If you're a Greek mythology enthusiast, chances are you already have the archaeological site of Troy in Turkiye on your bucket list.
Even if you're not, the ruins of Troy or a related saying have probably come up in your daily conversation – the Trojan Horse, the Achilles' heel, or even just the word Trojan from your condom box. LOL.
The Troy ancient ruins are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Turkiye. Located in Hisarlik near the city of Canakkale, it's a less popular tourist attraction compared to Ephesus or Pamukkale. However, if you love history or Greek mythology in general, a visit to the Troy ruins can be the highlight of your Turkish trip.
In this post, I'm going to share some tips for visiting the ancient ruins of Troy – especially if you plan to arrange a DIY trip instead of joining a group tour to the archaeological site in Turkey.
So, is Troy worth visiting in Turkey? You wonder how to go to Troy from Istanbul or other cities in Turkiye? Let's dive in!
The ancient city of Troy is located in Turkey's Canakkale Province, overlooking the Aegean coast and Greece across the sea.
Troy was first mentioned in The Illiad, a poem written by Homer depicting the rivalry between King Agamemnon and the lead warrior Achilles.
Whether you've heard about the story or you knew it from the Brad Pitt movie with the same title, the archaeological site of Troy is believed to be the same ancient city in Asia Minor where the legend took place.
However, if you can spare 2 or 3 days staying in Canakkale, I definitely recommend doing it instead.
The Necessary Turkiye Itinerary
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Why You Should Visit the Ancient Ruins of Troy from Canakkale
While doing a day trip from Istanbul to the archaeological site of Troy is technically possible, I personally think it would be super exhausting – even if you have your personal car or driver to take you from Istanbul to the Troy city ruins.
For context, when I visited Troy with my boyfriend, we traveled initially from Bursa to Canakkale and only managed to go to the ancient ruins the next day.
The day after, we traveled back to Istanbul from Canakkale – and it took us around 7 hours in total for just one bus trip between the Turkish cities. We definitely wouldn't like the idea of having to do that kind of trip two rounds on the same day.
Honestly, it's worth staying at least one night in Canakkale to save your energy if you want to visit Troy from Istanbul.
I personally find Canakkale charming, it reminds me of Izmir – but smaller. With the marina, and the vibes coming from the Aegean Sea, my boyfriend and I think that the city can be a great place to live for good if we ever have to decide to move to Turkiye.
If you want to go to the archaeological site of Troy from Canakkale, I recommend staying near the city center where you can find practically everything from shops, restaurants, to one of the most iconic landmarks of Canakkale: the replica of the Trojan Horse that was used for filming the early 2000s movie of Troy with Brad Pitt and Eric Bana.
There is a tourism center near Canakkale City Center where you can book tours directly to the ancient Troy ruins. Another popular excursion that you can book from Canakkale is the historic tour of Gallipoli.
Planning a trip to Canakkale, but not sure where to stay? Here are the top picks for the best accommodations in Canakkale!
How to Visit the Troy Ancient City Ruins from Canakkale City Center
Although booking a half-day tour to Troy from Canakkale is probably the easiest way to get to the ancient ruins, you can also do a DIY trip to Troy pretty easily from the city center.
My boyfriend and I went to the tourism center first to clarify, and the staff there was quite helpful in informing us on how to get to Troy from Canakkale city center by public transport.
We got several brochures with a map for our reference, and he said that there's a minibus that departs every hour from Attaturk Caddesi to the entrance of the archaeological site.
From the tourism center in Canakkale meydani (city center), we walked to Attaturk Road for around 15 minutes. The bus stop is located under the bridge after the second traffic light from Canakkale tourism center.
I forgot to take some pictures of the bus and the bus stop, but it's quite easy to spot the bus stop once you see the bridge on the road after the traffic light. However, keep in mind that the public transport to the Troy archaeological site from Canakkale is more like a minibus, or dolmus in Turkish. So, it is NOT a regular city bus.
We only waited for around 15 minutes until the bus left, and we paid 30 TL (around 90 cents in USD) per person for the trip. Note that we traveled in June 2023, and with the Turkish inflation, the price may have increased ever since.
The trip from Canakkale to Troy ancient city took around an hour in total, and the bus stopped conveniently near the entrance.
What to See in the Archaeological Site of Troy in Canakkale
Situated not too far from the shores of the Dardanelles Strait, I actually decided to watch the Troy movie just a few weeks before visiting the Troy ruins.
At one point, while we were exploring the city ruins, I mentioned to my boyfriend that the movie depicted the city fortress as being only a short walking distance from the shore. Well, seeing the ruins of Troy now, let's just say it can be far from the truth since while you can see the view of the sea from afar, it really isn't THAT close.
Anyway, there are two spots that you can visit around the Troy archaeological site: the first is the city ruins, and the other is the Museum of Troy.
Both sites have separate entrance tickets, each cost 200 TL (around $6 USD) when we visited them in 2023. In total, we spent 400 TL per person to visit both the ancient ruins and the museum at Troy archaeological sites in Turkey.
If you do a DIY trip to Troy, it's up to you whether you want to go to both sites or just focus on the city ruins. But if you join a group tour – be it the Troy tour from Canakkale or the day trip from Istanbul, I think the tours should include both sites in the excursion.
The Ruins of Troy
The minibus from Canakkale stopped at the entrance of the Troy ruins site. We bought the ticket on the spot, but I got a bit disappointed when I entered the site and found out that the iconic Trojan Horse model that I longed to see was actually undergoing reconstruction when we visited.
Troy archaeological ruins have been divided into several layers, as there are nine cities in total – which was built after the others.
How to Explore the Ancient Ruins of Troy (Without a Tour Guide)
It can be pretty confusing if you visit the site without a tour guide who knows what they're doing, but it's still doable and a great way to spend your day in Canakkale.
To navigate the site a bit easier, you will find a small building on the right-hand side of the site behind the Trojan Horse replica. I'd recommend visiting it first, as you will learn more about the excavation of the site and each layer of the ancient city there.
In this building, you will also learn how the Troy excavation progressed throughout the centuries – including the archaeologists who worked on the site, from Heinrich Schliemann who initiated the excavation, and then later Wilhelm Dorpfeld, Carl Blegen, to the most recent projects that have been going ever since.
After that, it's quite easy to follow the trails as there are signs everywhere to show you the direction, no matter which city layer you want to go to first.
Quick tip: The easiest way to do it is to follow the sequence – which we did when we strolled around the archaeological site.
Personally, I think the Troy III-V layer offers the best view of the city ruins, as these are where you can find an open space facing the Dardanalles Strait from afar.
You can also find several benches to rest on while enjoying the view and maybe picturing what life was like thousands of years ago on each site you're standing on.
Unlike Ephesus or Hierapolis where you can see the majestic ancient architecture of each site pretty clearly, most of the ruins at Troy are… just ruins.
In some layers, you could just see the stones, and that was all about it.
While I think it can be an interesting site to visit if you particularly love history, I can also understand if some people feel slightly disappointed when they visit the ruins.
Museum of Troy
The museum is another site to visit at the Troy Archaeological Site. While it's possible to walk from the ancient ruins to the museum's location, it's actually a bit far if you don't get used to walk far—a bit less than 1 kilometer from the ruins.
On the way back, our Couchsurfing friend, Ali, picked us up with his car so it was a bit convenient for us. From the site to the museum, it was around a 5-minute drive, so it's the kind of awkward distance that's too close if you drive a car but could be pretty exhausting if you walk, especially if you visit it in the summer.
The entrance ticket to the Museum of Troy is separated from the ruins, so you will have to purchase another ticket for 200 TL there.
When I arrived, I was quite impressed by the building and its architecture. It's modern and sophisticated, and on top of that, it's also wheelchair-friendly!
The Museum of Troy houses seven sections of exhibitions, where you can see ancient art pieces and Trojan artifacts. It also has several interactive exhibitions that portray life in the ancient city of Troy through dioramas and information on the screen monitor.
You should be able to visit the ancient ruins of Troy pretty easily on your own, especially if you plan to stay in Canakkale for a day or two. Alternatively, you can also book a guided tour to Troy from Canakkale.
A lot of people who don't have too much time for their trip to Turkey also opt for a day trip all the way from Istanbul.
While I think it's worth arranging a Troy trip on your own, if you have no choice but to join a guided tour, you can also book this 2-day tour from Istanbul to Canakkale – which covers both Troy ancient sites and the Gallipoli historical tour in Turkiye!
Is Troy in Turkiye worth visiting?
It's fascinating to visit the ruins of Troy in Turkiye, especially if you particularly love history or are into Greek literature and mythology.
However, I personally believe that Turkiye boasts many more impressive ancient city ruins compared to the Troy sites in Canakkale.
After visiting Troy last year, I understand why Ephesus is far more popular to visit than Troy when it comes to ancient ruins in the country.
How do I get to Troy from Istanbul?
If you plan for a day trip to Troy from Istanbul, I definitely recommend either renting a car or just hiring a driver with a car to make a seamless journey in between the cities. You can also book this day tour from Istanbul to Troy.
However, if you plan to travel independently between Istanbul and Canakkale, then traveling by bus is definitely the best way to go.
From Canakkale otogar, you can take a taxi to get to the Troy archaeological site.
If you're looking for a more affordable option, consider taking a dolmus ride to the Troy archaeological site from the otogar. Although, keep in mind that the departure and arrival of minibuses in between sites are rarely on time, so it can be pretty risky if you do it as a day trip to Troy from Istanbul.
Where is the Trojan Horse located in Turkiye?
There are two Trojan Horse replicas you can visit in Turkiye, including the model used for filming Brad Pitt's movie Troy in 2004. You can find the latter in Canakkale city center.
The archaeological site of Troy also has its own replica standing tall near the entrance. However, when we visited it in 2023, the statue was under reconstruction.
When is the best time to visit Troy Archaeological Site?
I visited Troy in the shoulder season during spring, and it was pretty nice. It wasn't crowded at all, as we barely saw any other visitors on the site.
However, I imagine the archaeological site is mainly popular during the summer.
Conclusion
Compared to other ancient ruins in Turkiye like Ephesus or Hierapolis, I find the archaeological site of Troy much less impressive.
In fact, I have a mixed feeling about whether the site is worth visiting or not, although I didn't regret my decision to go see the site myself.
The only reason why I think it's worth planning a trip to Canakkale is because it's also near Gallipoli, where the Battle of Gallipoli took place in World War I.
If you're interested in visiting the archaeological site of Troy in Turkiye, I think the best way to do it is to spend a night or two in Canakkale so you can visit both sites separately to make the most of your trip to the city.
I am the founder and main editor at The BeauTraveler. I spent 4 years working in the aviation industry but ironically got to travel more right after quitting the industry in 2015. Born and raised in Indonesia, I started working remotely in 2017, and while I stay at home most of the time, I also regularly spend 2-3 months living a semi-digital nomad life elsewhere every year.
