Need guidance for 2 days from Izmir to Istanbul. To Troy or not?

Troy is not much if any of a site. We wished we hadn’t bothered going there.Spend your time in Istanbul and a shorter amount of time in Izmir.

Thank you @suki for quick reply. We will spend 5 whole days in Istanbul at the beginning of our trip, so would prefer to spend extra 1-1/2 day in Izmir (If Troy is definitely a no-no). What would you recommend around Izmir? Thanks in advance.

You need a very good guide to make Troy come to life. I would not have been able to make much sense of the rubble had it not been for an excellent guide.

It's up to you. Personally, I would spend an extra day in either Izmir or Istanbul. On the other hand, Troy is as legendary as place as ever existed. If Homer and the Iliad are your thing and you want to stand in the footsteps of Priam and Paris, then there's a lot to be said for going. Just don't expect to see a lot.

If you don’t want to do Troy , Chek this 2 ancient sites ; Sardis,located east of Izmir. Pergamon ; at north of Izmir.

Thank you, Marie! Could you please share the contact details of your excellent guide?

Thank you, @Traveler-Hakan. We will definitely check out these two alternatives to Troy.

@vijay. Unfortunately, our guide had to move to the US shortly after the 2016 coup attempt.

Pergamon is highly worthwhile but I have no guide to recommend— we came with a group from our hotel in Lesvos, Greece. You could likely find a day tour from Izmir once you’re there.

If you could get a bus out of Izmir on the 25th and want a bit of adventure, here’s another idea:

Take the bus to Dalyan on May 25 and stay overnight — we loved the Kilim hotel. It’s right on the river, with Lycian Tombs built into the cliff walls opposite the hotel. On the 26th, you can visit Iztuzu Beach, which has a sea turtle hospital that we found fascinating— they rehab sick or injured sea turtles, then release them with transmitters in their back so they can track them. Or you could take a relaxing riverboat ride, which ends in an optional mud bath.

Lots of great restaurants in Dalyan — it’s a favorite place for British visitors, as you’ll see from all the “full English breakfast” signs.

On the 27th, you could wander the town a bit (or visit the turtles if you opted for the boat trip on the 26th) — then a quick trip to the Dalaman airport just outside Dalyan and fly back to Istanbul.

We were in our late 60’s when we did this and it was very easy — the Turkish people were very helpful. If you can verify that first bus out of Izmir (maybe your Izmir hotel could help?) all you’d need to prearrange is the plane ticket back to Istanbul, then your hotel in Dalyan.

Thank you for the guidance. We will look at Pergamon.
We are also spending a day around Ephesus. Is Pergamon a different kind of archeological site and a different learning experience? Asking because you have been to both.

(Beach & Turtles rescue are near where we live on the east coast. So would like to spend a day on something different.

Troy is best done with a guide, I agree! Otherwise you follow a boardwalk around and look at some foundations of ruins. Many artifacts from Troy (those that weren't sprinted off to foreign lands) are actually found in the Istanbul Archeology Museum and I actually think that you will have the better "Troy" experience by visiting that museum. It is located close to many other major sites and is easy to walk to from Haggia Sophia, Blue Mosque, or Basilica Cisterns.

When we went to Pergamon we had the whole place to ourselves, so it was very different from Ephesus. It was 20 years ago so I can’t guarantee today, but I would expect far fewer crowds.

Pergamon features the ruins of the Temple of Trajan on the top of a hill, with spectacular views. Standing there beside the pillars, looking at the sea, I could almost feel the ancient people around us. There are other scattered ruins as well but not as many as Ephesus.

Sadly, the spectacular Pergamon Altar was removed from the site in the 19th century and is now housed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, which is currently closed for renovation.

The amphitheater is very well preserved. It held 10,000 people and was one of the steepest ever built. The acoustics are amazing.

Your tour would also likely take you to the Asclepion, an interesting 4th century BC medical center. It included a tunnel which patients would walk through while getting healing messages spoken from above … an ancient tribute to the power of suggestion.

Thank you for informative replies; I appreciate it.
Both Pergamon and Troy will take a whole day from Izmir before we head out to Istanbul for return flight.
Pergamon ruins sound more interesting than Troy. More to see, plus we had intended to visit the Istanbul Archeological Museum anyway-- so will get to see artifacts from Troy.
Thanks, to both of you.