Day trip to Ephesus from Istanbul: flight, guide, lunch included

Walk the streets where Mark Antony and Cleopatra honeymooned, millennia after they left.

A day trip from Istanbul to Ephesus with domestic flights, professional guide, lunch and airport transfers—you choose whether the tour operator books your flights or you arrange them yourself. The tour covers three major sites: the House of the Virgin Mary, the ancient city of Ephesus (once the second-largest city on Earth), and the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Groups stay under ten people, and the guide speaks English or Japanese.

Step-by-step itinerary

Ephesus day trip from Istanbul

• Early hotel pickup
• Drive to Istanbul Airport
• Flight to Izmir
• Meet driver and transfer to Selcuk
• Visit House of Virgin Mary
• Explore Ephesus Ancient City
• Lunch with Turkish rug demonstration
• Visit Temple of Artemis
• Drive to Izmir Airport
• Flight to Istanbul
• Arrival and transfer to hotel

The Experience

The day starts with early pickup from your Istanbul hotel and a 90-minute domestic flight to Izmir. Once you land, a driver meets you and takes you to Selçuk, where you join the rest of the group and your guide. From there, the tour moves through three stops that anchor the ancient Mediterranean world: the House of the Virgin Mary (built in the 6th century AD on foundations from the 1st century), the sprawling ruins of Ephesus itself, and the Temple of Artemis, which once stood as one of antiquity's most celebrated structures with 127 ionic columns, each 19 meters high.

Ephesus is the centerpiece. During the 1st century AD it was the second-largest city on the planet after Rome, with over 250,000 residents, and it functioned as a trading hub between East and West. Walking the ancient streets, you pass the third-largest library of the classical world and the largest Roman theatre on the Asian continent—the layout and scale give a tangible sense of what a major city looked like two millennia ago. The Temple of Artemis, though now mostly ruins, was so revered in antiquity that it became an early banking center. Lunch happens at a local restaurant in a handicraft carpet village, where you can watch Turkish rug-making if you choose.

After the tour ends, you're driven back to Izmir Airport for the 90-minute flight home to Istanbul, where a driver meets you and takes you back to your hotel. The whole day runs about 14 hours from pickup to drop-off. Entry tickets to the historical sites are handled by the guide, who carries skip-the-line passes. If you book the option with included flights, the operator arranges your domestic tickets and handles the baggage allowance (15 kg checked, 8 kg hand luggage); if you choose excluded flights, you book your own and the operator will tell you which flights work with the schedule.

What’s included

• The tour includes a professional licensed guide in English or Japanese.
• economy class domestic flights (if you choose the included flights option) or airport transfers to handle your own bookings.
• four airport and hotel transfers total.
• lunch at a local restaurant with a carpet-weaving demonstration.
• and skip-the-line entry tickets to all three historical sites.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Tour Altinkum Travel

Is this one for you?Choose the included flights option if you want one seamless booking that covers everything from your Istanbul hotel to the sites and back—the operator handles the logistics so you only show up and follow the guide. Pick the excluded flights option if you have specific flight times you need to keep or prefer to book your own; you still get the guide, lunch, transfers to the airports, and entry to all three sites, just with more control over your departure times.

Traveler reviews

4.55★★★★★★★★★★

47 verified traveler reviews

5 ★35

4 ★6

3 ★4

2 ★1

1 ★1

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What was Ephesus like when it was actually a living city?

During the 1st century AD, Ephesus was the second-largest city on Earth after Rome, with over 250,000 residents. It served as a major trading gateway between East and West, and was wealthy and influential enough that Mark Antony and Cleopatra spent their honeymoon there. The ruins you walk through—including the third-largest library of the ancient world and the largest Roman theatre on the Asian continent—show the scale and sophistication of that era.

Do I have to book the flights through the tour operator, or can I arrange my own?

You have two options at checkout. The "Included Flight Tickets" option means the operator books your domestic flights to Izmir and back, handles your baggage allowance (15 kg checked, 8 kg hand luggage), and takes care of airport transfers. The "Excluded Flight Tickets" option lets you book your own flights; the operator will tell you which departure times work with the tour schedule, and you still get airport transfers and the rest of the day arranged.

How much walking and climbing is involved in the ancient city?

The tour covers Ephesus on foot, moving through the ruins and monuments across the archaeological site. The operator notes that travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The site is wheelchair accessible, and strollers are available for infants and small children if needed.

What's included in lunch, and is there a choice?

Lunch is served at a local restaurant in a handicraft carpet village, where you can watch Turkish rug-making as part of the experience. The meal itself is included; drinks are optional and available for purchase.

How big is the group, and who is the guide?

Groups stay under ten people maximum. Your guide is a professional, licensed tour guide who speaks either English or Japanese, depending on which language group you join.

What is the Temple of Artemis, and why does it matter?

The Temple of Artemis was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It originally had 127 ionic columns, each 19 meters tall, and was so famous in antiquity that pilgrims traveled to Ephesus specifically to visit it. The temple is also considered the earliest bank of the ancient world, showing how central it was to the region's economy and culture.