Istanbul to Sapanca and Abant by Private Driver: The Lakes at Your Pace

Our Istanbul to Sapanca and Abant private driver service gives you a car and a driver for the lakes and forests east of the city, for one day or for several, on your own timetable. There is no group and no fixed program. You decide where to stop, how long to stay and when to head back, and the driver waits for you.

Would you rather have the day planned for you, with a guide? Then our Sapanca and Maşukiye day trip and our Abant and Yedigöller day trip are the guided versions. This page is the car and driver alone.

Istanbul to Sapanca and Abant with a private driver: the places

Lake Sapanca, about 138 km from Istanbul

The nearest of the three is a freshwater lake about 16 km long, with paths along its shore for walking and cycling. You can base yourself here for a few nights in a lakeside hotel or a villa and use the car for day trips into the hills. From Sapanca, the drive to Abant is about 129 km, and to Maşukiye only about 23 km.

Maşukiye, on the slopes of Kartepe

This village in Kartepe district sits about 115 km from Istanbul. A stream runs down through the forest in small waterfalls, past trout farms and garden restaurants, and the village is known for its pears. In winter, the Kartepe ski center lies about 16 km up the mountain, so the same car can take you skiing.

Lake Abant, high in the Bolu hills

Abant is a lake at about 1,328 m on the Abant Mountains, southwest of Bolu, which lies about 260 km from Istanbul by road. In 2022, the lake and the forest around it became a national park, and a path circles the water.

Beyond Abant: Yedigöller, Gölcük and Mudurnu

With a night in the Bolu area, your driver can take you further. The seven lakes of Yedigöller lie in a national park north of Bolu; April to November is the time to go, since snow can close the road in winter. Gölcük Nature Park, close to Bolu, keeps the road around its lake for walkers and cyclists. Mudurnu, about 52 km from Bolu, is an old Ottoman town of timber houses and a member of the Cittaslow network.

A day with your Istanbul to Sapanca and Abant private driver

We collect you from your hotel in Istanbul in the morning. The plan is yours, and it can change on the way: a longer lunch by the water, an extra walk, a stop for pears in Maşukiye. While you are out of the car, the driver waits nearby. In the evening, you are back at your Istanbul hotel, or at your lakeside hotel if you are staying the night.

For a stay of several days, the car and driver stay with you. You might sleep two nights at Sapanca and spend one day at Abant, for example, or move on to Bolu for the forests.

A guide in your language, if you want one

This is a driver service, and your driver speaks English. Turkish law reserves guiding for licensed guides, so the driver will not lead tours of the places you visit. If you want the history of Mudurnu or the nature of Yedigöller explained, a licensed guide in your language can come along for a day or for the whole stay.

Comfort for families

• The car: a Mercedes Vito VIP or similar for families and small groups, a Mercedes Sprinter or similar for larger parties. More on our vehicles page.
• Children: tell us their ages, and the child seats are fitted before you set off.
• Wheelchairs: there is room in our vans for a wheelchair, and your driver gives a hand getting in and out.
• Luggage: for a stay at the lakes, there is space for suitcases for the whole family.

Pricing your Istanbul to Sapanca and Abant private driver

Each request gets its own quote within 24 hours. What moves it:

• a single day or several, and how many nights the driver stays with you;
• which lakes you want to see, since Abant is about twice as far as Sapanca;
• the vehicle for your group;
• a licensed guide in your language, if one joins;
• hotels or a villa at the lakes, if we book them.

We are a licensed Istanbul travel agency, TÜRSAB No. 4744, and our guests rate us 5.0 on Tripadvisor · 12 reviews (opens in a new tab). For other drives out of the city, see our driver service.

Tell us which lakes you want, how many days you have and how many of you are coming. We then send the car and driver east with you, and the plan stays open.