Uzungol Tour

Surmene's Traditional Knife Shop

The day's first stop is a knife shop in Surmene, a district east of Trabzon long associated with traditional bladesmithing. Guests can watch how the knives are made and browse the shop's range before the coach continues further into the hills. Surmene knives are a recognised craft from this stretch of the Black Sea coast, distinct from souvenirs sold in more general tourist shops elsewhere in Trabzon. The stop is brief, giving a first taste of local craft before the tour moves on toward the tea-growing hills and eventually up to Uzungol itself.

The Tea Factory at the Naturel Bazaar

From Surmene the coach continues to the Naturel Bazaar, where a working tea factory sits at the centre of the stop. Trabzon province produces much of Turkey's tea, and the factory visit gives a look at how the leaves are processed before they reach the cup. Guests can walk through the bazaar itself afterwards, where tea and other local produce are sold alongside crafts from the surrounding hills. The bazaar stop sits between the coastal lowlands and the climb toward Uzungol, marking the point where the tour properly enters tea country.

The Artificial Waterfalls and Photo Balcony

Further along the route, the coach stops at a set of artificial waterfalls built into the hillside, with a balcony positioned for photographs looking out over the cascading water. The waterfalls sit along the road up toward Uzungol, making them a natural pause point as the landscape shifts from tea terraces to denser forest. The balcony gives a clear vantage point without needing to leave the roadside area, which keeps the stop quick within the day's schedule. Most guests use this stop specifically for photographs before continuing the climb toward the lake.

Arriving at Uzungol Lake

The tour's main destination is Uzungol, a lake set among pine-covered hills at altitude, reached after the climb from the coast through tea country and forest. The lake's setting, ringed by trees and mist that often settles over the water, is markedly different from the coastal scenery around Trabzon itself. A small village has grown up along part of the shoreline, with paths running close to the water's edge for walking around parts of the lake. Once the coach reaches Uzungol, the guided commentary stops and the schedule shifts entirely toward unstructured time by the water.

Free Time Around the Lake

Once the group arrives, time is left unstructured for guests to explore Uzungol at their own pace, whether that means walking along the shoreline, sitting by the water or looking around the shops near the lake. This is the longest single stop of the day, and guests are free to decide how much of it to spend walking versus resting. Local produce, including honey and tea from the surrounding hills, is often sold from small stalls near the lake, making the free time useful for both sightseeing and picking up something to take home. The guide confirms a return time before everyone disperses.

The Old Bridge

Before leaving Uzungol, the group stops at an old stone bridge close to the lake, a fixed photo point on the day's itinerary. The bridge sits over the stream that feeds into the lake, with the surrounding pine slopes providing a backdrop for photographs. It is a short, dedicated stop rather than somewhere guests explore at length, positioned to close out the visit to Uzungol before the coach turns back toward Trabzon. The bridge stop works well as a final marker of the highland scenery before the return journey through tea country and past the coast.

The Route Back Down to Trabzon

The return leg retraces the road down through the hills, passing back through tea country and along the coast toward Trabzon. Because this is a group departure on a fixed daily schedule, the coach keeps to set timings rather than adjusting the return for individual requests. The change in scenery on the way down mirrors the outward journey, from pine forest and mist near Uzungol to the lower tea terraces and eventually the coastal road into Trabzon. Guests are dropped back at the same city centre hotels used for the morning pickup.

Who the Uzungol Tour Suits

Travelling as part of a group is what this tour involves, with one coach and one guide taking in all five stops across a single day, suited to visitors who would rather join an organised route than arrange highland transport themselves. The blend of a craft stop, a tea factory, waterfalls and open lakeside time appeals to guests wanting a broad taste of the Black Sea highlands instead of a single-theme excursion. Families generally find the free time at Uzungol the easiest part of the day to adapt to children's pace, while the earlier stops suit anyone curious about local tea and craft production.

What to Bring for a Day in the Highlands

Uzungol sits at altitude, so the air there is noticeably cooler than Trabzon at sea level, even during the warmer months of the year. A light jacket is worth packing alongside comfortable shoes for walking the shoreline paths and crossing the old stone bridge. Because the schedule includes several stops before reaching the lake, guests should also keep a phone or camera charged and accessible rather than packed away, since the waterfalls and bridge are both dedicated photo points. Small amounts of cash are useful for purchases at the knife shop, the bazaar or the stalls near the lake.

Booking the Uzungol Tour with Haqqi Tours

Haqqi Tours operates the Uzungol Tour on a daily basis from Trabzon, and the price quoted already covers collection and return at city centre hotels. Our team puts the pickup slot and the agreed cost in writing before any payment is made, staying reachable afterwards on WhatsApp in Arabic and English should anything need confirming. Since the coach calls at a set list of hotels on one fixed timetable, we ask guests to be ready at the agreed spot each morning before departure. Questions about what each stop involves can also be answered by the same desk ahead of booking.