Private
5-Day Private Istanbul, Ephesus & Pamukkale Tour
Ephesus · Istanbul · Pamukkale
from €2.700,00
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2 days / 1 night
Private Tour · Min. 2 People
15 people
English, Spanish
This 2-day private Ephesus and Pamukkale tour flies you from Istanbul to the Aegean and back, so you can see a great Roman city and a celebrated natural landmark in one compact trip. During the touring, your guide and vehicle are reserved for your party, with no other travellers sharing the day.
Driving from Istanbul to the Aegean coast would take most of a day in each direction. Domestic flights shrink that to about an hour, which is what makes this itinerary fit into a short break. You leave Istanbul early, are in Ephesus by mid-morning, and are back at your Istanbul hotel at the end of the second day.
Travelling privately suits people who prefer conversation to a microphone. Your guide speaks only with you, so you can linger over an inscription, ask about daily life in a Roman port, or talk about early Christianity at the House of the Virgin Mary without competing for attention. Families with children and couples who want a calmer pace can find this format especially relaxing.
Flights, hotels, timings and inclusions are exactly as in the published programme; the difference is simply who you share them with.
On Day 1 you are collected from your Istanbul hotel in the early morning and taken to the airport for the short flight to Izmir. Your guide waits at arrivals with a name sign and drives you to Selçuk. The tour of Ephesus begins at 9:30 and covers the Great Theatre, which held around 25,000 spectators, the Library of Celsus, what remains of the Temple of Artemis, counted among the ancient world’s Seven Wonders, and the House of the Virgin Mary, venerated as her last home. Lunch is included, and you spend the night in Selçuk or Kuşadası.
On Day 2 you are picked up from your hotel for a drive of roughly three hours to Pamukkale, during which your guide introduces the region and Turkish customs. After lunch at a local restaurant, you enter Hierapolis from the upper side to see the gymnasium, a theatre built for 15,000 and the Temple of Apollo. Then it is time to walk barefoot across the white travertine terraces, cool your feet in the warm spring water or swim in the thermal pools nearby. After some free time you are taken to the airport for the flight back to Istanbul and a transfer to your hotel.
Your booking covers return flights including taxes, every airport transfer in the itinerary, two full days of guided touring with lunch, private transport and entrance fees, one night in Kuşadası, and full travel insurance. For the overnight stay you stay in a boutique hotel with breakfast, or you can opt for a 4-star hotel where both breakfast and dinner are provided. Otherwise dinner is not included, nor are drinks, tips or personal expenses.
To compare this trip with longer routes, see all our Turkey tours.
Prefer to travel with a group? The same route is also available as the 2-Day Ephesus and Pamukkale Tour from Istanbul. Browse more private Turkey tours.
An early pick-up from your Istanbul hotel takes you to the airport for the one-hour flight to Izmir. At arrivals your guide is waiting with a name sign, and you travel together to Selçuk. From 9:30 you explore Ephesus at length: the Great Theatre, once able to seat some 25,000 people; the Library of Celsus, among the finest surviving libraries of antiquity; the remains of the Temple of Artemis; and the House of the Virgin Mary, traditionally regarded as her final home. Afterwards you are driven to Selçuk or Kuşadası, where your hotel awaits for the night.
Your guide collects you from your hotel in Kuşadası, and the three-hour drive to Pamukkale becomes an introduction to the region and to Turkish culture. Lunch is served at a local restaurant on arrival. You then enter Hierapolis at its upper end to see the gymnasium, the 15,000-seat theatre and the Temple of Apollo, before walking barefoot down the travertines. Dip your feet in the hot springs or swim in the thermal pools nearby, then enjoy some free time. Finally comes a transfer to the airport, the one-hour flight to Istanbul and a drive to your hotel.
One night in Kuşadası, either in a boutique hotel with breakfast or, if you prefer, in a 4-star hotel where breakfast and dinner are provided (optional). The Day 1 programme refers to a hotel in Selçuk or Kuşadası.
Round-trip flights with taxes: Istanbul – Izmir on Day 1 and Denizli – Istanbul on Day 2. All airport transfers in the itinerary, plus a private vehicle for your party on both touring days.
Early-morning pick-up from your hotel in Istanbul. At Izmir Airport your guide meets you in the arrivals hall with a name sign.
During the guided touring, the guide and vehicle are reserved for you and your travel companions; no other travellers are added. Flights, hotels, timings and inclusions follow the published itinerary.
You fly from Istanbul to Izmir on the first morning and return from Denizli to Istanbul at the end of the second day. Flights with taxes and the airport transfers in the itinerary are included.
Yes. Shoes are not allowed on the travertines, and the walk is about half a mile. Bring a swimsuit if you would like to swim in the thermal pools.
Breakfast at the hotel and lunch on both touring days. Dinner is not included unless you opt for the 4-star hotel that serves dinner as well as breakfast.
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