Planning a trip to Hattusas
Visitor Information -- The only available information is a rough topographical map placed outside the ticket booth that won't do you any good once you drive away. The Hattusas Pansiyon has a good map of the site and the town; visit www.hattusha.com.
There may be an "employee" at the booth offering his services or, more innocently, asking for a ride through the site, but don't be fooled -- this is a local posing as a guide for tips. Although some of the locals can be knowledgeable, you'll have to weigh the fact that you'll be relinquishing your right to silence and self-discovery as you attempt to absorb the enormity of the place. All of the significant sites are signposted, so you don't have to worry about missing them.
Getting There
At 210km from Ankara (130 often meandering miles and easily 4 1/2-5 hours by bus/dolmus), a private car, which will cut the trip down to 2 1/2 hours each way, is an absolute must. To get there, take highway 200-E88 out of Ankara and follow the signs for Samsun. Take the turnoff for Çorum, following past Delice and Süngürlü, and begin looking for signs for Bogazköy and the archaeological site. (The highway winds through a spectacular and desolate landscape -- so be sure to fill up the tank before you go, because petrol stations in these parts pump pretty much only diesel.) The site is located at the summit of an imposing and rocky terrain high above the fertile valley of the village of Bogazköy.
To get there from Ankara by public transportation (if you insist), take a bus to the center of Süngürlü, where you'll be changing to a dolmus for the remaining 22.5km (14-mile) ride into Bogazköy. Dolmuses run from 7:30 to 7pm from Süngürlü and from 7am to 4:40pm from Bogazköy. Taxis from Süngürlü run around 30€; clients of the Hattusas Pansiyon, Baykal Hotel, and Asikoglu Hotels can get a pickup for free.
