During my travels in Turkey, I stumbled upon information that the ruins of the ancient city of Troy are located in the country. I'm sure many are familiar with its name from school days; I myself remember being captivated by the story of soldiers hiding inside the giant wooden horse. Certainly, I couldn't miss the chance to see this legendary site, so I embarked on a short trip to view the ruins of the renowned city.
Troy: How to Get There from Istanbul
The ruins of ancient Troy are located near the town of Çanakkale, which, in turn, is situated along the shores of the Dardanelles Strait. Despite the option of reaching here from Istanbul by plane, this time I chose intercity bus travel as my means of transportation. My journey started at the bus station near the Istanbul İmes metro station in the Asian part of the city.
My bus to Çanakkale departed at half-past midnight. It's worth noting that in the spring of 2023, the metro line near the bus station closed much earlier. The round-trip fare was 520 Turkish liras. There will be several stops and two meal breaks during the journey. The bus cabin features USB ports, and there's Wi-Fi, although it didn't work for me.
The bus arrives in the city around seven in the morning, and I departed back at 6:30 PM on the same day.
Çanakkale
Getting to Çanakkale is only half the battle. The actual ruins are about 30 kilometers from the city. You can reach the open-air museum by taking a local minibus, which departs from the central parking area in the city. To get there, you need to walk to the intersection of Köprübaşı and Atatürk streets and pass under the bridge on the right side. The one-way fare is 30 liras, and the journey takes about 35 minutes.
I managed to stroll through the center of Çanakkale before and after visiting Troy. The coastal town looks well-kept. One noticeable difference from Istanbul and other tourist centers in Turkey is the lower price in most public catering establishments.
As is often the case in Turkish cities, in the central part of Çanakkale, you can find a small clock tower. There's also a mention of ancient Troy here: right on the waterfront stands a giant Trojan horse. The figure appeared here in September 2004 and was previously used in the filming of the movie "Troy."
While preparing this material, I found several more attractions that can be visited in Çanakkale and its surroundings. These include the Ceramic Museum, the Naval Museum, the Kilitbahir Castle, and the ruins of the city of Assos. Keep in mind that the latter is 85 kilometers from the city.
So, we've figured out how to get to the excavation site of the legendary Troy. In the next article, I'll tell you about the history of this ancient city and show photos of its ruins.
Have a nice trip!
Troy Ruins: 1-Day Trip Budget (April 2023)
- Round-trip from Istanbul to Çanakkale: 520 Turkish liras per person
- Bus from Çanakkale to the ruins and back: 60 liras
- Entrance to the excavation site: 200 liras
- Ticket to the Troy Museum: 200 liras
- Total: 980 liras
