TR · Marmara Region · 40.20°N 29.06°E

bursa

Silk courtyards, Ottoman mosques and buttery Iskender kebab below Mount Uludağ.

Best time
April–June and September–October are mild and good for the bazaars and the mountain. July–August is hot in town; December–March is wet below and snowy on Uludağ, which turns into a ski resort.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
About 11 hours direct from KL to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines, then about 3 hours by road to Bursa. Turkey is 5 hours behind KL all year.
Save postcard
TR · Marmara Regionbursa40.20°N 29.06°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Silk courtyards, Ottoman mosques and buttery Iskender kebab below Mount Uludağ.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingBursaTR, Marmara Region
KLbursa
≈ 8,312 km from KL, as the crow flies
Hüdavendigar Park along the shores of the Nilüfer River in Bursa

Photo: Metuboy · CC BY-SA 4.0

1 / 5

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Bursa was the first great Ottoman capital, and its old centre is still a tangle of domed mosques, silk markets and sultans' tombs. Iskender kebab was born here, and Mount Uludağ rises right behind the city.

Makan

  1. Iskender kebabDöner sliced over bread with tomato sauce and yoghurt, finished at the table with sizzling butter.Map ↗
  2. Kestane şekeriCandied chestnuts, Bursa's classic boxed souvenir.Map ↗
  3. CantıkSmall open-topped buns baked with minced meat, an easy lunch between the bazaars.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami)Twenty domes over one huge prayer hall, with giant calligraphy on the pillars and a fountain splashing in the middle.Map ↗
  2. Koza HanA 15th-century silk market around a leafy courtyard, good for a glass of tea between the scarf shops.Map ↗
  3. Green Mosque and Green TombEarly Ottoman monuments covered in turquoise and green tiles, on a rise east of the bazaar.Map ↗
  4. CumalıkızıkA village of old timber houses on the lower slopes of Uludağ, known for long village breakfasts.Map ↗
  5. Uludağ cable carA long ride from the edge of town up through the forest to cool mountain air.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Meat is halal as standard, as everywhere in Turkey.
  • Uludağ is far colder than the city, so take a jacket up the cable car even on a warm day.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.