Bursa is the first capital of the Ottoman Empire and always attracts the attention of tourists visiting Turkey because of the ease to get there from Istanbul. Located on the south coast of the Marmara Sea, Bursa is not too far from Istanbul and it takes around two hours to reach the central town. You may get the sea bus or the ferry to get to the coastal Bursa but still, you need another ride to get to the city center. Frankly, there are no ways of visiting Bursa in a day if you try to keep with the public transportation. There are some chosen ways if you are fond of visiting the first capital of the Ottoman Empire.

If you need to get to Bursa from one of the airports in Istanbul and other cities, read about it in detail here. 

Briefly About the Ways to get From Istanbul to Bursa:

Direct routes for travel from Istanbul to Bursa

The bus offers routes to the most remote areas as well as reliable services. There are 20 direct buses per day and 140 buses per week from Istanbul to Bursa. The trip takes around 4 hours.

By Bus 

If you prefer to do the entire journey by land, Nilüfer Turizm, based in Bursa, provides the most comprehensive bus service into Bursa. Metro runs buses almost hourly from Istanbul for the same price, as does Kamil Koç. All intercity bus service heads directly to the otogar, about 20 minutes outside of town. If you're headed to Çekirge, hop on local bus no. 96; to get to the city center/Ulu Cami, take bus no. 38. Important: If Bursa is just one of many stops on your chosen bus company's itinerary, you may get left on the road rather than at the station proper. Confirm your drop-off point when purchasing your ticket to ensure you're transported into the Bursa otogar, not just near it.

BUDO and İDO

Two companies, BUDO (Bursa Deniz Otobüsleri) and İDO (İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri) operate fast catamaran passenger ferries across the Sea of Marmara between Istanbul‘s Kabataş docks and Bursa (map) in about 2 hours. Both are municipal companies owned by their respective city governments.

Each offers between 4 and 8 voyages daily in each direction, depending on the day of the week (Saturday has fewest) and season of the year.

There are snack bars serving snacks, sandwiches, hot beverages and soft drinks on board the vessels.

BUDO Ferryboats Istanbul – Bursa

Bursa Deniz Otobüsleri (BUDO) runs seabus passenger-only fast catamaran ferries between Istanbul‘s Eminönü and Sirkeci ferry docks and Bursa‘s Mudanya docks 7 or 8 times daily, making the voyage in two hours (map) for TL29 one-way/single.

In summer, there may be more frequent voyages.

Reserving Your Seat

Tickets bought online may be one lira cheaper than those bought at the dock.

For buying tickets, the BUDO website is clear and easy to use, with an English-language version. You enter your Turkish mobile phone number or your email address to reserve a seat and buy a BUDO ticket online. Notices regarding your reservation and ticket will be sent to your Turkish mobile phone or to your email address, so be sure it is correct.

Getting Your Ticket

If you succeed in making a reservation and paying for your seat, you will print your ticket from a machine at the ferry dock. To print your ticket, you must have the same credit card that you used to make your reservation online, and you must have your PNR(6-digit alphanumeric reservation code). Without them you will be unable to obtain your ticket.

İDO Ferries Istanbul – Bursa, Turkey

İDO seabus passengers-only fast catamaran ferriesspeed between Istanbul‘s Kabataş ferry docks and Bursa‘s Güzelyalı docks 4 to 6 times daily, making the voyage in two hours.

In summer, there are sometimes 8 voyages in each direction daily. Some of the voyages include a stop at Kadıköy, where you can embark or debark the ferry.

There are snack bars serving snacks, sandwiches, hot beverages and soft drinks on board the vessels.

Note that buying İDO tickets may not be a simple matter, and you may not be able to do it at all.

After debarking at Güzelyalı, look for yellow city buses that will take you into the city or to the intercity bus terminal.

From Bursa, you can catch an onward bus to anywhere in the Aegean region (map), and indeed anywhere in Turkey.

Driving directions from Istanbul to Bursa

Cars traveling from Istanbul to Bursa cover a distance of around 96 miles. The travel time is 2 hours. The standart fuel cost is 24 USD. A taxi for 110 USD is a great option if you don't have a driver's license or want to avoid public transport.

Booking a Bursa Tour From Istanbul

This will solve all the problems related the transportation as you will be picked up from your hotel in Istanbul and dropped back accordingly. This would be the most hassle-free Bursa tour for your family if preferred. The tour will include visits to the tombs of the father and the son, Osman and Orhan Gazi, the founders of the Ottoman Empire.

You will have the chance to witness the beauty of Mount Uludag and the view of the town while climbing there with the cable car. The architecture of the early Ottomans is still visible and the complexes standstill looking forward to being experienced by the tourists and you can taste the local flavors of the city.