Private Driver in Trabzon for Arab Families: Day Routes and Distances

A private driver in Trabzon is the easiest way for a family to see Sumela Monastery, Uzungöl and the Rize highlands, and our private day trips from Trabzon start from $75 per person, with a car kept for several days quoted per vehicle. Sumela is about 46 km from the city, Uzungöl about 96 km and Ayder about 160 km, so each of the big sights is a full day out with stops, not a quick hop.

This page is written for families from the Gulf and the wider Arab world, who make up a large share of summer visitors to the Black Sea. It covers the day routes, the distances, the right vehicle for a family, Arabic-speaking drivers and guides, and the weather that decides which day goes where. Our Uzungöl private day trip from Trabzon is the day most families book first.

What a driver day in Trabzon looks like

A typical day with a car and driver runs like this:

• Pickup at your hotel, or at Trabzon Airport on your arrival day. The airport is on the coast at the edge of the city, so the first drive is short.
• Seven to nine hours out. Our day tours from Trabzon are listed at seven to nine hours, which allows for the mountain roads, a long lunch and photo stops.
• Prayer and meal stops when you want them. Mosques are easy to find along every route, including the mosque on the shore at Uzungöl.
• Back to the hotel in the early evening, before the traffic on the coast road builds up.

What a driver does not do is guide inside the sites. At Sumela or Trabzon's Hagia Sophia, a licensed guide explains what you are looking at. Each of our tour pages lists exactly what is included; with a car-only booking, you visit the sites on your own or add a guide.

Distances from Trabzon, and what each day costs

Driving times are routing estimates for a normal day. On summer weekends, when local families head for the same lakes and plateaus, the roads to Uzungöl and Ayder are slower. The Ayder tour is listed from Rize; if you are staying in Trabzon, confirm the pickup point when you book.

Four day routes, in the order we suggest

Day one: Trabzon city. Start gently after the flight. The 13th-century Hagia Sophia of Trabzon, now a mosque, has frescoes and a garden facing the sea. The Kızlar Monastery sits on the hill above the city, and Boztepe Hill has tea gardens with a view over the whole coast at sunset. This is a good day for grandparents and small children, with short walks.

Day two: Sumela Monastery. The monastery is built into a cliff in the forest of the Altındere valley. Expect a walk with steps from the car park area to the entrance, which is the hardest part of the day for older travellers; ask us about the current access arrangements when you book. Karaca Cave, with its stalactites, is the second stop on our tour. Read more in our Sumela Monastery guide.

Day three: Uzungöl. The lake village in the mountains is the picture most Gulf families have in mind before they come. Our day trip adds the Karester plateau above the lake and the highland village of Lustra. Go early in the day: the light is better on the water and the car parks fill by late morning in July and August. See our Uzungöl guide.

Day four: Ayder and the Storm Valley. The longest drive, east into Rize, past tea plantations and along the Fırtına river to the stone Zilkale castle and the wooden houses of Ayder. If the day is clear, this is the one people remember.

The right car for a family

For a family of four to six with luggage, a minivan with a driver, such as a Mercedes Vito or a similar vehicle, is the usual choice. A few practical points from planning these trips:

• Count the suitcases, not just the people. Gulf families often travel with more luggage than a standard car takes, and shopping adds more. Tell us the number of bags when you ask for a quote.
• Child seats on request. Ask at booking and give the children's ages.
• Two vehicles for big groups. For ten or more, two vans are more comfortable than one large bus on the narrow highland roads, and the group can split for different plans.
• Mountain roads. The roads to Uzungöl and Ayder climb and turn. If anyone in the family gets carsick, sit them at the front and plan a stop halfway.
• Several days with one driver. A car kept for three or four days, with the same driver each morning, is quoted per vehicle for the whole booking. Families like the continuity, and the driver learns your pace.

Our private driver in Istanbul for Gulf families page explains the same service in Istanbul, if your trip starts there.

Arabic-speaking drivers and guides

Most drivers in Trabzon speak Turkish, and some speak basic English. Arabic-speaking drivers and guides are arranged on request, subject to availability, so ask when you book, and early for July and August.

In practice, families manage well with a mix:

• A licensed guide for the sites, in Arabic where one is available, or in English.
• WhatsApp with our team for anything during the day: a change of plan, a restaurant, a question for the driver. We stay in touch with our guests on WhatsApp throughout the trip.
• A translation app for simple conversations with the driver.

If your trip also covers Istanbul, our page on Arabic-speaking guides in Istanbul explains how guiding works there.

Weather: when to come, and which day for which sight

The Black Sea coast is mild and green because it is wet. Long-term averages from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM) for the Trabzon station:

July and August are the best months for a Gulf family: warm but not hot, compared with summer at home, and the driest of the year on the coast. The highlands above Trabzon are cooler than the city.

Two tips for the days themselves:

• Keep the itinerary flexible. If the morning is misty, do the city or Karaca Cave and save Uzungöl or Ayder for a clearer day. A driver for several days makes this easy.
• Carry a light jacket and rain layer. Even in August, the plateaus can be cool and wet.

Getting to Trabzon from the Gulf

There are two ways in:

1. A seasonal direct flight. In summer, some Gulf airlines list direct flights to Trabzon; flydubai has listed seasonal Dubai–Trabzon flights and Kuwait Airways seasonal Kuwait–Trabzon flights. Schedules change each year, so check for your dates.
2. Through Istanbul. Fly to Istanbul and take a domestic flight to Trabzon, a short hop along the coast. Our 2-day Trabzon tour from Istanbul with flights starts from $640 per person, and the private version from $785 per person. With four days, our Istanbul and Trabzon tour starts from $1,455 per person.

Entry rules depend on your passport; our Turkey visa requirements update lists the main nationalities. For trips from the Emirates, see our Turkey trip from the UAE planner.

Food, prayer and hotels at Uzungöl

• Halal food. Meat in Turkey is generally halal, and the Black Sea kitchen is easy for families: Akçaabat meatballs, kuymak (cornmeal with melted cheese and butter), Laz böreği (a custard pastry) and, from autumn, fresh hamsi, the Black Sea anchovy.
• Prayer. Every village on the routes has a mosque, and your driver will stop when you ask.
• Hotels. The lakeside hotels at Uzungöl are popular with Gulf families and Turkish holidaymakers in July and August, and the best rooms fill months ahead. If you want to stay at the lake rather than visit for the day, book early.

For the wider region, see our Black Sea Turkey destination guide and the Black Sea Turkey tour page for longer routes.

Tours that cover this

• Uzungöl private day trip from Trabzon, with Karester and Lustra: from $80 per person.
• Private Sumela Monastery tour from Trabzon with Karaca Cave: from $120 per person.
• Ayder plateau and Storm Valley day tour, with Zilkale: from $85 per person.
• Trabzon day tour: Hagia Sophia, Kızlar Monastery and Boztepe: from $75 per person.

Frequently Asked Questions