7 days • 6 nights • Turkey
A week that combines Istanbul's magic with Bursa's calm: the Old City and the Bosphorus, then two nights in Bursa with the Uludağ cable car and the first Ottoman mosques.
The Istanbul and Bursa 7-Day Tour gives you a full week across two cities: Istanbul with its great landmarks and bazaars, and Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman state, home to the Grand Mosque, the Silk Bazaar and the slopes of Mount Uludağ. Instead of a long day trip there and back, you spend two nights in Bursa, so you can enjoy the mountain and the city at an easy pace and try the hot-spring baths in the evening.
The road from Istanbul to Bursa takes about two and a half hours over the Osmangazi Bridge across the Gulf of İzmit, in a private car with an English-speaking driver. The program suits families and older travelers because there is little travel between stops and the pace is calm. Uludağ changes character with the seasons: snow in winter, green meadows and fresh air in summer. On day 6 you return to Istanbul with time set aside for shopping before you leave. You can upgrade the hotel category or choose a hotel with hot baths in Bursa, and we send you the final offer based on your dates and number of travelers.
We meet you at Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) and take you to your hotel by private car. After a rest, you can stroll around Taksim Square and İstiklal Avenue, or sit in one of the cafés on the Bosphorus. We hand you a SIM card and confirm the tour times with you.
We start with the Blue Mosque and Sultanahmet Square, then Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern. In the afternoon we visit Topkapı Palace and its gardens overlooking the meeting point of the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara, then the Süleymaniye Mosque with its view of the Golden Horn. We finish at the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü, for Turkish delight, spices and Turkish coffee.
A tour along the European shore of the Bosphorus: Dolmabahçe Palace, then Ortaköy, Bebek, Rumeli Fortress and Emirgan Park. We take a Bosphorus boat cruise of about an hour and a half past palaces, fortresses and bridges. Then we cross to the Asian side to visit the Çamlıca Mosque and watch the sunset from Çamlıca Hill above the city.
After breakfast we head to Bursa, a drive of about two and a half hours over the Osmangazi Suspension Bridge across the Gulf of İzmit. We begin with the Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) and its twenty domes, then the Silk Bazaar at Koza Han and the Covered Bazaar, known for cotton towels and candied chestnuts. We continue to the Green Mosque and Green Tomb, then the tombs of Osman Gazi and Orhan Gazi in Tophane, before checking in at the hotel.
We start the morning at the Ottoman village of Cumalıkızık, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its cobbled lanes and colorful houses. Then we ride the Uludağ cable car from the Teferrüç station up to the heights, where you find snow and slopes to play on in winter, and meadows and grill restaurants in summer. On the way back we have tea under the ancient plane tree in Inkaya and shop for honey and Turkish delight.
We leave Bursa in the morning and return to Istanbul over the Osmangazi Bridge, or, if you prefer, by car ferry from Topçular to Eskihisar, which crosses the Gulf of İzmit in about half an hour. After check-in, we leave the rest of the day for shopping at one of the big malls or at the clothing markets in Laleli and Osmanbey. In the evening you can book an optional seafood dinner on the Bosphorus as a farewell to Istanbul.
Depending on your flight time, you can spend the morning on a last shopping trip or relax at the hotel. Your driver picks you up at the agreed time and takes you to the airport about three hours before departure. We wish you a safe journey home.
| City | Nights | Suggested |
|---|---|---|
| Istanbul | 4 | 4-star hotel in Taksim, Şişli or Sultanahmet (3 nights at the start and 1 night before departure), with an upgrade to 5 stars available. |
| Bursa | 2 | 4-star hotel in central Bursa near the Grand Mosque, or a hotel with hot sulfur-spring baths in the Çekirge district. In winter, one of the two nights can be spent in the hotels at the top of Uludağ. |
Book this program
Add your arrival date, the number of travelers and the hotel level, and you will receive a written offer with the final price via WhatsApp.
Questions & answers
About 150 kilometers, or roughly two and a half hours by car over the Osmangazi Bridge, depending on traffic. You can also go by sea ferry, but a private car is more comfortable for families with luggage.
A day trip means about five hours on the road there and back. With two nights in Bursa, you visit the historic city on one day, and Uludağ and Cumalıkızık on another, without rushing.
The cable car usually runs all year, but it may stop temporarily because of wind or maintenance. In that case, the driver takes you up by road to the hotel area on the mountain.
Snow usually falls from about December to March. If snow and skiing are your goal, take a look at the Istanbul and Uludağ Winter 6-Day Tour.
From the OYA guide
A balanced 10-day family itinerary in Turkey that combines city, nature and snow or lakes, with ideas for children's activities and practical tips on accommodation and getting around with little ones.
Instead of generic numbers that don't fit your trip, we explain the components of travel costs in Turkey and what raises and lowers them, with a simple way to calculate a one-week budget and practical saving tips.
Turkey has varied climates, so what suits Istanbul may not suit Antalya or Uzungöl in the same month. A month-by-month guide helps you choose the timing and the destination together.
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Personal service from start to finish
We design a custom program for you, with the number of days, cities and hotels you want — just tell us.
