Escape the Crowds

Mudanya: the seafront, and the boat from Istanbul

Bursa's port town on the Marmara — a long promenade, fish by the water, and the sea bus that makes Istanbul a day trip.

Free-ishan afternoon into eveninglate afternoon — walk, then fish at sunset

Why do it?

Half an hour north of the city, Mudanya is where Bursa meets the sea: an old Greek and Ottoman port with a long waterfront promenade, stone houses on the slope, and fish restaurants along the front. It's also the reason many of us live here — the sea buses tie Bursa to Istanbul without a bus or a bridge. BUDO, run by Bursa's own transit company, sails from Mudanya to Kabataş (its Istanbul end moved there from Eminönü on 1 January 2026; the crossing is under two hours), and İDO's Yenikapı–Bursa fast ferry lands at the Güzelyalı pier just west of town. The armistice that ended the Turkish War of Independence was signed here in 1922, and the house is a small museum on the front.

The Smileys Take

Do Mudanya as an evening: ride out on a summer afternoon, walk the whole promenade, look into the Mütareke Evi, and sit down to fish and a glass of something as the sun goes down over the gulf. In winter the town is quiet and local, which is its own charm. For Istanbul, the sea bus is the civilised way — book ahead on busy weekends, and remember it's a separate reserved-seat ticket, not a tap of your transit card. Our members who commute say the ride is the best part of the week.

Getting to and from the boat

BUDO — Mudanya pier to Kabataş, Istanbul; tickets online, in the BUDO app or at the pier.
İDO — Yenikapı, Istanbul to Bursa (Güzelyalı pier, west of Mudanya).
City buses run between Mudanya, Güzelyalı and central Bursa; allow a full hour door to door.