It's possible to visit Bursa on a day-trip excursion from Istanbul (map). Here's how.
There are no trains from Istanbul to Bursa, and taking a bus all the way around the Sea of Marmara takes hours through heavy traffic, so you'll probably end up traveling by fast catamaran ferryboat.
Istanbul - Bursa Passenger Ferries
Two companies operate fast passenger-only ferries between Istanbul's Kabataş docks and Bursa docks:
BUDO Ferries (Mudanya)
BUDO (Bursa Deniz Otobüsleri) runs ferries between Istanbul (Kabataş) and Bursa (Mudanya). More...
İDO Ferries (Güzelyalı)
İDO (İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri) operates ferries between Istanbul (Kabataş) and Bursa (Güzelyalı). More...
Istanbul - Bursa Car Ferries
Fast car ferries depart Istanbul's Yenikapı Feribot Terminalı daily for two ports on the south shore of the Sea of Marmara from which you can easily make your way to Bursa.
Bursa (Güzelyalı) Car Ferry
The two or three daily ferries take about 90 minutes to cross the Sea of Marmara from Istanbul to Güzelyalı. You continue by yellow city Bus 1-GY or taxi to the Bursaray (Bursa's metro system) Emek station to take a train to the city center.More...
Yalova Car Ferry
More frequent ferries (five or more a day) on the 70-minute voyage take you to Yalova, but then you must take a bus to Bursa's main bus terminal (50 minutes) and another bus to the city center (30 to 50 minutes), unless you intend to detour to İznik (Nicaea). More...
Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Bursa
Several companies operate buses every 30 minutes right from Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Bursa via vehicle ferryover the Gulf of İznik. BBBus operates buses around the clock, usually every 30 to 60 minutes, between the airport and the Bursa Terminal (bus terminal) for TL30 one-way/single.
Transport in Bursa
Bursa is spread out east-west across the northern slope of Uludağ (OO-loo dah, Bithynian Mount Olympus). Bursa hotels are mostly in the city center between Heykel("Statue," the square with an equestrian statue of Atatürk) and the Ulu Cami (OO-loo jah-mee, Grand Mosque); the Kültür Parkı (kewl-TEWR par-kuh, Culture Park); or the spa district of Çekirge (CHEH-keer-geh) to the west.
Bus Terminal Transport
The bus or taxi ride from the Terminal to Ulu Cami or Heykelcan take 45 minutes or more in heavy traffic, at least 30 minutes even in lighter traffic (if Bursa can ever be said to have light traffic).
To get to the Ulu Cami and Heykel, walk out the front doors of the Terminal, turn right and walk to the taxi rank or, beyond it, the city bus stops. Before going to a bus, buy some bus tickets (Bu Kart, TL2.50) at the ticket office.
Bus ticket in hand, walk to the Peron (row, gate) for Bus 38. Say Ulu Cami or Heykel to the driver so he can assist you to get out at the proper stop. If you're ever in doubt, just say either of those words to any other passenger for help.
To return to the Terminal for your trip back to Istanbul, ask at your hotel, or anyone for that matter, for a Terminal otobüs(TEHR-mee-NAHL oh toh-bewss). Bus 38 departs from the south side of Atatürk Caddesi just west of Heykel. Remember to have a ticket before boarding the bus.
Tickets are sold at many newsstands and snack shops. Look for Bu Kart Satış Noktası (Bu Kart Sales Point) signs in shop windows.
BursaRay
Bursa's light rail public transit system is called BursaRay. You'll find it useful to connect the Kültürpark, Osmangazi and Şehreküstü (city center) stops.
—by Tom Brosnahan
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