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

## Key facts
- Price: From €749 per person (based on 2 travellers)
- Tour type: Private tour (only your party, your own guide and vehicle)
- Duration: 2 Days
- Included: Flights, hotel & guided days included.
- Pickup / meeting point: Istanbul hotel pickup included. Your private 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
Take a private 2-day tour from Istanbul by plane to Ephesus, Kuşadası, Pamukkale and Hierapolis. Flights, your guide and vehicle, entrance tickets, lunches and a hotel night are included. Your driver meets you in Istanbul at 05:00 for the İzmir flight. Your guide accompanies you at Ephesus; on day 2, drive about 3 hours from Kuşadası to Pamukkale before the evening flight from Denizli Çardak. At Pamukkale you can choose how far to walk on the barefoot terraces. Day 1 includes a 30–45 minute Carpet Weaving Education Center visit, with no obligation to buy. Cleopatra’s Pool admission is not included.

## Highlights
- Explore Ephesus with your private guide
- Visit the House of the Virgin Mary
- See the Hierapolis theatre and Ploutonion
- Walk the Pamukkale terraces barefoot
- Choose your pace at the sites

## Itinerary
### Your Own Ephesus Day, Then a Night in Kuşadası

At 05:00 your private driver meets you in the Istanbul hotel lobby, and a morning flight takes you to İzmir. Your own guide and vehicle wait at arrivals for the roughly one-hour drive to Ephesus, so the day runs at your speed rather than a group's. Tickets for Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary are included, together with lunch in Selçuk. Later you see a carpet weaving center, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis before checking in at your Kuşadası hotel, ready for Pamukkale tomorrow. Stops: Ephesus, Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min), House of the Virgin Mary, Temple of Artemis.

### Hierapolis and Pamukkale at Your Own Pace

Your private driver collects you and your suitcases at the Kuşadası hotel for the three-hour drive east to Pamukkale. With your own guide there is no group timetable on site: linger in the theatre, walk further among the tombs, spend longer in the warm pools on the terraces and pick your own lunch hour. Hierapolis began as a Hellenistic foundation and became a Roman spa town that drew visitors to the same springs you see today. The day closes with a private transfer to Denizli Çardak Airport and an evening flight to Istanbul. Stops: Ploutonion (Gate of Pluto), Hierapolis theatre, Martyrium of St Philip (optional climb), Pamukkale travertine terraces.

## Included
- Private licensed English-speaking guide
- Private 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
### Where does the private 2-day Ephesus & Pamukkale tour pick us up?

Your private driver waits in your Istanbul hotel lobby at 05:00 and drives you to the airport for the flight to İzmir, where your private guide and vehicle take over.

### What changes when we book the private version of this two-day trip?

The guide and vehicle are yours alone, so you set the pace at Ephesus and Hierapolis, choose when to have lunch and can add the climb to the Martyrium of St Philip. Flight times still frame each day.

### We already have domestic tickets. Can we still book the private Ephesus-Pamukkale trip?

Yes. If you fly on your own flight tickets, remove the flights option when booking: your guide meets you at İzmir airport on day 1, and on day 2 we drop you at Denizli Çardak Airport. For rides to or from Istanbul airports, see /airport-transfers.

### How far do we walk at Ephesus and Hierapolis?

Expect roughly 2–3 km each day on uneven marble and stone, partly downhill at Ephesus. On the travertines you can walk the full barefoot path or just a short stretch; your private guide adapts to your party.

### Is the carpet stop part of the private itinerary?

Yes. Day 1 includes a Carpet Weaving Education Center visit of about 30–45 minutes to see hand-knotting and natural dyes, with no obligation to buy.

### What should we pack for the Pamukkale day on the private tour?

Bring sunglasses and sunscreen for the bright white rock, a bag for your shoes, a small towel for your feet and swimwear if you plan to buy a Cleopatra's Pool ticket.

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