Bursa is Turkey's fourth-largest city and the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, nestled at the foot of Uludağ mountain on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara. Known as 'Yeşil Bursa' (Green Bursa) for its abundant parks and forests, the city blends extraordinary Ottoman heritage with modern industry, thermal spas, alpine skiing, and the birthplace of İskender kebap.
Bursa has a well-developed urban transport network anchored by the BursaRay metro system and an extensive BURULAŞ bus network. The KentKart contactless card is required for all public transport and saves money versus single tickets. Inter-city access is primarily via bus from Istanbul (3.5 hours) or the IDO sea bus from Istanbul to Mudanya (90 minutes), then a 30-minute bus to central Bursa. Bursa Yenişehir Airport (BTZ) handles limited domestic flights.
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Always buy a KentKart on arrival — available at any metro station for ₺50 including ₺20 credit
BiTaksi app (like Uber for taxis) shows the fare estimate before you ride; use it for all taxi trips
The IDO sea bus from Istanbul is the most pleasant way to arrive — book online at ido.com.tr
For Uludağ, take the cable car rather than driving — mountain road parking is limited and expensive in ski season
Google Maps works well for public transport in Bursa — download offline maps before arriving