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Trabzon, Sümela & the Eastern Black Sea: Route Guide

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Sumela monastery cliff — The Black Sea: Trabzon to the Kaçkars
Photo: Carl Campbell from Querétaro, Mexico · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Travel from Trabzon to the cliffside Sümela Monastery, then follow the Black Sea coast through Rize before climbing toward the mountain village of Ayder. Arrange road transport and monastery access for your dates; highland hikes, hot springs and guided activities are optional additions to this four-day journey.

Trabzon, Sümela & the Eastern Black Sea is a 230 km one-way journey (with a driver). It works best as a 4-day trip; the plan below is the 4-day version for July, built from 98 verified places, with planned transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

4
days
230km
distance
4
Stops
98
curated stops

View ready-made plans 4-day plan · best time to go

The route

Trabzon public Black Sea heritage day→Sümela prebooked public monastery return day→ 75 kmRize reserved coast-road and public tea-heritage day→ 60 kmAyder reserved mountain-road and public village day

What you'll see

Sümela Monastery
Marvel at the cliffside monastery, its frescoes glowing in the mountain light.
Trabzon public Black Sea heritage day
Sümela prebooked public monastery return circuit
Use the confirmed Sümela admission and staffed return transport from Trabzon; no hike or independent mountain-road access is assumed.
Sümela prebooked public monastery return day
Rize Castle
Take in city views from a gnarly 13th-century ruin on a hilltop.
Rize reserved coast-road and public tea-heritage day
Zilkale
Enjoy panoramic views from the shell of a Byzantine castle perched above the Fırtına Valley.
Ayder reserved mountain-road and public village day
Hagia Sophia
Admire the restored frescoes and towering arches of this grand Byzantine church.
Trabzon public Black Sea heritage day
Rize Museum
Explore a small museum showcasing local history.
Rize reserved coast-road and public tea-heritage day
Bulut Waterfall
Discover a waterfall at the foot of Kaçkar stream, a short hike from the road.
Ayder reserved mountain-road and public village day
Akçaabat
Wander past weathered wooden mansions and quiet church remnants along the coast.
Trabzon public Black Sea heritage day

Choose your length

4-day plan9 stops · 5.2 h transit2.2 stops/day · 1.3 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: June, July, August, September

The reviewed summer baseline still requires same-day rain, fog, mountain-road, roadworks and site-access checks.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

Similar journeys

View ready-made plans