Private Trabzon Full Day Tour: Licensed Guide & All Major Sites

One guide, one van, five centuries of history in a single day

A private full-day tour of Trabzon for up to seven people with a licensed English-speaking guide, hotel or cruise port pickup, and air-conditioned transport. The itinerary covers Sumela Monastery in its mountain setting, Atatürk Pavilion, Hagia Sophia of Trabzon with its frescoes, a walk through the city center, and finishes at Boztepe Hill with tea and views. Lunch is at a local restaurant in Akçaabat. The tour runs about eight hours and operates in all weather. Moderate fitness helps with the monastery's steep setting.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Trabzon's main attractions

• Start tour at agreed spot
• Visit Sumela Monastery and learn history
• Visit Atatürk Pavilion and enjoy scenery
• Have lunch with Akçaabat Meatballs
• Visit Hagia Sophia and see frescoes
• Walk in city center and visit old mosque
• Go to Boztepe Hill for tea and city view
• End tour at agreed spot

The experience

How do you fit Trabzon's main sights into one day without renting a car or joining a crowd? This private tour does it with a licensed guide who knows the city and a driver who handles the route while you focus on what you're seeing. You start at your hotel, airport or cruise terminal in the early morning and move through the day in an air-conditioned minivan with just your group: no other travelers, no stops to collect people from other hotels.

Sumela Monastery comes first, perched on a steep slope in the Black Mountains within a national park. The guide walks you through its history and the architecture built into the rock face. From there you head back to the city for Atatürk Pavilion, where the founder of modern Turkey stayed and where the guide explains his legacy alongside the building's design. Lunch happens in the neighboring town of Akçaabat at a restaurant serving the region's famous meatballs, with views toward the Black Sea. After eating, you visit Hagia Sophia of Trabzon to see the frescoes on its walls with the guide's commentary, then take a walk through the city center to experience daily life and visit an old mosque that was once an Orthodox church. If the group has energy and time, the tour ends at Boztepe Hill, where you drink Turkish black tea and look out over the city from above. The whole day wraps up around 5 or 6 p.m. back at your starting point.

National Park entry fees and all transport are included. You bring a valid passport and dress for the weather, which can shift on the Black Sea coast. The tour runs regardless of conditions. A professional driver and guide handle the logistics so the day flows without gaps or confusion.

What’s included

• Professional English-speaking guide.
• air-conditioned minivan transport.
• hotel, airport or cruise port pickup and drop-off.
• National Park entry fees.
• professional driver.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 27

Good to know

Moderate physical effort

Operated by Tour Guide in Trabzon

Is this one for you?The tour runs eight hours with walking at several stops, including a steep monastery setting, so it suits travelers with moderate fitness who want to move through the day at a steady pace rather than linger at one or two sites. A private van and guide mean the itinerary stays flexible if your group wants to spend more time somewhere or skip ahead.

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Top questions

What exactly is Sumela Monastery and why is it worth the visit?

Sumela Monastery is a historical heritage site built into a steep slope of the Black Mountains within a national park, notable for its architecture carved into the rock face and its centuries of history. The guide explains its story and significance as you explore the site.

Is lunch included in the tour price, or do I pay separately at the restaurant?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. You pay for your meal at the Akçaabat restaurant where the group stops. The tour covers the transport and the guide's time there.

Can I do this tour if I'm not very fit, or does climbing at the monastery rule me out?

The tour asks for at least a moderate level of physical fitness because of the steep setting of Sumela Monastery. The guide will work with your group's pace, and you can discuss any concerns when you book.

What happens if I'm arriving by cruise ship? Do you pick me up from the port?

Yes, pickup is included from the cruise terminal along with hotel pickups and airport pickups. Let the operator know your arrival point when you book so the driver meets you on time.

How many other people will be on the tour with me?

This is a private tour for your group only, with a maximum of seven people. No other travelers join you, so the guide and driver focus entirely on your group.