Kaleiçi Old Town
Narrow lanes of Ottoman wooden houses, Hadrian's Gate, a Roman harbour below. Sunset from a rooftop over the yachts is the trip's signature.
Destinations
Discover Türkiye
Antalya
Bursa was the first Ottoman capital — this is where the empire learned to build green-tiled mosques, silk caravanserais and thermal-spa neighbourhoods. An hour from Istanbul by ferry. Then you fly south to Antalya, Turkey's Mediterranean capital: a 600-km coastline of Roman ruins, pebble beaches, waterfalls that pour into the sea, and a preserved old town of Ottoman wooden houses wrapped around a yacht harbour. Seven days does justice to both — three in Bursa, four in Antalya. Shorten to 5 with a Bursa day-trip if you want more beach time.
Highlights
What you'll see
Düden Waterfalls
Two sets — the upper falls inside a forest park, the lower falls crashing 40 metres directly into the Mediterranean. Boat views from below.
Perge & Aspendos
A Roman city with colonnaded streets and a stadium, plus Aspendos — the best-preserved Roman theatre in the world, still used for summer concerts.
Green Mosque & Tomb
Early-Ottoman masterpiece from 1419 — İznik tile dome, carved-marble mihrab. The adjoining tomb of Sultan Mehmed I is wrapped in turquoise tilework.
Uludağ Mountain
Turkey's premier ski resort in winter; cable-car rides and alpine hiking in summer. The Teleferik from the city is a panoramic trip in itself.
Grand Bazaar & İskender
Silk Road bazaar under 14th-century arches, plus the original Kebapçı İskender where the sultan-era İskender kebap was invented. Taste the original.
When to Go
Seasonal guide
Antalya's long warm season pairs nicely with Bursa's four seasons. Pick by what you want from the Turkey half of the trip. April – June: beaches open (22–26°C sea), Bursa wildflowers, Perge & Aspendos at their coolest. July – August: Antalya beach peak (28°C sea), Bursa stays cool on Uludağ — mountain escape. September – November: warm sea continues, Bursa harvest, olive-oil season, low crowds. December – March: Uludağ ski season, Çekirge thermal spas, Antalya winter golf and citrus groves.
Sample Itinerary
Day by day
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Day 1 — Arrival · Istanbul → Bursa: Land in Istanbul, take the fast ferry across the Sea of Marmara to Bursa (2 hours total). Check-in at a Çekirge thermal-spa hotel, İskender kebap dinner at the original house.
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Day 2 — Ottoman Bursa · Green Mosque day: Green Mosque, Green Tomb, Muradiye complex, Grand Bazaar under the silk arches. Late afternoon thermal hammam, Ottoman dinner on a rooftop overlooking the city.
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Day 3 — Uludağ cable car: Teleferik to Uludağ — ski runs in winter or alpine hiking in summer. Picnic lunch with Marmara views, Ottoman coffee stop on the descent.
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Day 4 — Bursa → Antalya · Kaleiçi sunset: Morning transfer to Istanbul airport, 1-hour flight to Antalya. Check-in near Kaleiçi or at a Lara beach resort. Sunset over the old harbour, seafood dinner on the water.
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Day 5 — Perge · Aspendos · Side: Full-day Roman antiquities tour with Arabic guide — Perge colonnaded street, Aspendos theatre, optional lunch in Side by another Roman ruin-on-the-sea.
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Day 6 — Düden · yacht · beach afternoon: Morning Düden Waterfalls and Antalya Museum (one of Türkiye's best). Afternoon yacht charter along the cliffs, swim stops in hidden coves, sunset return.
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Day 7 — Souvenirs · departure: Final Kaleiçi wander for Turkish delight, ceramics and leather, beach-brunch at the hotel, airport transfer for the flight home.
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Antalya in photos
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