Multi-day tour
Ephesus and Pamukkale in 3 days from Istanbul, by air
A three-day, two-night module by air from Istanbul: Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary on day one, Hierapolis and the Pamukkale travertines on day two and the return on day three, with a licensed English-speaking guide.
Key facts
- Duration 3 days / 2 nights
- Route Istanbul → Pamukkale 4 destinations
- Quotation Quotation within 24 business hours (72 business hours for groups and MICE)
- Recommended months April–June, September, October
- Type Private
The Pamukkale travertines, the ‘cotton castle’, at the end of day two.
Overview
A 3-day, 2-night programme that covers the two most requested sites of the Aegean by air, with no overnight drives, for agencies whose client is already in Istanbul. On day one a morning flight lands in İzmir; an hour's drive from the airport reaches Selçuk for the House of the Virgin Mary and a top-to-bottom walk through Ephesus: Curetes Street, the Temple of Hadrian, the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre. Night in Kuşadası. On day two the route crosses the Menderes valley to Pamukkale, about three hours, leaving the afternoon for Hierapolis — necropolis, Frontinus Gate and theatre — and the travertine terraces, walked barefoot. Night in Pamukkale. On day three, depending on the flight time, there is room for Laodicea before boarding at Denizli for Istanbul.
The programme runs privately, with a vehicle and a licensed English-speaking guide for your party, and with entrance tickets, domestic flights and transfers in the base. Accommodation in Istanbul before and after the module is not part of the programme and is quoted separately.
The programme runs privately, with a vehicle and a licensed English-speaking guide for your party, and with entrance tickets, domestic flights and transfers in the base. Accommodation in Istanbul before and after the module is not part of the programme and is quoted separately.
Route: IstanbulEphesusKuşadasıPamukkale
- Physical level: Moderate
- Languages of the guided visits: Spanish, English
Highlights
- All of Ephesus, walked downhill from the upper gate to the Great Theatre: Odeon, Curetes Street, Temple of Hadrian and Library of Celsus.
- The House of the Virgin Mary on Mount Bülbül, visited before entering the ancient city.
- Hierapolis in the afternoon: the largest necropolis in Anatolia, the Frontinus Gate, the theatre and the Plutonium.
- The Pamukkale travertines walked barefoot in the last light of the day, and a night at the foot of the white hillside.
- Two domestic flights in the base, out to İzmir and back from Denizli: no day is lost on the road.
- A module that fits into any stay in Istanbul, operated privately on the date your client chooses.
What is included and what is not
Included
- 2 nights’ accommodation in total: 1 night in Kuşadası and 1 night in Pamukkale (or a similar split, subject to availability).
- Daily breakfast at the hotels.
- Transfers in Istanbul between the hotel and the airport (IST or SAW) on the day of departure and the day of return.
- Transfers and road legs in the Aegean: İzmir airport – Ephesus – Kuşadası – Pamukkale – Denizli airport.
- Domestic flights as per the itinerary in economy class (for example Istanbul – İzmir and Denizli – Istanbul; the exact combination is detailed in the offer).
- Transport by air-conditioned tourist vehicle for all visits and legs stated in the programme.
- Services of a licensed English-speaking guide throughout the tour (other languages on request, subject to availability).
- Entrance tickets to the monuments and sites listed in the itinerary: Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary, Hierapolis and the Pamukkale travertines, plus Laodicea when the flight time allows the visit.
Not included
- International flights (home country – Istanbul – home country).
- Accommodation in Istanbul before and after the module (it can be quoted together with this programme).
- Lunches and dinners (unless stated as included in a specific offer).
- Optional activities: the Terrace Houses of Ephesus, a swim in the Antique Pool at Hierapolis and a balloon flight over Pamukkale.
- Personal expenses (shopping, minibar, drinks not mentioned, laundry, room service, etc.).
- Tips for the guide, the driver, porters and restaurant and hotel staff.
- Visa fees and visa handling services, if required.
- Travel insurance (recommended).
- Any service not explicitly mentioned as included.
Day by day itinerary
-
Day 1
Istanbul – İzmir – House of the Virgin Mary – Ephesus – Kuşadası
Pick-up at your Istanbul hotel early in the morning and transfer to the airport (IST or SAW, depending on the flight issued) for the domestic flight to İzmir (ADB), a little over an hour. The guide and vehicle are waiting in the arrivals hall, and about an hour's drive brings you to Selçuk, the modern town next to the site.
The first stop is the House of the Virgin Mary on the slopes of Mount Bülbül: a small stone chapel recognised by the Catholic Church as a place of pilgrimage, with the wishing wall and the spring at the exit. It is a place of worship, so silence and discreet clothing are expected.
You then descend to Ephesus and enter through the upper gate, so the route runs downhill: the Odeon and the state agora, Curetes Street with the Temple of Hadrian and the public latrines, the façade of the Library of Celsus and, at the end of Marble Street, the Great Theatre, with room for around 25,000 people. The Terrace Houses, the hillside homes with mosaics and wall paintings, can be added; they have a separate ticket. Free time for lunch in Selçuk.
In the afternoon, schedule permitting, a stop beside the single standing column of the Temple of Artemis and a view of the Basilica of St John from the road. Transfer to Kuşadası, some 20 km away, and check-in facing the Aegean.Optional activities
- Terrace Houses of Ephesus (separate ticket)
Notes for the day: Ephesus is walked on marble paving, about two kilometres downhill with no shade; in summer it is best visited first thing, with water and a hat.
-
Day 2
Kuşadası – Pamukkale: Hierapolis and the travertines
Breakfast at the hotel and departure inland. The road follows the Menderes valley, between fig trees, olive groves and cotton fields, and reaches Pamukkale, in Denizli province, in about three hours. Leaving mid-morning you arrive in the village around lunchtime, with lunch at leisure.
The visit takes place in the afternoon, when the light on the white hillside is at its best and the crowds thin out. Entering through the north gate, you first cross the necropolis of Hierapolis, the largest in Anatolia, with sarcophagi and monumental tombs on both sides of the road; then the Frontinus Gate, the colonnaded street and the Roman theatre, whose stage building keeps reliefs of Apollo and Artemis. Near the Temple of Apollo is the Plutonium, the grotto the ancients held to be an entrance to the underworld. Those with energy to spare can climb to the Martyrium of St Philip on the hill.
The end of the afternoon is for the terraces: the travertines are stepped pools of calcium carbonate built up by thermal water that emerges at around 35 °C. They are walked barefoot along the open section, with the water at ankle height; shoes are carried by hand. A swim in the Antique Pool, among fallen columns, can be added with a separate ticket.
Overnight in Pamukkale, a few minutes from the site entrance.Optional activities
- Swim in the Antique Pool at Hierapolis (separate ticket)
- Balloon flight over Pamukkale at dawn on day 3
Notes for the day: The travertines must be walked barefoot; bring a bag for your shoes and a small towel. In winter the water on the upper terraces can be cold.
-
Day 3
Pamukkale – Denizli – Istanbul, with Laodicea depending on the flight
Breakfast at the hotel. Denizli-Çardak airport (DNZ) is about 65 km from Pamukkale, a little over an hour by road, and the flight to Istanbul takes around an hour and a quarter. What the morning holds depends on the confirmed departure time.
With an afternoon flight, the morning goes to Laodicea, a quarter of an hour from the hotel and on the way to the airport: one of the great Roman cities of the Lycus valley, with the colonnaded Syrian Street, two theatres, the stadium and the fourth-century church excavated only a few years ago. It is a wide site with far fewer visitors than Hierapolis and takes about an hour and a half.
With a morning flight, the transfer goes straight to the airport, with time to check baggage for the domestic flight.
On arrival in Istanbul (IST or SAW), transfer to the hotel named by your agency. End of the module. The programme can be joined to a stay in Istanbul or to Cappadocia, both quoted separately.
How the rate is calculated
Rate tailored to the season, the hotel category and the number of travellers. Request a quotation.
Departures
Tailor-made departures: any date
The programme is operated privately for your group: you choose the starting day and the itinerary is built around that date. There is no fixed departure calendar and no outside group to join.
Route map
Istanbul → Ephesus → Kuşadası → Pamukkale
Operational notes
- The order of the visits may change according to opening hours, traffic and the day’s operation. The content of the programme stays the same.
- Domestic flights are issued in economy class; the baggage allowance depends on the airline and the fare and is shown on the ticket. Depending on the airlines’ schedules, the return may be issued from Denizli (DNZ) or from İzmir (ADB); in the latter case, day 3 includes the road leg of about three hours to İzmir and the Laodicea morning is replaced by that transfer.
- The House of the Virgin Mary is a place of worship: it is visited in silence, with shoulders and knees covered, and access to the chapel may be restricted during services. Any mosque explained along the way follows the usual rule of removing shoes and covering up.
- Hierapolis and the travertines form a single site with one entrance ticket. On the terraces access is barefoot by rule, the surface is slippery and the water runs at different temperatures depending on the area; there is no shade anywhere on the site.
- Ephesus is a large site with no shade and marble paving polished by centuries of use. In summer the visit is made first thing in the morning, with water and a hat; in the rain the marble is slippery and the pace slows.
- The sites keep summer and winter hours and may close to the public on specific dates for archaeological work. The final itinerary is adjusted to the opening calendar in force on the travel dates.
- During the religious holidays (Ramazan Bayramı and Kurban Bayramı, whose dates move with the lunar calendar) domestic flights and Aegean hotels fill up early and the sites receive more local visitors.
- The programme may include an explanatory stop at a craft workshop in the Selçuk area (carpets, leather or ceramics), which is standard on this kind of tour. The visit is informative and any purchase is entirely voluntary.
- The pick-up point on day 1 and the drop-off point on day 3 is the Istanbul hotel your agency names in the file. From Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), on the Asian shore, transfers are longer than from IST, which is worth bearing in mind when choosing the flight.
- A valid passport, the visa or electronic authorisation and compliance with entry requirements are the traveller’s responsibility and depend on nationality; they should be checked well in advance.
Best time to travel
Recommended months: April, May, June, September, October
The inland Aegean has long, very hot summers: in July and August Ephesus, which has no shade, is visited first thing and Pamukkale at the end of the day. Spring and autumn combine mild temperatures with long days and are the most comfortable time for a three-day programme with two open-air sites. Winter is mild but rainy, with fewer visitors and cold water on the upper terraces; the sites open all year with shorter hours.
Gallery
Frequently asked questions
Can the module be run in reverse, starting with Pamukkale?
Yes. With an Istanbul – Denizli flight out and İzmir – Istanbul back, the order is reversed: Hierapolis and the travertines on the first day, Ephesus and the House of the Virgin on the second and the return from İzmir on the third. The content and the nights are the same; the choice depends on the flight times available on the travel date.
Is the hotel in Istanbul included?
No. The programme starts with the pick-up at your Istanbul hotel on day 1 and ends with the transfer back to that hotel on day 3; the nights in Istanbul, before or after, are quoted separately or together with a stay in the city.
How much walking is there at Ephesus and Hierapolis?
At Ephesus, about two kilometres on marble paving, downhill from the upper gate and with little shade. At Hierapolis, two to three kilometres on flat ground, plus the optional climb to the Martyrium of St Philip. It is a moderate pace that needs no special preparation; closed shoes and sun protection are advisable.
Do you have to go barefoot on the travertines?
Yes. On the section open to the public, access is barefoot only, to protect the carbonate surface. The water reaches the ankle and the rock can be slippery; a bag for your shoes and a small towel are useful.
What is the baggage allowance on the domestic flights?
The flights are issued in economy class and the checked and cabin baggage allowance depends on the airline and the fare; the exact figure is on the ticket. During the visits the luggage travels in the vehicle.
When is the best time for this programme?
April to June and September to October: mild temperatures at Ephesus, which is a site without shade, and pleasant water on the terraces. In July and August the heat means the visits are concentrated early in the day; in winter the days are short and the water on the upper terraces is cold, although the sites are visited in peace.
Can a day be added for Aphrodisias or Şirince?
Yes. A fourth day allows Aphrodisias, about two hours from Pamukkale, with its stadium and sculpture museum; and with an early outbound flight, the afternoon of day one can take in Şirince, the village of Greek houses eight kilometres from Selçuk. Both extensions are quoted together with the programme.
Booking conditions
- Deposit
- 30% of the total when the booking is confirmed. For bookings made 30 days or less before departure, the full amount at confirmation.
- Balance
- The remaining 70%, no later than 31 days before departure.
- Payment methods
- Bank transfer or credit card. Card payments carry a 3% surcharge; charges applied by the issuing bank are borne by the client.
- Cancellations
- More than 90 days before departure: handling fee only, plus penalties on services already issued · 89–61 days: 25% · 60–31 days: 50% · 30 days or less and no-show: 100%. Reductions in places follow the same scale. Refunds within 10–14 business days of written cancellation.
Credentials
- Legal name
- Colorido Tours Turkey Turizm Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
- TÜRSAB licence
- A-12116
- Office
- Istanbul
- Operating scope
- Turkey only. Egypt, Jordan and the Greek islands only as extensions of a Turkey itinerary.
- Guides
- Licensed guides in Spanish and English
- 24/7 emergency line during the trip
- +90 544 533 53 55
- Who handles your request
- Your request is handled by our reservations team, and the same person follows the file from quotation through to operation on the ground.
