, lunch and an English-speaking guide included. The cable car ride down the mountain is optional depending on your choice. Total time is 13.5 hours including the drive from Istanbul and back.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Bursa and Uludag Mountain

• Pick up from hotel in Istanbul
• Ferry ride over Izmit Bay to Yalova
• Free time for quad/ATV ride
• Visit Turkish delight factory
• Stop at natural honey shop
• See 610-year-old Inkaya Plane tree
• Lunch in green valley
• Free time for skiing and ski motor
• Enjoy mountain view and descend by cable car
• Visit Green Mosque in Bursa
• Return to Istanbul and transfer to hotel

The Experience

The day starts with pickup from your Istanbul hotel and a 30-minute ferry ride across the Izmit Bay to Yalova, then the drive into Bursa. Once there, you have free time for optional activities like quad or ATV rides before heading to Uludag Mountain. On the way up, you stop at a Turkish delight factory and a natural honey shop, then visit the Inkaya plane tree—a 610-year-old landmark where most travelers pause for photos. Lunch happens in a green valley on the mountainside.

At the top of Uludag, you get roughly 30 minutes for skiing or ski motor rides if you want them (equipment rental is separate). The cable car carries you back down the mountain depending on which option you booked—this is the moment most people take the scenic photos they came for, watching the landscape drop away as you descend. The return to the city includes a visit to the Green Mosque, one of Bursa's most recognizable landmarks, and time to walk around the city center before the evening drive back to Istanbul.

Your guide speaks English or Arabic throughout, and the itinerary is fixed, which means the ferry timing, the lunch stop and the cable car descent all hold the day together without you having to coordinate them. A soft drink is included. The 13.5-hour total accounts for the full Istanbul-to-Bursa-to-Istanbul route, so most of the day is either driving or in transit—the mountain and city stops are the payoff.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Istanbul.
• 30-minute ferry ride across Izmit Bay.
• cable car ride down Uludag Mountain (in the "with Cable Car" option).
• Uludag Mountain National Park access.
• lunch in a mountain valley.
• visits to a Turkish delight factory, a natural honey shop, and the Green Mosque.
• English or Arabic-speaking guide.
• one soft drink.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Tourigy

Is this one for you?Choose the "Tour with Cable Car" if you want the mountain descent as part of the experience rather than a separate decision on the day; choose without it if you prefer to skip the cable car and spend the time on skiing or the view. The fixed schedule and included guide mean you are not navigating between Bursa's sites or timing the ferry yourself—the day holds together whether you are a first-time visitor or traveling with children.

Traveler reviews

3.91★★★★★★★★★★

35 verified traveler reviews

5 ★18

4 ★4

3 ★8

2 ★2

1 ★3

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What exactly is the Inkaya plane tree, and why do people stop there?

The Inkaya plane tree is a 610-year-old landmark on the way up Uludag Mountain; travelers typically stop to take photos with it as a natural monument and a point of local history.

Is the cable car ride included, or do I have to pay extra?

The cable car down Uludag Mountain is included in the "Tour with Cable Car" option; the "Tour without Cable Car" option excludes it, so you choose at checkout which version suits you.

How much time do I actually spend at the top of Uludag?

You have roughly 30 minutes at the top for skiing, ski motor rides or simply enjoying the view before the cable car descent; ski equipment rental is not included and costs extra if you want it.

Does the guide stay with the group the whole time, or are there free periods?

Your English or Arabic-speaking guide leads the tour, and you have free time in Bursa city center and optional time for ATV rides near Yalova, so there are breaks built into the day alongside the guided stops.

What happens during the ferry ride across Izmit Bay?

The ferry crossing takes 30 minutes after pickup and before you reach Yalova; it is part of the route from Istanbul to Bursa and gives you a break in the drive.