Selcuk

Culture & History

Discover the stunning region of Pamukkale and its hot springs on a day trip from Selcuk, Kusadasi, or Izmir. Begin by meeting your driver/guide at the reception of your hotel in the morning and a transfer to Pamukkale. Explore the ancient city of Hierapolis, built on solid limestone layers formed by mineral-rich waters that flowed for millennia over a raised level plateau. See the most significant sites of the sacred city including the Theatre, the Temple of Apollo, and the Necropolis. Admire the Necropolis (Cemetery) of Hierapolis, one of the largest ancient burial sites in Anatolia. See a Roman bath, the Gate of Domitian, the main street of the ancient city, and the Byzantium Gate. Walk to the natural warm water terraces, formed by running warm water rich in calcium and temperatures of 35 Celsius all year-round. Get the chance to see the gleaming white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, located next to the ruins of Hierapolis. Enjoy optional free time to swim in Cleopatra’s Pool before ending the tour with a transfer back to your hotel.

Discover the ancient cities of Ephesus and Hierapolis on this two-day trip from Istanbul. Explore the ancient city of Ephesus where you can see the Temple of Artemis. Experience the beauty of the natural white terraces created by mineral deposits at the hot springs in Pamukkale. Stay overnight in the town of Selcuk or Kusadasi. Treat yourself to breakfast at the hotel. Try authentic Turkish food with lunch at two local restaurants during your tours. Day 1: Be picked from your accommodation in Istanbul and relax on the drive to the airport. Enjoy a comfortable flight to the city of Izmir. Meet your guide at the airport and drive to the tour provider's office in the town of Selcuk. Take a break with lunch in a local restaurant. Continue to the archeological site at Ephesus to start your guided tour. Walk through the ancient streets and see one of the wonders of the ancient world at the Temple of Artemis. View the façade of one of the largest libraries from Roman times at the Library of Celsus. Stop at the House of the Virgin Mary where the religious figure is said to have spend her last days. See the remains of an old Roman Amphitheater. Learn about these ruins from your local guide. Drive to your hotel in Selcuk or Kusadasi where you can rest for the evening. Day 2: In the morning, be picked up by your guide from your hotel. Enjoy the scenic Turkish countryside on the drive to Pamukkale. Hear about area and culture from your guide. Have a delicious lunch at a local restaurant before starting your tour of the ruins of Hierapolis. Stroll to the remains of a massive Roman amphitheater that once held an audience of 15,000. Admire the marble staircase at the Greek Temple of Apollo. Watch as your guide points out all the significant structures in the archeological site of Hierapolis. Take off your shoes and walk along the white terraces of Pamukkale. Dip your feet in the natural hot springs. Swim amid the ruins of a temple in Cleopatra's Pool. Have some free time in the afternoon to explore on your own. Take it easy on the ride back to the airport where you can catch your flight back to Istanbul. Once you arrive in Istanbul, your driver will be waiting to transfer you back to your accommodation in Istanbul.

Spend the day exploring the most memorable places in Ephesus and Şirince on this guided full-day tour from Istanbul, lunch included. Visit the House of Virgin Mary, see the Temple of Artemis, and taste local wine at a vineyard. Enjoy convenient round-trip transportation from Istanbul. Start your trip by getting picked up from your hotel in Istanbul and transferred to the Istanbul Airport for your flight from Istanbul to Izmir. Upon arrival at Izmir Airport, meet your driver to head to Ephesus to start the tour. First, stop at the House of Virgin Mary, the place where Mary may have spent her last days. This place was officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church in 1986, and since then it has become a popular place of pilgrimage. The visit to the House of Virgin Mary takes about 45 minutes. After, take a 5-minute drive to Ephesus to continue the tour. Ephesus is an exceptional testimony to the cultural traditions of the Hellenistic, Roman Imperial, and early Christian periods. The city is an important site for Christianity as one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Walk along the city’s marble streets accompanied by a tour guide. See the Ephesus Odeon, Ephesus Prytaneion, State Agora, Memmius Monument, Temple of Domitian, Hercules Gate, Curetes Street, Temple of Hadrian, and Ephesus Latrines. Next, optionally visit The Private House (so-called “Terrace Houses” brothel). Afterward, carry on to the Celsus Library, Marble Road, Commercial Agora, the great theater, and Arcadian Street (Harbor Road). Later, head to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Get a chance to take memorable photos of the Church of St. John and İsa Bey Mosque. Before the end of the tour, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Afterward, head to Şirince, an old village of Rûm (Byzantine Greeks) situated on the hills of Selçuk, 7 km from Ephesus. The village is popular for beautiful traditional houses and fruit-flavored wine production. Complete your experience with free time for a wine tasting. At the end of your trip, get transferred back to the airport for your flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival in Istanbul, a driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer you back to your hotel in the evening.

Start with a pickup from your hotel in Izmir. Then, the discovery of Ephesus begins with the House of the Virgin Mary and a 10-minute drive to the ancient city of Ephesus. Explore the city by walking on the marble streets, accompanied by a guide. See the Odeon, State Agora, the Pretension, the Memmius Monument, the Domitian Temple, Hercules Gate, Curetes Street, Hadrian Temple, and the Latrines. Choose to take an optional visit to the terrace houses for an additional cost. After the terrace houses, carry on with your exploration with the Celsus Library, Marble Road, Commercial Agora, Great Theater, and Arcadian (harbor road). Enjoy a nice lunch served in a quaint local restaurant. Visit the Temple of Artemis. Here, there will be a good chance to take gorgeous pictures of the church of St. John and the Mosque of İsa Bey. Enjoy free time in the old village of Sirince to discover the traditional houses, the fruit-flavored wine production, and enjoy some wine tasting. End the day with a transfer back to Izmir airport or to your hotel in Izmir.

Founded by the Greeks and conquered by the Romans, Ephesus was once a city of proverbial wealth. It was a bustling port which over time developed into an important center for Christianity. On this self-guided tour, benefit from skip-the-line entry then explore using your smartphone to travel back in time to the city’s former life. The tour is the perfect way to experience the site in a fun and insightful way, and gain valuable insight into one of the most popular places in Turkey. The first stop of the day is to the State Agora, which was once the political heart of the city boasting a lavish square. Continue on to Bouleuterion, and discover the meeting point of the city council which perhaps was also a space for artistic performances. As you stroll around the colonnades, stoas, and other buildings, listen to fascinating stories about what life was like here for locals. Arrive at the Temple of Domitian and find out the rather unusual architectural layout of the U-shaped altar. Next, wander down the Curetes which connected the political and commercial hearts of Ephesus. Uncover the legend of the emperor’s fountain, then explore the large complex of baths at the Scolastica including the lavish marble latrines. Head to the grave of the Egyptian princess Arsinoe, then marvel at the mesmerizing Celsus Library, which is probably the most famous landmark of Ephesus. From here the road leads you to the gate of Mazeus and Mithridates, and onto at the Grand Theatre where performances and gladiatorial games took place. Last but not least, walk through the crossroads of the Arcadiane and follow a small path that leads you to the spectacular ruins of the enormous Church of Mary.

This full-day tour from Izmir, takes you to Ephesus in Selçuk to explore Turkey’s best preserved ruins from the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine civilizations. Visit the most important ruins in Ephesus, including the Temple of Artemis, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World before it was destroyed in 401 AD. You will also see the Library of Celsus, built to hold 12,000 scrolls and at its time one of the largest libraries in the world. The nearby Great Theater, which was the largest outdoor theater in the world, was designed to hold 24,000 people – even its ruins are huge. After discovering the impressive monuments, you will visit the Archaeological Museum of Ephesus. The museum houses many important statues and relics including a preserved segment of the original Temple of Artemis. After enjoying a lunch of traditional Turkish cuisine, you will travel to the House of the Virgin Mary on Bulbul Mountain, where archeologists and historians believe the mother of Jesus lived at the end of her life.

A professional licenced tour guide will meet with you at Kusadasi port or your hotel at a given pickup time. After meeting your guide, you will drive to the House of Virgin Mary, located in the Aladag Mountains, 5 miles away from Ephesus. At the third Ecumenical Council on 431 AD in Ephesus, it was claimed that Mary came to Ephesus with St. John in 37 A.D. and lived there until her death in 48 A.D. After the discovery of the house, the Archbishop of Izmir declared it as a place of pilgrimage in 1892. You will then visit one of the main highlights in Turkey, Ephesus, one of the 12 cities of the Ionian League (an ancient Greek district on the western coast of Asia Minor), located near Izmir. As a port city it was a major departure point for trade routes into Asia Minor. Walk through its historic marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them: the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, and the Grand Theater. You will then stop at Artemission Temple, which used to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, as your last stop before driving back to Kusadasi town center and port. Entrance fees are not included in this program; in total they are around 17 USD which can be paid to your guide at the end of the tour in cash. If you want to pay by visa or master card, your guide will stop for a few minutes in the office on your way back to Kusadasi town center.

Enjoy a memorable day seeing the historic sights in the ancient city of Ephesus on this day trip. Select from options to leave from your hotel in Izmir, Kusadasi, or Selcuk. Stop at highlights like Hercules Gate, the Temple of Hadrian, and Domitian Square. Be picked up from the comfort of your accommodation. Sit back and relax on the drive to Ephesus. Follow your local guide to the House of Virgin Mary, where the religious figure is thought to have spent her last days. Head to upper Agora which was the seat of political power in the past. Continue to the 2nd century A.D. Odeon theater. Head to Domitian Square and the view the engravings on the old columns at the Temple of Domitian. Pass by the Fountain of Pollio. Admire the relief of Hercules at Hercules Gate before going to the temple and fountain of Emperor Trajan.  Marvel at the elaborately carved arch at the Temple of Hadrian. Stroll by the Roman baths, public latrine, market place and brothel. See the stunning remains of the third-largest library in the Roman world at the Library of Celsus. Go to The Great Theater, a massive Hellenistic structure. Gaze upon one of the wonders of the ancient world at the Temple of Artemis. Return to your accommodation.

Start your tour with an early pick up from your hotel in Istanbul around 4:30AM, and transfer to the airport for your flight to Izmir. Upon arrival, your local tour operator will welcome you at the exit gate inside the domestic terminal in the Izmir Airport, where you will see the crew holding a sign with your name. From here your tour begins after meeting with the rest of your tour group., and you will drive for approximately one hour to Ephesus. Visit the Virgin Mary House, a Catholic and Muslim shrine located on Mt. Koressos. Catholic pilgrims visit the house based on the belief that the virgin mother was brought there by St. John, and lived there until her assumption. Following this you will have about 2 hours in the ancient city of Ephesus. Built in the 10th century B.C. on the site of the former Arzawan capital, it flourished after it came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 B.C. Some of the main sites you will see are the Library of Celsus and the Temple of Hadrian. You will spend about an hour enjoying a typical local open buffet lunch, before heading to the İsabey Mosque, one of the oldest architectural works left from the Anatolian beyliks, with principalities that existed from the 11th to the 13th century. Afterwards, travel to the ruins of the Artemis Temple, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was completely rebuilt three times before its eventual destruction in 401 A.D. Following this you will have chance to stop and see local and traditional goods which are under control of the ministry of culture and tourism of the Turkish Republic. At the conclusion of your tour at around 4:00PM, you will make your way back to the airport and you will board your flight back to the Istanbul. When you arrive at the Istanbul Airport, you will be met at the exit gate inside the domestic terminal, before being transferred back to your Istanbul accommodation.

Start your trip at 18:30 to transfer to the bus station for an 8:30 PM overnight bus to Cappadocia. When you arrive to the bus station we transfer your to the starting point of this tour. At 09:30 AM start the day by visiting Devrent Valley. Your next stop will be Pashabagi called also the Monks Valley. Proceed to Avanos (Venessa), the pottery centre of Cappadocia. This village is set on the banks of the Kizilirmak/Red River. The Göreme Open Air Museum is most important. Here Byzantine cave churches are found in these once remote valleys where monks and nuns pursued monastic life from the 3rd century on. From the panoramic view point Esentepe you will be able to experience a complete view of Goreme valley and Goreme village: fairy chimneys, rock formations and cave houses. End your day with a visit to Uchisar Castle. Afterwards you will be taken to your hotel. On this day Lunch is included. On the second day of this tour start with a hike along the Red & Rose Valley, the most breathtakingly and mysteriously beautiful valleys in the region. The hike will end in Cavusin Cave Village, where you will see a rock castle and troglodyte dwellings where people lived until the 20th century. Visit Kaymakli Underground City, one of the largest and deepest of Cappadocia’s many underground settlements. End the day with a visit to the Pigeon Valley where you will enjoy a spectacular view of dovecotes, old abandoned cave homes and old Greek houses of Uchisar. When the tour finishes you will be transferred to the bus station, where you can enjoy some free time until your overnight bus departure to Denizli. On this day breakfast and lunch are included. Upon arriving at Denizli in the morning, your will start your tour at 09.00 AM. Visit Pamukkale and Hierapolis, the Domitian Gate, the Colannaded Gate, a Cathedral, the Red Waters of Karahayit, Pamukkale Museum and the Travertines of Pamukkale. After the tour ends at 7:00 PM, enjoy a bus transfer to Selcuk or Kusadasi, where you will arrive around 7:30 PM at your hotel. On this day lunch is included. On your fourth and last day you will enjoy breakfast and then start your tour of Ephesus, one of the world's finest examples of an ancient classical city. Visit the Temple of Artemis (Diana), the site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world; the house of the Virgin Mary, where she spent the final years of Her life; Isa Bey Mosque, an impressive mosque from XIV. Century A.D., unlike any other you will see in this country. At 5 PM our tour finishes and you are free until 21.00 PM, when your overnight bus departs for Istanbul. On this day breakfast and lunch are included.