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2-Day Ephesus & Pamukkale Tour from Istanbul (Group)by Plane

Istanbul ✈ Izmir → Denizli ✈ Istanbul · flights included

From €499 pp

€998 for 2 travellers

Flights, hotel & guided days included

Reserve with a deposit that covers your flights, by card: €421.88 for 2

Cancellation charges from 25% · Free date change up to 21 days before · Full schedule

  • 2 days · 1 night

  • 2 flights includedIstanbul → Izmir → Istanbul

  • Hotels & breakfast1 night · kusadasi

  • Shared groupEnglish-speaking guide

Next available: Fri 6 Nov · WhatsApp reply in ~1 h

Overview

This 2-day group tour from Istanbul by plane visits Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, Kuşadası, Pamukkale and Hierapolis. Flights, a hotel night, guide, entrance tickets and lunches are included.

Highlights

  • Walk Curetes Street at Ephesus
  • Visit the House of the Virgin Mary
  • See Hierapolis theatre and necropolis
  • Walk barefoot on Pamukkale’s travertine terraces
  • Stay overnight in Kuşadası

Itinerary

2 days · Istanbul ✈ Izmir → Denizli ✈ Istanbul

  1. Day 1Fly to İzmir, Ephesus and a Night in KuşadasıEphesus · Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min) · House of the Virgin Mary
    Your two-day trip begins with a 05:00 lobby pickup in Istanbul and an early flight south to İzmir. A transfer of about an hour brings you to Selçuk to join the shared group tour of Ephesus, with a licensed guide and entrance tickets for Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary included. After lunch in Selçuk, the group visits a carpet weaving center, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis. In the evening you are dropped at your hotel in Kuşadası; tomorrow the group heads inland to Pamukkale.

    1. Istanbul to İzmir flight

      After the 05:00 hotel pickup and airport transfer, take the early economy flight to İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport.

    2. İzmir Airport to Ephesus

      A transfer of about an hour to the Ephesus area, where the shared group starts.

    3. Ephesus

      Time here: about 2 hours

      The walk runs downhill from the State Agora past the Temple of Hadrian, whose carved arch faces Curetes Street, and ends at the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre.

      Tip: A hat helps; shade is limited.

    4. Lunch in Selçuk

      Lunch with the group in Selçuk, the small town next to Ephesus.

    5. Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min)

      Weavers show how a design is built up row by row on the loom. No obligation to buy.

    6. House of the Virgin Mary

      This pilgrimage chapel sits about 7 km above Selçuk on Bülbüldağı, 'Nightingale Mountain'. Christians and Muslims both come here to pray.

    7. Temple of Artemis

      The site of the great temple of Artemis, rebuilt after Herostratus set fire to it in 356 BC; today a single column stands.

    8. Transfer to your Kuşadası hotel

      The group minibus drops you at your hotel in Kuşadası, about 20 minutes from Selçuk.

    Flight, airport transfer and shared air-conditioned minibus

    Meals: LunchOvernight: Kuşadası — Ephesus Centrum Hotel or similar

  2. Day 2Pamukkale Travertines, Hierapolis and Flight to IstanbulHierapolis necropolis and Frontinus Gate · Hierapolis theatre · Pamukkale travertine terraces
    Check out of your Kuşadası hotel in the morning and bring your luggage, because today ends at the airport. The shared group drives inland for about three hours to Pamukkale, where warm springs have coated a whole hillside in white calcite. Your licensed guide leads you through the Roman spa city of Hierapolis on the plateau and down onto the terraces, with lunch in Pamukkale along the way. Late in the day the tour drops you at Denizli Çardak Airport for your flight back to Istanbul.

    1. Kuşadası to Pamukkale drive

      Time here: about 3 hours

      The road runs east through the wide Büyük Menderes valley, past cotton fields and fig orchards, with a rest stop on the way. Your bags stay with you until the airport.

    2. Hierapolis necropolis and Frontinus Gate

      Enter past one of the largest ancient cemeteries in Anatolia, then walk under the triple-arched gate built around AD 85 onto the city's old colonnaded main street.

    3. Hierapolis theatre

      Probably begun under Emperor Hadrian and remodeled in the early 3rd century, the theatre held somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 spectators; its restored stage building still carries carved mythological reliefs.

    4. Lunch in Pamukkale

      Lunch at a local restaurant is included; drinks are not.

    5. Pamukkale travertine terraces

      Time here: about 1 hour

      Spring water around 35°C flows over the terraces and leaves fresh white calcite as it cools. Shoes are not allowed on the travertines, so you walk barefoot on the marked path.

      Tip: Step slowly: algae in the shallow pools can be slippery and some dry ridges feel rough underfoot; sunglasses help against the glare.

    6. Transfer to Denizli Çardak Airport

      Time here: about 1 hour

      The airport lies roughly 65 km from Pamukkale. If you removed the flights option, the tour ends for you here.

    7. Denizli to Istanbul evening flight

      Economy class, with checked baggage as per the ticket fare. The ride from the Istanbul airport to your hotel is not included; a private transfer can be added at /airport-transfers.

    Air-conditioned vehicle shared with the group, then a domestic flight

    Optional activities

    • Swim in Cleopatra's (Antique) Pool, own ticket · Not included

    Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Download the day-by-day PDF

Flights and hotel

Flights

  • Istanbul → Izmir · day 1
  • Denizli → Istanbul · day 2

Economy class, checked bag as per the ticket fare. Have your own flights? Remove them when you book — the price updates.

Hotel

  • 1 night in Kusadasi: Ephesus Centrum Hotel or similar, double room with breakfast

Pickup and route

Pickup
Istanbul hotel pickup included. Your driver will meet you at the lobby at 05:00 AM.
Route of 2-Day Ephesus & Pamukkale Tour from Istanbul (Group) — by Plane1Ephesus2Pamukkale / Hierapolis
Route map is schematic — exact pickup and meeting points are in your confirmation.

What's included

Included

  • Licensed English-speaking guide
  • Air-conditioned sightseeing transport in Ephesus and Pamukkale, Istanbul hotel-to-airport transfer, and İzmir Airport-to-Ephesus transfer
  • Entrance tickets: Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary, Hierapolis and Pamukkale
  • Lunch on days 1 and 2: Selçuk and Pamukkale
  • 1 night in Kusadasi: Ephesus Centrum Hotel or similar, double room with breakfast
  • Flight Istanbul → Izmir on day 1 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)
  • Flight Denizli → Istanbul on day 2 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)

Not included

  • Tips (optional)
  • Personal purchases
  • Drinks with meals
  • Dinner
  • Cleopatra’s Pool admission

Optional extras

  • Hotel nights (1 night)
  • Domestic flights

Good to know

Workshop stop: a carpet weaving centre. Part of the programme, no obligation to buy.

Before you go

  • Domestic flights are economy class. Your baggage allowance follows the ticket fare, and we confirm it with your tickets.
  • Travel with the passport you booked with: airlines check the name on the ticket against it.
  • Wear comfortable walking shoes: most sites have uneven ground, stone paths and steps.
  • Bring a hat, sunscreen and water in the warm months; there is little shade at the ancient sites.
  • Vegetarian, vegan or other dietary needs at lunch: tell us when you book and we let the restaurant know.
  • Mobility needs or travelling with small children? Tell us before you book, and we tell you honestly which parts of the day suit you.
  • We send your final programme, hotel names and pickup times before departure, and you can reach us on WhatsApp during the trip.

Payment and cancellation

Today
€421.88 deposit by card (3-D Secure), for 2 travellers.
On arrival
€526.22 in cash, in euros, with the 5% cash saving on the total already taken off.
  • 91 days or more: The 25% administrative fee is charged. 61–90 days: 55% of the total is charged (30% + the 25% administrative fee). 31–60 days: 65% of the total is charged (40% + the 25% administrative fee). 16–30 days: 95% of the total is charged (70% + the 25% administrative fee). 15 days or less or no-show: 100% of the total is charged. Charges are percentages of the total booking value and include the 25% administrative fee retained on every cancellation; non-refundable flight, hotel or entrance tickets already bought are added, up to 100% of the total. Your deposit is applied to the charge: if the charge is higher than your deposit, you pay us the difference; anything we hold above the charge is refunded within 14 days.
  • If a hotel in your package is booked on a non-refundable rate, we tell you before you pay and that night's cost is retained on cancellation.
  • Request cancellation in writing, by email or WhatsApp; the cancellation date is the day we receive your message. Refunds go back the way you paid, within 14 days: card payments to the same card. Shore excursions are paid on the day, so nothing is collected in advance.
  • If unavoidable extraordinary circumstances at the destination make the trip impossible, you receive a full refund, less any mandatory taxes and genuinely non-refundable third-party payments, itemised for you.
  • Date changes are free when requested at least 72 hours before a day tour, 24 hours before a shore excursion, or 21 days before a package or a day trip by plane, subject to availability. For these, a date change 14–20 days before departure costs €50 per booking; under 14 days it depends on availability, and any airline or hotel change fees are charged at cost. Name changes (passing your booking to someone else at least 7 days before departure) are free except for any airline name-change fee, charged at cost.
  • If TurkeyVia cancels, including because the minimum group size is not met, you can choose a full refund or an alternative.

If we can’t book your flights or hotel for your dates, that counts as our cancellation: a full refund to your card within 14 days, or another date if you prefer.

Full cancellation policy

Your contract is with İlke Seyahat Turizm Ticaret Gıda Orman Ürünleri Gemi Acenteliği İthalat İhracat Sanayi Limited Şirketi, Turgut Ozal Bulvari 67/1, Kusadasi, Aydin 09400, Turkey — the company behind TurkeyVia. Terms

Frequently asked questions

What time does the 2-Day Ephesus & Pamukkale group tour start in Istanbul?

Your driver meets you in the lobby of your Istanbul hotel at 05:00 and takes you to the airport for the morning flight to İzmir. Our team meets you on arrival and the shared tour of Ephesus begins the same morning.

Can I join this two-day Ephesus and Pamukkale tour with my own flights?

Yes. Remove the domestic flights option when booking and we meet you at İzmir airport on day 1 (landing by about 08:30). Day 2 ends at Denizli Çardak Airport, so book a departure no earlier than about 21:30.

Is there a transfer when we land back in Istanbul on day 2?

No, the package only includes the morning ride from your Istanbul hotel to the airport on day 1. You can add a private car from the arrival airport to your hotel on our /airport-transfers page.

Do I really have to walk barefoot on the Pamukkale terraces?

Yes. No footwear is allowed on the travertines, so you carry your shoes and walk the marked path barefoot through warm, shallow water. In Hierapolis itself you keep your shoes on.

Which workshop visit is part of this two-day tour?

Day 1 includes a stop at a Carpet Weaving Education Center near Selçuk, about 30–45 minutes, with no obligation to buy. The Pamukkale day has no workshop stop.

Is Cleopatra's Pool included on the Pamukkale day?

No. The Antique Pool has its own ticket, which is not included. If you want to swim among its sunken columns, bring swimwear and ask your guide how much free time the day allows.

  • Your guided days are run by our own local team
  • On WhatsApp within about 1 hour, 09:00–18:00 Turkey time
  • Download the day-by-day PDF
  • Sold by İlke Seyahat Turizm Ticaret Gıda Orman Ürünleri Gemi Acenteliği İthalat İhracat Sanayi Limited Şirketi

Next available: Fri 6 Nov · WhatsApp reply in ~1 h

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