3 Days Istanbul & Ephesus Tour (Tour starts in Istanbul and ends in Kusadasi or Izmir)

(Tour starts in Istanbul and ends in Kusadasi or Izmir)

Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul & Transfer to Hotel

Arrive any day in Istanbul. On arrival, look for a driver holding a sign with your name. You will be transferred to your accommodation and the rest of the day is at leisure.

• Overnight in Istanbul

Day 2: Byzantine & Ottoman Relics Tour

After breakfast at approximately 8:30 am, you will be picked up from your hotel to begin the full-day tour. Today on the tour you will visit Hagia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar, and Topkapi Palace. Lunch will be at a local restaurant. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel. (Note that Topkapı Palace is closed Tuesday, and Hagia Sophia is closed Monday).

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch

Day 3: Fly to Izmir from Istanbul – Ephesus Tour – End of Services

You will be picked up from your hotel in Istanbul around 4:00 am and will be transferred to the domestic airport for your flight from Istanbul to Izmir between 6:00 – 7:30 am. Upon arrival at Izmir airport, you will be picked up and transferred to Selçuk. In Selçuk, you will meet your professional tour guide to begin your full-day tour of Ephesus.

You will first visit the Temple of Artemis which was once one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Next you will visit the world-famous ancient Greco-Roman City of Ephesus, the most well-preserved example in the world. After visiting this impressive site, you will have a break for lunch. After lunch, you will visit the House of the Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent her last days. This is a holy place for both Christians and Muslims. Afterwards you will visit the Isabey Mosque. Next, you will be taken to the Sirince Village; which is an old Greek village and is well-know for its quaint beauty and wine tasting and production. Here you will have one hour free to explore on your own without a guide the different foods and wines of the area and visit various small traditional village shops.

There are two available options at the end of the Ephesus tour.

Option 1: You can end your tour in Kusadasi. This will be the end of our service.
Option 2: You can choose to be transferred to Izmir Airport to take a domestic or International flight or be transferred to the Kusadasi or Izmir main bus station to take a bus to another destination e.g. Bodrum, Marmaris, Antalya, Fethiye, and Istanbul.

The cost of the domestic flight ticket or bus ticket for your onward journey is not included. If you want we can arrange a domestic flight or bus ticket for you at an extra cost for your chosen next destination within Turkey. This will be the end of our tour service.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch

INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• All transfers mentioned in the itinerary
• Domestic flight ticket from Istanbul to Izmir only
• 2 nights in Istanbul at Special Class or 4-star hotels including breakfast
• English-speaking guide during the tours
• Meals as per itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch)
• Entrance fees mentioned by the itinerary
• Local taxes and service charges

NOT INCLUDED:

• End of the Tour in Ephesus on Day 3, bus and/or flight tickets are not included
• International airfare & airport taxes
• Visa to enter Turkey
• Tips & Personal Items
• Drinks with meals (except the drinks served with breakfast)

IMPORTANT INFO:

• This is a regular group tour, but if requested at cost can be provided as a private tour
• The regular group tour has shopping stops included in the tour
• Please advise your arrival details at time of booking
• Please note that the Blue Mosque is not open for visitation on Fridays as it is closed for religious prayer services. You will only be able to visit the outside of the Blue Mosque area on tours operated on Fridays. No visitation will be allowed inside the Blue Mosque for tourists on Fridays.
• St. Sophia is closed on Monday, this will be replaced with the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici)
• Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday, it will be replaced with the Beylerbeyi Palace
• Grand Bazaar is closed on Sunday
• During religious holidays, the spice market and Grand Bazaar are closed