Gallipoli, Troy & Pergamon Tour from Istanbul to Kusadasi, 2 Days
Overview
Gallipoli, Troy & Pergamon Tour from Istanbul to Kusadasi, 2 Days
Three of Turkey's most important heritage areas lie between Istanbul and the Aegean coast. On the first day of this 2-day tour you visit the battlefields above the Dardanelles; on the second you explore Homeric Troy and the Hellenistic acropolis of Pergamon. A hotel night in Canakkale links the two halves, and the trip ends with a drop-off in Kusadasi.
After lunch in Eceabat, the battlefield route takes in Ari Burnu, the Beach Cemetery and Chunuk Bair. The next morning the walls and settlement layers of Troy come first, followed by the Temple of Athena and the steep hillside theatre at Pergamon. The evening drop-off at a Kusadasi or Selcuk hotel works well for travellers continuing along the Aegean.
Book this one-way history route to cover three civilisations on a single trip west. Before leaving Istanbul you could spend a morning on an Istanbul Bosphorus cruise, and when you head back north, the Best of Istanbul City Tour takes you deeper into the city.
We look after the logistics so you can focus on the journey.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Drive to Gallipoli & Guided Battlefield Tour
Included today: lunch, guide, transfers, entry fees and hotel
An early start from Istanbul, lunch in Eceabat, a guided tour of the Gallipoli battlefields and a night in Canakkale.
- 06:30 Pick-up from central Istanbul hotels. The road trip west begins early, with a drive of about 5 hours to the Dardanelles region. The pick-up time may change depending on where your hotel is.
- 12:30 Lunch in Eceabat. Close to the Gallipoli Peninsula, you stop to eat before the afternoon programme.
- 13:00 Gallipoli tour begins. Your guide takes you through the memorial landscapes and key sites of the campaign on the peninsula.
Battlefield route: Gallipoli Battlefield Areas, Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ari Burnu, Lone Pine Cemetery, Johnston's Jolly, Shrapnel Valley, Turkish Memorial, The Nek and Chunuk Bair.
- Gallipoli Battlefield Areas: Cemeteries, trenches and memorials spread across 35 kilometres of the peninsula, marking one of the most fiercely fought fronts of the First World War.
- Brighton Beach: From the sand, the steep cliffs behind the shore make the scale of the 1915 landing obvious at once.
- Beach Cemetery: Many visitors fall silent here, where Allied soldiers lie buried within sight of the water they crossed to fight.
- ANZAC Cove: The cove is strikingly small, a narrow strip of beach below cliffs that gave no shelter at all.
- Ari Burnu: Look both ways from this headland and you can see the full width of the landing zone Allied troops faced in 1915.
- Lone Pine Cemetery: The cemetery stands where Australian and Ottoman soldiers fought hand to hand over covered trenches just metres apart.
- Johnston's Jolly: Facing the Ottoman position known as Kirmizi Sirt, this spot saw both sides throw grenades over a gap you could step across.
- Shrapnel Valley: Mules hauled supplies up the valley while soldiers and medics carried the wounded back down the same path.
- Turkish Memorial: Travellers from Turkey, Australia, New Zealand and the UK all pause at this memorial, which speaks to every nation that fought here.
- The Nek: The ground was so difficult that the Australian Light Horse had to dismount and charge on foot.
- Chunuk Bair: Military historians see this height as the point where the Allies came closest to breaking the Ottoman line.
17:00 Transfer to Canakkale. When the Gallipoli programme ends, you cross back toward Canakkale and check in at your hotel for the night.
Day 2 – Troy, Pergamon & Drive South to Kusadasi
Included today: breakfast, lunch, guide and transfer
After breakfast you visit Troy with a guide, continue to Pergamon and reach your hotel in Kusadasi or Selcuk in the evening.
- 08:00 Breakfast and check-out. You leave Canakkale after breakfast for a day heading south, centred on archaeology and the approach to the Aegean.
- 08:30 Drive to Troy Ancient City. A short transfer brings you to the first guided visit of the day. The departure time may change for operational reasons.
Troy and Pergamon route: Troy Ancient City, Trojan Horse story points, city walls, Pergamon Acropolis, Temple of Athena and hillside theater.
- Troy Ancient City: After Gallipoli the focus moves from recent memory to deep antiquity. The site matters for Homer's legend, but also for the long series of towns built here one on top of another. With a guide explaining the timeline, the ruins mean far more.
- Trojan Horse Story Points: For many visitors the horse is the easiest way in, and from there the stop opens onto a much wider archaeological story, linking popular imagination with what is really on the ground. It stays accessible without becoming superficial.
- Ancient Walls and Settlement Layers: The remaining walls and overlapping levels show why Troy was fought over and rebuilt for centuries. Rather than one ruined city, you are reading a long record of changing urban life, which suits travellers who care about archaeology as much as legend.
- Pergamon Acropolis: The scale shifts again here, as the acropolis climbs steeply above the plain. Compared with Troy, the site feels more political and more clearly planned in its grandeur, and it is one of the best places in western Turkey to grasp Hellenistic prestige.
- Temple of Athena: This area helps you read Pergamon as a city of learning, worship and elite power, not just a pretty hilltop ruin. The remains hint at the intellectual and ceremonial role the acropolis once had, giving the visit a stronger cultural frame.
- Hillside Theater: The steep theatre is often what people remember longest, thanks to both its engineering and its view. It gives the history route a dramatic finish before the road heads south, closing the archaeological part of the package.
17:00 Transfer to Kusadasi or Selcuk. Once the guided visits end, you continue by road and are dropped at your hotel in Kusadasi or Selcuk in the evening.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓1 night accommodation in Canakkale
- ✓Pick up from central Istanbul hotel and drop off at Kusadasi or Selcuk hotel
- ✓Professional English-speaking licensed tour guide during visits
- ✓All entrance fees as per the itinerary
- ✓1 breakfast and 2 lunches
- ✓All land transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
- ✓Local taxes and service charges
- ✕Personal expenses
- ✕Drinks at lunch
- ✕Dinner
- ✕Optional activities not mentioned in the program
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Gallipoli, Troy and Pergamon from Istanbul to Kusadasi in 2 days: the key facts
This is a one-way, two-day group tour that moves you from Istanbul down to the Aegean coast by road. Day 1 is the drive west and a guided afternoon on the Gallipoli battlefields, followed by a night in Canakkale. Day 2 covers Troy in the morning and the acropolis of Pergamon later, and the tour ends with a drop-off at your hotel in Kusadasi or Selcuk in the evening.
It suits travellers who are heading south anyway and want to turn the transfer into two days of sightseeing: First World War history on day one, Homeric and Hellenistic sites on day two. The price is from $443 per person.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Length | 2 days / 1 night |
| Route | Istanbul - Eceabat - Gallipoli - Canakkale - Troy - Pergamon - Kusadasi or Selcuk |
| Style | Group tour, licensed English-speaking guide during visits |
| Start / end | 06:30 pick-up at a central Istanbul hotel / evening drop-off at a Kusadasi or Selcuk hotel |
| Included | 1 night in Canakkale, 1 breakfast and 2 lunches, entrance fees as per the itinerary, air-conditioned transport, local taxes |
| Extra | Dinner, drinks at lunch, personal expenses, optional activities |
How long are the drives on each day?
Day 1 is the long one. Pick-up from central Istanbul hotels is at 06:30 (the time can move depending on where your hotel is), and the drive to the Dardanelles takes about 5 hours. Lunch is in Eceabat at 12:30, the battlefield tour starts at 13:00 and ends around 17:00, when you transfer to your Canakkale hotel. Day 2 starts with breakfast at 08:00 and a short drive to Troy at 08:30. After Pergamon you leave at about 17:00 for Kusadasi or Selcuk, so expect to arrive in the evening. The booking form offers start times from 08:00 to 14:00, which does not match the 06:30 pick-up; go by the time we confirm in writing.
Which Gallipoli sites does the guide cover?
The page lists Brighton Beach, the Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ari Burnu, Lone Pine Cemetery, Johnston's Jolly, Shrapnel Valley, the Turkish Memorial, The Nek and Chunuk Bair. That is the ANZAC sector on the western side of the peninsula; the southern battlefields at Cape Helles are not on this route. If you want more time on the peninsula, look at the Gallipoli destination page, the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site guide, or our longer read on Gallipoli tours from Istanbul.
What do we see at Troy and Pergamon?
At Troy the guide walks you through the city walls and the overlapping settlement layers, with stops at the Trojan Horse story points, so the visit covers both the legend and the archaeology. At the Pergamon Acropolis you see the Temple of Athena area and the steep hillside theatre, which is the last guided stop before the road south. The Asclepion, the ancient healing centre lower down at Pergamon, is not listed in this itinerary, so do not expect it unless we confirm it in writing.
Is Ephesus part of this tour?
No. The route line on the page reads "Istanbul - Gallipoli - Troy - Pergamon - Ephesus", but the itinerary contains no Ephesus visit: Day 2 ends with a drop-off in Kusadasi or Selcuk, the two towns closest to Ephesus. Treat Ephesus as a separate booking. The Ephesus day tour from Kusadasi and Selcuk fits well the next morning, and the Pamukkale day tour from Kusadasi and Selcuk can follow. If anything on the page reads differently to you, ask us to confirm in writing before you pay.
Where do we sleep and which meals are covered?
You spend the one night of the trip at a hotel in Canakkale. The FAQ on the page refers to a Hotels section listing the properties in each class, but no hotel names are shown on the live page, so ask us which hotel is booked for your date. Meals included are lunch in Eceabat on Day 1, breakfast at the hotel on Day 2 and lunch on Day 2. Dinner in Canakkale and drinks with lunch are at your own cost, so plan an evening meal near your hotel after the 17:00 transfer.
Who is this tour a good fit for?
It works best if you are travelling Istanbul to the Aegean anyway and want to see three major sites without backtracking. It is less suitable if you need to return to Istanbul, because the package ends in Kusadasi or Selcuk and there is no return included. If you want to go back north, the Gallipoli and Troy tour from Istanbul in 2 days brings you back, and the 2-day Pergamon, Troy and Gallipoli tour from Kusadasi runs the same idea in the other direction. Walking is moderate, but the Pergamon theatre is steep, so wear shoes with good grip.
Can we change the plan or add nights?
Yes. The page says the route can be extended or changed, for example by adding days or picking other hotels, and that other requests can be sent to us. Common additions are a night in Selcuk or Kusadasi for Ephesus, or a few days in Istanbul before departure; the Best of Istanbul tour is an easy way to cover the old city first. The page says the tour runs daily with no minimum number of travellers. Any change to the drop-off point, hotel or timing should be written into your confirmed plan.
How do we book this tour?
Choose your date and number of guests in the booking form on this page, or message us on WhatsApp at +90 545 307 67 88 with your date, number of travellers and Istanbul hotel. We reply with the confirmed plan in writing: pick-up time, the Canakkale hotel, meals, what is and is not included, and the drop-off hotel in Kusadasi or Selcuk. Check that plan, ask about anything unclear, and pay only once you are happy with it. Get Turkey Tours is licensed by TÜRSAB (A-15751). For more ideas on the region, see our Troy tours and Ephesus and Kusadasi pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
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