Image: Sumela Monastery.
Highlights
– Day tour from Trabzon, Turkey visiting Sümela Monastery, the mountain village of Hamsekoy, Karaca Cave and Zigana mountain top.
Time of Visit: October 2025
Duration of Visit: Two Nights
Description
Trabzon is located on Turkey’s northeastern Black Sea coast. It is a city rich in history, natural beauty and culture. Once an important port along the ancient Silk Road, Trabzon flourished under the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, leaving behind a legacy of impressive architecture and cultural depth.. Surrounded by lush green hills and backed by the dramatic Pontic Mountains, Trabzon offers a unique blend of coastal charm and alpine scenery rarely found elsewhere in Turkey.
Beyond its historical allure, Trabzon thrives as a lively modern city where old and new coexist. The bustling Atatürk Square or Trabzon Square Park is the heart of local life. The park is surrounded by cafés, restaurants and shops. Local cuisine, like the Trabzon-style anchovies (hamsi) and kuymak (a rich, cheesy cornmeal dish), highlights the city’s distinct regional identity. The surrounding countryside, with tea plantations and hazelnut groves, adds to Trabzon’s picturesque and authentic appeal.
Activities
We found Trabzon’s city center as the place to soak in the city’s lively atmosphere, especially at night. The city center is anchored between Trabzon Square Park and the pedestrian-only streets of Kahramanmaras and Uzun that are lined with shops, outdoor restaurants and cafes.
The attractions in the area are located away from the city. We joined a day tour to visit the Sümela Monastery, the mountain village of Hamsekoy, Karaca Cave and Zigana mountain top. Here, we describe these places we visited and the tour.
Sümela Monastery
Sümela Monastery was the first stop of the tour. The monastery is less than an hour drive from Trabzon’s city center. Its buildings are made of stone and mortar and are precariously perched on the side of a mountain above a valley. The pictures shown on the Internet are what drew us to Trabzon.
The monastery is no longer in-use. It only serves as a tourist attraction according to our tour guide. Most of the buildings are accessible to visitors. Perhaps the monastery’s highlight is the Anakaya Kilise (Main Rock Chapel). The chapel’s walls and ceilings are covered with colorful frescoes.
Reaching the monastery requires a three step process. The first is reaching the monastery’s visitor parking lot which is as far as our tour bus could go. The second is paying for the monastery’s shuttle to take us about four kilometers up the mountain where we were dropped off at the base of the stairs to the monastery. The last leg is about a 15-20 minute walk up the stairs to the monastery.
Hamsekoy
Hamsekoy is a mountain village where we had our lunch after seeing Sümela Monastery. It had nice views of the surrounding mountains and the valley below. It reminded us of mountain sceneries in Europe.
Karaca Cave
The drive from Hamsekoy to Karaca Cave took about an hour. Karaca Cave is a living cave that has nice rock formations. The cave is not very big. About an hour is all that is needed to enjoy the different formations within the cave. Except for the short dirt path at the cave’s entrance, a nice metal walkway with stairs is installed that takes visitors to the different formations.
Zigana
The fourth and final stop is a mountaintop in the Zigana area about 60 kilometers from Trabzon. The road to the mountain was winding with the final kilometer or so on unpaved rough road. Our destination was not the highest point in the area but it was high enough to feel the chill in the air. We were sitting at around 2,100 meters (6,900 feet) above sea level.
The view from the mountaintop was nice. But was even nicer, especially at that late afternoon, was the view of the mountain range to the West. It reminded us of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina.
The Tour
Our Trabzon accommodation recommended Zenofon tours. We booked directly through them instead of tour aggregators like Viator and Get Your Guide and saved a few dollars.
There were only five in our group which was nice. Our tour bus was a Mercedes Sprinter Van that seated around a dozen. Our tour guide was a nice young lady who spoke adequate English and explained to us what to expect and what to do when we got to our destinations.
Overall, we thought that the tour was a good value for the money. It was more than just a tour to the monastery. It really was a sight seeing tour in our opinion. The mountains in this area of Turkey are just massive and were totally unexpected.
Don’t Forget
Don’t forget to visit the city’s most iconic landmark, the Hagia Sophia of Trabzon. This is a stunning 13th-century church-turned-mosque. We did not learn about Hagia Sophia until we left Trabzon. There is also Uzungöl Mosque on the shores of Uzungöl Lake which is a picturesque lake surrounded by mountains about an hour and half from Trabzon.
There are other day tours from Trabzon besides the four places mentioned here. Refer to Zenofon’s website for details.
How To Get There
Trabzon has an international airport, code TZX. The airport has separate buildings for international and domestic flights. We flew from Istanbul to Trabzon and the flight took just over an hour.
The airport lies about 20 minutes from the city center. There are buses (Mercedes Sprinter vans) just outside the arrival doors. There are also metered taxis waiting. Taxis are inexpensive.
Where To Stay
We stayed at Merkez Rezidans Suits which is only a five minute uphill walk to the city center and Trabzon Square Park. We chose this location because the tour meeting point was just across the square. Plus its added benefit was that it is walking distance to the lively pedestrian only streets, shops and eateries.
We had a one bedroom apartment with a kitchen and washing machine. It was roomy and clean and even had an elevator which was useful as the building has four floors. It was far enough from the main road and mosques so it was quiet. Overall, a nice and very affordable place to stay.
How To Get Around
Taxis are fairly inexpensive in Trabzon. But if you are just staying in the city center, all you need are your legs to get around. There are buses that go to different locations in the city but we did not ride any of them as we did not have the time.
Expected Expenses
Costs are in Turkish lira (TRY) and per person unless noted otherwise.
Sumela Monastery: Shuttle – 70 (cash only), Entry Fee – 20 Euros (but charged in TRY) (credit card accepted)
Karaca Cave: 100 (credit card accepted)
Tour – 30 Euros (charged in TRY) (purchased on-line)
Bus between airport and Trabzon Square Park – 110. Taxi – between 350 and 400, depending on the route taken.
Summary
Trabzon offers a refreshing alternative to Turkey’s more crowded destinations like Istanbul or Antalya. Its cool climate, serene landscapes, and proximity to natural wonders make it ideal for those seeking tranquility and cultural immersion. A must-visit nearby is the Sumela Monastery, dramatically perched on a cliff in Altındere National Park—one of Turkey’s most breathtaking sights. The surrounding mountains have pine groves and alpine pastures with a sprinkling of charming wooden chalets that resemble alpine sceneries commonly found in Europe.
Trabzon is also an excellent gateway to exploring the Black Sea region’s diverse geography and traditions. Whether it’s hiking through misty valleys, discovering ancient monasteries, or experiencing genuine local hospitality, the city provides a deeply enriching travel experience. Its combination of unspoiled nature, spiritual landmarks, and regional character makes Trabzon an unforgettable stop for travelers eager to see a different, greener, and more authentic side of Turkey.