# Assos, Troy and the Dardanelles

The Troad, in the north-western corner of Turkey, brings together three historic places within ninety minutes' drive of each other: Assos and its Temple of Athena, Troy, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Dardanelles with Çanakkale and the Gallipoli peninsula. Stay in Assos, in two stone houses in the Sabaro selection.

Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/turkey/assos-troy/

The Troad is the north-western corner of Asian Turkey, between the Aegean Sea and the Dardanelles strait. Three eras can be read here across a hundred kilometres: Bronze Age Troy, Greek Assos perched above the sea, and the 1915 battlefields on the Gallipoli peninsula. Stay in the south, at Assos, and drive north for the visits.

## A route from south to north

| Stop | What you see | Road |
|---|---|---|
| Assos (Behramkale) | Temple of Athena, ancient harbour, stone village | — |
| Alexandria Troas | ruins of a Hellenistic and Roman city on the coast | on the way to Troy |
| Troy | archaeological site and museum | 66 km from Assos (1 h) |
| Çanakkale | town on the strait, ferry to the peninsula | 32 km from Troy (34 min) |
| Gallipoli peninsula | landing beaches, 1915 cemeteries and memorials | Çanakkale – Eceabat ferry |

## Assos, the temple above the sea

Assos is a Greek city built on a volcanic crag above the Gulf of Edremit. The village of Behramkale clings to the slope; the Temple of Athena crowns the top, facing the sea and the Greek island of Lesbos, and the small ancient harbour lies below. The site is open daily from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm local time (ticket office closes at 5 pm). Admission will be €12 from 1 April 2027, according to the price list of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

This is the place to sleep: small stone guesthouses, quiet, with Kadırga beach a few kilometres away.

## Troy

The archaeological site of Troy has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1998. It layers the successive cities that occupied the mound over thousands of years. A museum next to it displays the finds. A single ticket for the site and museum will cost €30 from 1 April 2027. Both are open daily, from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm local time in winter; the ministry's sheet gives longer summer hours.

The ruins of a large Hellenistic and Roman city, **Alexandria Troas**, lie on the coast between Troy and Assos; admission is free.

## Çanakkale, Gallipoli and the Dardanelles

Çanakkale is the town on the Dardanelles strait, 32 km north of Troy. A ferry links it to Eceabat on the European shore, the gateway to the Gallipoli peninsula. The peninsula is the battlefield of the 1915 campaign: landing beaches, Commonwealth cemeteries and memorials such as Lone Pine, the Turkish Martyrs' Memorial. Every 25 April, Anzac Day brings Australians and New Zealanders together there for a dawn service.

From Istanbul, a day trip to Troy including ferry, tickets and meals is sold from €143 per person; it lasts eighteen hours. Staying in the area is a better idea.

## Hotels in the Sabaro selection

The Troad has no hotel with an international label; in Çanakkale, no hotel met our criteria. Our selection includes two stone houses near Assos, both with prices on request for June 2027.

- **[Biber Evi](/en/hotels/biber-evi/)**, in Behramkale village: a restored 200-year-old konak, or mansion, with 7 rooms of 30 to 45 m², a vegetable garden and an olive grove whose oil is served at table.
- **[Assos Karadut Taş Otel](/en/hotels/assos-karadut-tas-otel/)**, in Büyükhusun village, 5 km from Kadırga Bay: 28 stone rooms, a sea-view pool and a restaurant, on a bed-and-breakfast or half-board basis.

More hotels of this kind are on our [boutique hotels](/en/themes/boutique-hotels/) page.

## Getting there

- **Via Çanakkale**: Çanakkale airport (CKZ), 11 km from the centre, has flights to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen. Assos is then 87 km away (1 h 15).
- **Via Edremit**: Edremit airport (EDO) is 68 km from Assos, about 1 h 30.
- **By road from Istanbul**: about 3 h 35 to Çanakkale over the 1915 bridge across the Dardanelles.

To the south, Ayvalık is 1 h 46 from Assos: see [Ayvalık, Cunda and Pergamon](/en/turkey/ayvalik-cunda/).

## Climate and best time to go

The Çanakkale weather station records average highs from 9.8 °C in January to 31.5 °C in August; it is the coolest part of the Aegean coast in winter. Only 5 to 10 mm of rain falls in July and August. The sea rises from 21.8 °C in June to 24.7 °C in August. Assos, further south on the Gulf of Edremit, has slightly warmer summers.

May, June, September and October are best for sightseeing; June to September for swimming. For Anzac Day, aim for 25 April.

## Safety

No European foreign ministry advises against Assos, Troy, Çanakkale or the Gallipoli peninsula; the general advice for Turkey applies. Several ministries point to the summer risk of forest fires. The "Travel advice" table on this page gives the advice of your country.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can you visit Troy and Gallipoli on the same day?

It is possible from Çanakkale, but it makes for a long day. With two nights in Assos, keep one day for Troy and Alexandria Troas and another for Çanakkale and the peninsula.

### Where should I stay to visit Troy?

In Assos, an hour from Troy, in one of the two stone houses in our selection. No hotel in Çanakkale met our criteria.

### How much does Troy cost to visit?

€30 from 1 April 2027, for a single ticket covering the site and the museum.

### When is the best time to go?

May, June, September and October for sightseeing, June to September for the sea. 25 April to attend Anzac Day at Gallipoli.