Green Road: Ordu – Giresun – Trabzon — 5 Days

Arrival in Ordu and check-in. The day covers Boztepe & Cable Car, Paşaoğlu Mansion Ethnography Museum, Ordu Museum (Paşaoğlu Mansion Ethnography Museum) and Taşbaşı Church & Cultural Center. Boztepe is the roughly 500-metre-high hill that rises immediately south of central Ordu, wrapping around the city like a natural balcony; today it is the province's undisputed…

1. 08:00 - 09:40 Boztepe & Cable Car· 100 dk

   Tour coaches can reach the lower-station car park and the summit by road; arriving early is advised in peak season as parking can fill up. Parking: A roughly 180-vehicle car park at the seaside lower station; limited additional parking at the summit for those arriving by road.

   Summit viewing terrace (city, harbour and Black Sea panorama), the glass viewing platform, the west-facing terrace for sunset, an ascent shot from inside the cable car, and the walking path among the pines.

2. 10:10 - 11:00 Paşaoğlu Mansion Ethnography Museum· 50 dk

   Tour coaches cannot enter the narrow street; the best drop-off points are the stops along the coast-Boztepe line, from which groups reach the mansion in a few minutes on foot. Parking: As the street in front of the mansion is narrow, vehicles are usually left in public/paid car parks along the Boztepe road or near the coast, followed by a short walk to the museum.

   The mansion's dressed-stone façade with corner half-columns; the main wooden staircase and landing; the oil-painted sofa ceiling on the upper floor (lozenge motifs and landscape corner medallions); the nineteenth-century room settings arranged with mannequins.

   As a multi-storey historic building with stairs, wheelchair access is limited beyond the ground floor; there is no lift.

3. 11:30 - 12:20 Ordu Museum (Paşaoğlu Mansion Ethnography Museum)· 50 dk

   Tour coaches cannot enter the narrow street; passengers alight at the nearby square/promenade and reach the mansion on a 3-5 minute walk. Parking: The street is narrow and limited; the nearest paid central car parks and promenade car parks are a short walk away.

   The bay-windowed timber façade and entrance door; the upper-floor sofa hall and furnished period rooms; the carved wooden ceiling roses; the mansion's symmetrical façade framed from the garden.

   Limited. As a historic mansion, access to the upper floors is by stairs only; the ground floor and entrance areas are partially accessible, but there is no fully step-free access.

4. 12:50 - 13:50 Lunch — local flavour stop· 60 dk

   Lunch break of regional cuisine (outside half-board).

   Local spread and presentation shots.

5. 13:50 - 14:20 Taşbaşı Church & Cultural Center· 30 dk

   Tour coaches cannot enter the church's steep street; passengers are dropped at the promenade or central square car parks and reach the building on a short walk. Parking: Parking on the narrow streets around the building is limited; the nearest options are the car parks along the promenade and around Atatürk Park.

   Exterior shot of the cut-stone façade and entrance portal; the row of columns dividing the interior into three naves, with the apse; overall view of the church within the urban fabric and its roofline-façade profile.

   Wheelchair access is limited due to the historic structure and sloping street pattern; the ground-floor entrance level is partly accessible, but the approach road is steep.

6. 14:50 - 16:20 Free time — city centre· 90 dk

   Rest and free exploration (~1.5 hours).

Route Ordu, Altınordu

The day covers Jason Church & Cape, Bolaman Castle & Haznedaroğlu Mansion and Ulugöl Nature Park. Rising at the tip of Jason Cape (Yason Burnu), a natural peninsula reaching into the Black Sea within the boundaries of Çaytepe village in the Perşembe district of Ordu, Jason…

1. 08:00 - 09:00 Jason Church & Cape· 60 dk

   Tour coaches can pull directly into the car park at the cape; the coastal road allows wide turning and parking. Parking: An organised free car park at the cape that accommodates tour coaches and cars; a cafeteria and viewing areas are alongside.

   The rise at the peninsula entrance for shooting the church at the cape's tip with the sea behind it; the western slope where the lighthouse and waves appear together; late-afternoon light for the church silhouette at sunset; the view of the church from the level of the pebble beach.

   Partly limited: the short walk between the car park and the church is stony and gently sloped, the church interior is on a single level but the uneven ground may require assistance for wheelchair users.

2. 09:30 - 10:10 Bolaman Castle & Haznedaroğlu Mansion· 40 dk

   Tour coaches can approach along the shore road and drop off/pick up nearby; reaching the castle requires a short walk. Parking: Limited parking is available along the shore road and near the mansion; early hours are recommended in peak season.

   The angle from the shore road framing the castle together with the sea; the mansion's twin-bay timber façade; the basilica-plan chapel in the inner fortress; the headland and breakwater line at sunset.

   Wheelchair access is limited because the castle stands on a headland with stone steps and slopes underfoot; limited access is possible to the outer grounds and photo points.

3. 12:45 - 13:45 Lunch — local flavour stop· 60 dk

   Lunch break of regional cuisine.

4. 10:40 - 12:10 Ulugöl Nature Park· 90 dk

   Tour coaches can reach the entrance car park via the paved road; the inland mountain road is winding, so large vehicles require careful driving. Parking: Free parking is available within the park.

   The viewing terrace on the lake's north shore, best for forest reflections in the early morning; the path between the small reed-fringed lakes; and the panoramic lake view from the hilltop.

   The entrance, car park and picnic area are accessible over level ground; the forest trails and viewing terrace are partly uneven, offering limited wheelchair access.

5. 12:40 - 14:10 Free time — city centre· 90 dk

   Rest and free exploration (~1.5 hours).

Route Ordu, Perşembe, Fatsa, Gölköy

Transfer from Ordu to Giresun. The day covers Giresun Island (Aretias) and Giresun Castle & Panorama Hill. Giresun Island is the only true island off the eastern Black Sea coast of Turkey, a rocky, roughly four-hectare mass rising from the sea about 1.2 kilometres from the city centre.

1. 08:00 - 09:00 Transfer from Ordu to Giresun· 60 dk

   Inter-city transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle; short rest stop en route.

2. 09:00 - 11:30 Giresun Island (Aretias)· 150 dk

   Tour coaches drop passengers at the coastal/port car park near the Giresun Port passenger pier; coaches cannot cross to the island, so passengers continue by boat. Parking: The Giresun coast road / port car park near the pier and the Atapark seafront flat area car park are used. There is no parking on the island.

   The historic tower and island silhouette over the sea (from the boat deck); the island panorama from Giresun Castle and Boztepe hill; the temple-chapel ruins seen from the southeastern cove and its walking path; Hamza Taşı and the surrounding ancient presses.

   Limited. The pier itself is reachable, but boarding and disembarking the boat, together with the island's rocky, sloped and stepped paths, are not suitable for wheelchair users or visitors with reduced mobility, and access also depends on sea conditions.

3. 12:45 - 13:45 Lunch — local flavour stop· 60 dk

   Lunch break of regional cuisine.

4. 12:00 - 13:00 Giresun Castle & Panorama Hill· 60 dk

   Because the road is narrow and steep, large tour coaches generally go only as far as the drop-off point at the foot of the hill; groups complete the final stretch on foot or by small vehicle. Manoeuvring is restricted for standard 30-45 seat coaches. Parking: A limited number of parking spaces exist on the hilltop and at the foot of the castle; on busy days visitors may prefer to park in the town centre and walk up.

   The wooden viewing terrace (wide angle onto the harbour and Giresun Island); the area around the Topal Osman Agha monumental tomb near the summit; the wall corners that take in both the eastern and western horizon at once; the best light is late afternoon and sunset.

   The viewing terrace and park area are partly accessible, but the sloping roads up the hill and the stepped terrace limit wheelchair access; an escort is advised.

Route Giresun, Giresun Merkez

Transfer from Giresun to Trabzon. The day covers Sumela Monastery. Sumela Monastery is a Byzantine cliff monastery carved into the sheer face of Karadağ (Black Mountain) at roughly 1,200 metres elevation, overlooking the Altındere Valley in the…

1. 08:00 - 10:10 Transfer from Giresun to Trabzon· 130 dk

   Inter-city transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle; short rest stop en route.

2. 12:45 - 13:45 Lunch — local flavour stop· 60 dk

   Lunch break of regional cuisine.

3. 10:10 - 12:40 Sumela Monastery· 150 dk

   Tour coaches can reach the Altındere National Park car park; the steep, narrow upper section cannot be reached by coach and requires the shuttle minibus. Parking: A large car park and reception facilities are available at the Altındere National Park entrance; vehicles are left there, with onward access by shuttle.

   The panoramic viewing terrace on the valley's opposite slope; the final bend of the trail approaching the monastery; the fresco walls of the Rock Church; the Altındere Valley view veiled in morning mist.

   Wheelchair access within the monastery is limited due to the rocky, stepped path; wheelchair users can still enjoy the valley floor and the viewing points.

Route Trabzon, Maçka

The day covers Altındere Valley National Park, Hamsiköy (Rice Pudding Village) and Zigana Pass & Tunnel. Altındere Valley National Park is a 4,468-hectare protected area stretching around the village of Altındere in the Maçka district of Trabzon, roughly 48 kilometres from the city… Transfer at the end of the tour.

1. 08:00 - 11:00 Altındere Valley National Park· 180 dk

   Tour coaches can reach the car park on the valley floor without difficulty; the final leg is completed only by shuttle service and on foot. Parking: Paid parking on the valley floor (approximately 50-70 TRY/day); also suitable for tour coaches and campervans.

   The valley viewpoint on the opposite slope where the monastery appears in panorama; the bridge and waterfall on the valley floor; the entrance terrace and fresco gallery of the rock church; the streamside area around the trout facilities.

   Limited — the car park, valley floor and trout facilities are level and accessible, but the final 20-30 minute steep path to the monastery is not suitable for disabled or mobility-restricted visitors.

2. 11:30 - 12:30 Hamsiköy (Rice Pudding Village)· 60 dk

   Suitable for tour coaches; flat parking areas in front of the businesses allow easy manoeuvring for large vehicles. Parking: Wide, free parking for cars and tour coaches in front of the roadside bakeries and restaurants.

   The panorama of the village and spruce forests framed from in front of the roadside bakery-restaurants; timber Black Sea houses by the stream; the misty-morning viewpoint overlooking the Zigana slopes; a macro shot of a freshly baked plate of sütlaç.

   Wheelchair access is moderately easy since the ground is largely flat; most restaurants have road-level entrances, though some paths within the village are uneven.

3. 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch — local flavour stop· 60 dk

   Lunch break of regional cuisine (outside half-board).

   Local spread and presentation shots.

4. 14:00 - 14:45 Zigana Pass & Tunnel· 45 dk

   Tour coaches can park on the wide shoulders of the old pass road and the summit clearings; the narrow, steep bends require experienced drivers for large vehicles. The tunnel route is trouble-free for standard coaches. Parking: Free open-air parking on the wide shoulders of the old pass road, the flat areas around the summit, and near the ski facility.

   Summit viewing terraces (green Black Sea-facing slopes and southern Gümüşhane plateaus in one frame), the hairpin bends of the old pass road, the sea of clouds filling the valleys on summer mornings, and snowy forest views in winter.

   The panorama can be comfortably enjoyed from the vehicle or from level overlooks; sloping nature trails and snowy ground are not suitable for wheelchairs.

5. 15:15 - 16:45 Free time — city centre· 90 dk

   Rest and free exploration (~1.5 hours).

Route Trabzon, Maçka