TOUR 11/A: ISTANBUL-BURSA/ULUDAG MOUNTAIN, DAILY – FULL DAY TOUR

Daily Bursa tour from Istanbul available everyday in summer and winter season
(*) Availability depends on total number of participants, minimum 6 people is required for regular tours.

Tour Itinerary:
Pick up from hotel in Istanbul at around 08:00 am. Departure time can change depending on the location of hotels. The hotels need to be on the European side of Istanbul. Please let us know which hotel you will be staying in Istanbul
-Arrival to Yalova across the Izmit gulf within Marmara Sea with car ferry boat departing from Istanbul; a very lovely journey on the sea lasting about one hour.
-From Yalova continue to Bursa which is roughly another one hour ride through a very beautiful landscape, among the green forests, traditional small towns and villages along the way. Yalova is also a beautiful resort city good too see on the way shortly.
-Visit Bursa Kapalicarsi (historical Grand/Covered Bazaar of Bursa) and Bursa Ulucamii (Grand Mosque of Bursa). Please note that Covered Bazaar is closed on Sundays. 
-Climb to Uludag Mountain with cable car near the ski resorts. There will be half-an-hour break here to watch the magnificent scenery from the mountain. Uludag is the legendary Mount Olympos, from where the Gods is said to have watched the Trojan war according to Greek mythology.
-Return to Bursa with cable car. In winter time there is a small risk of cancelling the Uludag visit, if the cable car does not work when the weather is too stormy.
-Lunch in Bursa. Famous local kebab of Bursa for lunch. This is really a very delicious local food famous all over Turkey as Bursa's Iskender Kebab, mistakenly referred as Alexander the Great's Kebab on some websites.
-Visit Green Mosque (Yesil Camii) and Green Tomb (Yesil Turbe) the world wide famous Ottoman works of art in Bursa. Bursa was the first capital of Ottoman Turks.
-Drive to Yalova, and ferryboat to Istanbul. Transfer to hotels arriving at around 19:00-19:30.
 

Ulucamii, the Grand Mosque of Bursa	A part of old Bursa	Islamic scripts inside Green Mosque

Price for Regular (Group) Tours: (other people joins the same tour)
90 Euro per person for 1-2 participants.
80 Euro per person for 3-5 participants.
75 Euro per person for 6-9 participants.
Please ask for discount for bigger groups.
Minimum 7 people (including you and other possible participants) is required for regular group tours.

Price for Private Tours: (Private guide for individuals and closed private groups)
Private version of this tour is also possible for individuals and  closed private groups.
The price will highly depend on the number of participants in this case.
Private tours are guarantee departure everyday.

Prices include:
All taxes are included. Surcharges may apply in case of credit cards payments.
All transportation costs during the tour (hotel transfers, bus, ferryboat, cable car),
Lunch in Bursa, in a traditional local restaurant.
Full guidance during the tour (English speaking guide for regular tours, other languages possible for private tours or for group tours if the number of participants is high)
-Any entrance fees for the places to be visited mentioned above.

Bursa:  The First Capital of Ottoman Empire. Osman Bey, who was born in a town of Bursa, conquered the towns around Bursa  in 1299 and this is the year regarded as the founding of the Ottoman Empire, which was to survive for over six hundred years. (The word Ottoman is derived from his name, Osman) Bursa is located in the northwest of the Anatolian peninsula and southeast of the Marmara Sea. The shores of the Marmara Sea are 135 km away. The most important peak in the province is Uludag (Legendary Mount Olympus), which is a ski resort and national park.

Mount Uludag (Misios Olympos) : Uludag (2543 m), 36km south of Bursa, is one of the country’s favorite winter sports centers and as well as skiing, its richness of flora and fauna has made it into a National Park and summer activities like trekking and camping are also popular. Uludag was previously known as Olympus Misios in ancient times, and is known in mythology as the place where the gods watched the Trojan war.

Ulucami: (Grand Mosque of Bursa) It was constructed between 1396 and 1400 by Sultan Bayezit, fully made up of cut stone, with very thick and high walls, 12 heavy four edged grade, with pendantives as of 20 domes. It is the most classical and monumental sample of the multi - domed mosques. It has the biggest size (318 square meters) among all of the Turkish mosques with its rich and roomy space.

Green (Yesil) Mosque:  Constructed between 1419 and 1420, It is called Green Mosque due to the green turquoise tiles used on adornments. It is one of the most important Ottoman period structure in Bursa, and the mosque is famous with its adornments much more than its architecture.

Green Tomb (Center): Structure, which is the symbol of Bursa, is one of the most beautiful samples of Ottoman tomb architecture. Octagonal structure, to which you can climb via a marble stair, is covered by a lead dome perched on a high hoop. It is a unique structure with its tile adornments. Its fully tile covered balcony is a master piece of art. One of the most beautiful samples of the Ottoman wooden work, the door was built by transition technique of walnut tree, adorned with geometrical motifs and has inscription on it.
 

Cable car climbing up Uludag	Green Tomb, Bursa	Kozahan, the building for silk trade.

TOUR 11/B: BURSA-MOUNT ULUDAG (OLYMPOS)  SKI TOURS 

Weekend ski tour package to Mount Uludag (2543 m) in Bursa. The ski season starts in December ends in April. This center has suitable conditions for Alpine skiing, ski touring, cross-country and heli-skiing.

The package includes:
-Accommodation in 3 or 4 star/luxury hotel (There are no 5 stars)
-Breakfast, lunch, dinner and soft drinks included. (Alcohol drinks are not included)
-All kinds of ski pass tickets are included. Ski equipments are not included but available at hotels at a price around 10-15 Euro per day per person.
-2 way transportation between Istanbul and Bursa (Either Istanbul Bursa by bus or Istanbul-Yalova ferryboat and Yalova-Bursa by bus (appx 3-4 hours)
-2 way transfer between Bursa and hotel in Uludag (at the mountain close to ski center). Ski resort is about 36 km from Bursa city center. For those who want to visit the city (Bursa) on their own, there are regular public transportation every hour in day time.

There are 2 versions of this tour: 2 nights weekend tours and 3 nights mid-week tours.
Departure: For 2 nights weekend tours departure is Friday.

Price list: (valid for 2 weekend nights, or 3 mid-week nights)
3 star hotel (rooms with private bath, air condition, heating etc) :
1 person in a double room 240 €. Single person 370 Euro in a private single room
or
4 star/luxury hotel (rooms with private bath, air condition, heating etc) :
1 person in a double room 350 €. Single person 540 Euro in a private single room

Payment and reservation: 30% advance payment will be requested after availability and all details are confirmed.   The rest of the cost will be requested before the tour departure and can be made directly at our office or by credit card.

Uludag/Mount Olympos: Uludag, 36km south of Bursa, is one of the country’s favorite winter sports centers and as well as skiing, its richness of flora and fauna has made it into a National Park and summer activities like trekking and camping are also popular. Uludag was previously known as Olympus Misios in ancient times, and is known in mythology as the place where the gods watched the Trojan war.

Uludag is 2543m high, making it the highest point in the Marmara region, and the Aras Waterfalls and glaciers at the peak are its most interesting geographical features. The steep slopes mean that plant life varies widely between the Bursa plane and the peak, something which has been analyzed by botanical scientists and has made Uludag prominent around the world in this type of research.
 

The suitable conditions have also formed a habitat for many species of animal and bird life, like bears, wolves, jackals, foxes, roe deer, rabbits, pigs, partridges, wild pigeons, vultures, eagles, black kites, nightingales and gold crests. The Bakacak watchtower at Cobankaya gives a great view over the surrounding area.

Between December and May, Uludag is covered with snow sometimes up to 4m deep, making it suitable for skiing, and it is one of the most popular winter sports centers in Turkey.

There are 27 hotels, 15 of which are privately owned, with a total of over 3000 beds. The area also has shopping halls, restaurants, cafes and bars, entertainment and health centers.


Click here to see ski center's plan

NOTE: These tours are regular package tours and we organize these tours in cooperation with other non-gay travel operators to provide better rates to our gay and lesbian clients,  because there is not enough potential for regular (everyday) group tours that will consist of only gay or lesbian clients yet. But we choose most gay friendly hotels and work only with real gay friendly tour guides and tour operators.