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Istanbul · Turkey

Day Trip to Ephesus from/to Istanbul with FLIGHT and LUNCH

Starting From From $509.36 per person Current Project Expedition rate
16 Hours 4.44 / 5 2 reviews Easy activity level Small Group Single Day Tour Operated by Tour Altinkum Travel
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The Experience

What your day looks like

Escape Istanbul for a day and journey to Ephesus, one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. This carefully organized day trip combines history, culture, and convenience, allowing you to explore Türkiye's most famous ancient city without the stress of planning flights, transfers, or logistics. Accompanied by an expert local guide, you'll walk the marble streets once traveled by Romans, merchants, saints, and emperors, visit the sacred House of the Virgin Mary, and stand before the remains of the legendary Temple of Artemis. With domestic flights, transportation, entrance tickets, and lunch included, this is the easiest and most comprehensive way to experience Ephesus from Istanbul.

At a Glance

The experience, in brief

  • Fly from Istanbul to discover the worldfamous Ancient City of Ephesus in a single day.
  • Walk through remarkably preserved Roman streets and admire iconic landmarks including the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre.
  • Visit the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
  • Enjoy a seamless experience with domestic flights, airport transfers, professional guiding, lunch, and skiptheline access included.
Your Itinerary

Your day, step by step

Day 1

Istanbul

Transportation. Upon early pick up from your hotel drive to Istanbul Airport for your 1 hour 30 min domestic flight to Izmir. Upon arrival you wıll be greeted by your driver who wıll drive you to Selcuk where you will join the other group participants and start your fullday tour.

Continued

Sirince

Archaeological Exploration at House Of The Virgin Mary. The House of Virgin Mary; located 6km to the north of the ruins of Ephesus the church was built from the 6C AD to the top of the foundations of a house from 1C AD and it is declared by the church to be the final house where Mary spent her last days, it is also believed that the Assumption took place there in the 15th of August.

Continued

Sirince

Archaeological Exploration at Ephesus. Ancient Ephesus; An Archeological treasure, The best-preserved classical city in Eastern Mediterranean. During the 1C AD, Ephesus was the second-largest city on the planet after Rome with more than 250.000 citizens. It was in the center of the known world and played the role of a gateway between the East and the West. With its giant harbor, it was also the center of trading in antiquity. Not only a rich commercial city but also the honeymoon place of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. It is also home to one of the Seven wonders of the ancient world, Temple of Artemis. Ephesus is so well preserved that walking on the ancient streets among the beautiful monuments, such as, the third largest library of the ancient world or the largest roman theatre on the Asia continent, gives you the feeling of a time traveller.

Continued

Sirince

Archaeological Exploration at Temple Of Artemis. Temple of Artemis or Artemision was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its ancient cult dedicated to Artemis was very famous in antiquity and made Ephesus a much-visited pilgrimage place. There were a total of 127 ionic columns with a height of 19m. The temple is also considered to be the earliest bank of the ancient World.

Continued

Istanbul

Transportation. Once your tour ıs completed you wıll be drıven back to Izmir Airport for your 1 hour 30 min domestic flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival at Istanbul Airport you wıll be greeted by your driver who wıll drıve you safely back to your hotel. End of our service.

Before You Go

What to know before booking

Included

Economic class domestic flight tickets (both way) Airport transfers (4 transfers) Professional English Speaking Guide All sightseeing mentioned in the itinerary Lunch ın a local restaurant Land transportation by air-conditioned non-smoking vehicle

Not Included

Meals other than stated Admission fees to attractions Beverage with meals Tips to the guide&driver(optional) Personal expenses

What to Bring

Passport Comfortable clothes Camera

Meeting & Pickup

We provide transfer from centrally located Istanbul Hotels or the cruise port.

Planning Notes

Hotel pickup offered: Yes Confirmation: Manual By Business

Traveler Impressions

What travelers are saying

2025-11-20 4.00 / 5

The transition from hotel to airport & driver was smooth in both directions. The tour operator communicated very well. The tour of Ephesus & Virgin Mary house were wonderful! Lunch was delicious. The rug demo was also very interesting but turned sour with a hard sell to buy a rug. This was followed by a leather shop visit for a fashion show & then again opportunity to make a purchase. I could have done without the sales pitches as it dampened an otherwise great day. Tour guide was a bit pushy about receiving a tip.

2025-10-06 5.00 / 5

Fabulous! This was a very long day, but absolutely worth it. Ephesus was amazing, and the stops at the carpet and ceramics studios were fascinating, and we were amazed at the process and the history of these skills. This was a highlight of our trip to Istanbul!

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