3-Day Aegean Classics: Ephesus & Pamukkale Tour from Istanbul (Flights + Hotels)

In the late morning or afternoon, a driver picks you up from your Istanbul hotel and transfers you to the airport. After a short domestic flight to Izmir, a local representative meets you at the exit and drives you to your hotel in Kuşadası or Selçuk.

The rest of the day is free. You can stretch your legs along Kuşadası’s seafront promenade, explore the narrow streets and small cafes of Selçuk, or simply rest at the hotel and get ready for the next day’s sightseeing.

Overnight in Kuşadası or Selçuk.

After breakfast, you’re picked up for your full-day Ephesus tour. The day usually begins at the House of the Virgin Mary, a quiet stone chapel surrounded by trees on the slope of Mount Koressos. Many visitors light a candle or hang a small wish on the wall outside; even if you’re not religious, the atmosphere is calm and reflective.

From there you drive down to the ancient city of Ephesus. Entering through the upper gate, you walk along marble streets worn smooth by centuries of traffic. Your guide points out the Odeon, the Temple of Hadrian, public baths and the famous Terrace Houses (optional extra ticket if included on the day). The highlight is the elegant façade of the Library of Celsus, followed by the vast Great Theatre, which once hosted crowds of up to 25,000 people.

You break for lunch at a local restaurant, then visit the remains of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and either the Isa Bey Mosque or the Ephesus Archaeological Museum, depending on opening times and route.

Late afternoon, you return to your hotel by the coast. The evening is free to enjoy fresh seafood, wander the harbour, or just relax.
Overnight in Kuşadası or Selçuk.

After breakfast and check-out, you set off inland toward Pamukkale, driving through farming villages and fields. The journey takes around 2.5–3 hours with a short comfort stop on the way.

On arrival, you first explore Hierapolis, the ancient spa city built above the terraces. You walk through its necropolis and along the main street to the Roman theatre, which offers wide views over the valley. Your guide explains how people once came here for healing in the hot mineral springs.

Then you head to the famous Pamukkale travertine terraces. From up close they look like frozen waterfalls; in reality they’re soft, chalky formations shaped by mineral-rich water. You remove your shoes and follow the marked path barefoot, wading through shallow warm pools and feeling the unusual texture underfoot. If you wish, you can pay the extra fee to swim in Cleopatra Antique Pool, a thermal pool filled with warm water and fallen marble columns.

In the late afternoon, you drive to Denizli or Izmir airport (depending on the day’s flight schedule) and board your evening flight back to Istanbul. Our driver meets you at the airport and transfers you to your central hotel.
Tour ends on arrival at your hotel.