The first Ottoman capital, under a mountain
Bursa
The first Ottoman capital — Grand Mosque, thermal baths, and views from Mount Uludağ.
- Best season
- Year-round · winter for skiing
- Ideal stay
- Day trip, or 1–2 nights
- Getting there
- Ferry from Istanbul · ~2 hr, no flight needed
- Currency
- Turkish Lira (TRY)
- Language
- Turkish · English in tourist areas
Why Go
About Bursa
Before Istanbul, there was Bursa. The Ottomans took it in 1326 and made it their first capital, and the early sultans are still buried here. What that leaves is a city of foundation-era Ottoman architecture — heavier, plainer and older-feeling than the imperial mosques of Istanbul, built before the empire had money to show off.
It sits on a shelf of land with Mount Uludağ rising straight behind it to 2,543 metres, snow on the top for much of the year. A cable car runs from the city to near the summit in about twenty minutes, which is why Bursa is both a historic city break and Turkey's main ski town.
It is also a thermal spa town. Hot mineral springs at Çekirge have been feeding bath houses since Roman times, and the Ottoman-era hammams there are still working. Add a silk bazaar that has traded since the fourteenth century, and you have a lot packed into somewhere most travellers only give a day.
Signature experience
Cable car to the top of Mount Uludağ, then a traditional thermal hammam
Bursa
Bursa on the map of Turkey
What To Do
Top experiences in Bursa
The places our travellers talk about long after they get home.
SignatureUludağ Cable Car
One of the longest cable car lines in the world, climbing from the city to near the 2,543 m summit in about twenty minutes over forest and cloud. Included on the Istanbul day-trip version; an optional add-on on the standalone Bursa package.
Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque)
Twenty domes carried on twelve pillars, with a fountain still running in the middle of the prayer hall and some of the finest large-scale Ottoman calligraphy anywhere on the walls. Completed in 1399.
Green Mosque & Green Tomb
Named for the turquoise and deep green İznik tilework covering their interiors. The tomb of Sultan Mehmed I sits opposite the mosque on the hillside — early Ottoman work at its most refined.
Koza Han Silk Bazaar
A 1490 caravanserai built for the silk trade and still selling silk, around a courtyard with a small mosque on pillars in the middle and tea tables under the plane trees.
Thermal Hammam at Çekirge
Bursa's hot mineral springs have fed bath houses since Roman times, and the Ottoman hammams at Çekirge still run on them. Marble, steam, and a scrub that removes several layers of travel.
Cumalıkızık Village
A 700-year-old Ottoman village on the lower slopes of Uludağ, cobbled and stacked with timber-framed houses painted in faded blues and ochres. UNESCO-listed and still lived in.
The İnkaya Plane Tree
Six hundred years old, wide enough that the tea garden beneath it seats a crowd in its shade. It was already standing when Constantinople fell. A stop on the Bursa day tour.
Practical
Know before you go
The questions we answer most often — all of it visible up front, nothing buried.
Day trip or overnight — both work
Bursa is close enough to Istanbul that eight of our Istanbul itineraries include it as a full day out with lunch, returning the same night. We also run a standalone one-night package if you would rather take the hammam and the old city slowly.
Whether the cable car is included
On the Istanbul day-trip version it is included, with lunch at a mountainside restaurant. On the standalone Bursa 1 Night 2 Days package it is an optional add-on paid separately. Check which one you are booking, and ask us if you are unsure.
Getting there is a ferry, not a flight
The route crosses the Gulf of İzmit by ferry and then continues by road — roughly two hours in total from Istanbul. It is a pleasant crossing rather than a chore, and it means no airport, no baggage drop and no domestic flight to schedule around.
Uludağ is a real mountain
The summit is 2,543 m and considerably colder than the city below — snow lies there well into spring and it can be near freezing at the top when Bursa is mild. Take a jacket on the cable car whatever the weather looks like from the bottom.
What a hammam involves
Separate sections or separate hours for men and women. You are given a wrap, you sweat on a heated marble slab, and an attendant scrubs and foams you down. Bring flip-flops and a change of underwear; everything else is provided. Say if you would prefer a same-gender attendant and it will be arranged.
Mosque etiquette
Ulu Cami and the Green Mosque are both working mosques. Dress modestly, remove your shoes, and women should cover their hair — scarves are available at the entrance. Neither is open to visitors during prayer times.
Silk, and what to buy
Koza Han has traded silk since 1490 and still does — scarves, shawls and cloth, alongside the towels Bursa is also known for. Prices are more reasonable than the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and gentle haggling is normal.
İskender kebab started here
Invented in Bursa in the 1860s: sliced döner over pieces of pide, tomato sauce and melted butter poured at the table, with yoghurt. Eat it where it comes from. Meat is halal as standard, as across Turkey.
Book It
Tours including Bursa
9 packages, shortest first. Every one is customisable — hotel category, tours and group size.
Go Further
Pairs well with Bursa
Most travellers add at least one of these to the same trip.
Questions
Bursa FAQs
Can I visit Bursa as a day trip from Istanbul?
Yes, and most of our travellers do. Eight of our Istanbul-based itineraries include a full-day Bursa and Uludağ trip with lunch, crossing by ferry and returning to your Istanbul hotel the same night.
Is the Uludağ cable car included?
It depends which package you book. On the Istanbul day-trip version the cable car and lunch are included. On the standalone Bursa 1 Night 2 Days package it is an optional add-on paid separately. We will confirm which applies to your booking.
How do we get to Bursa?
By ferry across the Gulf of İzmit and then by road — about two hours from Istanbul in total, with transfers included. There is no domestic flight involved, which makes Bursa one of the easiest add-ons to an Istanbul stay.
What is a Turkish hammam actually like?
You are given a wrap and spend time sweating on a heated marble platform, then an attendant scrubs and foams you down and rinses you off. Men and women use separate sections or separate hours. Bring flip-flops and a change of underwear — towels and the rest are provided.
Can I ski on Uludağ?
Yes — Uludağ is Turkey's best-known ski resort, with the season roughly December to March. Our standard packages are sightseeing rather than ski trips, so tell us if you want equipment, lift passes or a slope-side hotel and we will build it in.
Is one night enough, or should I just do the day trip?
The day trip covers the Grand Mosque, the Green Mosque, the İnkaya plane tree and the cable car comfortably. Stay a night if you want an unhurried hammam, Cumalıkızık village, and time in the silk bazaar without watching the clock.
Is the food halal?
Meat in local restaurants is halal as standard, as across Turkey. Bursa is where İskender kebab was invented in the 1860s, and it is the thing to order here.
Is Bursa suitable for older travellers?
Largely yes — the mosques and the bazaar are flat and central, and the cable car does the climbing for you. The exceptions are Cumalıkızık, which is steep and cobbled, and the cold at the summit. Tell us about mobility needs and we will shape the day around them.
Planning a trip to Bursa?
Email us your dates and group size and we'll put together options that fit — hotels, tours and transfers included.