How to Travel to Sumela Monastery, Turkey

When to Visit Sumela Monastery, Turkey?

While June - August is considered to be the peak season, I do not think it is the best time to visit the Sumela Monastery. While it is a popular time to visit, you will also be dealing with a large tourist crowd, as well as the jacked-up prices at hotels, which is not ideal. Plus, it is probably one of the hottest months to visit, making it less enjoyable if you wish to explore Trabzon further.

What I would recommend instead is to visit during the shoulder seasons, either in May or in September, when the tourist crowds are starting to wind down and the prices of hotels are starting to fall back to their normal level.

Also, keep in mind that from May to June is Ramadan, and even though you won't have a problem finding food places like Istanbul, you won't be able to find anything to eat during the day in cities like Trabzon unless you prepare some food the day before. So, I would avoid visiting Trabzon during Ramadan.

No time to read?

Don't worry. You can save this page to Pinterest and come back later.

Save for Later

How Much Money Do I Need For Sumela Monastery, Turkey?

If you wish to visit Sumela Monastery independently, as I did, here is an approximation of how much you will spend for this trip:

Accommodation: For 2 nights, it should cost around 36 USD (307 TRY) for accommodation.

Food: Food in Trabzon should cost around 20 TRY per meal, so you can expect to pay around 60 TRY for 1 day here.

Transportation: For a roundtrip journey on a dolmus (shared minivan) from Trabzon to Sumela Monastery, you can expect to pay around 25 TRY per person, and that's it.

Activities: The entrance fee for Sumela Monastery is 8 TRY, and that is all you will have to pay on this trip.

Total Budget for a one-day trip to Sumela Monastery, Turkey: 400 TRY (47 USD)

What to Pack for Trabzon, Turkey?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Trabzon, Turkey:

• Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
• Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
• Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
• Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
• Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
• Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Trabzon, Turkey in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.
• Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
• Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
• Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
• Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
• Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
• Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
• Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

How to Travel to Sumela Monastery, Turkey?

From Abroad to Istanbul or Ankara

First and foremost, in order to get to the Sumela Monastery, you are going to have to travel to Turkey by flying into either Istanbul, a popular tourist city, or Ankara, the capital city of Turkey.

Thankfully, Istanbul and Ankara are some of the largest hubs in the region, and you should have no trouble finding a flight from your home country to one of the 2 main airports in the city, Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) in Istanbul or Ankara Esenboga Airport in Ankara.

From the US, there are several direct flights you can take to Turkey from major cities in the US, such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami. All these flights are operated by Turkish Airlines, so you shouldn't have trouble finding a flight from the US to Turkey.

From Europe, you can fly from the most popular European hubs such as London, Paris, or Frankfurt via Turkish Airlines or local carriers like British Airways, Air France, or Lufthansa, which also offer direct flights to Istanbul or Ankara.

From Asia, you can fly directly with Turkish Airlines from several hub cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Jakarta, and Bangkok. You can also go with other Middle Eastern airlines like Qatar, Emirates, and Etihad if you are willing to transit to get a cheaper deal.

To find a cheap flight to Turkey, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.

Getting From Istanbul to Trabzon, Turkey

After you get yourself to Istanbul, the next thing you have to do is to get yourself to Trabzon, the closest large city to Sumela Monastery located right on the southern shore of the Black Sea in Eastern Turkey. There are several ways you can travel from Istanbul to Trabzon, as follows:

By Plane: The fastest and most recommended way to get from Istanbul to Trabzon is to fly into Trabzon Airport. There are around 7 flights connecting the two cities operated by Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines from 7:55 AM to 21:50 PM every day.

The plane journey from Istanbul to Trabzon will take about 1 hour and 45 minutes, and it should cost you around 45 USD, which is pretty reasonable. Once you arrive at the airport, you can then take a Havas bus to the city center. You can look for cheap flights to Trabzon here.

The Havas Bus leaves at the entrance of the airport about 25 minutes after all commercial flights have landed, and it should take you about 30 minutes to reach the city for 11 TRY per person. The bus will stop at 2 points in the city center before terminating at Uzumku Hotel, so you can get off from there. You can find out more information on the Havas website here.

By Bus: You can also take an overnight bus from Istanbul to Trabzon, but it's going to take you around 19 hours to get there, so it's not ideal. There are many buses per day running almost 24 hours every day, with some leaving from Istanbul Central Bus Station and other ports in Istanbul, so you should have no trouble finding one.

The bus will cost you around 27 USD and it will take you all the way to Trabzon Bus Station. You can book the bus with the link here: Book a Bus from Istanbul to Trabzon, Turkey.

Getting From Ankara to Trabzon, Turkey

By Plane: The same goes for Ankara. You can easily catch a flight from Ankara Esenboga Airport to get to Trabzon in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. There are around 2 direct flights per day at 8 AM and 8:15 PM, and it will cost you about 46 USD as well.

You can book the flight from Ankara to Trabzon here.

By Bus: There are several buses leaving from both Ankara Asti Bus Station and Ankara Sogutozu Bus Station almost 24/7 per day, and they will take you to Trabzon in about 11 hours.

The bus from Ankara to Trabzon will cost you 20 USD, and you can book the bus with the link here: Book a Bus from Ankara to Trabzon, Turkey.

Getting From Trabzon to Sumela Monastery, Turkey

By Dolmus (Minivan): If you are there in the summer, you should be able to easily get from Trabzon to Sumela Monastery via a direct dolmus from the east-bound dolmus station located along the highway. They leave twice a day at 11 AM and 2 PM in summer.

The journey will take you about one hour before you arrive at Sumela Monastery, and you will have around 3 hours to explore the monastery as you please. Then, you can catch the same dolmus back to Trabzon, all for about 25 TRY per person in a duration of approximately 4 hours.

If you are there in the winter, there won't be any direct dolmus as explained here, but you can still do it independently by catching a dolmus from the same place to Macka. From there, you can hire a taxi to take you to Sumela Monastery and back for around 80 - 100 TRY.

This is the most affordable way and surprisingly not as troublesome to get from Trabzon to Sumela Monastery. For a more convenient way to get to Sumela Monastery and back, you can also opt for a tour instead.

By Tour: If you don't want to deal with the unreliability of public transportation, you can also opt for an organized tour instead. There are several local tour companies you can go with, but the most recommended tour company is Sumela Tour.

They have several day trip packages for you to choose from at reasonable prices. Their Sumela Monastery package costs about 120 TRY per person, and the itinerary includes other places as well, such as Mount Zigana, Karaca Cave, and more.

This is the best way to go if you are looking for a way to see more places in one go, which is something you can't do independently, and if you don't mind spending a little more for convenience.

Sumela Monastery's Opening Hours

Sumela Monastery's opening hours are between 9 AM - 7 PM every day, but I highly recommend you go as early as you can to beat the crowds. The place is very popular among local tourists, and you will find it much harder to explore the ruins due to the narrow passageways inside Sumela Monastery.

Sumela Monastery's Admission Fee

Sumela Monastery's Admission Fee is 8 TRY per person. If you are planning to drive to Sumela Monastery, you will have to pay an extra 15 TRY per car for the parking fee.

What to Expect At Sumela Monastery, Turkey?

Depending on how you are traveling to Sumela Monastery, most tours, buses, and dolmuses will stop at several viewpoints along the mountain road towards the monastery.

If you are lucky enough to have a clear day (which I didn't), you will be able to see some really nice waterfalls along the way and get a glimpse of the stunning locale of Sumela Monastery from afar.

Once you arrive at Sumela Monastery's parking lot, you will then have to walk up the stairs along an old aqueduct, which will take you to the monastery in about 15 minutes. At the gate, you will then have to pay an entrance fee of around 8 TRY, and then you can explore the monastery at your own leisure.

With the direct dolmus I took from Trabzon, we were given 3 hours to spend at the monastery, which I found to be more than enough to walk around and see all that there is to see inside Sumela Monastery.

From afar, Sumela Monastery may seem like one big stone fortress, but the moment you walk inside the gate, you will be surprised at how many houses were packed behind it. It looks more like a village than a monastery from the inside, which I think is pretty cool.

It is said that Sumela Monastery was built by the Greeks way back in the year 386 AD. It is not known exactly why the monks chose this scenic spot to build a monastery, but the cliffside location makes for one hell of an amazing tourist attraction.

Within the monastery, you will also find a Rock Church, which is one of the highlights of visiting Sumela Monastery. Inside the church, you will be able to see some really well-preserved frescoes that date back from the 1300s to the 1700s. Even after all this time, you can still make out the colors from the frescoes.

You will most likely be done before 3 hours, so be sure to go for a little walk outside of the monastery and down the road to spot other waterfalls you might have missed. Once the 3 hours are up, you can then take the dolmus back, and you should be back in Trabzon in an hour.

Where to Stay in Trabzon, Turkey?

Budget

Adelante El Destino

Dorm | $

See Availability

Mid-Range

Funda Hotel

Double Room | $$

See Availability

High-End

Real King Suite Hotel

Double Room | $$$

See Availability

View More Hotels

That is it for How to Travel to Sumela Monastery, Turkey. Have we missed anything? Have you found the guide useful? Let us know in the comments below!

Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to plan your trip to Trabzon, Turkey! Here are some resources to help you get your trip going:

Flights: Skyscanner and Expedia are the best places to start looking for cheap flights and great deals from your home country.

Accommodation: Hostelworld, Booking.com, and Agoda.com are the ultimate go-to platforms to search for amazing hostels and hotels at affordable prices.

Travel Insurance: Heymondo covers theft, medical emergencies, cancellations, and more during your travels. Get a 5% discount if you sign up today.

Transportation: 12go is a great place to look for buses and trains to take in Turkey. You can easily reserve a seat and buy the tickets straight from the website online for your convenience.

Car Rental: DiscoverCars.com is a great and reliable platform to find rental cars in Trabzon, Turkey.

Internet: Airalo is the best way to get a sim card and has reliable internet access for your trip to Trabzon, Turkey. All you need is an esim compatible smartphone, install it on your phone prior to your trip, and you are all set.

VPN: To stay connected with people at home, I always make sure to have ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and I can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

Day Trips & Tours: Viator, GetYourGuide and TripAdvisor are great platforms to search for activities to do in Trabzon, Turkey.

Tickets & Deals: Klook is always my go-to website when I want to find cheaper deals for entrance tickets to tourist attractions in Trabzon, Turkey.

Are you planning to travel to Trabzon, Turkey independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.

Further Reading for Turkey

Turkey is a country that stands in the middle of Europe and Asia. Empires rose and fell on this land, and in order to see Turkey as a whole, you will have to go further than just Istanbul.

Here are a selection of articles and travel guides that you might need to further plan your trip to Turkey:

• First time visiting Turkey? Here are the 15 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Turkey.
• Looking for a complete itinerary and travel guide for Turkey? One Month Itinerary for Turkey.
• Have a transit flight between IST and SAW airports in Istanbul? Here is a complete guide on How To Get From Sabiha Gokcen To Istanbul Airport And Vice Versa.
• Istanbul is the crown jewel historical city of Turkey and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are a lot of things to do, and you are going to need a complete travel guide to see them all. Here are the 11 Best Things to Do in Istanbul, Turkey.
• A lot of Roman influence can be seen throughout Turkey. One of the best places to see this is at Ephesus ruins in Selcuk. Here are the 8 Best Things to Do in Selcuk and Ephesus.
• The southwestern coast of Turkey boasts some of the most stunning beaches, cliffs, and hiking trails in the country, and one of the best places you shouldn't miss is the Butterfly Valley. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to the Butterfly Valley, Turkey.
• Looking for a nice, quiet place by the beach to relax and do yoga for a few days in Turkey? There is no better place to be than Kabak. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Kabak, Turkey.
• You can't deny it, Cappadocia is one hell of a stunning place to travel to, and there are a ton of things you can do there. From riding a hot air balloon to hiking, here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Cappadocia, Turkey.
• Mt. Nemrut and its massive stone statues of gods is one of the most unique places I have ever seen, but it is not the easiest place to visit. To save you the trouble, here is A Complete Travel Guide to Mt. Nemrut and all the information you need to make the journey as I did.
• If you are planning to travel to East Turkey, Van is one of the cities you must stop by. Known for its awesome breakfast and its location by the largest lake in Turkey, here is A Complete Travel Guide to Van, Turkey.
• Ani, the ancient Armenian City in Kars, is the highlight of Eastern Turkey, but it can be quite tricky to visit unless you know how to do it properly. Here is How to Travel to Ani, Turkey and all the information you need to make the trip happen.
• Not convinced by my words? Maybe these photos of Turkey will help! 45 Photos that will inspire you to travel to Turkey.
• Since you are already all the way east, why not cross the border from Turkey to Georgia and make your way to Tbilisi, a vibrant capital city of Georgia? Check out my Georgia Travel Guide to plan your next trip to Georgia.
• For all articles about Turkey, visit the Turkey Travel Guide page.
• Looking for more travel guides for the Middle East? You can find more on my Middle East Travel Guide page.
• For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.