Hattusa: Bronze Age jewel of Ancient Anatolia - I had a fantastic time with Selim the guide. We spoke about the history of the Hittite empire, their beliefs and rituals, daily life, their friends and enemies, their rise and fall, who came after them, and human nature as a whole. Selim was very knowledgeable about history and culture. Selim was tour guide and driver for this, but usually there is a driver I believe. It was a long day of driving to and from Goreme, but totally worth it. The sights were nice looking at farmland and mountainous landscapes. On the way to Hattusa we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant in Yozgat and had a delicious lamb meal with ayran and tea. Then we went to Yazilikaya where there was beautiful stone reliefs from the Hittites. Then we went to the ancient city of Hattusa which was very impressive after all these years. The ride there and back is about 3hr each way, but Selim offers to stop for a water and/or bathroom break at any time. As for attire, I don’t think hiking shoes or anything are really necessary, the site is surprisingly well maintained and there was very little difficult terrain at all. Maybe bring a large hat and/or sunscreen. I recommend watching YouTube videos about Hattusa, the Hittite empire, and the Bronze Age before booking this tour to help visualize and contextualize everything. Or afterwards if this tour sparks an interest in the Hittites and Bronze Age. I find the time period fascinating and watched many hours of documentaries and shorter videos online. Also there is an audiobook from “The Great Courses” titled “Great Ancient Civilizations of Asia Minor” that is very interesting and educational about not only the Hittites but other ancient civilizations that inhabited Asia Minor or Anatolia. Lastly the strategic video game “Total War: Pharoah” takes place in the Bronze Age where you can lead the Hittites, or Mycaenean Greeks, Trojans, Babylonians, Sea Peoples, or Egyptians. It features great 3D models of all of these civilizations with historically accurate armor, weapons, chariots, landscapes, buildings, walls, and other city structures of the Bronze Age that is infrequently represented in popular media and culture today. (Well, maybe the Egyptians are well known, but the others are basically unheard of sadly). Again I highly recommend booking this tour to visit one of the largest and most important cities of the world at one point long ago. It is a unique experience.

Perfect trip to the Hittites capital - I took a solo trip with Stoneland Travel and Selim to Hattusas. They are excellent guys! The company charges reasonable prices for solo tours, and their reps quickly respond and keep good contact. Selim is not only professional, but also kind and fun. He told me many amazing facts about the Hittites which I couldn't find in the books. Thanks very much to Selim and Stoneland Travel for one wonderful day in my life:)

Don’t Miss Out on Hattuşa! - On 12.06.2024 we spent the day with our guide Selim to go see Hattuşa and we had the best time! It’s a bit of a drive from where we were staying in Göreme, but Selim shared all kinds of interesting information about the area and it’s a really cool way to see Turkey. The archaeological site itself is breathtaking. As Americans, we’re not used to this kind of access to significant historical sites and we basically had the whole place to ourselves. It was June during our visit- I would recommend sun screen and a hat, and a decent pair of shoes since there is a small bit of hiking to do. But it was a beautiful, warm day, with a nice breeze since you are at some elevation. Lunch was also a treat- Selim took us to a great local restaurant and we greatly enjoyed our conversation during the meal! It’s definitely a long day, but if you love history and you love seeing something totally unique, I would suggest you go on this tour! You don’t want to miss out. Thank you Selim and Stoneland Travel for the unforgettable experience!

Incredible, awe inspiring. Highly recommended. - Being Australian I’m not normally prone to hyperbole, but I am honestly struggling to think of a better experience, and I have been on a lot of tours! My guide today was Selim, and he was very knowledgeable, friendly, and courteous. Being November, the crowds were low, so there were various times when we had the sites all to ourselves. This was surreal, given the importance of the sites. Hattusa is the capital city (yes it was a city) of the Bronze Age Indo-European people known now as the Hittites. Their empire was at its height from 1650 to 1190 BCE, even though they were around before and after this time. They are famous for being one of the first speakers of an Indo-European language, highly diplomatic, and extremely religiously tolerant. To the point of introducing the gods of other kingdoms into their pantheon. It is why they are known as the Kingdom of a Thousand Gods. We visited multiple sites, but my favourites were obviously Hattusa itself and Yazılıkaya, the sacred sanctuary next to the main city. I was so excited that I kept disappearing to look for artefacts. Selim was very understanding about this and let me take my time, even though we got back an hour late. So sorry! There is so much to say about this place, but I would just recommend reading about it on Wikipedia and definitely take this tour! At the moment, it is not well known so do it as soon as possible, before other tourists realise how good this is! It is well worth it.

Amazing tour. Well worth the long drive. Only for adventurers and those looking for something unique. - Travel It was a three hour drive each way which is a long drive. The way over and back is mostly farmland with a sprinkling of small towns. The vehicle was a new Mercedes tour van. We were picked up at 9a and returned to our hotel at 6p. Tour The first site, a church, is small. It took about 30 minutes at a slow pace. The second site is the main complex. We stopped at 10-15 locations that had unique places to see. We spent another 60-90 minutes, but could have spent more. You definitely need a guide. Even the Turkish tourists we saw had no idea where to look or what they were looking at. Hiking It's a moderate walk up some steps. Most of it is accessible by driving. Guide Our guide was Selim Ayas. He was fantastic. Unlike other guides who learn a script, Selim really knows about this place. He loves going there and it shows. He is from Stoneland Travel which handled everything for our time in Goreme. Food The driver/guide stopped at a small town convenience store where we were able to get snacks and drinks for less than half the tourist area prices. We also ate lunch at a traditional Turkish restaurant hat had no tour buses. Bragging Rights Not many people have studied the Hittites and much of what you will see is rocky ruins. But the scenery is beautiful and there are enough shots for Instagram. Also, we only saw 10 tourists the whole time we were there compared to 1000 or more everywhere else. Conclusion Definitely go on this trip if you're interested in history. It's also a beautiful landscape with an impressive site of ruins.

Magical Hattusas - It was an amazing experience traveling through centre Anatolia and to Hattusas with tour guide Salim and his tour assistant. I hope more people will appreciate this place as it is truly magical and special.