# 2-Day Ephesus & Pamukkale Tour from Istanbul (Group) — by Plane
Canonical: https://turkeyvia.com/tours/ephesus-pamukkale-2-day-tour-from-istanbul-by-plane
Updated: 2026-10-25

## Key facts
- Price: From €499 per person (based on 2 travellers)
- Tour type: Shared group tour
- Duration: 2 Days
- Included: Flights, hotel & guided days included.
- Pickup / meeting point: Istanbul hotel pickup included. Your driver will meet you at the lobby at 05:00 AM.
- Payment: Reserve online with a 40% deposit by card (at least the cost of the flights), the balance in cash on arrival.
- Cancellation: Cancellation charges from 25% · see the schedule

## 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. Day 1 starts with a 05:00 hotel pickup and flight to İzmir, then Ephesus and an overnight stay in Kuşadası. Day 2 travels about 3 hours to Pamukkale before the flight back from Denizli Çardak Airport. Walk the Pamukkale terraces barefoot; footwear is not allowed there. Day 1 includes a 30–45 minute Carpet Weaving Education Center stop, with no obligation to buy. Cleopatra’s Pool admission is separate.

## 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
### Fly to İzmir, Ephesus and a Night in Kuşadası

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. Stops: Ephesus, Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min), House of the Virgin Mary, Temple of Artemis.

### Pamukkale Travertines, Hierapolis and Flight to Istanbul

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. Stops: Hierapolis necropolis and Frontinus Gate, Hierapolis theatre, Pamukkale travertine terraces.

## 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

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

## FAQ
### 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.

## Book
Book on the tour page: https://turkeyvia.com/tours/ephesus-pamukkale-2-day-tour-from-istanbul-by-plane. Questions: WhatsApp +90 507 357 58 94