# 5-Day Istanbul & Ephesus Group Tour — Old City & Bosphorus Cruise
Canonical: https://turkeyvia.com/tours/istanbul-ephesus-5-day-tour
Updated: 2026-10-24

## Key facts
- Price: From €789 per person (based on 2 travellers)
- Tour type: Shared group tour
- Duration: 5 Days
- Included: Flights, hotel & guided days included.
- Pickup / meeting point: Istanbul Airport pickup included. Your driver will meet you at arrivals.
- 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
Spend 5 days on a group tour of Istanbul and Ephesus, including an Old City visit and a Bosphorus cruise. Start at Istanbul Airport; the package includes domestic flights and four hotel nights. Day 1 is arrival in Istanbul, followed by the Old City tour on day 2. Day 3 is a Bosphorus cruise and free time. On day 4, fly to İzmir for the Ephesus group tour, then return to Istanbul that evening. Day 5 has breakfast, free time and a transfer to Istanbul Airport. Hagia Sophia’s upper gallery, Topkapı Palace with the Harem, the Bosphorus boat and Ephesus and House of the Virgin Mary tickets are included. The Old City day is mostly on foot; the Ephesus day is a long day with flights and transfers. The workshop visit is on day 4 at a Carpet Weaving Education Center, for about 30–45 minutes. There is no obligation to buy.

## Highlights
- Visit the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia
- See Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar
- Cruise the Bosphorus between two continents
- Walk Ephesus to the Library of Celsus and Great Theatre
- Visit the House of the Virgin Mary

## Itinerary
### Arrival in Istanbul and Transfer to Your Hotel

Your five days in Istanbul and Ephesus start at Istanbul Airport (IST), where you arrive on your own international flight. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall and brings you to the hotel, which is your base for all four nights, including the evening after the Ephesus flight day. The rest of the day is free for rest. Tomorrow you join the shared group and your licensed guide for the Old City tour, so an early night is a sensible idea. Stops: Free time after arrival.

### Istanbul Old City with Hagia Sophia and Topkapı

Today you join the shared group tour with a licensed guide for a full day in the old city, and both major tickets are covered: Hagia Sophia's upper gallery and Topkapı Palace including the Harem. You share the day with other travelers, and the guide keeps the group to a fixed plan built around opening hours and prayer times. Expect to spend most of the day on foot around Sultanahmet, with lunch included at a local restaurant. The day ends in the Grand Bazaar, within walking distance of the palace district. Stops: Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia upper gallery (ticket included), Topkapı Palace and Harem (ticket included), Grand Bazaar.

### Bosphorus Cruise Between Europe and Asia

Today's highlight is a cruise on the Bosphorus, the strait that divides Istanbul between Europe and Asia and links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. You travel with the group and your licensed guide on a public boat, with the boat ticket included. From the deck you see Ottoman palaces, mosques and wooden waterfront mansions, and pass beneath the bridges that join the two continents; how far north the boat goes depends on its route. After the cruise the rest of the day is free, and lunch today is not included. Stops: Bosphorus cruise on a public boat, Dolmabahçe Palace from the water, Ortaköy Mosque and the Bosphorus Bridge, Rumeli Hisarı fortress, Asian shore mansions, Free afternoon.

### Ephesus Day Trip by Air from Istanbul

Today you leave Istanbul for a day on the Aegean coast. After the transfer from your hotel to the airport, a domestic flight takes you to İzmir, and a transfer of about an hour brings you to Selçuk to join the shared group tour. With a licensed guide you visit the İsa Bey Mosque and Ephesus, have lunch in Selçuk, and continue to a carpet weaving center, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis. Entry to both Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary is part of the package. In the evening you fly back to Istanbul for another night at your hotel. Stops: İsa Bey Mosque, Ephesus, Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min), House of the Virgin Mary, Temple of Artemis.

### Free Time and Transfer to Istanbul Airport

The tour finishes today. Breakfast is included at the hotel, and there is no group plan, so the hours before your transfer are free. After yesterday's flights to and from İzmir and the long day at Ephesus, a slow morning may be welcome; if you have energy left, the waterfront at Eminönü or the Süleymaniye Mosque makes a fine last walk. Your driver collects you from the hotel at a time based on your international flight and takes you to Istanbul Airport. Stops: Morning at leisure.

## Included
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- Air-conditioned sightseeing transport, Istanbul airport arrival and departure transfers, day 4 Istanbul hotel-to-airport transfer, and return İzmir Airport–Ephesus transfers
- Entrance tickets: Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary
- Lunch on day 2 in Istanbul and day 4 in Selçuk
- 4 nights in Istanbul: central 3★ hotel, double room with breakfast
- Bosphorus cruise ticket
- Entrance tickets: Hagia Sophia (upper gallery), Topkapı Palace incl. Harem
- Flight Istanbul → Izmir on day 4 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)
- Flight Izmir → Istanbul on day 4 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)

## Not included
- Tips (optional)
- Personal purchases
- Drinks with meals
- Dinner
- Lunch on days 1, 3 and 5

## 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
### Who meets me at the airport for the 5-day Istanbul and Ephesus tour?

A driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Istanbul Airport (IST) with a TurkeyVia sign, and the airport transfer back on day 5 is included too. If you are flying into Sabiha Gökçen or at a different time, a private transfer can be arranged through our /airport-transfers page.

### Are Hagia Sophia and Topkapı tickets included on the Istanbul and Ephesus tour?

Yes. The tour includes the Hagia Sophia upper gallery ticket, Topkapı Palace with the Harem, the Bosphorus cruise ticket, and entrance to Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary. Other museums you visit in your free time are not included.

### How does the Ephesus day from Istanbul work?

On day 4 you are taken from your hotel to the airport for a flight to İzmir, then transferred to Ephesus for the group tour, with lunch in Selçuk. You fly back to Istanbul the same evening, so expect a long day; the ride from the airport to your hotel that night is not among the included transfers. You keep the same Istanbul hotel, so your main luggage can stay there.

### Is there a carpet workshop stop on the 5-day Istanbul and Ephesus tour?

Yes, on the Ephesus day the group visits a Carpet Weaving Education Center for about 30–45 minutes to see hand-knotting, silk drawn from cocoons and natural dyes. There is no obligation to buy, and the guide may shorten the stop when time is tight. The Istanbul days have no workshop stops.

### Can I join the Istanbul and Ephesus tour with my own İzmir flights?

Yes. Remove the domestic flights option when booking and choose flights that fit the Ephesus day; we meet you at İzmir Airport, with the meeting time confirmed with your booking.

### What should I wear for the mosques and the Bosphorus cruise?

Mosques require covered shoulders and knees, a headscarf for women and shoes off inside. Take a light layer for the open deck of the boat, and comfortable shoes for the cobbles of Sultanahmet and the marble streets of Ephesus.

## Book
Book on the tour page: https://turkeyvia.com/tours/istanbul-ephesus-5-day-tour. Questions: WhatsApp +90 507 357 58 94