Fortunately I was able to visit Bursa a couple times and I always try to included it in my itinerary for my Turkey trip. It is easy to travel to Bursa as it is not far from Istanbul and a little 2 hour road trip will already get you there. There is even a direct boat from Istanbul to Bursa if you are up for an adventure.

In total I already made 4 trips to Bursa over the last years and that is how I got to know everything about the city and the best things to do in Bursa. In this blog you will find specific travel tips for Bursa, the best tourists attractions, day trips and some cool ideas for your next trip to Bursa.

Bursa is the 4th biggest city in Turkey and it once was the capital city of the Ottoman empire. When traveling to Bursa you will find out it a pretty conservative city, nothing like Istanbul, but with super friendly locals. Everywhere you visit you will be greeted with a big smile and people love seeing tourists.

At first Bursa doesn't seem like that vibrant and interesting but with its rich history there are a lot of tourist attractions and some really cool places to visit. Read all about it in this Bursa travel guide.

Bursa is listed among many others tourist destinations in Turkey in my list of the most beautiful places to visit in Turkey. In this guide you will find out about the Maldives of Turkey, the best ancient Greek cities, the best coastal towns, the hidden monastery in Trabzon, incredible hiking in the mountains of Artvin and Rize and much more.

Do you want to included Bursa as part of a Turkey road trip? Then check out my Ultimate Turkey Itinerary blog that takes you in 14 days around the country and visit all the Turkey top sights.

Stay connected on your trip to Turkey and buy a local prepaid sim card or an e-sim card. Which one is better? Click here to read my Turkey tourist sim card comparison for 2025 including local prepaid sim cards, e-sim cards for Turkey and international sim cards.

If you want to go straight for an e-sim card then check out my list of the best eSIMs for Turkey in 2025.

When flying to Istanbul check out my guide for buying a sim card at Istanbul Airport or SAW Airport when you land on the Asian side. But I can already tell you that buying a sim card for tourists at the airports in Istanbul is extremely expensive.

1. Grand Mosque Bursa

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For over 500 years this was the biggest mosque in Turkey. On a Friday prayer there are about 5,000 people praying together and another 2,000 outside. This massive structure was built in 1396 and completed in 1399. Sultan Bayezid promised that he would build 20 mosques if he would win the battle of Nicopolis. Eventually he won the war, returned but instead built the Grand Mosque with 20 domes. The Grand Mosque in Bursa is open to the public and taking photos inside is allowed.

2. Green Mausoleum

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The Green Tomb of Bursa is dedicated to the 5th Ottoman Sultan Mehmed I. The blue/green structure stands on a hill not far away from the city center and next to the Green Mosque. The Green Mausoleum is beautifully decorated with colorful tiles from the inside. You will find the tomb of Mehmed I in the middle plus 7 other tombs. The super detailed wooden door to the tomb is still the original door from when it was built in 1421. It is free to visit the Green Mausoleum in Bursa.

3. Green Mosque

green mosque bursa

Next to the Green Mausoleum you can find the Green Mosque, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site constructed in 1412 by the same Sultan who is buried in the Green Tomb next door. Way more detailed than the Grand Mosque , this popular place to visit in Bursa is a must see when you travel to Bursa. Sultan Mehmed I constructed the mosque with the help of Persian artists from the East and you can see that clearly in the very detailed tiles and similar colors that you will find in mosques in Central Asia.

4. Cable car up to Uludag Mountain

bursa cable car

Fairly close to the city center you can take the Bursa Teleferik up to the top of the Uludag Mountain. The total length of the two connecting gondolas is almost 10 kilometer which makes it one of the longest cable car rides in the world. The Bursa cable car takes you in 40 minutes up to the top of Uludag Mountain, that stands more than 2,500 meter above the city.

People travel to Bursa to go skiing and the Uludag ski resort become a popular tourist destination in Turkey in winter. There are restaurants and bars up on the mountain and this is a spot where you can easily stumble upon Turkey’s most famous artists in winter.

5. Cumalikizik - UNESCO World Heritage Town

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One of the most famous Bursa places to visit is the UNESCO World Heritage town of Cumalikizik. This 700 years old village is perched in the hills on the foot of the Uludag Mountain only about 20 minutes from Bursa city center.

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The cobblestoned narrow streets are lined up with traditional houses that now serve as family owned restaurants, souvenir shops, tea houses, etc.

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There is a super relaxed vibe to this touristy but still traditional village. I visited on a Sunday and it was of course full of tourists, but the higher up you get, the less crowded it is. Enjoy a local traditional Turkish breakfast or lunch here with the snow capped peaks of Uludag mountain looming large over this charming town with friendly villagers.

6. Visit Tophane Park

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There are many reasons to visit Tophane Park with amazing views over the city. First of all because you can visit the tombs of Osman and Orhan, the founder of Bursa and its son. Besides that you will stumble upon one of the best places to see in Bursa: the historical clocktower. Unfortunately at the moment the clocktower is under construction, but the views over the city are still phenomenal from one of the terraces.

tophane park bursa

During Ramadan the old canons are used every day to announce the start and the end of the feasting.

7. Living Museum of Umurbey Silk Production

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Not sure if the name of this Silk Museum correlates to the fact that it is an interactive experience, but I can tell you it was one of the coolest things to do in Bursa. Bursa city is famous for its silk trade and visiting a silk museum is a must. The Umurbey Silk will teach you how silk is made from the silkworm till the end product.

living museum umurbey silk production bursa

Learning about the history and the importance of Bursa city as part of the Silk Route was great and having a sneak peak behind the scenes even more fascinating.

8. Karagoz Museum (Shadow Puppet Museum)

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Honestly did not have any expectations, but this is totally worth 20 minutes of your time. Handmade puppets attached to big chopsticks are skilfully moved around on a white screen in front of a bright light. The outcome is amazing.

karagoz museum bursa puppet

Although I could obviously not understand anything of the performance it was really cool to see the Puppet Master perform his stand up comedian act on a small cinema screen.

9. Irgandi Bridge

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Did you know that there are only a handful of bridges in the world that have shops on them. One of them can be found in Bursa and is called the Irgandi Bridge, it can be seen as the little brother of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence.

irgandi bridge bursa

It is a cute little shopping street with local artists showcasing their handicrafts.

10. Get lost in the covered Bursa Bazaar

Basically most of the city center is a covered market where you can find shops of all kinds of things. It is not a super historical old grand bazaar like in Istanbul to be fair, but there are cool places to visit. Try to find the small hidden courtyards. There are a couple older more historical sections, but also some very modern bright spacious sections.

11. Have a drink in Koza Han

koza han bursa bazaar

The historical entrance of Koza Han is already worth visiting while sightseeing in Bursa, but when you enter this caravanserai you understand that it is totally worth coming here to have a drink on the terrace.

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One of the best Bursa tourist attraction where you can easily mingle with locals.

12. Zafer Plaza Shopping Mall

If the bazaars are not your thing and you are craving a more modern way of shopping then head to Zafer Plaza. Part of it has the iconic shape of a pyramid. It is a great thing to do in Bursa when it rains as it is a big mall and also houses a cinema.

13. Silk shopping at the Silk House

silk house bursa

There is a famous silk shop called Silk House that you can visit next to the Green Mosque and the Green Tomb. This colorful building is a 3 story warehouse with loads of souvenirs, decoration, handicrafts, local art and of course silk in all kinds and colors. A truly iconic store in Bursa.

14. Stroll through Culture Park

culture park bursa

Kültürpark in Bursa is the largest green area in the city. There are several tourist attractions like a big ferris wheel, etc. It is a great thing to do in Bursa with kids and affordable. From the top of the ferris wheel you have great views over the predominantly flat city.

15. Visit the Town Hall

bursa town hall

If you have the right connections you can may be get into the Bursa town hall. This historical building dating back to 1879 is beautifully decorated from the inside and is also the place where a famous photo of Ataturk, the founder of Turkey, is taken. It is normally not open to the public, but may if you ask politely and smile you can have a sneak peak inside. The building itself is already one of the best places to visit in Bursa for its unique architecture.

16. Bursa city walls

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Being such a historical city Busra still has a decent part of the city walls preserved. From the walls you have great views over the old city of Busra and the Grand Mosque. There are also several tea and coffee places with great views.

17. Sip tea with a view over the city

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On the south side of the city you will see roads winding higher up towards houses perched into the hills. The views over Bursa city are incredible from here and most probably the best instagram spots in Bursa.

bursa city

Follow the Uludag Cd. towards the higher situated little cafes along this road to sip tea with the best views over the city.

18. Inkaya - Biggest Tree in Turkey

inkaya biggest tree in turkey

While exploring the higher roads on the footsteps of Uludag Mountain you have to pass by the biggest tree in Turkey. This historical Plane Tree is estimated to be more than 600 years old. At first I was not impressed by this Busra tourist attraction, but when I saw this tree with my own eyes I was amazed. It can easily be found on Google Maps by the name of: Inkaya Historical Plane Tree.

19. Watch a Bursaspor match

bursaspor bursa

Being the 4th biggest city in Turkey, it is understandable that Bursa has a big football club. Unfortunately Bursaspor, which is in the hearts of all the people of Bursa relegated in 2019 to the second league, only 9 years after they became the second ever champion of Turkey outside the traditional top 3 clubs from Istanbul.

Visiting a Bursaspor match in the new and modern Timsah Arena is one of the things to do in Bursa that is on my list for my next trip. It has a capacity of almost 45,000 and is nicknamed the Crocodile stadium because of its shape and color. For the latest match fixtures and home games schedule check the Bursaspor website.

bursaspor fan

I got gifted an official Bursaspor shirt which made me really happy.

20. Take a photo with the Bursa sign

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Everywhere around Bursa city you will find the Bursa signs. Big colorful letters that are popular to take a photo with and post on social media to show where you are.

21. Eski Kaplıca Hamamı Turkish Bath

On a trip to Turkey one should experience a Turkish Hamam. One of the oldest Hamams in Bursa is the Tarihi Keceli Kadinlar, recommended by locals. It is a very traditional haman dating back many years, but operational hours and management is a little questionable. On my second trip to Bursa I visited the traditional Eksi Kaplica Hamami in the city center near the Keravansaray Hotel and to me this is the best Hamam in Bursa. It is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage list of Bursa. Even more reasons to choose this Turkish bath when visiting Bursa.

22. Kayhan Koftecisi - best restaurant in Bursa

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Absolutely delicious local food can be found at Kayhan Koftecisi. This is definitely one of my best Busra travel tips as this was more than just a restaurant. We were able to watch the food getting prepared on the table next to us. Amazing hospitality and everything we tried was absolutely delicious for a fair price.

23. Podyum Park for a late night drink

If you are looking for the best nightlife in Bursa then there is only one place to visit: PodyumPark. Here you will find a modern open air park with loads of bars, coffee places, English Pubs and restaurants lined up. There is also a cinema. When craving a beer or wine this is where you can get it!

24. Day trip to Trilye

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Although Bursa is not located on the water, the sea is not far away! About an hour west of the city you will find the lovely sleepy coastal town of Trilye. Winding ocean roads with gorgeous views and roads through olive plantation will lead you to this charming fishing village.

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Wander around and have lunch or breakfast with sea views and let the friendly locals make you smile.

25. Gölyazi Peninsula

golyazi peninsula bursa

Combine your visit to Trilye with a visit to Gölyazi. End your day trip from Bursa at this perfectly shaped peninsula. Come here to watch the sunset it is magical. Basically Gölyazi is an island in Lake Uluabat that is connected by bridge to the mainland. You can wander around and sip some tea with locals. This is definitely an off the beaten path tourist destination in Turkey, but worth adding to your Turkey itinerary.

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How to get to Bursa?

Bursa is not far from Istanbul and there are actually even ferries that connect Istanbul and Bursa. Getting to Bursa by ferry is already a pretty cool adventure and that is what makes a day trip from Istanbul to Bursa so interesting. There are of course also busses that connect Bursa with Istanbul. I included the city of Bursa in my ultimate Turkey itinerary as it is a perfect stop between Istanbul and Izmir or Canakkale.

I recommend using the search engine of 12Go Asia for busses, ferries and domestic flights in Turkey. They find you the best way to get there, the shortest, the cheapest and they compare busses, trains, ferries and domestic flights in one overview. Try it out yourself below.

Powered by 12Go system

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I hope all the above Bursa travel tips were helpful for your next trip to Bursa. May you have any more questions go to the Traveltomtom Instagram profile and please send me a direct message.

This is also where you will find all the videos/Instagram stories about Bursa Tourism and sightseeing. From the bazaar to the mountain and the tombs to the museums and of course amazing Turkish food. On top of that you will get a little insight in my journey to visiting every country in the world. As of January 2025 I have visited more than 155 countries around the world.

Enjoy your trip to Bursa!