Giresun is a Black Sea coastal city in northeastern Turkey, famous as the legendary homeland of the Amazons and the origin of the hazelnut known to the world as 'giresun fındığı'. Perched on a hillside above the sea, the city blends Byzantine and Ottoman history with lush green mountains and a thriving hazelnut-farming culture. The ancient Giresun Island — the only island on the entire Turkish Black Sea coast — lies just offshore and shelters the ruins of a Byzantine monastery.
Giresun is accessible by air via Ordu-Giresun Airport (OGU), by long-distance bus from Istanbul (~14h), Ankara (~9h), and Trabzon (~3h), and by private car along the coastal D010 highway. Within the city, shared dolmuş minibuses are cheap and frequent. Taxis are metered and reliable for longer trips.
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Dolmuş routes to Kümbet Plateau do not exist — rent a car or hire a taxi for the plateau
The coastal D010 road offers stunning Black Sea views; renting a car is recommended for a self-drive day trip to Tirebolu and Espiye
Giresun Otogar (bus terminal) is 1 km east of the city center; taxi there costs ~30–50 TRY (~$0.90–1.50 USD)
Long-distance bus tickets are best bought at the terminal the day before or booked online at obilet.com