How long does it take to visit Hattusa?

Allow about 3–4 hours for the Upper and Lower City. With nearby Yazılıkaya and the Boğazköy Museum, the visit takes half a day to a full day. The site is large, so the circular route can be driven or walked.

What is there to see at Hattusa?

The main structures are the Great Temple, the Lion Gate, the King's Gate, the Yer Kapı and Sphinx Gate, the royal citadel of Büyükkale and Nişantepe. The nearby Yazılıkaya open-air sanctuary and the Boğazköy Museum are also essential.

When is the best time to visit Hattusa?

Spring and autumn are ideal; the weather is mild and the entirely open-air site is comfortable to explore. In summer, visit in the early morning or late afternoon.

Hattusa Visitor Guide: How to Get There, What to See

Q: Where is Hattusa and how far is it from Çorum?

Hattusa is in the Boğazkale district of Çorum. It is about 86 km from the city centre, roughly a one-hour drive. The ruins lie right next to the town of Boğazkale.

Q: How do you get to Hattusa?

The most practical way is by car or on a tour. By public transport you take a bus from Çorum to Sungurlu, then a taxi or minibus to Boğazkale. As the site is large, those with their own car can drive the inner loop road.

Hattusa was the capital of the Hittite Empire and, together with Yazılıkaya, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1986. The cuneiform tablets found at Boğazköy were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World register in 2001. This page focuses on how to visit rather than the history.

📍 Location and transport

Hattusa is in the Boğazkale district of Çorum, about 86 km from the city centre — roughly a one-hour drive. The most practical way to get there is by car or on a tour. By public transport, take a bus from Çorum to Sungurlu, then a taxi or minibus to Boğazkale. For all the ways to reach the city, see how to get to Çorum.

🗺️ Layout of the site

Hattusa is one of the largest ancient city complexes in the world (about 180 hectares). A valley divides it into the Lower City (north) and the Upper City (south). The visit follows a one-way circular route (about 3–4 km); as the area is vast, you can drive from stop to stop or walk. A full walk takes at least three hours and some slopes are steep.

🏛️ Main structures to see

Great Temple: in the Lower City, near the entrance; the largest temple in the city and usually where the visit begins.
Lion Gate: on the southern walls, a monumental gate flanked by two huge stone lions.
King's Gate: on the eastern walls; its inner face bears a relief of an armed god/warrior (a copy on site; the original is in a museum).
Yer Kapı and Sphinx Gate: the highest point of the Upper City. Yer Kapı is a huge artificial rampart, and the roughly 71-metre postern tunnel beneath it can still be walked through thousands of years on. The top commands a view over the whole plain.
Büyükkale: the terraced royal citadel that held the palaces and archives.
Nişantepe: a weathered Luwian hieroglyphic inscription carved into the rock.

⛰️ Yazılıkaya open-air sanctuary

About 1.5–2 km northeast of Hattusa, Yazılıkaya is the largest known Hittite rock monument. Its two rock chambers contain reliefs of processions of gods and goddesses. It is visited the same day as Hattusa but as a separate stop (by car). The reliefs are clearest around midday, when the light hits the wall at an angle.

🏺 Boğazköy Museum

Just outside the site in Boğazkale, the museum displays finds from the Hittite and surrounding periods in chronological order, including the Boğazköy Sphinx returned from Germany. It is convenient to combine it with the site visit.

🎒 Practical tips

Time: ~3–4 hours for the Upper + Lower City; half to a full day with Yazılıkaya and the museum.
Season: spring and autumn are ideal; there is little shade on summer middays.
Come prepared: it is entirely open ground and walking terrain — bring comfortable shoes, a hat/sunscreen and water.
Nearby: Alacahöyük (about 36 km / 40 min from Boğazkale) and Şapinuva near Ortaköy are other major Hittite sites.
Entrance fees and opening hours can vary by season; check the official museum source before visiting.

Related: places to visit · things to do · Çorum Guide.