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Bozcaada's fortress by the harbour, a red-roofed town and blue sea, with the mainland hills beyond

Sample journey · 9–11 days

The Aegean, slowly: wine, olive oil and stone-built towns

Istanbul, Troy, Bozcaada, Assos, Ayvalık & Cunda, Alaçatı

Photo: Mert Kahveci / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The northern Aegean coast is the part of Turkey that Turks themselves choose for their holidays. There are fewer large resorts here and more small towns of Greek-built stone houses, olive groves, vineyards and fish restaurants right at the water's edge. Daily life turns around the table: the market in the morning, meze and wild greens at midday and, in the evening, a glass of local wine as the sun drops behind the Greek islands.

This sample route is for couples and anyone who likes to travel slowly. Two nights in each place, short drives, stays in small stone houses with courtyards and enough time that doing nothing becomes an option. It could be travelled with a driver or a hire car; the pace, the style of stays and the balance between history and the sea would be shaped around you.

The route

The journey

  1. Istanbul
  2. Çanakkale & Troy
  3. Bozcaada
  4. Assos
  5. Ayvalık & Cunda
  6. Alaçatı
  7. İzmir
  1. A steep street of old houses in Kuzguncuk running down towards the Bosphorus and a bridge beyond

    01Days 1–2 · Istanbul

    Mornings on the Asian shore

    Two nights not in the old city but on the Asian side, in Kuzguncuk or close by, among timber houses between the Bosphorus and the hill. This is a slower Istanbul: bakeries with a morning queue for simit, a church, a synagogue and a mosque on the same street, and cafés by the water. The ferry across to the European shore takes only minutes, so a single day can still include the Süleymaniye Mosque or the Spice Bazaar, before an evening back in the quiet. On the last night, dinner of fish and rakı right beside the water.

  2. Sunset over the sea from a low rocky headland, with wind turbines and a small group of people on the cape

    02Days 3–4 · Troy & Bozcaada

    From Homer to a wine island

    On the third morning, south-west across the Dardanelles to the Çanakkale area: about four to five hours by road, or a short domestic flight. In the afternoon, Troy: nine cities built one on top of another, best seen with a guide, and the new Troy Museum beside the site. In the evening, a short ferry to Bozcaada. Two nights on an island where vines have grown since antiquity: an evening in a winery tasting local grape varieties, and sunset on the island's western cape, where half of Bozcaada seems to gather on the rocks. In town, the old Greek quarter, tomato jam at breakfast and a fortress right by the harbour.

  3. Ancient stone arches on a hillside above the Aegean, with an island on the horizon

    03Days 5–6 · Assos

    A temple facing Lesbos

    A morning ferry back to the mainland and about an hour and a half through olive-covered hills to Assos. Two nights in a stone house in the village of Behramkale or below it by the little harbour. On the summit of the acropolis stand the columns of the Temple of Athena, and just across the strait lies the Greek island of Lesbos. Aristotle lived here for a time. On the second day, a walk along the old necropolis road, lunch at the harbour and an afternoon in the villages below the Kaz Mountains, where olive oil is pressed and mountain herbs are gathered.

  4. The houses of Cunda island on a hillside above the bay, with fishing boats and yachts on the water

    04Days 7–8 · Ayvalık & Cunda

    A town built on olive oil

    About an hour and a half south along the coast to Ayvalık. The town grew rich on olive oil: old factories with tall chimneys now house hotels and restaurants, and Greek churches have become mosques or museums. On Thursdays the big market is worth a visit for its cheeses, herbs and olives, and at some point an olive-oil press for a taste of the new oil. Across the causeway lies Cunda island, with stone houses and fish restaurants along the water, and the sunset is watched from a hill above the scattered islets.

  5. An empty cobbled street in Alaçatı between stone houses with blue shutters, with a lone walker in the distance

    05Days 9–11 · Alaçatı & İzmir

    Stone streets and windmills

    About two and a half to three hours south, around the Gulf of İzmir, to the Çeşme peninsula. Two nights in Alaçatı, a former Greek village whose blue-shuttered stone houses have become boutiques, restaurants and small hotels. In the morning, while the streets are empty, it's worth walking up to the windmills on the hill, and in the afternoon swimming in a quiet cove or watching the windsurfers who come for the steady breeze. On the way to İzmir airport, the vineyards of Urla would make a fine last lunch.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    A Bozcaada winery

    The island's own grape varieties, tasted where they grow, followed by sunset on the western cape.

  2. 02

    The Temple of Athena at Assos

    Columns on a rock above the sea, and Lesbos so close it seems you could swim across.

  3. 03

    New olive oil

    An olive-oil press in Ayvalık or the Kaz Mountain villages, where oil is tasted with bread and salt.

  4. 04

    Morning in Alaçatı

    Stone streets before the crowds, coffee in a courtyard under bougainvillea and a path up to the windmills.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With Ephesus

    Add two nights in Şirince or Selçuk to finish with Ephesus, about an hour from İzmir airport.

  • With Pergamon

    Pergamon's acropolis above Bergama is less than an hour from Ayvalık, easy to add as a half-day outing.

  • In autumn

    September and October usually bring the grape and olive harvests, the sea is still warm and the towns are much quieter than in summer.

  • With a Greek island

    In season, ferries run from Ayvalık to Lesbos, so the journey could continue into Greece.

Practical considerations

  • The best seasons are usually May to June and September to October. In July and August Alaçatı and Bozcaada are very busy and stays book up well in advance.
  • Ferries to Bozcaada run regularly, but on summer weekends the wait with a car can be long; we check ferry schedules before travel.
  • Out of season (roughly November to March) some island and Alaçatı restaurants and small hotels close.
  • Distances are short, but most places are best reached by car, either with a driver or a hire car.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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