Cheap flights to Bursa
Set your departure airport and maximum budget: SniperAir tracks prices to Bursa and alerts you the moment a deal matching your criteria appears.
Quick summary
Country
Turkey
Continent
Asia
Airport
YEI
Currency
Turkish lira
Time zone
UTC+3
Deals already spotted to Bursa
Real flight examples detected by SniperAir, with their reference price.
Loading examples…
Green Bursa
Bursa sightseeing in the cradle of the Ottoman Empire
Bursa sightseeing begins where the Ottoman Empire began. Turkey's fourth-largest city was an early Ottoman capital, and "Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire" has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014. Its parks and forests earned it the nickname Green Bursa, while Mount Uludağ rises behind it, reached by a cable car of almost 9 km. It is also the city of the original Iskender kebab, and a major centre of the Turkish automotive and textile industries.
From Prusa to the Ottoman capital
The Ilıpınar Mound was settled around 6000 BC. The city took the name Prusa after King Prusias I of Bithynia, around 202 BC, and Orhan captured it in 1326, making it one of the first capitals of the young Ottoman state in the 14th century. Silk arrived here from Iran and China, and Bursa stayed one of the great silk centres.
Mosques and tombs
Twenty domes, Iznik tiles and the founders' tombs
The Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami)
Built between 1396 and 1400, it is covered by 20 domes set in four rows of five, resting on 12 columns, with many calligraphic panels. A fountain fed by thermal water stands inside the mosque.
Green Mosque and Green Tomb
Built between 1419 and 1424, the Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami) and the neighbouring Green Tomb are famous for their green and blue tilework. Entry to the mosque is free.
Osman Gazi, Orhan Gazi and the Koza Han
The tombs of Osman Gazi and Orhan Gazi, founders of the Ottoman dynasty, stand on Tophane hill beneath the clock tower, with a fine view over the city. The Koza Han, a caravanserai from the late 15th century, is the historic silk bazaar, and you can take tea in its courtyard.
Museums and districts
A museum city around Kültürpark and Muradiye
| Place | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| City Museum (Kent Müzesi) | The former courthouse, telling the city's history, including the Uludağ ski story |
| Turkish and Islamic Art Museum | Housed in the former madrasa beside the Green Mosque |
| Museum of the Ottoman House | A furnished house showing life in the 17th century, near the Muradiye complex |
| Karagöz Museum | The museum of Turkish shadow theatre, whose heroes Karagöz and Hacivat are said to have come from Bursa |
| Archaeology Museum (Kültürpark) | The prehistory and antiquity of the region |
| Muradiye | A mosque of 1426 surrounded by eight mausoleums of the Ottoman family |
State museums are often closed on Mondays, and free entry and opening hours change, so check before you go (to be checked). The small Irgandı bridge, lined with shops and dating from 1442, makes a pleasant stop.
Cumalıkızık
An Ottoman village on the UNESCO list
Wooden houses from some 700 years ago
Part of the UNESCO listing, the Ottoman village of Cumalıkızık lies about 10 km east of the city at the foot of Uludağ. It was founded some 700 years ago and still has more than 250 half-timbered houses, most of them inhabited. It makes a fine outing to complement the city's monuments.
Uludağ
A cable car of almost 9 km to the mountain
Bursa's cable car, the first in Turkey, opened on 29 October 1963 and was renewed in 2013-2014. It starts at Teferrüç, at 395 m, and climbs through four stations to the hotel zone at about 1,870 m, over almost 9 km, making it the longest cable-car line in the country. Uludağ rises above 2,500 m, with skiing in winter and hiking in summer.
| Getting up Uludağ | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| Cable car | About twenty to thirty minutes depending on the source; hours and weather closures to be checked; long queues in winter |
| Dolmuş from the centre | About 50 minutes to the hotel zone, depending on how quickly it fills |
| By car | A road of about 22 km to the national park gate, then on towards the hotels; snow chains are sometimes required in winter |
Spas and day trips
Çekirge, Iznik and the Marmara coast
| Outing | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| Iznik (Nicaea) | About 80 km from Bursa: the First Council of Nicaea in 325, the Second in 787 in its Hagia Sophia, 5 km of walls with more than 100 towers, tiles of the 15th to 17th centuries and Lake Iznik |
| Çekirge baths | Bursa's hot springs, used since antiquity: the Yeni Kaplıca baths date from 1555 and the Eski Kaplıca from the late 14th century |
| Mudanya and Tirilye | The coast, for an outing by the water |
| Oylat waterfalls | A nature outing |
Food and drink
The original Iskender kebab
Thinly sliced lamb on pita, topped with tomato sauce, melted butter and yoghurt: the Iskender kebab was invented in Bursa by Iskender Efendi in the 19th century, and the Kebapçı İskender name is still run by the İskenderoğlu family.
Sweets and breads
On the sweet side, Bursa is known for candied chestnuts (kestane şekeri) and tahinli pide, a pastry spread with tahini; Kemalpaşa tatlısı is a fried cheese dessert from the province. Cantık, a soft bread topped with meat, is a speciality of the city, and Uludağ mineral water comes from its mountain.
Getting there
Yenişehir Airport or, more simply, Istanbul
Bursa Yenişehir
Near Yenişehir, some 50 km east of Bursa (45 to 50 km depending on the source). Opened in 2000, it has two runways; connections, mostly domestic with AJet and seasonal to Germany with SunExpress, change from season to season: to be checked.
Bursa is not linked to the main-line rail network (a high-speed line is planned: to be checked). Many travellers come via Istanbul.
| Journey | Approximate time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| YEI to central Bursa | About 1 hour by road | City bus, shuttle or taxi; limited services, to be checked |
| Flight Istanbul to YEI | About 30 minutes | Connections vary by season |
| Istanbul airports to Bursa by bus | About 1 h 30 to 2 h | Direct lines from Sabiha Gökçen and Istanbul Airport, to be checked |
| Ferry Istanbul to Mudanya or Güzelyalı | Just under 2 h at sea, about 3 h door to door | Then metro or bus to central Bursa |
| Car from Istanbul | About 1 h 45 | By motorway and the Osman Gazi Bridge |
Getting around
Bursaray metro, trams, dolmuş and the cable car
The centre is best explored on foot around Heykel, the Grand Mosque and the Koza Han. The city stretches along an east-west strip: the Bursaray metro runs along it, trams complete the network, and dolmuş (ordinary white cars with a sign on the roof) and buses serve every district. A Bursakart or single-use tickets are paid for at machines, with an English interface.
For Çekirge and the museums
The metro takes you to Kültürpark from the centre, while the Çekirge baths to the west are reached by bus or dolmuş. Parking in the centre is hard to find.
When to go
When to visit Bursa?
Spring
April and May, one of the two best periods to visit the city, with mild but sometimes rainy weather.
Summer
Hot and often muggy in the city, with brief thunderstorms. The cooler mountain is good for hiking.
Autumn
September and October, the other ideal season; the first snow arrives on Uludağ from October.
Winter
Cool, cloudy and wet in town, with a few snowy days a month that melt quickly; December to March is the ski season on Uludağ.
Length of stay
How many days, what budget and what formalities
The Ottoman centre
The Grand Mosque, the Koza Han, the Green Mosque and the Tophane tombs.
Uludağ
The cable car up the mountain, with skiing or hiking depending on the season.
Cumalıkızık and Çekirge
The wooden village in the morning, a thermal bath in the afternoon; Iznik with an extra day.
Recommended length
One day covers the essentials, two days let you add Uludağ, and three to four days leave room for Cumalıkızık, the baths and Iznik.
Cost level
Low to medium: city transport, museums and meals in kebab restaurants stay affordable, while the cable car, skiing and spa hotels are the main expenses.
Entry rules and common sense
Depending on your nationality, an e-visa or an exemption applies: check the official site evisa.gov.tr and your own government's advice (to be checked). Bursa is a big, calm city, much visited by Turkish tourists, and the usual precautions are enough. In mosques, cover shoulders and knees and take your shoes off at the door.
Why track Bursa with SniperAir
You don't need to compare prices every day
Pick your departure
Tell us your departure airport and maximum budget for a flight to Bursa.
SniperAir watches
Our systems continuously compare new prices against the route's real price history.
You get an alert
The moment a price matches your criteria, you're notified, with no searching on your end.
In pictures
Bursa in pictures
You might also like
Similar destinations
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about flights to Bursa
Which airport serves Bursa and how far is the centre?
Bursa Yenişehir Airport (YEI) is about 50 km east of the centre, roughly an hour by road, and its connections are limited. Many travellers arrive via Istanbul: a direct bus from the airports takes 1 h 30 to 2 h, or a ferry plus metro takes about 3 hours door to door (to be checked).
When is the best time to visit Bursa?
April to May and September to October are the two best periods. Summer is hot and muggy in the city, and winter is cool and wet, with skiing on Uludağ from December to March.
Is Bursa an expensive destination?
No: the cost level is low to medium. City transport, museums and kebab restaurants are affordable, while the cable car, skiing and spa hotels are the main expenses.
How many days do you need in Bursa?
One day for the essentials of the Ottoman centre, two with Uludağ, three to four with Cumalıkızık, the Çekirge baths and Iznik.
How do you get around Bursa?
On foot in the centre, then by Bursaray metro, tram, dolmuş and bus. For Uludağ, the cable car leaves from Teferrüç; the dolmuş and the car are alternatives.
What is there to see in Bursa?
The Grand Mosque, the Green Mosque, the Tophane tombs, the Koza Han, the museums of Muradiye and Kültürpark, the village of Cumalıkızık and Uludağ.
What should you eat in Bursa?
Iskender kebab, cantık and tahinli pide, then candied chestnuts and Kemalpaşa tatlısı for something sweet.
How much does a flight to Bursa usually cost?
It mostly depends on your departure city, the season and how far ahead you book. The "deals" section above shows real examples of prices already detected by SniperAir for this destination.
How do I get alerted when a flight to Bursa drops below my budget?
Create an alert profile with your departure airport, Bursa as the destination and your maximum budget. You'll be notified automatically the moment a matching price is detected.
Ready to head to Bursa?
Set your budget and let SniperAir monitor fares for you.
Create my alert