Turkey Black Sea Road Trip

Of all the Turkey road trips, the Black Sea coast is the one I’d recommend first to anyone with a rental car and a week. It’s green where the rest of Turkey is sun-baked. It’s empty where the Aegean is packed. And the food — once you’ve eaten Black Sea cuisine, your relationship with Turkish food changes.

This is my honest 7-day route, based on doing this drive multiple times. Practical, not Instagram-perfect.

Quick facts

• Total distance: ~1,400 km (Istanbul → Hopa one-way)
• Best months: June–September (the coast is rainy year-round, but warmest these months)
• Rental car: manual cheaper ($25/day), automatic $40+
• Recommended driving days: 7 days one-way, or 10 days return loop
• Budget: $70–120/day (food + fuel + mid-range hotel)

Why Black Sea (Karadeniz) Road Trip?

The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts are world-famous. The Black Sea is Turkey’s quietest coast — and the most visually different. Mountains drop directly into the sea. Tea plantations cascade down hills. Wooden houses on stilts. Hazelnut farms. Cooler temperatures. And the food — black cabbage soup, anchovy bread, fresh hamsi (Black Sea anchovy), corn bread.

If you’ve “done” Cappadocia and the Aegean, the Black Sea is the next layer of Turkey.

The Route (East-Going)

Start: Istanbul | End: Hopa (Georgian border) | Distance: ~1,400 km

Day 1: Istanbul → Şile → Akçakoca (180 km)

• Morning: Leave Istanbul early, exit via Bosphorus Bridge
• Lunch: Şile fish restaurants on the cliff
• Afternoon: Drive coast to Akçakoca, beach stop at Şile
• Stay: Akçakoca pension or guesthouse ($40–60)

Day 2: Akçakoca → Amasra (220 km)

• Drive: D010 coastal road — slow, scenic
• Lunch stop: Cide (tiny fishing village)
• Afternoon: Amasra — the most photogenic Black Sea town
• Sunset spot: Amasra Castle promenade
• Stay: Amasra waterfront pension ($50–80)

Day 3: Amasra → Sinop (270 km)

• Drive: scenic coast, multiple tea-stop villages
• Lunch: Inebolu (try mantarlı pilav — mushroom rice)
• Late afternoon: arrive Sinop, walk the historic harbor
• Evening: balık ekmek (fish sandwich) at the pier
• Stay: Sinop boutique hotels ($60–100)

Day 4: Sinop → Samsun → Ünye (200 km)

• Morning: Sinop fortress, Pasha Palace
• Afternoon: Samsun (Atatürk monument, modern coastline)
• Evening: Drive to Ünye, smaller resort town
• Stay: Ünye seafront ($40–70)

Day 5: Ünye → Ordu → Giresun (180 km)

• Highlights: hazelnut farm region (Ordu produces ~70% of world’s hazelnuts)
• Stop: Boztepe in Ordu (cable car, panoramic view)
• Lunch: kuymak (Black Sea cheese fondue) somewhere on the way
• Evening: Giresun fortress walk
• Stay: Giresun ($50–80)

Day 6: Giresun → Trabzon → Sumela Monastery (220 km)

• Trabzon: largest Black Sea city, Hagia Sophia (smaller version), old town
• Day trip: Sumela Monastery (45 min from Trabzon, mountain monastery)
• Stay: Trabzon center ($80–150)

Day 7: Trabzon → Rize → Hopa (180 km)

• Drive: tea plantation hills (Rize)
• Stops: Ayder Plateau if you have time (highland, 60 km detour, worth it)
• Lunch: tea farm restaurant (try Black Sea trout)
• End: Hopa, near Georgian border. Fly back from Trabzon airport (90 min back).

Must-Eat Black Sea Food

1. Hamsi — Black Sea anchovy, fried fresh
2. Kuymak / Mıhlama — cornmeal + cheese + butter (dangerous deliciousness)
3. Karalahana çorbası — black cabbage soup
4. Pide — Turkish “boat” pizza, Black Sea version with hamsi or kıymalı
5. Tea — Rize tea is Turkey’s tea heartland. Drink at the source.
6. Hazelnut paste — buy from Ordu/Giresun, way better than commercial brands

Costs Breakdown (Realistic, 7 Days)

Cheaper if you camp or stay in pensions. More expensive in Trabzon if you go luxury.

7 Practical Tips

1. Rent the car in Istanbul, drop off in Trabzon — saves return drive
2. Coastal road (D010) is slow but stunning. Highway (D100) is faster but boring.
3. Tea breaks every 1.5–2 hours — locals tea EVERYWHERE, it’s the culture
4. Cash is essential — many rural restaurants and pensions are cash-only
5. Rain happens. Pack waterproof, even in July. Karadeniz means “Black Sea” for the rain-heavy skies.
6. Mountain detours (Ayder, Çamlıhemşek) worth it — green plateau (yayla) culture
7. Drive cautiously on coast road — tight curves, slow trucks

Where to Sleep

• Pensions (~$30–60): cheapest, most authentic
• Boutique hotels (~$80–150): in larger cities
• Yayla cabins (~$60–100): mountain plateau, more in summer

Skip the chain hotels — small family-run places give you the Black Sea experience.

FAQ

Can I do this in 5 days? Yes but you’ll miss things. 5 days: Istanbul → Sinop → Trabzon is doable but rushed.

Is the road safe? Yes. Two-lane coastal road, mostly. Slow truck traffic in some sections. Drive cautiously, especially in rain.

Best month? Late June through early September. Earlier = rainier. Later = colder.

Family-friendly? Yes. Beaches are calm, food is kid-friendly, distances between stops manageable.

Can I do it by bus? Possible but limiting. Coast bus routes exist but you lose the small village stops. Rental car is the way.

Where to fly into? Istanbul (IST or SAW). Or fly Trabzon (TZX) and do the trip reverse direction.

Conclusion

The Black Sea is Turkey’s quiet coast — where you’ll meet farmers offering tea, eat hamsi straight from the fisherman, sleep in pensions older than your grandparents, and drive past hillsides covered in tea bushes for hours. It’s the Turkey you don’t see in tourist brochures.

This route has more flexibility than most — skip a town if you fall in love with another, extend if a yayla calls you. Seven days is the minimum; ten is better.

For the Turkish-language detailed version with specific kilometers, fuel costs, and seasonal advice, see arabayla-karadeniz-turu-atmak — the most-read article on this site.

📷 Watch the English YouTube channel for video drives + tiny house content.