Black Sea Itinerary: 7 Days From Ordu to Ayder

This Black Sea itinerary gives you 7 days from Ordu in the west to the Kaçkar Mountains in the east. You see a cable car over the sea, an island off Giresun, a cliff monastery, a mountain lake, the tea hills and the high meadows of Ayder. We plan it as a private trip, so every day can change.

Why does this Black Sea itinerary take 7 days?

About five days cover the eastern coast, from Trabzon to Ayder, as we explain in where to stay on the Black Sea. The two extra days add Ordu and Giresun, further west along the coast. You also fly in at one airport and out at another, so you never drive back the same way.

This route is not a fixed package. For a set route, see our Black Sea tour in 5 days. To run these seven days, send us your dates through our tailor-made trips page.

The Black Sea itinerary, day by day

Day 1: Ordu and its cable car

Fly to Ordu-Giresun Airport, 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Ordu. In the afternoon, ride the cable car from the seafront to Boztepe. The line runs 2,372 meters (1.5 miles) in about 8 minutes, and the city and sea lie below you at the top. If it is not running, we drive you up instead.

Day 2: Giresun, castle and island

Drive east to Giresun, a city on a peninsula. Climb to Giresun Castle on its volcanic rock, about 100 meters (328 feet) above the sea. Then walk through the old Zeytinlik quarter. In calm weather, a small boat crosses to Giresun Island, about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) offshore. On 20 May each year, the Aksu festival sends boats around the island while people make their wishes.

Day 3: Trabzon

Follow the coast road to Trabzon. Here, the Hagia Sophia keeps its 13th-century frescoes, so ask us to confirm what is open on your date. At sunset, we drink tea on Boztepe above the harbor.

Day 4: Sumela Monastery

Drive south into the forest of the Altındere valley. The Sumela Monastery stands on a cliff about 1,150 meters (3,770 feet) above sea level. Parts of it may be closed, so ask us to confirm which parts are open before the day.

Day 5: Uzungöl

Today’s road climbs about 99 kilometers (62 miles) from Trabzon to Uzungöl. Fallen rocks dammed the stream here and made a long lake at about 1,090 meters (3,580 feet). Have a slow lunch by the water, then stay the night or return to the coast.

Day 6: the tea hills and the Fırtına valley

Head east to Rize, where tea grows on steep slopes down to the coast. Next, follow the Fırtına valley past old stone bridges to Zilkale on its crag. By evening, you reach Ayder, at about 1,350 meters (4,430 feet).

Day 7: Ayder and home

Walk on the meadows in the morning, then rest in the hot spring. After lunch, we drive you down to Rize-Artvin Airport for your flight home. With an extra day, our Kaçkar highlands tour goes higher.

When should you follow this Black Sea itinerary?

Late spring and summer suit this route best, when the mountains are green. In Trabzon, July has the fewest rainy days, and on this coast October is the wettest month. Rain falls in Rize in every month, so pack a rain jacket, and we keep each day flexible.

Send us your dates and the pace you like. We will book the nights and the driver, and shorten or stretch this Black Sea itinerary to fit.