Trabzon

Mist-wrapped mountains rise straight from the Black Sea, hiding a cliffside monastery, emerald lakes and villages where tea and hazelnuts grow.

Trabzon Airport (TZX) sits about 6 km east of the centre, 15–20 minutes by taxi or dolmuş, and a rental car or day tour is the easiest way to reach Sumela and Uzungöl.

Trabzon is the historic capital of Turkey's eastern Black Sea coast, and it feels nothing like the sun-baked resorts of the Mediterranean. Here the Pontic Mountains rise almost straight out of the sea, rain keeps everything a deep, improbable green, and low clouds drift through valleys planted with tea and hazelnuts. For travellers from hot climates, the cool, misty summer is the main attraction: while the Gulf swelters, daytime temperatures in Trabzon usually sit in the mid-20s °C.

The city itself has real history. It was the seat of the Byzantine Empire of Trebizond until the Ottoman conquest in 1461, and layers of that past survive in its walls, churches and mosques.

• Sumela Monastery: a Greek Orthodox monastery built into a sheer cliff in the Altındere Valley, about an hour inland.
• Uzungöl: a lake village with a slender mosque at the water's edge, framed by forested slopes, roughly two hours east.
• Hagia Sophia of Trabzon: a 13th-century Byzantine church, now a mosque, known for its frescoes.
• Food: Akçaabat köfte, buttery kuymak, boat-shaped pide and, in winter, fresh hamsi (anchovies).

Trabzon also works well as a base for the wider region: the high plateaus (yayla), Rize's tea country and Ayder are all within reach. Expect a lively, conservative, football-mad city, loyal to Trabzonspor, and very welcoming to families.

Most visitors split their stay between the city and the mountains. Prices below are typical per room per night for 2026 and rise sharply in July and August, when Gulf and domestic tourism peaks; book early for those months.

• Meydan and Ortahisar (city centre): the best choice for first-timers. You are steps from Meydan Park, the Uzun Sokak pedestrian street, the bazaar and restaurants, and dolmuş routes start here. Expect older mid-range hotels and a few international chains.
• Seafront towards Yomra: larger, newer hotels and apartment-hotels along the coastal road near the airport and the Forum Trabzon mall. Good for families with a car; less atmospheric.
• Boztepe and hillside districts: quieter, with sea views; you will rely on taxis.
• Akçaabat: a coastal town 13 km west, home of the famous köfte, with some hotels and a calmer pace.
• Uzungöl: wooden bungalows, chalet-style hotels and lake-view rooms. Staying a night lets you see the lake early before the day-trip crowds arrive.

Typical price bands (double room):

• Budget guesthouses and simple hotels: about US$35–60
• Mid-range city hotels and apartment-hotels: about US$70–130
• Upscale chains and larger resort-style hotels: about US$140–250
• Uzungöl bungalows in peak season: about US$70–200, depending on view and size

Family suites and apartments with kitchens are common and good value for groups. Check that parking is included if you plan to rent a car.

Three days is enough to see Trabzon's highlights without rushing, provided you accept that mountain roads are slow and fog can change plans. Keep the order flexible and swap days if the forecast is poor.

Day 1 – The city

• Morning: start at the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya), west of the centre, to see its frescoes and garden by the sea. Visit outside prayer times.
• Midday: walk through Ortahisar, the old walled quarter, past the Ortahisar Fatih Mosque and the Zağnos Valley park below the walls.
• Afternoon: stroll Uzun Sokak and the bazaar, then rest in Meydan Park.
• Evening: take a taxi up to Boztepe for sunset, samovar tea and views over the city and sea.

Day 2 – Sumela and Maçka

• Drive or join a tour to Sumela Monastery (about 1 hour). Arrive early; the walk from the car park involves steps and slopes.
• Stop in Maçka for lunch; trout is a local favourite.
• On the way back, detour to Hamsiköy on the Zigana road for its famous rice pudding (sütlaç).
• Late afternoon: visit the Atatürk Pavilion, a white mansion set in gardens above the city.

Day 3 – Uzungöl

• Leave by 8:00 for the roughly two-hour drive east along the coast, then inland up the Solaklı valley.
• Walk the lakeside loop, take photos of the mosque and ride up to a nearby viewpoint or plateau.
• Return via Akçaabat for a köfte dinner if time allows, or overnight in Uzungöl.

Black Sea cooking is built on butter, corn, cabbage, anchovies and very good bread, and Trabzon is one of the best places to try it. Meat served in restaurants is halal as standard, and many family places do not serve alcohol.

• Akçaabat köfte: small, garlicky grilled meatballs from the town of Akçaabat, served with piyaz (bean salad) and pickled peppers. Eat them in the köfte houses along Akçaabat's main road.
• Kuymak (muhlama): cornmeal cooked with local butter and stretchy cheese, served bubbling in a pan and scooped up with bread. A breakfast and brunch staple.
• Karadeniz pidesi: boat-shaped pide with minced meat, cheese or egg, finished with a knob of butter. Found in every pide salonu.
• Hamsi: Black Sea anchovies, fried, baked with rice (hamsili pilav) or cooked in a pan. Best from roughly November to February.
• Kara lahana: black cabbage in soup or rolled as sarma.
• Laz böreği: a custard-filled pastry dusted with sugar.
• Hamsiköy sütlacı: baked rice pudding topped with ground hazelnuts.
• Vakfıkebir bread: huge, dense loaves sold at roadside bakeries.

Where to eat:

• Esnaf lokantası (workers' canteens) around Meydan for home-style stews at low prices.
• Breakfast salons for a full Black Sea spread with kuymak and local honey.
• Fish restaurants near the harbour in winter.
• Tea gardens on Boztepe for samovar tea and snacks.

Finish with Rize tea and a bag of hazelnuts to take home.

By air: Trabzon Airport (TZX) is on the coast about 6 km east of the city centre. Turkish Airlines, AJet and Pegasus fly from Istanbul (both IST and SAW), with a flight time of around 1 hour 50 minutes, and there are domestic links to Ankara, İzmir, Antalya and other cities. In summer, seasonal direct flights operate from several Gulf and Middle Eastern cities; schedules change every year, so check airline sites before booking.

From the airport:

• Taxi to Meydan: 15–20 minutes, roughly US$8–15 on the meter.
• Dolmuş minibuses run along the coastal road into the centre from stops outside the airport; cheap and frequent in daytime.
• Car rental desks are in the arrivals hall.

In the city: the centre is walkable, though hilly. Dolmuş minibuses cover the main routes and are paid in cash or by city card; taxis are plentiful and metered.

Day trips:

• Rental car: the most flexible option for Sumela, Uzungöl and the plateaus. The coastal highway is excellent; mountain roads are narrow, winding and often foggy. Drive slowly and avoid late returns.
• Organised tours: daily minibus tours to Sumela and Uzungöl leave from the centre in season, and many are offered in Arabic. They are good value if you do not want to drive.
• Private driver: popular with families; agree the price and itinerary in advance.
• Intercity buses: leave from the main otogar for Rize, Hopa, Erzurum and beyond.

There is no rail link to Trabzon.

Visas: entry rules depend on nationality and change from time to time. Citizens of Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman have generally been able to enter Turkey visa-free for short stays; other Arab travellers, including Saudi, Emirati, Jordanian and Egyptian passport holders, should confirm current requirements, and whether an e-visa is needed, on the official evisa.gov.tr site or with the Turkish consulate before booking. Your passport should be valid for at least 150 days from arrival.

Money: the currency is the Turkish lira (TRY). Because of inflation, prices in lira rise quickly, so budget in dollars or euros:

• Mid-range daily budget per person: about US$70–120, excluding hotel.
• Casual meal: US$8–15; köfte or pide lunch less.
• Day tour to Uzungöl or Sumela: roughly US$25–50 per person; Sumela entry for foreigners is priced in euros, roughly €15–25.

Cards are widely accepted in cities; carry cash for villages, dolmuş and small cafés. Use bank ATMs and always choose to be charged in lira.

SIM cards: Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom sell tourist SIMs at official stores (bring your passport), typically US$20–45 for a data package. eSIMs are an easy alternative. Coverage in valleys can be patchy.

Safety: Trabzon is safe, with low street crime. The real risks are mountain roads, fog, landslides after heavy rain, and summer overcharging in Uzungöl; agree prices before ordering or hiring.

Dress: the region is conservative. Modest clothing suits most places; women should cover their hair in mosques. Pack a rain jacket and layers even in August.