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

Badge of Excellence

Istanbul, Turkey

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

14 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Maximize your time in Turkey—and get up close and personal with one of its most famous UNESCO World Heritage sites—on this full-day tour to Izmir and Ephesus. Forget the stress of planning: This comprehensive tour includes your plane tickets, hotel pickup and drop-off, lunch, and a guide to accompany you. With just a small-group for company, you'll visit ancient Ephesus, The Virgin Mary's House, The Temple of Artemis, and more (tickets own expense).

Enjoy end-to-end transportation, including your plane tickets
This small-group helps you beat the crowds and enjoy a personal feel
Visit one of Turkey's most popular UNESCO World Heritage sites
See the best of Ephesus, all in a single, time-saving tour

What's Included

Professional licenced Tour Guide
Economy class domestic flight tickets (if the “INCLUDED flight tickets” option is selected)
Transfers from/to Airports (4 transfer)
Lunch in a local restaurant

Drinks at Lunch
Personal Expenses
Entrance fee - The Virgin Mary's House.

€20.00 per person
Entrance fee - Ancient City of Ephesus.

€45.00 per person
Domestic flight tickets (if the “EXCLUDED flight tickets” option is selected)

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

-Please contact the local provider and confirm your pick-up time before the tour date. -Pick up times will be updated according to your domestic flight departure time -Meeting instructions for airports will be shared on whatsapp&email 1 day before your trip.

Operating hours
.6:00 am

Itinerary

Istanbul

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

The House of the Virgin Mary

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Ephesus Ancient City

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Selcuk

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Temple of Artemis

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Istanbul

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate

The tour offers INCLUDED and EXCLUDED domestic flight ticket options. Please select your preferred option during the booking process.
Please note that we do not have an assistant service for airport transfers. The driver will drop you off at the entrance gate of İstanbul airport. Please go to the check-in desk according to the instructions the provider will share in advance. When you arrive at the destination airport, the driver will be waiting for you with a sign with your name on it.
Baggage allowance: 15 kg checked + 8 kg hand luggage. (if the “INCLUDED flight tickets” option is selected)
For guests who choose the EXCLUDED flight tickets option, we will inform them which flights they need to purchase.
Entry tıckets to hıstorıcal sıtes are Excluded. The tour guide wıll have Skip-The-Line tıckets
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

SHAZWANI_A

Superb! Awesome! Thank you Mr Kerem & Gökcem! Mr Kerem you are the best! Solve our missed flight prob really fast & we did enjoy the trip so much :)

Reviews

4.6

based on 44 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Be prepared for an earlier start than that advertised!

Ian_B, May 2026

This experience was booked on the basis that it starts at 06:00. The day before the experience (after cancellation is possible) I received a text stating that the pick up time was 04:30. This took me to the domestic terminal by 05:30 for a 7am flight. So before booking consider whether you’re ok with a much earlier time than stated. We were met at Izmir and had a short wait while other people in the experience arrived. The 50 minute drive to Ephesus was uneventful. There are obviously a lot of things outside the control of the operator; queues and crowd sizes. The itinerary was followed; the ‘house’ of the Virgin Mary (long queue) the main Ephesus site (no queue, but some areas were very busy) the temple of Artemis, lunch, carpet making demonstration. Return to airport at 16:30 for 17:55 return flight. Upon return to Istanbul - delay with taxi back. So, overall as described. A tiring day, mostly due to the lack of notice as to how early the start would be.

Response from Host, May 2026

Hello Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and for joining our Ephesus day tour from Istanbul. We would like to clarify a few important operational details for future guests. The pickup time is always arranged according to the domestic flight departure time and recommended airport arrival procedures. For domestic flights in Türkiye, airlines and airports generally recommend arriving at least 1.5 hours before departure. Based on this, our team scheduled your transfer to ensure a smooth and stress-free airport process. As this is a group tour operation, guests arriving on the same flight are welcomed together at Izmir Airport, and once all participants are ready, the group departs for the Ephesus region together. Ephesus is located very close to Kusadasi Cruise Port, and on cruise ship days the region can become exceptionally busy. Unfortunately, crowd levels and entrance queues are outside the operator’s control. However, as an experienced operator, we always do our best to organize the day in the most efficient way possible and provide the best touring conditions available away from peak congestion whenever possible. We are also pleased that despite the intensity of the itinerary, your tour was completed successfully and smoothly. This experience includes 2 domestic flights, 4 airport transfers, ground transportation, guiding services, and a full-day regional operation, all coordinated within a single day. Managing such a complex operation smoothly requires significant planning and coordination from our team. We appreciate your comments and hope you still left Türkiye with beautiful memories of Ephesus and the surrounding region

Ephesus

Europe, May 2026

Amazing experience with Funda. She was very knowledgeable and helped us go back in time and see life in Ephesus.

To see Ephesus is amazing...

Peter_J, May 2026

To see Ephesus is amazing as the site is pretty well preserved and they are working to restore more. This tour requires very early pickup in Istanbul. It is very well organized and we had a guide for just the two of us. Her name was Isik and she was very good. The amount of time we spent at the ruins was about 2 hours or maybe a bit longer. That is the highlight of the trip. There are other filler stops such as the Virgin Mary shrine and a local carpet store. It is along day for the amount of time at Ephesus. If you have time constraints then this is good trip to get you to Ephesus and back. I rated this 4/5 mostly because of the ratio of time at Ephesus vs the duration of the tour.

All aspects of a...

Chris_R, May 2026

All aspects of a complicated day went seamlessly. Our guide was lively and well-informed and we had a fun day.

Enjoyable

Frank_Z, May 2026

While the day was a bit rushed by necessity, and the cruise traffic and torrents of tourists in early May were nearly overwhelming -- still the site is remarkable enough to overlook all that -- add in an impressive 18 minute a visual presentation at the visitor center, two other area locations like the amazing remnants of the St. John Basilica and the Artemis site , and I would still do it again despite the cost -- the company was reliable and thorough with all of the logistics and I was impressed. Recommend.

The tour operator was...

Bethany_D, May 2026

The tour operator was very knowledgeable about the main tour stops. She explained the history of the house of Mary, the temple of Artemis, and ancient Ephesus. She was very friendly and pleasant. If we had kept to only the originally planned itinerary, it would have been great. Unfortunately, the other stops added outside the itinerary were not very appropriate to the historical tone of the tour. Our guide took us to two extra stops, a rug factory and a couture fashion house. Our tour guide didn’t fully explain what those activities would be like. The rug factory was all hand made and the examples and education in how to make rugs were cool. They were beautiful local rugs. However, there was extreme pressure to purchase a rug and poor attitude when we declined. Next there was a formal fancy fashion show of non-local expensive designer clothing. She did ask us if we wanted to go but didn’t fully explain what it would be like. The show felt very random and inappropriate. There was pressure to buy and it had nothing to do with local history. The history stops were great but the overall tour needs some adjustment. If there was going to be extra time outside of the tour, we should have spent the time on local interests or local cultural activities that didn’t pressure you to buy. Learning about the local history was great and the tour guide as excellent on that aspect of the tour.

Long Day with Highs and Lows

John_P, Jan 2026

Our guide, Medi, was informative and pleasant, though she certainly has a challenging task convincing guests to undertake the grueling 16-hour trek from Istanbul to Izmir. The Itinerary: Be prepared for an early start; my day began with a 4:00 AM wake-up call. The first stop at the House of the Virgin Mary felt like the weakest link—it seemed more like a tourist trap than a historical site, and I personally found it unimpressive. Ephesus: The ancient city itself was the highlight. While it was frustrating to find that an additional admission fee for the tour's centerpiece was bizarre, the history and ongoing restoration are genuinely exciting to witness. Our group opted out of the digital film, which allowed for a more undesired free time before our return flight. The "Sales Pitch": Prospective travelers should be aware of the "forced" shopping stops for rugs and leather. Given the sleep deprivation from such a long day, I found the high-pressure sales environment more frustrating than inviting. A Note on the Istanbul Airport: As an African American traveling with Asian counterparts, I was appalled by the behavior of several airport employees in Istanbul. The smirking and visible insensitivity toward my fellow travelers were unprofessional and offensive. In an international hub, diversity training should be mandatory.

A Huge Surprise

James_R, Dec 2025

Ephesus was a huge surprise and wasn't what I had expected. I thought after seeing Pompei it would be a let down. It wasn't! Our guide knew much about all the stops we made. Since we came from Istanbul, still suffering jet lag from our US flight, the detailed planning with early AM hotel pickup was awesome. The lunch was outstanding and food was tasty. The stop at the rug factory was informative, but a little high pressure to buy something. But, if you are in the market for a Turkish rug it's very cost effective. A person in our group got them down from $3600 USD to $1900 USD with free shipping to the US. She felt the same type rug in the US would be $7,000 USD.

The humiliation of a once proud people

Alexander_W, Nov 2025

Waste of time and money. The first half of the day was spent being rushed through the listed attractions that we also had to pay extra for. I would like to add here that I appreciate Medihas historical insight and do not hold her personally responsible for the rest of the day. The second half of the day was spent being hounded relentlessly by carpet and leather salesmen. It became very clear early on that we were just along for the ride and had to sit out the awful experience. Every guest on the tour was clearly put off by the experience. My advice to any employees reading this would be to take more pride in your country by having respect for those visiting as we are not all the stupid piggybanks you may take us as. I feel for these people as they seem to be put on by the government to carry out this embarrassing task in order to receive benefits. May you rise up.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

First of all, we would like to express our sympathy for the negative experience you have gone through. However, we would like to point out that you have left a review for the wrong provider. You did not book any tour with us, and we did not provide you with any service. Your review was intended for a different tour. We kindly ask you to remove this review and post it on the correct provider’s account. Thank you for your understanding.

Great historical experience, but a long day

fruppen1, Apr 2025

An amazing historical experience and a fantastic guide named Ugur, but it is a long day. From pick up to return to our hotel, our day lasted 17 hours. We spent only about 3 1/2 hours of that at the actual historic sites.

Best of the Best 5 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lilliam_S, May 2024

Our Tour Guide, was professional and well knowledge. with College Education, Local from area he is showing you the site he was raise, Barborous Halil Toparkak is the guide everybody dream to have, he anwer every question that is being ask politely to him. Patience, reliable and well knowlege is our personal description of his tour. I think the price is worth for what you will get back form his Tour . Transportation includes 3 different drivers that you will achieve from starting point to your trip to your way back to your Hotel. Entances fees were $60.00 per person extra for Ephesus and Virgin Mary House where the Assumption is said took place. We love it and is one expirience we will take to the rest of our lives.

Not worth it!

Ravi_K, Jan 2024

We were very excited about this experience to begin. However, it did not turn out the way we had imagined. We were flying from Istanbul to Izmir on the day of our tour. Our flight was at 7 in the morning and we reached airport at 5am. Our flight was canceled due to weather and we were put on 10 am flight. We called the tour operator and said that we could not do the full tour and they said we had to choose between the touring the ancient city OR the House of Virgin Mary and Temple of Artemis, which seemed reasonable. We chose House of Virgin Mary and temple of Artemis. We even asked if we could do the pit stop at Ephesus for a few minutes and the tour operator said it was not possible as it was far. We landed in Izmir at 11 and a driver picked us up and drove for an hour to the House of Virgin Mary. We were only there for 30 min. On the way a tour guide joined us who explained some things about this place. As we returned from the Virgin Mary house we saw that the ancient city was indeed on the way and we could have stopped for some time to walk around. But instead, they tour operator said there wasn't time and we drove to Temple of Artmeis which had nothing to see except a pillar, only spending about 15 minutes over there. We were then picked by the transfer bus which dropped us at the airport at 2:30. What was frustrating was that our flight was at 6:30 PM and we spent 4 hours at the airport when we could have also explored the ancient city easily. Overall, we spent only about an hour on the tour sites and spent 4+ hours at the airport. They didn't provide lunch and the tour guide provided was simply filling in for someone and didn't explain much. We also did not get back any credit for our money, whatsoever. Obviously they can't control the flight cancelation but they could have easily adapted the tour to our timeframe. You will end up spending a large part of your day at the airport regardless of the time you get there. Overall, not a good experience.

Amazing rain in Ephesus

Carlotta_H, Oct 2023

Ata was a fabulous guide for our trip to Ephesus. He was personable and extremely knowledgeable. We had a great lunch and a side shopping trip. Would highly recommend Ata and our excellent driver.

SUPERB SERVICE!

SHAZWANI_A, Jun 2022

Superb! Awesome! Thank you Mr Kerem & Gökcem! Mr Kerem you are the best! Solve our missed flight prob really fast & we did enjoy the trip so much :)

Amazing experience!!

Ericka_S, May 2021

It was amazing!!! Our tour guide Rosy(Ganca) is very knowledgeable and hospitable. She is very enthusiastic and we had so much fun.

Ancient Ephesus Tour

theterrises, Aug 2019

Met by our Tour Guide Emre at airport and went from there. Emre was so easy to be with and so well informed it made the tour really great! Highly recommend for a fab day out.The site itself is amazing.

Awesome and smooth tour!

matthiasgrey88, Aug 2019

I had toured Ephesus last year with a group of friends, but that did not compare to this year! From the pickup at our hotel in Istanbul, to the flight transfers, the tour itself, lunch, and the return to our hotel, everything was wonderful and professional. We did not run into any issues at all. The tour itself was amazing, and our tour guide, Emre, was fantastic! He was so knowledgeable and friendly, and was more than able to answer any questions we had. He was very professional and made sure we were taken care of. I would not hesitate to book through this company again, and have already recommended it to friends!

Ephesus tour

traveler49060, Jul 2019

Excellent guide. About equal time touring attractions and lunch plus driving to tourist shops. Very hot after May.

Great Tour!!!

Akemi_A, Jun 2019

This tour was well organized. The tour guide was waiting for us at the airport and very attentive from the beginning to the end. She was very knowledgeable and the tour was great!

Our tour in Istanbul

Fracel_S, Jun 2019

I like the city. It is so nice to explore, walk in the city and visit the carpet factory where we ended up buying a carpet for personal use at home. The weather did not cooperate though because it was raining so hard while we were in a tour. We went up to a nice seafood restaurant and we live the food served to us. Awesome. The driver and the tourist guide were so nice to all of us. Thank you.

Febrero mejor mes para visitarlo

Vilma_F, Mar 2020

Muy bien organizado. nos buscaron al hotel , aeropuerto persona con nuestro nombre idea tificado. Auto privado con guía y chofer. Muy agradables y profesional. Manejo del tiempo en cada locación, nos ayudaron con las fotos. Sugerencia de almuerzo excelente. Guìa muy profesional y amable