Türkiye / Istanbul & Marmara / Canakkale (Troy & Gallipoli)Canakkale (Troy & Gallipoli)
Troy and the Gallipoli Battlefields on the Dardanelles
A student town on the Dardanelles and the base for two sights: the ruins of Troy, layer on layer of cities from the Bronze Age to Rome, with a fine new museum; and the Gallipoli peninsula across the strait, where the 1915 campaign's cemeteries and memorials (Anzac Cove, Chunuk Bair, the Turkish memorial at Seddülbahir) draw Turkish, Australian and New Zealand visitors. Indian soldiers fought at Gallipoli too, remembered at the Helles Memorial. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge has cut the drive from Istanbul.
Highlights
- Troy's walls and the wooden horse
- Troy Museum
- Gallipoli battlefields and Anzac Cove
- Helles Memorial (Indian soldiers named)
- Ferry across the Dardanelles
- Kilitbahir Castle
- Seafront promenade and the film-prop Trojan Horse
- Day trip to Bozcaada island
Things to do
- Troy ruins & Troy MuseumMorning · 4h
- Gallipoli battlefields guided tourAny time · 6h
- Ferry to Kilitbahir CastleAfternoon · 2h
- Seafront kordon walk & fish dinnerEvening · 2h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: April – June, September – October
Worth knowing
Bayram Holiday: Buses and Flights Sell Out
Ramazan Bayramı (about 9-12 March 2027) and Kurban Bayramı (about 16-19 May 2027, often stretched to nine days off) send millions of Turks travelling. Intercity buses and domestic flights sell out and prices jump, coastal hotels fill, and some museums close on the first morning. Book transport and rooms early, and avoid travelling on the first and last days of the holiday.
- Ramadan (Ramazan) — The fasting month, expected from about 8 February to 9 March 2027. Life for visitors carries on: restaurants, cafes and sights stay open, and alcohol is still sold in tourist areas. In conservative cities (Konya, Mardin) eat discreetly in daylight. At sunset the iftar meal fills restaurants and Sultanahmet's square becomes a night market; drummers wake the neighbourhoods before dawn.
- Ramazan Bayramı (Eid al-Fitr) — The holiday ending Ramadan (expected about 9-12 March 2027). Millions of Turks travel home: intercity buses and domestic flights sell out and prices jump, so book a few weeks ahead. Some museums close on the first morning; Istanbul's bridges and public transport are often free.
- Kurban Bayramı (Eid al-Adha) — The four-day feast of the sacrifice (expected about 16-19 May 2027), often stretched to nine days off. The biggest travel rush of the year: buses, flights and coastal hotels book out and fares double, and the Aegean and Mediterranean resorts fill with Turkish families. Avoid moving between cities on the first and last days.
- Anzac Day dawn service, Gallipoli — Thousands of Australians and New Zealanders gather at Anzac Cove for the dawn service. Çanakkale's hotels sell out months ahead and the peninsula's roads close to private cars around the service; book a tour with a reserved place. Turkey's own Çanakkale Victory Day, 18 March, is busy too.