Daily Pergamon Tour from Bergama – Acropolis by Cable Car

Daily Pergamon Tour from Bergama – UNESCO Acropolis, Theatre and Altar of Zeus

This daily Pergamon tour from Bergama takes you up to one of the most dramatic ancient sites in Turkey, the Acropolis of Pergamon, crowning a conical hill about 335 metres above the plain. With hotel pick-up, a cable car ride, a guided walk through the ruins and lunch included, it is a relaxed day tour for anyone staying in town.

• Cable car ride up to the UNESCO-listed Pergamon Acropolis
• The remains of the famous library of the Attalid kings
• The steepest ancient theatre in Turkey, cut into the hillside
• The Altar of Zeus and the royal palace area
• The gateway of the Temple of Athena and wide views over the valley

Pergamon lies about 25 kilometres inland from the Aegean, above the Bakircay valley, known in antiquity as the Caicus, which linked it to the coast. It flourished in the Hellenistic age as the capital of the Attalid dynasty and later became the first capital of the Roman province of Asia before Ephesus took that role. Its library was among the greatest of the ancient world, and the city is also remembered as the birthplace of Galen, whose medical teaching shaped European medicine until the Renaissance. In early Christian times Pergamon was home to one of the Seven Churches of Revelation.

As a Pergamon day trip, the daily excursion combines history with sweeping views, and the return to Bergama is usually between 17:00 and 18:00. After the visit, an optional stop at an onyx and jewellery workshop shows traditional Turkish crafts. If the cable car is not running, the Acropolis is reached by taxi or bus instead. Wear sturdy shoes and bring sun protection.