Things to Do in Trabzon Türkiye (Turkey)

The city of Trabzon is located on the shores of the Black Sea in the northeast region of Türkiye (Turkey). Whilst it’s not the most touristy city in the country compared to places like Istanbul and Antalya, Trabzon offers stunning natural beauty, rich history, and a vibrant culture to its visitors.

In this guide we’ll detail some of the best things you can do if you’re visiting Trabzon, as well as some useful information on how to get to Trabzon, where to stay, and how long you should spend there. We spent 2 days in Trabzon and enjoyed wandering around the city and joining a day tour that took us to Sumela Monastery and Karaca Cave.

About Trabzon, Türkiye (Turkey)

The city of Trabzon is located along the shores of the Black Sea, in the northeast region of Türkiye (Turkey).

Trabzon has a long history and has been home to many different civilisations. In the 7th century BC, the Miletans – Greek traders – conquered the city. According to Xenophon’s book ‘Anabasis’ Trabzon was initially called ‘Trapezus’. Later, it was part of the Byzantine Empire, then taken by the Seljuk Turks. In 1461 the city was captured by the Ottomans, who started calling the city Trabzon. It has remained under Turkish rule ever since, except for a short period of Russian occupation during World War I.

Things to Do in Trabzon Türkiye (Turkey)

Top Tip. If you’re staying in Türkiye for longer, then we recommend getting the Türkiye Museum Pass for 165 EUR. It might seem like a lot, but when you add up the individual entry fees from each place you want to visit, it may work out cheaper in the end. You can check out what’s included in the pass here.

Note that prices are prone to change, so always check the official website for more up-to-date information.

1. Visit Trabzon’s Hagia Sophia

Did you know that there’s another Hagia Sophia outside of the well-known Hagia Sophia in Istanbul? Well, don’t beat yourself up too much if you didn’t because we didn’t know before our visit either.

Trabzon’s Hagia Sophia was built between 1238 and 1263 as a Greek Orthodox Church. It’s considered one of the finest examples of late-Byzantine architecture. In 1461, after the Ottoman’s conquest of Trabzon, it was converted into a mosque. During World War I, it was used as a hospital and depot. After undergoing repairs, it opened as a museum in 1964. In 2013, it also began being used as a mosque again and today operates as both.

A visit to Hagia Sophia Museum is considered one of the best things to do in Trabzon. Although the building isn’t as enormous as Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, we really loved walking around the site. The stunning frescoes depicting different Biblical scenes, as well as the beautiful Islamic art, definitely made it worth a visit.

2. Enjoy the Views from Boztepe Hill

We all love a good viewpoint, don’t we? So, if you’d like to get a sense of the scale of Trabzon and enjoy great views of the Black Sea, then definitely take a walk up to Boztepe Hill.

You can go for a stroll along the walkways or just sit down with a cup of Turkish tea and take in the panoramic views that way.

It’s a fair walk from the city centre, but definitely worth the effort. You can always get a taxi up there too if you don’t fancy walking.

3. Walk Around Trabzon Castle

Now, before you get too excited about visiting a castle in the middle of the city – like we did – it’s worth highlighting that Trabzon Castle isn’t anything like those typical castles you might see around Europe.

If you’re after a fairy-tale castle, then you may be a bit disappointed. Which is why we wanted to give you fair warning before your visit. Trabzon Castle may be referred to as a ‘castle’ but in reality it’s a series of defensive walls surrounding the old town. They actually stretch from the hill all the way to the shores of the Black Sea and have three sections: the Upper Castle, the Middle Castle, and the Lower Castle.

Despite not being an actual castle, we still think that it’s one of the best things you can do in Trabzon.

4. Hang Out at Trabzon Square Park

Trabzon Meydan Parkı is basically the heart of the city. Both tourists and locals use the space as a place to socialise. There are plenty of cafes, restaurants and bars where you can grab something to eat, or relax with some Turkish coffee or tea.

There are plenty of seating areas around the square too, as well as shopping opportunities. It’s definitely a place you want to check out both during the day and / or at night.

5. Trabzon City Museum

If you’re interested in learning about the history of Trabzon and the surrounding area, then consider adding a visit to Trabzon City Museum to your itinerary too.

The museum is housed in a historic building built in the early 1900s, and is located only a short walk from Trabzon Square Park. It’s spread across multiple levels and displays various artefacts from different periods, as well as ethnographic collections.

Note. Entry fee is currently 3EUR per person. However, you can use your Museum Pass too. Unfortunately, there isn’t much information in English, so we recommend getting an audio guide for a better experience.

6. Day Trip to Sumela Monastery

One of the best, and most popular, day trips from Trabzon is to Sumela Monastery.

This ancient Orthodox monastery is located on the slopes of a steep cliff in the Altindere National Park to the south of Trabzon. It is believed that the monastery was first built in the 4th century by the Athenian monk Barnabas and his nephew Sophronios. Apparently, they decided to build the monastery because they found an icon of the Virgin Mary in the nearby cave. It was continually expanded up until the 18th century. The site was abandoned in 1923 but has recently been restored.

The exterior of the monastery is impressive enough, however it’s definitely worth checking out the interior too. Some of the main features include the Rock Church, which is filled with frescoes, the living quarters and the library.

Since we didn’t have a hire car, we decided to join a day tour from Trabzon. It was an easy way to visit the monastery, as well as a few other sites like the Karaca Cave.

Opening times and entry fees. The site is open every day from 8AM until 8PM. One single entry is 20 EUR, but you can use your Museum Pass too.

7. Day Trip to Karaca Cave

Another beautiful place you can visit from Trabzon is Karaca Cave. It wasn’t even on our radar until we joined an organised tour to Sumela Monastery that included a stop here. However, we’re so glad that the tour included this magnificent cave.

The network of caves is located near the village of Cebeli to the south-west of Trabzon. It was discovered in 1960 and opened to tourists in 1996. This cave is definitely a masterpiece of Mother Nature. Unlike the underground cities in Cappadocia, we didn’t feel claustrophobic walking through it. It was actually surprisingly spacious inside, with impressive stalagmites and stalactites everywhere we looked.

Unless you have a hire car, we suggest joining a day tour from Trabzon which will normally also includes a visit to Sumela Monastery.

How to Get to Trabzon Türkiye (Turkey)

By Flying. The closest airport to the city is Trabzon Airport (TZX), located about 10km to the east of Trabzon. You can fly to Trabzon direct from a few cities in Germany or a few countries in the Middle East. If you can’t fly direct from your city, then the easiest way to reach Trabzon is to fly to Istanbul first, then get a connecting flight. You can also fly domestically from Ankara, Antalya or Izmir.

By Public Buses. If you’re already in the country, then travelling by bus is usually better for the environment than flying. You can reach Trabzon from many major cities in the country. We travelled from Kars to Trabzon by bus and found it an easy journey to make. Our go-to websites for checking bus operators, timetables and ticket prices are either Busbud or Flixbus.

By Car. If you want to have a road-trip, then you can always hire a car and drive all the way to Trabzon.

Where to Stay in Trabzon Türkiye (Turkey)

There are plenty of accommodation options in Trabzon, depending on your needs and budget. Below we’ve listed a few places that you could consider booking.

TS Park Hotel is located in the heart of the city, making it a great place to consider if you want to stay close to the main attractions. Breakfast is also included if you want to book a room in this newly renovated 18th-century building.

Invite Hotel Corner Trabzon is another great hotel located within the city centre which also offers breakfast.

Cebeci Grand Hotel is where we stayed. It’s still walking distance from the city centre and close to the main attractions within Trabzon. Breakfast is also included in your stay.

How Long You Need in Trabzon Türkiye (Turkey)

It will depend on what activities you’re planning on doing, but we recommend spending a minimum of 2 full days in Trabzon. This way you’ll be able to see the highlights of the city in one day and take a day trip to Sumela Monastery and the Karaca Cave the next.

However, there are plenty of other popular day trips from Trabzon you can do, such as Uzungol Lake, which looks like it should be somewhere in Switzerland. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to visit the lake during our trip. Therefore, we suggest adding an extra day in Trabzon if you want to go on a few more day trips.

Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Trabzon Türkiye (Turkey)

We had a short but sweet visit to Trabzon, as it was our last stop on our six-week backpacking adventure in the country. We definitely could’ve stayed a few days longer though, in order to go on a few more day trips from the city. If we had the chance to re-do Trabzon, we probably would’ve hired a car instead of relying on tours. That way we could’ve seen a lot more of this beautiful slice of Türkiye. Regardless, we’re happy that we managed to squeeze in a quick visit.

Have you ever been to Trabzon before? If so, how long did you stay for and what did you get up to? If not, would you add a visit to the city to your Turkish itinerary? Let us know in the comments below.