Sultan Murat Highlands Tour

The Sultan Murat plateau, a highland yayla

Sultan Murat is a highland plateau in the mountains inland from Trabzon, known locally as a yayla, a summer pasture where coastal families have traditionally moved with their animals in the warmer months. It sits above the tea valleys, and its open, green landscape contrasts with the dense forest and terraced hillsides on the drive up.

Wooden houses are scattered across the meadows rather than gathered in a village centre, and the air stays noticeably cooler and clearer than in Trabzon. Cloud can drift low across the grass even on a sunny day. If you are wondering whether a Sultan Murat plateau day trip is worth it, it is for travellers who want to see the rural side of the region.

Through tea country on the way up

The tour starts with a coach pickup from hotels across Trabzon, then heads inland on roads that climb steadily away from the city and the coast. The early stretches pass tea plantations and smaller towns before the road narrows and winds higher into forested hills. The change in scenery is clear long before you reach the plateau.

Our guide travels with the group and points out landmarks, explaining a little about how highland life differs from the coastal towns most guests have already seen. As farmland gives way to pasture, the temperature drops. If you are searching for how to get to Sultan Murat from Trabzon, this climb by coach is the easiest way.

Highland villages along the route

Several highland villages sit on the route to Sultan Murat, their houses built of timber and stone in a style suited to heavy winter snow, with narrow lanes between them. The coach stops at points where the group can step out, walk a short way and take in the setting before continuing.

The guide uses these pauses to explain how the villages are used seasonally, as many residents live there only in summer. Local people sometimes sell honey, cheese or other highland produce at these stops, so you can see everyday plateau life rather than only scenery. Bring a little cash if you want to buy something, as purchases are not part of the tour fare.

Meadows, herds and a tea house break

Once on the plateau, wide meadows open around the road, dotted with grazing cattle and wooden houses spaced apart. The grass stays green through much of the season, fed by mist and rain that the altitude attracts. Walking a short way from the road brings you closer to the herds and to the way timber houses are built for the climate.

A break is usually built into the day at one of the simple wooden tea houses, where people stop to rest with a glass of tea looking out over the meadows. This is often the most relaxed part of the tour, a chance to warm up and ask the guide questions before the rest of the route.

Viewpoints over the valleys

Several points along the route give wide views back down over the valleys the group has driven up through, with the tea terraces and forested slopes stretching toward the coast. These viewpoints are among the most photographed parts of the day, especially when cloud sits low in the valleys while the plateau itself stays clear.

Visibility can change from one stop to the next, so the guide chooses where to pause based on conditions. The best time to visit Sultan Murat is late spring to early autumn, and clear mornings give the widest views. A light jacket and a charged camera or phone make this stop more enjoyable before the descent.