Bursa was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, and it still has the buildings to show for it: the Grand Mosque, the old silk inns, and the tile-covered Green Mosque and Green Tomb. Add the village of Cumalıkızık and a cable car ride up Mount Uludağ, and you have one of the fullest day trips you can make from Istanbul.
Prices and timetables below are as of October 2026, with sources listed at the end.
Why go to Bursa
In 2014 UNESCO added "Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire" to its World Heritage List. The city's early Ottoman monuments come before anything comparable in Istanbul, so a day here fills in the start of the story you see at Topkapı and Süleymaniye.
- Ulu Camii (Grand Mosque), built under Sultan Bayezid I between 1396 and 1400, with 20 domes resting on 12 large piers and walls lined with calligraphy.
- Koza Han, a two-storey silk inn built in 1492 by Bayezid II. Silk is still sold around its courtyard.
- Yeşil Camii (Green Mosque), completed in 1419 for Mehmed I, and the Green Tomb opposite, his mausoleum, known for its turquoise tiles.
- Cumalıkızık, a village of timber-framed Ottoman houses and cobbled lanes on the lower slopes of Uludağ, about 15 km by road east of the centre.
- Uludağ, the highest mountain in the Marmara region at 2,543 m, reached from the city by an 8.8 km cable car.
Bursa is also where İskender kebab comes from. Kebapçı İskender, the family business, traces its history to 1867, and the dish is on almost every menu in town.
Distance and drive time from Istanbul
From Sultanahmet or Taksim to central Bursa is about 160 km by road. The fastest route crosses the Gulf of İzmit on the Osmangazi Bridge and continues on the O-5 Istanbul–İzmir motorway. With clear roads the drive takes around 1 hour 50 minutes. In practice, allow 2 to 2.5 hours each way, more on Friday evenings, Sunday afternoons and public holidays. Both the bridge and the motorway charge tolls.
All the ways to get from Istanbul to Bursa
Private car with driver
The sights are spread across the city, and Cumalıkızık and the upper slopes of Uludağ are awkward to reach by public transport. A car with a driver covers all of them on your own timetable and brings you back to your hotel.
İDO sea bus to Bursa (Güzelyalı)
İDO's sea bus runs from Kabataş, Kadıköy and Yenikapı via Armutlu to its Bursa pier at Güzelyalı. On weekdays there is one morning departure: 09:05 from Kabataş, 09:50 from Yenikapı, arriving 12:10. The last weekday return leaves Bursa at 18:30 and reaches Kabataş at 21:20. Weekend timetables differ slightly.
Güzelyalı is about 24 km from central Bursa, so add a bus, minibus or taxi each way, leaving roughly four hours in the city. We could not verify current İDO fares; check ido.com.tr.
BUDO sea bus to Mudanya
BUDO, operated by Bursa's municipal transport company, sails from Kabataş to Mudanya in about 1 hour 30 minutes. Its winter timetable, valid from 14 September 2026 to 31 May 2027, has departures from Kabataş at 08:00, 11:30, 16:30 and 19:30 (Monday to Thursday and Saturday), with five sailings on Fridays and Sundays. Return sailings from Mudanya leave at 07:00, 09:30, 16:00 and 19:00 from Monday to Thursday. A timetable aggregator lists the adult one-way fare at ₺720; we could not confirm this on BUDO's own site. Mudanya is about 30 minutes by road from central Bursa.
Intercity bus
Coaches leave throughout the day from Esenler, Alibeyköy, Harem and other Istanbul terminals to Bursa's main bus terminal (Bursa Otogarı). The average journey is about 2 hours 45 minutes. One-way fares on obilet ranged from ₺500 to ₺1,200 when we checked in October 2026, with most between ₺550 and ₺800. The terminal is on the northern edge of the city, so you need a bus or taxi to reach the centre.
What about the train?
There is no direct passenger train between Istanbul and Bursa yet. The Osmaneli–Bursa high-speed line was in its final stage of construction in July 2026, with test runs announced but no opening date. The ministry says it will cut Bursa–Istanbul to 2 hours 15 minutes once services start.
Travel options compared
| Option | Time each way (central Istanbul to central Bursa) | Cost | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private car with driver | About 2–2.5 h, door to door | Fixed day price for the vehicle, agreed in advance on WhatsApp | High: your schedule, all sights including Cumalıkızık and Uludağ |
| İDO sea bus to Güzelyalı | About 2 h 20 min from Yenikapı, plus about 24 km to the centre | Not verified; check ido.com.tr | Low: one morning sailing on weekdays, last return 18:30 |
| BUDO sea bus to Mudanya | About 1 h 30 min crossing, plus about 30 min by road | ₺720 adult one way (aggregator listing) | Medium: 4–5 sailings a day each way |
| Intercity bus | About 2 h 45 min to the bus terminal, plus a ride into town | ₺500–1,200 one way on obilet | Medium: frequent departures, terminal outside the centre |
| Train | No direct service yet | n/a | n/a |
A one-day Bursa itinerary
This plan assumes a private car and avoids doubling back across the city.
- 07:30 Pick-up at your Istanbul hotel. Cross the Osmangazi Bridge and take the motorway south.
- 09:45 Green Mosque and Green Tomb. Start here before tour groups arrive. Look for the tiled mihrab inside the mosque, then cross the road to the tomb.
- 10:45 Grand Mosque (Ulu Camii). A short drive into the centre. Note the calligraphy and the fountain under the central dome.
- 11:30 Koza Han and the covered bazaar. Walk next door to the silk inn, have a Turkish coffee in the courtyard and browse the silk scarves.
- 12:30 Lunch: İskender kebab. Thin slices of döner on bread, with tomato sauce and hot butter poured at the table, served with yoghurt.
- 13:45 Uludağ by cable car. Ride from Teferrüç station to Sarıalan or up to Oteller, the hotel area at the top. Allow about two hours including queues and time on the mountain.
- 16:15 Cumalıkızık. Walk the cobbled lanes, try gözleme or a village breakfast plate, and pick up jams and local produce from the stalls.
- 17:30 Leave for Istanbul and arrive at your hotel around 19:30–20:00, depending on traffic.
The Uludağ cable car (Teleferik): prices and hours
The Bursa Teleferik runs 8.8 km between four stations: Teferrüç (the lower station in the city), Kadıyayla, Sarıalan and Oteller, at 1,870 m. The full ride takes around 22–30 minutes.
- Return ticket: ₺500 full fare, ₺250 student (as of October 2026, official price list).
- Hours: 10:00–18:00 according to the official site, subject to wind, weather and maintenance.
- Maintenance: The line closed from 5 to 25 October 2026 for its annual pre-winter maintenance. Reopening on 26 October depended on final technical checks, and on that date the official website still showed the line as closed. Check the official site or call 444 6 345 before you set out.
Seasons: snow on Uludağ, heat in the city
- Winter (December–March): Uludağ is Turkey's best-known ski area. In the 2025–26 season the hotels opened on 19 December and the slopes on 29 December, and skiing continued into April. Opening dates depend on snowfall each year. The cable car can stop in strong wind.
- Spring and autumn: The most comfortable time for walking the city and Cumalıkızık. Uludağ can be cold and cloudy at the top even when Bursa is mild.
- Summer: Bursa gets hot in the middle of the day, so do the mosques early and save the mountain for the afternoon, when the top station is much cooler.
- Weekends and holidays: Expect queues at the cable car and slower traffic on the motorway on the way back.
What to pack
- Clothes suitable for mosques: shoulders and knees covered, and a scarf for women to cover their hair.
- Comfortable shoes with grip for Cumalıkızık's cobbles.
- A warm layer, even in autumn. It is far colder at 1,870 m than in the city.
- Some Turkish lira in small notes for village stalls, tea and tips.
Our private Bursa day trip
We run Bursa as a private day trip in a Mercedes Vito with a professional driver, door to door from your Istanbul hotel, for up to 6 passengers. You set the order of the stops and how long you spend at each. The day price is fixed and agreed in advance on WhatsApp (+90 507 055 44 36). Tell us your hotel, date and group size, and we send the price for the whole day.
See all our day trips and tours. If you only need a car and driver for a few hours in Istanbul, our hourly chauffeur service is from $40 per hour (minimum 3 hours). For a quieter day of lakes and forest instead, read our Sapanca day trip guide.
Plan your day trip: tell us your hotel and date
