Welcome to Çanakkale
If you thought Çanakkale was worth visiting only as a launching point for Gallipoli's battlefields, think again. The presence of the highly regarded Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University endows this small city with a sizeable student population that loves nothing more than to eat, drink and party in the atmospheric cobbled lanes around the saat kulesi (clock tower; 1897) and along the sweeping kordon (waterfront promenade). Joining their revelries is a highlight of any visit.
Top experiences in Çanakkale
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Çanakkale activities
2-Day Small-Group Troy, Gallipoli and ANZAC Battlefield Tour from Istanbul
Your tour includes round-trip transport from Istanbul, together with a tour of Gallipoli on Day 1 and an included dinner and one night's accommodation at a 5-star hotel in nearby Çanakkale. On Day 2, your tour includes breakfast at your hotel, an excursion to ancient Troy, and an afternoon free in Çanakkale before your return to Istanbul in the evening.
5-Day Aegean Tour from Istanbul: Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamum, Ephesus, Kusadasi, Pamukkale and Hierapolis
Day 1: Istanbul -- Gallipoli -- Çanakkale (D)You’ll be picked up from your Istanbul hotel and taken to the Gallipoli peninsula for a tour of the World War I battlefields and other war-related sites with your guide. Visit the Lone Pine Memorial and Chunuk Bair Memorial, as well as Anzac Cove, the Nek, Johnston's Jolly and original trenches and tunnels.Afterward, head to your hotel in the town and seaport of Çanakkale. Overnight: 4-star Iris hotel or similar in ÇanakkaleDay 2: Çanakkale – Troy -- Pergamum -- Kusadasi (B, D)Enjoy breakfast in the morning and then step back in time on a visit to Troy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home of the famed Trojan Horse. Here, learn about the city's fascinating ancient history, including its connection to Homer’s Odyssey. Continue your tour to Pergamum, an ancient Greek city, where you’ll visit the magnificent acropolis whose impressive temples and library made Pergamum a renowned cultural and political center in its time. After your tour, head to your hotel in Kusadasi for dinner.Overnight: 4-star Marina Hotel or similar in KusadasiDay 3: Kusadasi -- Ephesus -- Kusadasi (B, D)After breakfast, absorb yourself in history with a day trip to Ephesus. Conjure up images of the grandeur of Turkey under Roman rule on a tour around its ruins, seeing highlights like the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Break for lunch and then head to a local carpet village, where you’ll learn about the tradition of carpet weaving and see carpets being made by hand. In the evening, head back to your hotel in Kusadasi for dinner. Overnight: 4-star Marina Hotel or similar in KusadasiDay 4: Kusadasi – Pamukkale – Hierapolis -- Pamukkale (B, D)Start your morning with breakfast and then browse a display of locally hand-crafted leather goods. Then, head to Pamukkale to admire the magnificent white limestone terraces, known as travertines. Enjoy a tour of the ancient city of Hierapolis to see the magnificently preserved Necropolis, its main street fronted by gates, Basilica of St Philippe and a Greek-Roman theater.You can also take a dip in the hot springs, which were used in Roman times because of their therapeutic powers. After your relaxing soak, head back to Pamukkale for dinner in the evening. Overnight: 5-star Colossae hotel or similar in Pamukkale Day 5: Pamukkale -- IstanbulOn your fifth day, journey back to Istanbul, passing through rural Turkey and ancient Bursa to visit famous Green Mosque and explore a silk bazaar. When you arrive, you’ll be taken to your hotel to conclude your tour.
Turkey Tour from Istanbul to Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus, More
Traveling with a knowledgeable guide and by air-conditioned coach, your 7-day tour takes you on a captivating round-trip to Turkey’s classic historical and cultural sights, starting and finishing in Istanbul. Your tour includes six nights of accommodation: with one night in Çanakkale, two nights in Kusadasi, one night in Pamukkale, and two nights in Cappadocia. All accommodation is centrally located for maximum convenience, and there’s ample free time to explore each town at your leisure in between excursions. Breakfast and dinner are included at each hotel and there is a break for lunch at your own expense on each day.See the Itinerary for details on each day of your tour.
Troy Day Trip from Istanbul
After an early pickup from your Istanbul hotel, hit the road and travel south by luxury coach toward the ancient city of Troy. The full journey takes up most of the morning, so to break it up, stop in the town of Tekirdag for breakfast and a Turkish coffee (own expense). Around midday, stop again in Eceabat, on the east coast of the Dardanelles.After your two-course lunch in one of the town’s best seafood restaurants – Liman – hop on board a ferry for the 20-minute crossing to Canakkale. From here, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Troy is a short coach ride away. Easily one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites, Troy dates back nearly 4,000 years and is said to signify the first contact between Anatolia and the Mediterranean countries. On a 1-hour walking tour around the site, your guide will talk about Troy’s history and its development as a series of settlements. Learn how it started as a Bronze Age dwelling, survived a Balkan invasion, was rejuvenated during Greek and Roman rules, and even a had stint as a Byzantine town before falling into a state of ruin.Hear tales of the Trojan War – an important Greek mythological story – and learn about the Trojan prince (Paris) who ran away with Zeus’ daughter (Helen) and thus sparked the 10-year war. After exploring the ruins, visit the wooden Trojan Horse that symbolizes the town and the Trojan War before returning to Istanbul.
2-Day Troy and Gallipoli Tour from Istanbul
Day 1: Istanbul – Gallipoli – Çanakkale (L)Leave central Istanbul, and then travel by coach to the battlefields of Gallipoli. Your pickup time is early, so, if you’ve not had breakfast, enjoy a quick food stop just after leaving the city (own expense). After roughly four hours on the road, arrive at the historic site where one of the most brutal and lengthy campaigns of WWI was waged. On April 25, 1915, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps followed Allied orders to mount an attack with the aim of capturing Constantinople. The attack was met with unprecedented resistance from the Ottoman Turks and the campaign dragged out for some eight months, with thousands of fatalities.As you walk about the area, learn all about the key battles that took place and see several poignant memorials that are visited by people from all over the world. Visit Lone Pine — Australia’s main memorial site — and explore the trenches of the Nek while hearing about the troops that stormed the surrounding woodland.See Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial, one of the rare sites that Allied troops captured for a short time, and pay your respects to fallen soldiers at ANZAC Cove where some of the most significant Gallipoli battles took place. Walk around Ari Burnu Cemetery where more than 200 servicemen are buried, and see other touching memorials including Brighton Beach, the Beach Cemetery and the trenches at Johnson’s Jolly.Your day at the site includes ample free time for independent sightseeing, plus lunch in a restaurant halfway through your tour. After exploring, travel to your hotel in central Çanakkale, and then spend your evening at leisure.Overnight: 3-star Grand Anzac Hotel or Büyük Truva Hotel in central ÇanakkaleDay 2: Çanakkale – Troy – Istanbul (B, L)Check out of your hotel after breakfast, we will be visiting Cimenlik Castle and Nusrat minelayer.On a walking tour of the site, learn of Troy’s history and of its development as a series of settlements. Hear how it originated as a Bronze Age dwelling, and even a had stint as a Byzantine town before falling into a state of ruin. Troy is also famous for its links to the Trojan War, the Greek mythological story of the Trojan prince (Paris) who ran away with Zeus’ daughter (Helen) and sparked the 10-year battle. After exploring the ruins, visit the wooden Trojan Horse, which symbolizes the town, and enjoy free time to take photos at leisure. Before starting your journey back to Istanbul, enjoy a break for lunch in a local restaurant, and then pass through the ancient city of Troy, roughly half an hour away. One of the world’s most famous archeological sites, Troy dates back around 4,000 years and is believed to be the city where the first contact between Anatolia (ancient Asia) and the Mediterranean region was made. Then, relax on the journey north, and finish with a hotel drop-off in central Istanbul in the late evening.
8-Day Best of Turkey Tour from Istanbul: Pamukkale, Bursa, Troy, Gallipoli, Ephesus
Start your 8-day tour with an airport transfer from either of Istanbul's two major airports to your central Istanbul hotel. Alternatively, if you are already in Istanbul you can opt for a hotel-to-hotel transfer for a hassle-free start to your tour. Your tour includes accommodation in Istanbul, Çanakkale, Kusadasi and Pamukkale. All accommodation is centrally located for maximum convenience, and you’ll have ample time to explore each town at leisure in between excursions.