UZUNGÖL, TRABZON
7-Day Trabzon & Uzungöl Tour Package – 6 Nights
2 Nights Trabzon + 4 Nights Uzungöl | Sümela Monastery • Ayder Plateau • Fırtına Valley
From $1,399 per person
- Duration: 7 Days / 6 Nights
- Stay: Trabzon 2N + Uzungöl 4N · 4★ hotels
- Flights: Domestic flights included
- Meals: Daily breakfast
- Group: Small group · private on request
- Guide: Guide: English, Arabic
- Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 15 days
Tour Overview
7-Day Trabzon and Uzungöl Tour with Flights from Istanbul
This 7-day Trabzon and Uzungöl tour flies you from Istanbul to the Black Sea coast and back, with both domestic flights included. Of the six nights, two are in Trabzon and four beside Uzungöl Lake, so you meet the city first and then settle into the mountains.
The days take in Sümela Monastery in the Altındere valley, the Zigana highlands and Hamsiköy, Trabzon Hagia Sophia and the Atatürk Pavilion, the Haldizen Valley, and a full day at Ayder Plateau and Gelintülü Waterfall with a return through the Fırtına Valley. Day 6 is left free at the lake, which is what makes the stay feel slow rather than rushed.
Families, couples and friends will find an easy pace with short walks. One 7-day programme with a single per-person price covers a 4★ hotel (or similar) in Trabzon, a 4★ lakeside hotel (or similar) in Uzungöl, airport and inter-city transfers, guided days 2–5, a licensed English-speaking guide (Arabic on request) and the Sümela entrance. Only breakfast is included. See the Uzungöl travel guide and our Black Sea tour packages.
Highlights
- Domestic flights Istanbul–Trabzon–Istanbul included
- 2 nights Trabzon + 4 nights Uzungöl
- Sümela Monastery and Zigana highlands
- Ayder Plateau and Fırtına Valley day
- Free leisure day at the lake
- English guide, Arabic on request
Quick facts
- Best time to visit: May–October for green pastures; in winter some high yayla roads can close.
- Pedal boats, a trout lunch and a photo session on the free day are optional extras.
- Lunches, dinners and drinks are not included; breakfast is served daily at the hotels.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
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Day 1Flight to Trabzon & Boztepe Sunset
Fly from Istanbul to Trabzon, a flight of about two hours that is included in the price. At Trabzon Airport (TZX) you are met and driven to your 4★ hotel in the city centre. Trabzon was the capital of the medieval Empire of Trebizond and still feels like a hillside port. Once you have checked in, head up Boztepe Hill in the evening: its tea gardens look across the rooftops to the open Black Sea, and sunset is the time to be there.
Overnight: Trabzon — 4★ hotel (or similar)Transport: Domestic flight Istanbul → Trabzon (~2 h, included), then airport transferTour: Small-group tour (private on request)Entrances: none -
Day 2Sümela Monastery, Altındere Valley & Hamsiköy
The guided days begin here. After breakfast you drive into Altındere Valley National Park, a river gorge of pine forest, to Sümela Monastery, a Greek Orthodox monastery traditionally dated to the 4th century and carved into a sheer cliff face. Your guide takes you through its rock-cut chapel and terraces; the Sümela entrance fee is included. The road then climbs over the Zigana highlands to Hamsiköy, a mountain village known for its creamy rice pudding, before you drive back down to Trabzon for a second night.
Meals: BreakfastOvernight: Trabzon — 4★ hotel (or similar)Transport: Road excursion, ~5 h driving in totalTour: Small-group tour (private on request)Entrances: Sümela included -
Day 3Trabzon Heritage & Transfer to Uzungöl
Check out and spend the morning on Trabzon’s heritage: Hagia Sophia, the 13th-century Byzantine church of the Trebizond Empire that now serves as a mosque, and the Atatürk Pavilion, a villa in a pine garden that Atatürk used during his visits. Then you leave the city and drive east along the coast before turning inland into the mountains, with a stop at a local tea factory on the way. The transfer takes about 1.5–2 hours. At Uzungöl you check in at your lakeside hotel and take an evening stroll beside the water.
Meals: BreakfastOvernight: Uzungöl — lakeside hotel (or similar)Transport: Road transfer Trabzon → Uzungöl ~1.5–2 hTour: Small-group tour (private on request)Entrances: payable on-site where a fee applies -
Day 4Uzungöl Lake & Haldizen Valley
This is your first full day on the lake. Begin with a guided walk around Uzungöl, a mountain lake in the Çaykara district that formed when a landslide blocked a stream, where red-roofed houses and a wooden mosque are reflected in the still water. From the panoramic viewpoints above the village you see the whole valley, and you then continue to the green highland pastures of the Haldizen Valley. Distances are short and the walking is easy, which leaves time for tea beside the water before you return to the hotel.
Meals: BreakfastOvernight: Uzungöl — lakeside hotel (or similar)Transport: Short drives plus easy walksTour: Small-group tour (private on request)Entrances: none -
Day 5Ayder Plateau, Gelintülü Waterfall & Fırtına Valley
A full-day excursion by road takes you from Uzungöl up to Ayder Plateau in the Kaçkar Mountains, roughly 2 to 2.5 hours each way. There you see Gelintülü Waterfall and the traditional wooden highland houses, and a Black Sea highland lunch of muhlama, a hot dish of melted cheese and cornmeal, is the local favourite (lunch is at your own expense). On the way back the route follows the Fırtına Valley, with its Ottoman stone bridges, and passes the tea plantations of Rize on the slopes.
Meals: BreakfastOvernight: Uzungöl — lakeside hotel (or similar)Transport: Full-day road excursion, ~2–2.5 h each wayTour: Small-group tour (private on request)Entrances: payable on-site where a fee applies -
Day 6Free Day at Uzungöl
No programme is planned today. Have breakfast at the hotel and spend the day as you like around the lake. A path runs along the shore past the mosque, and short, easy walks lead up into the pine-covered hills. Fresh trout is the local lunch, served by restaurants built out over the water. If you want something more organised, you can arrange a trout lunch, pedal boats or a private photo session on the day; these are optional and paid separately. Local shops sell Black Sea tea, hazelnuts and handwoven textiles.
Meals: BreakfastOvernight: Uzungöl — lakeside hotel (or similar)Transport: —Tour: Free dayEntrances: noneOptional: Optional trout lunch, pedal boats or private photo session (paid separately) -
Day 7Departure Flight to Istanbul
After breakfast you check out and take the transfer back to Trabzon Airport, about 1.5–2 hours by road down through the green Çaykara and Of valleys, for your included flight to Istanbul. If your flight leaves later in the day, use the morning for a last walk beside the lake or to buy Black Sea tea and hazelnuts in the village shops before you leave. The time your transfer leaves Uzungöl is set around your flight time.
Meals: BreakfastOvernight: —Transport: Road transfer ~1.5–2 h, then domestic flight Trabzon → Istanbul (~2 h, included)Tour: Small-group tour (private on request)Entrances: none
Places Along the Route
Sümela Monastery
Cut into a rock wall high above a pine-clad gorge, Sümela is a Greek Orthodox monastery that tradition places in the 4th century. Its rock church is painted with frescoes, and its terraces overlook the valley.
Altındere Valley
A protected river gorge near Maçka, cut through spruce and pine forest and home to Sümela. Viewing terraces beside the road show the cliff that carries the monastery before the climb begins.
Trabzon Hagia Sophia
The Byzantine church of the Trebizond Empire, finished in the 1260s, with a domed cross-in-square plan. Carved portals and remnants of wall paintings survive, and it stands in a lawned garden by the shore.
Uzungöl Lake
A Black Sea lake created by a landslide, set among spruce slopes at about 1,100 m. A small mosque and red-roofed houses sit on the shore, and morning mist often lingers over the water.
Ayder Plateau
A highland settlement in the Kaçkar Mountains at about 1,300 m, with dark timber chalets scattered over green meadows. Its hot springs and cooler air are why Black Sea families have long come here for the summer.
Boztepe Hill
The green hill behind Trabzon where locals go for tea and a view. Terraced gardens look down on the old harbour and the sea, and lights come on around the bay after dark.
Zigana Pass
The high pass over the Pontic Mountains on the road inland from the coast, at roughly 2,000 m. Pine slopes turn to open pasture here, and cloud often drifts over the summit.
Hamsiköy
A Pontic mountain village whose creamy sütlaç, rice pudding, is sold along the road. Its timber houses and cool air make a pleasant pause on the way down to the sea.
Atatürk Pavilion
A hillside villa in a shady garden, where Atatürk stayed in the 1920s and 1930s. The rooms hold furniture and belongings of the period, and the terrace looks down toward the sea.
Haldizen Valley
A green valley of highland meadows above Uzungöl, with streams running through the grass. The walks are gentle, and cattle graze the slopes through the warm months.
Gelintülü Waterfall
Water drops in a long pale veil down the rock face near Ayder, which is how the waterfall got its name. Snowmelt feeds it, so the flow is strongest in late spring.
Fırtına Valley
A wooded river gorge on the northern slope of the Kaçkar range, crossed by arched Ottoman stone bridges. The bridges served the highland villages, and the river runs fast and cold beneath them.
Why Choose This Trabzon and Uzungöl Tour?
Most Trabzon tours treat Uzungöl as a day trip. Here four of the six nights are beside the lake, after two nights in Trabzon, and both domestic flights from Istanbul are included in the package.
- Four nights at the lake — A lakeside hotel in Uzungöl for four nights lets you visit the Haldizen Valley, Ayder Plateau and Gelintülü Waterfall from one base, without packing your bags every morning.
- Flights included, no days lost — Domestic flights Istanbul – Trabzon – Istanbul (economy) are in the package, together with airport and inter-city transfers, so all seven days are spent on the coast and in the mountains.
- A free day by the water — Day 6 has no programme. Walk the shore, eat trout, or add an optional trout lunch, pedal boats or a private photo session, paid separately.
- Guide and Sümela entrance included — Licensed English-speaking guide (Arabic-speaking guide on request) for the guided days 2–5. The Sümela Monastery entrance fee is included; lunches and dinners are not.
- Easy pace for families and couples — Children aged 0–2 travel free and ages 3–7 get 30% off when sharing the room with adults. The walks are short and easy.
- Licensed local agency — TÜRSAB A-group licence #18154, Istanbul-based, rated 5.0 on Google (15 reviews), free cancellation up to 15 days before the start date.
Your Hotels on This Tour
These are the hotels we use on this tour, so you know where you’ll stay and can explore them before you book. Your final hotel is confirmed with your booking; if a listed hotel is unavailable on your dates, we reserve another hotel of the same category (or similar).
Trabzon · 2 nights
- Standard★★★★
Sera Lake Center Hotel
Akçaabat (Black Sea coast), Trabzon
- Sea-view rooms with balcony
- Spa with hammam & sauna
- Pool
- Sea-view restaurant
Breakfast included
- Standard
Sera Lake Resort Hotel
Akçaabat, near Sera Lake (Yıldızlı Mah.), Trabzon
- Lake & sea view rooms
- Terrace restaurant
- Spa with Turkish bath & sauna
- Garden cafe
Breakfast included
Uzungöl · 4 nights
4★ hotel in Uzungöl area
Hotel confirmed with your booking (or similar)
Breakfast included
Quick Facts
- Duration: 7 days / 6 nights: 2 nights in Trabzon + 4 nights in Uzungöl
- Day tours: Sümela Monastery, Trabzon Hagia Sophia, Uzungöl & Haldizen Valley, Ayder Plateau & Fırtına Valley
- Meals: daily breakfast
- Flights: domestic flights Istanbul – Trabzon – Istanbul included
- Guide: licensed English-speaking guide, Arabic on request
- Price: $1,399 per person for 7 days / 6 nights (Istanbul – Trabzon – Istanbul flights included)
Things to Do in Uzungöl
With 4 nights based lakeside, you’ll have time to work through most of this list — not just the highlights reel.
- Walk the lakeside path past the wooden mosque reflected in the water
- Eat fresh trout at one of the restaurants built out over the lake
- Day trip to Ayder Plateau and the Gelintülü Waterfall
- Hike or drive up to the Haldizen Valley highland pastures
- Return via the Fırtına Valley’s stone Ottoman bridges and Rize’s tea gardens
- Pedal boats or a short boat ride on the lake
- Photograph the mist rolling over the pine-covered hills at sunrise
- Browse local shops for Black Sea tea, hazelnuts and handwoven textiles
- A genuinely free leisure day with no itinerary at all
Best Time to Visit Uzungöl
Uzungöl is at its greenest from May to October, when the highland pastures around the lake burst into color and local yayla (highland) festivals bring villages to life. Summer (June–September) sees a steady flow of visitors from the Gulf escaping the heat, since the Black Sea climate stays noticeably cooler and the air is fresh. Autumn turns the surrounding forests into shades of red and gold. Winter brings a quieter, snow-covered lake – beautiful, but some higher yayla roads (including parts of the Ayder route) may close temporarily. The region is naturally rainy year-round, so a light raincoat is worth packing whenever you visit.
Plan Your Trip
Uzungöl Travel Guide
Everything to see and do once you’re lakeside. Read the full guide →
Getting There from Istanbul
Flight times, transfer options and the drive from Trabzon. Read more →
15 Places to Visit
Sümela, Ayder, Fırtına Valley and more across the province. See the list →
Traveling with Family?
How many days to budget and where to stay with kids. Read the guide →
Tour Price & Booking
What’s Included
What’s Not Included
Optional Upgrades
Add these to your request — we confirm availability and the final total before you pay.
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Istanbul Old City tour
A guided day through historic Sultanahmet: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern.
Istanbul stopover · before or after your tour View tour →
Bosphorus dinner cruise with Turkish night show
An evening on the Bosphorus with dinner and a Turkish night show, watching the lit shores of Europe and Asia from the boat.
Istanbul stopover · before or after your tour View tour →
Princes' Islands day trip
A ferry to Büyükada, where there are no ordinary cars, with an electric vehicle island tour and a seafood lunch.
Istanbul stopover · before or after your tour View tour →
5★ hotel upgrade
Ask for 5★ hotels instead of the standard 4★ hotels. We check availability and confirm the extra cost before you pay.
Subject to availabilityHave something else in mind? Ask us on WhatsApp
Good to Know
Highland Weather
The Black Sea highlands are misty and rainy at any time of year, and in winter some high yayla roads, including parts of the Ayder route, may close temporarily. Pack a light raincoat and layers.
Baggage on Domestic Flights
Domestic flights allow about 15 kg of checked baggage plus 8 kg of cabin baggage per person; the exact allowance depends on the airline and can change. We recommend packing a small overnight bag for flight days.
Pick-up Times
Your exact pick-up time is confirmed with you the day before each tour.
Hotel Check-in & Check-out
Standard hotel check-in is from 14:00 and check-out is until 12:00. Early check-in or late check-out depends on availability; ask us and we will request it.
Dietary Requirements
Halal and vegetarian options are available. Please tell us about any dietary needs when you book.
What to Wear
Please dress modestly when visiting mosques and religious sites: shoulders and knees covered, and a scarf for women. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended on every tour.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, cancel up to 15 days before the start date.
- If you cancel less than 15 days before, the amount paid is non-refundable.
- Changes made less than 15 days before the start date cannot be accepted.
- If the tour is cancelled due to poor weather, you'll be offered a different date or a full refund.
- Domestic flight tickets are issued after the balance payment and are non-refundable once issued.
Payment
Reserve now, pay later (no credit card required). A 30% deposit secures your booking after we confirm availability; the balance is due 15 days before the start date.
What guests say about TourQuaz
"Super und zuverlässige Organisation unseres Fimenausflugs. Zuverlässige Abholungen zu vereinbarten Zeiten und hilfreiche Tips beim Programm vor Ort.
Vielen Dank an das ganze Team. Jeder Zeit wieder!"
"Everything was very good specially the staff there
Special thanks to Mr. Emre for amazing efforts and support during all visit in istany"
"معاملة راقية تجربة تستحق الإشادة شكرا على حسن التعامل"
Frequently Asked Questions
Fly from Istanbul to Trabzon (about 2 hours), then drive about 1.5–2 hours, roughly 90–100 km through the Of Valley and Çaykara. Both domestic flights and the transfers are included.
Daily breakfast is included. Lunches, dinners and drinks are not included.
The price is $1,399 per person for the 7-day / 6-night programme, with the Istanbul – Trabzon – Istanbul flights included. Children aged 0–2 travel free; children aged 3–7 get a 30% discount when sharing the room with adults.
Yes – unhurried pace, a free leisure day and only short, easy walks.
Yes, an Arabic-speaking guide is available on request; a supplement may apply.
Opening hours can change seasonally and due to restoration work; we confirm before your trip.
Beyond the lakeside walk, your 4 nights include the Ayder Plateau excursion, the Haldizen Valley, trout restaurants, optional pedal boats and a free leisure day, so the lake is your base rather than a day trip.
May to October for green landscapes; in winter the lake is snowy and some high yayla roads may close. The region is rainy year-round, so a light raincoat is worth packing.
Free cancellation: cancel up to 15 days before the start date for a full refund. Reserve now, pay later (no credit card required). A 30% deposit secures your booking after we confirm availability; the balance is due 15 days before the start date.
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