2 Days Ephesus and Pamukkale Tour from Kusadasi

Highlights of the 2 Days Ephesus and Pamukkale Tour from Kusadasi

This two-day escape from Kusadasi links the two unmissable wonders of Turkey’s Aegean coast in one easy, fully guided trip. In a comfortable air-conditioned coach, and with a professional English-speaking guide at your side, you travel inland to the gleaming white terraces of Pamukkale and the ruined spa city of Hierapolis, spend the night at a thermal hotel, and the next day walk the marble avenues of Ephesus before a relaxed visit to the vineyard village of Sirince. It is the ideal way to see the region’s classical and natural masterpieces without the stress of driving or planning.

The first day belongs to Pamukkale, the “cotton castle” whose calcium-rich thermal springs have built dazzling snow-white travertine terraces over thousands of years. You climb barefoot across the warm pools and explore the sprawling ancient city of Hierapolis that grew up around them — its great Roman theatre, colonnaded main street, the vast necropolis, the Temple of Apollo and the mysterious Plutonium. If you wish, you can swim among submerged marble columns in Cleopatra’s Antique Pool, one of the most atmospheric bathing spots in the world.

The second day is devoted to Ephesus, among the best-preserved classical cities of the Mediterranean. With your guide you follow Curetes Street past the Roman baths to the magnificent facade of the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre, and learn about the site of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, near Selcuk. Afterwards you unwind in Sirince, a hillside village of whitewashed Ottoman-Greek houses famous for its fruit wines, handicrafts and leather workshops, before the return transfer to Kusadasi. This tour suits first-time visitors, cruise passengers and anyone who wants to combine Turkey’s greatest ancient city with its most spectacular natural site in a single short break.