Getting Around Giresun
Giresun is a compact Black Sea coastal city, and the way you move around it depends largely on whether you're staying in the old core or further out along the coast. The historic centre is small enough to explore on foot, but the town stretches along the shoreline, so for longer hops you'll rely on shared minibuses and taxis.
Walking
The old core of town is walkable. This is where you'll find the historic heart of the city, including the well-preserved Giresun Castle in the city centre, and it's the most pleasant way to get a feel for the place. Beyond the centre, however, the town straggles out along the coast, so walking between the centre and outlying districts can be a long haul. Plan to walk within the core and switch to wheels for anything further afield.
Dolmuşes and Local Buses
Dolmuşes — shared minibuses — ply the main streets and are the workhorse of local transport. They're the practical option for covering the length of the coastal strip when you don't want to walk. You can also pick up a dolmuş on the highway near Ordu-Giresun Airport if you're arriving that way. Fares are typically paid in cash to the driver, so keep small change handy.
Rail, Metro and Tram
Giresun has no rail, metro or tram network. There is nothing to plan around here — the city's public transport is road-based, made up of dolmuşes and buses.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available for direct trips around town and to the airport. Ride-hailing apps are not documented for Giresun in the source material, so it's safest to assume you'll be flagging taxis or arranging them through your accommodation rather than relying on an app.
Getting There from the Airport
Ordu-Giresun Airport (OGU) is the closest airport, sitting about 32 km west of Giresun on reclaimed land jutting into the Black Sea. It has flights every couple of hours from Istanbul (both IST and SAW), and once a day from Ankara and Izmir. The airport is clean and adequate for its limited throughput, with the usual facilities including car hire.
To reach the city from the airport, you have two main options:
- Havaş shuttle bus — runs downtown from the airport.
- Dolmuş — you can pick one up on the nearby highway.
Trabzon Airport (TZX), 137 km east, is an alternative with more domestic, European and Middle Eastern flights, but it's a considerably longer transfer.
Inter-City Buses and the Otogar
If you're arriving by long-distance coach, Giresun Otogar is the inter-city bus station, located 4 km west of the old core of town — so you'll need a dolmuş or taxi to cover the last stretch into the centre. Buses from Istanbul run every couple of hours and take around 15 hours via Gebze, Samsun and Ordu; those from Ankara take about 11 hours. Most buses continue east along the coast to Trabzon, and one per day continues to Rize and Batumi in Georgia. The main bus lines serving the city are Metro Turizm and Flixbus.
Practical Tips
- Stay in or near the old core if you want to do most of your sightseeing on foot.
- Keep cash for dolmuş fares — they're the easiest way to move along the coastal strip.
- Allow extra time for the airport transfer: Ordu-Giresun Airport is 32 km west of the city, and the otogar is 4 km west of the centre.
- If your flight options are limited, Trabzon Airport to the east has a wider range of domestic and international connections, but it's much further away.