Istanbul Day Trips for Arab Families: Bursa, Sapanca and Prices

The four day trips from Istanbul that Arab families ask about most are Bursa with the Uludağ cable car, Sapanca Lake with the Maşukiye valley, the Princes' Islands and the Black Sea coast at Şile, and our shared versions start from $33 per person. The cheapest is the Sapanca and Maşukiye day trip, from $33 per person with lunch; Bursa starts from $52 per person. An Arabic-speaking guide is not a fixed option on any of these tours: we arrange one on request, subject to availability, and quote it separately. Below you will find what each trip involves, how long the drive is, which version suits a family with children or elderly parents, and the entry rules for each Arab passport.

Day trips from Istanbul at a glance

Two practical points apply to all four. First, Istanbul traffic decides how long the day really is; a 7:30 or 8:00 pickup is normal and worth it. Second, each trip comes in a budget shared version and a fuller version with more activities, so compare what is included before you compare prices. Our general guide to day trips from Istanbul also covers longer options such as Cappadocia and Ephesus by plane.

Bursa and Uludağ: the first Ottoman capital

Bursa was the first capital of the Ottoman state, and for many visitors from the Arab world that history is the reason to go. The old city and the village of Cumalıkızık are on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "the birth of the Ottoman Empire". On a day trip you usually see:

• The Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami), built around 1400 with twenty domes and a fountain inside the prayer hall. Friday prayer here is a special experience if your dates allow.
• The Green Mosque and Green Tomb, famous for their turquoise tiles.
• The tombs of Osman Gazi and Orhan Gazi, the founder of the dynasty and his son. Fans of the series Kuruluş Osman often ask for this stop.
• The covered bazaars around Koza Han, the old silk market, where Bursa towels and silk scarves are good souvenirs.
• Uludağ, the mountain above the city. The gondola runs about 8.8 km from Teferrüç up to the hotel area in roughly 22 minutes, with snow on the upper slopes in winter and cool air in summer.

Food is part of the trip: Bursa is the home of İskender kebab, and candied chestnuts (kestane şekeri) are the local sweet to bring back.

The route from Istanbul combines a ferry across the Sea of Marmara with the road, or uses the motorway over the Osmangazi Bridge. Expect a long but comfortable day. Our Bursa day tour with the Uludağ cable car and ferry starts from $52 per person; the Bursa and Uludağ tour with ferry, cable car and lunch starts from $90 per person. More on the city is on our Bursa destination page.

Sapanca Lake and the Maşukiye valley

Sapanca is the trip Gulf families request most in summer, and it is easy to see why: a calm lake surrounded by forested hills, and next to it the Maşukiye valley, where restaurants put their tables beside a cold stream and children can paddle while the adults eat trout or grilled meat. It is green when much of the region is hot and dry.

The lake lies east of Istanbul in Sakarya province, and Maşukiye is in the Kartepe district of neighbouring Kocaeli. By road the drive normally takes between one and a half and two hours each way, longer on Friday afternoons and holiday weekends.

There are two ways to do it with us:

• The Sapanca Lake and Maşukiye day trip with lunch, from $33 per person. A relaxed day with lake views, the valley and a meal.
• The Sapanca and Maşukiye day tour with ATV, zipline and cable car, from $70 per person over about 10 hours, with lunch and hotel pickup. Better for teenagers and active groups.

If you would like the day explained in Arabic, our page on the Sapanca and Maşukiye trip from Istanbul in Arabic goes into more detail.

The Princes' Islands and Şile on the Black Sea

The Princes' Islands are the easiest day out from the city because there is no long drive: you take a ferry into the Sea of Marmara, about an hour and a half to Büyükada, the largest island. Private cars are not allowed on the islands, so the pace is slow. People walk, rent bicycles or use the small electric buses, and the streets are lined with wooden mansions from the late Ottoman period. It is a pleasant day for grandparents as long as you avoid the steep climb to the hilltop monastery.

• Princes' Islands full-day tour with Büyükada and Heybeliada, from $34 per person.
• Princes' Islands day tour with ferry, Büyükada and lunch, from $90 per person.

Şile is a small town on the Black Sea coast north-east of Istanbul, with long sandy beaches and a lighthouse on the headland. In July and August it gives you a beach day without flying to the south coast. The Black Sea has strong currents, so swim only where there is a lifeguard, or use a pool. Our Şile beach and pool day trip starts from $60 per person and is for the summer season.

Inside Istanbul: Islamic heritage tours

Many Arab visitors combine one or two day trips with guided days inside the city that focus on its Islamic history. The places we are asked about most:

• Eyüp Sultan Mosque, built beside the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, the companion of the Prophet who died during the Arab siege of Constantinople. Above it, Pierre Loti Hill has a café with views over the Golden Horn.
• The Holy Relics at Topkapı Palace, including the mantle and sword attributed to the Prophet. Topkapı is closed on Tuesdays. Its combined ticket with the Harem and Hagia Irene costs 2,750 TL for foreign visitors.
• The Süleymaniye Mosque, the masterpiece of the architect Sinan, and the Blue Mosque, both free to enter outside prayer times.
• Hagia Sophia, open for prayer to worshippers, with a separate visitor route for tourists at €25.

Our Islamic Istanbul tour package covers these over 4 days and 3 nights with private guides, from $768 per person. For fans of the Turkish historical series, the Diriliş Ertuğrul and Kuruluş Osman film set tour starts from $88 per person, and the two-day Ertuğrul Ghazi tour to Söğüt and Bursa visits the real places behind the story, from $535 per person.

Arabic-speaking guides: what to expect

None of the tours on this page is sold with an Arabic-speaking guide as a standard, priced option. The shared day trips run with a guide or tour leader who speaks English and Turkish. What we can do:

• Request an Arabic-speaking guide when you book a private tour. We arrange one on request, subject to availability, and confirm the cost before you pay. Licensed guides who work in Arabic exist in Istanbul, but there are fewer of them than English-speaking guides, and summer dates fill early.
• Book a private car with driver for a family day trip. Our Istanbul private driver tour in a Mercedes Vito is from $299 per group for 8 hours with up to six guests, which gives you control over prayer stops, meal times and how long the children stay at the lake.

Our page on Arabic-speaking guides in Istanbul explains how we match guides to groups. For a longer trip with Cappadocia or the coast, see Turkey tour packages from Saudi Arabia and Turkey tour packages from Dubai.

Visa and entry rules for Arab passports

Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists the following rules for ordinary passport holders travelling as tourists:

Your passport must be valid for at least 60 days beyond the length of stay you are allowed, which means 150 days for a 90-day visa-free stay. The Ministry recommends six months. Rules change, so check again before you fly; our Turkey visa requirements update covers other nationalities. Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina, Doha and Kuwait City, among others, and the flight from the Gulf takes roughly four to five hours.

When to go, and planning for families

• June to August is the main season for Gulf travellers. Sapanca, Maşukiye and Uludağ are noticeably cooler than central Istanbul, which is why they are popular. Book cars and guides early.
• Winter brings snow to Uludağ, usually from December. The gondola gets busy on snowy weekends; a weekday trip is calmer.
• Spring and autumn are the best time for the Princes' Islands and for walking tours in the city, with fewer crowds.
• Food. Nearly all meat served in Turkey is halal. Some restaurants serve alcohol, but it is easy to choose ones that do not. Ask your guide if this matters to you.
• Prayer. Mosques are everywhere, and on a private tour the guide or driver will stop when you want. On shared tours, ask the tour leader at the start of the day.

Families with small children may also find our Istanbul tour packages for families and our page for Gulf travellers in Istanbul helpful.

Tours that cover this

• Sapanca Lake and Maşukiye Day Trip from Istanbul with Lunch, from $33 per person. The lower-cost lake and valley day.
• Bursa Day Tour from Istanbul with Uludağ Cable Car and Ferry, from $52 per person. Ottoman Bursa and the mountain in one day.
• Princes' Islands Full-Day Tour: Büyükada and Heybeliada, from $34 per person. Ferry day with no long drive.
• Islamic Istanbul Tour Package: 4 Days, from $768 per person. Mosques, the Holy Relics and Eyüp with private guides.

Ask for an Arabic-speaking guide when you enquire; it is arranged on request, subject to availability.

Frequently Asked Questions