Bursa Travel Guide

Bursa sits beneath Uludag mountain, south of Istanbul on the far side of the Sea of Marmara. Captured by the Ottomans in 1326, it became their first true capital, and the early sultans lie buried here. Now the fourth-largest city in Turkey and a centre of industry, it still has an old heart of mosques, tombs and covered markets which, along with Cumalikizik village, joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014.

Why go to Bursa

In Bursa you see Ottoman architecture as it was before the empire shifted to Istanbul. Completed around 1400, the Grand Mosque (Ulu Camii) has 20 domes and a fountain inside its prayer hall. Turquoise and green tiles cover the Green Mosque and the Green Tomb. The Koza Han, a caravanserai of the 15th century, was the heart of the silk trade, and shops round its courtyard still sell silk scarves. Above the city, a long cable car rises to Uludag, a ski resort in winter and a place to cool off in summer.

How much time you need

A full day from Istanbul is enough for the old city, lunch and one of Cumalikizik or the cable car. Our full-day private Bursa tour from Istanbul is built on this plan, while the Bursa day trip with cable car and lunch adds the ride up Uludag. If you want a thermal bath in Cekirge or a day on the mountain, stay overnight.

Best time to visit

Walking the old city is pleasant in spring and autumn. Summer is warm in the city but cooler up on Uludag. Between December and March snow covers the mountain, and it turns into the best-known ski resort in Turkey, which brings weekend traffic on the road up.

Getting there from Istanbul

Bursa is roughly 150 km from Istanbul by road, normally 2 to 2.5 hours, crossing the Gulf of Izmit on the Osmangazi Bridge. You can also take a sea bus or fast ferry from Istanbul to Yalova or Mudanya and continue by road.

Top experiences

• The Grand Mosque, the Green Mosque and the Green Tomb.
• The Tophane tombs of Osman and Orhan, the first Ottoman sultans.
• Buying silk at Koza Han, then coffee in its courtyard.
• Cumalikizik, an Ottoman village of cobbled lanes and old wooden houses.
• The cable car ride to Uludag.
• A traditional Karagoz shadow puppet show, whose characters are said to originate in Bursa.

Where to stay

For sightseeing, choose a hotel close to the old city and the covered bazaar. Thermal hotels are in Cekirge, and mountain hotels for skiers are on Uludag.

What to eat

Iskender kebab comes from Bursa: thin doner slices laid on bread, with tomato sauce and yoghurt, and melted butter poured over at the table. Also try pideli kofte and kestane sekeri, the candied chestnuts sold across the city.

Practical tips

• At prayer times, mosques close to visitors.
• In strong wind the cable car may not run.
• At weekends, traffic between Istanbul and Bursa can be heavy.

Browse all Bursa tours, or pair Bursa with other regions on one of our Turkey packages.