Explore the ancient Roman spa city of Hierapolis, home to the amphitheater and historic cemetery. Walk barefoot on the travertine terraces and enjoy a refreshing swim in the thermal pools. Take advantage of a guided tour that provides detailed insights into the history and significance of the sites in the ancient city of Ephesus.
Departure to Denizli/Pamukkale – Pamukkale, Hierapolis, Laodicea Tour - Overnight at Kusadasi
Istanbul - Departures from Istanbul: The travel services will commence with a transfer from your hotel to the airport. Your driver will meet you at the reception of your hotel or at your Airbnb address if parking is available. You will then be transported to the airport for your flight from Istanbul to Denizli. Upon arrival at Denizli Cardak airport, your tour guide and another driver will meet you at the exit gate of the arrival terminal, and then you will start the full-day tour to Pamukkale Natural Park, Hierapolis Ancient City, and Laodicea Ancient City.
Pamukkale - Departures from Antalya, Fethiye, Marmaris, Bodrum of Turkey by car, and Rhodes, Kos, Samos Islands of Greece by ferry are available for this trip. You can choose one of them while making a reservation on the booking form. After your departure from those cities, you will start the full-day tour to Pamukkale Natural Park, Hierapolis Ancient City, and Laodicea Ancient City.
Hierapolis & Pamukkale - The highlights of Hierapolis Ancient City include Necropolis, Roman Baths, Domitian Gate, Latrina, Oil Factory, Frontinus Street, Agora, Byzantium Gate, Triton Fountain, Cathedral, Apollon Temple, Plutonium, Theater, and Antique Pool. During visits to these ancient ruins, you can take some photos from the nicest corners of Pamukkale.
Pamukkale Thermal Pools - After visiting the Hierapolis Ancient City, you will have free time for about 60-75 minutes to explore the natural beauties of Pamukkale and swim at the white travertines - thermal pools (or antique pool - Cleopatra’s pool with an extra fee). Then meet again with your guide and start walking in the middle of the travertines from top to bottom without shoes and socks.
Cleopatra Pools - Situated above the Pamukkale white travertine pools is one particularly spectacular location fed by the same hot springs. Here you can bathe in the same waters in which Cleopatra once swam! A professionally run modern spa facility allows you to enjoy these historical healing waters. Unlike the white water of the lower pools, the Antique Pool favored by Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, is pure clear warm water. Once it was surmounted by a Roman Temple to Apollo with an ornate roof held up with Doric columns. Imagine how Cleopatra must have experienced this when you imagine it in its glory day.
Pamukkale - You will stop at a local restaurant for your lunch. Today’s lunch is included during the guided tour.
Karahayit - After lunch, you will experience a traditional handcraft workshop to get a lecture about the special stones/metals of Pamukkale.
Pamukkale Tandem Paragliding - Pamukkale Paragliding Adventure (Optional Attraction – You can add this attraction to your experiences at an extra cost): See Pamukkale’s glistening white travertine and ancient Hierapolis, including the enormous theater, from the air on this short-but-sweet paragliding experience with a seasoned pilot. You will race off the edge of a slope about 1,300 feet (400 meters) up, then glide on the breezes over the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Laodicea - Excavations here have revealed artifacts dating from 3500 BC (Late Chalcolithic) to 3000 BC (Early Bronze Age). The city’s name comes from the Seleucid king Antiochus II, who named it for his wife Laodike in the 3rd century BC when it was thriving. Later controlled by the kings of Pergamum, it was willed to the Roman Empire, and thrived again from the 4th to 6th centuries. Its importance then numbered it among the Seven Churches of Revelation.
Kusadasi - After your tour to Pamukkale Natural Park - Hierapolis Ancient City - Laodicea Ancient City, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kusadasi.
Kusadasi Castle - This small castle is a picturesque Byzantine fortress that stands on the causeway-connected Guvercin Adasi (Pigeon Island) and has recently been renovated. * There is no visit to this place on tour. You can visit there on your own after we drop you at your hotel in Kusadasi.
Okuz Mehmet Pasa Kervansarayi - This caravanserai was built by the Grand Vizier Okuz Mehmed Pasha to support maritime trade in the region. This historical building is opposite Kusadasi cruise port. * There is no visit to this place on tour. You can visit there on your own after we drop you at your hotel in Kusadasi.
Guided Tour to Ephesus and Its Surroundings - Flight from Izmir to Istanbul – or Flight from Izmir to Cappadocia
Kuşadası - After enjoying breakfast at your hotel, the tour guide will pick you up around 09:00 AM for a full-day tour to Ephesus and its surroundings. * At the end of the tour, you will be directly transferred to Izmir Airport for your flight back to Istanbul (or a flight from Izmir to Cappadocia if you prefer to connect this trip to Cappadocia. The flight ticket from Izmir to Istanbul or to Cappadocia will be included for both options). Please remember to check out of your hotel and collect your luggage before heading out for the Ephesus tour.
Kusadasi Gazi Begendi Park - Before driving to the Ephesus area, you will stop at the Gazi Begendi Park (Hill) so you can take photos of the amazing Kusadasi Bay.
Ancient City of Ephesus - Your first visit will be the Ephesus Ancient City. Ephesus was one of the most important harbor cities in the ancient world and also it is mentioned in the book of Revelations as one of the seven churches. Also, Celsus Library and theater in Ephesus are the other highlights. You will see the Celcus Library, Temple of Hadrian, Fountain of Trajan, Odeon, Agora, Fountain of Domitian, Hercule Gate, Grand Theater, Nike, Ancient Toilets, and more during the tour in this ancient city.
Ephesus Experience Museum - The Ephesus Experience Museum provides an immersive journey into Turkey’s rich cultural and historical heritage. By leveraging cutting-edge display systems and advanced content technologies, it offers visitors a captivating time travel experience that brings the past to life in a profoundly engaging way.
The Temple of Artemis - The next stop of your tour will be at the Temple of Artemis which was first built during the Archaic period, and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Selcuk - You will stop at a traditional Turkish restaurant for your lunch. Today’s lunch is included during the guided tour. After lunch, you will experience a traditional handcraft co-operative to get a lecture about the special arts of Turkish villagers.
Şirince - This pretty old Orthodox village, 12 km away from Ephesus and 30 km from Kusadasi, was once Cirkince (“ugly”). Indeed its inhabitants gave this name on purpose as they did not want to be bothered by foreigners nor to share the beauty of their village. Still, after years, visitors understood that the village was not ugly at all and called it Sirince (“pretty”). As the village is located on the top of a mountain, you will enjoy the impressive vineyards and peach trees’ views on the way. You will find wines made from apples, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, melons, watermelons, cherries, and many other sorts of fruits.
Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport - At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Izmir airport for your flight back to Istanbul.
İstanbul - Upon your arrival in Istanbul, we will meet you at the airport and then you will be transferred to your hotel in Istanbul.
Cappadocia - If you would like to connect this trip to the Cappadocia district, that option will be available for you, and the flight ticket from Izmir to Cappadocia will be included instead of the ticket for the flight from Izmir to Istanbul.
Goreme - When you arrive at Cappadocia airport, a different driver will greet you at the arrival terminal’s exit and take you to the hotel you’ve booked yourself in Göreme or any other town within the Cappadocia region.
- Transfers at the mentioned airports for domestic flights in the itinerary
- Hotel / Airport pick-up & drop-off services
- Domestic flight tickets: Istanbul to Denizli - Izmir to Istanbul (or Izmir to Cappadocia)
- Lunch
- Professional tour guide licensed by Ministry of Culture and Tourism
- 1 night hotel accommodation including breakfast
- Breakfast
- One way ferry ticket from Kos and Rhodes Islands to Turkey, if you depart from these Greek Isles
- Dinner & drink
- Entrance fees (Your tour guide will have pre-paid tickets for you can skip the line.)
- The prices of package are valid for accommodation at the double or triple room. If you would like add accommodation on single room(s) to your booking, there could be supplement cost. There are not going to be any extra cost for bookings of single / solo travelers. They will already accommodate at single room(s).
- The pre-planned hotels are “Hotel Arcadia Blue” and “Radisson Blu Hotel İstanbul Pera” in Istanbul - “1811 Cave Boutique Hotel” and “Zeydem Suites Boutique Hotel” in Cappadocia for your accommodation on this travel. If these hotels are not available for standard/superior rooms on your travel dates, local tour operator can replace it with an equivalent hotel.
- The check-in time of the hotels is 02.00pm, and you can not start use your room before this time. This is about the check-in & check-out policies of the hotels.
- Local tour operator will send e-tickets of your domestic flights at six days before your departure date. You will not need the print out copies of the tickets for domestic flights. Your passport and reservation number on the tickets will be enough for check-in to plane.
- Local tour operator can request your some passport details for the bookings of your flight tickets. If you do not share the details which requested by the local tour operator, your domestic flight tickets can not bookable.
- You will have 15kg luggage + 8kg hand bag quota per person for each domestic flight. If you will need more luggage capacity, please inform that to local tour operator. There could be some extra fee for luggage quotas more than 15kg. This is exactly about the policies of airline companies.
- Hot air ballooning is a fully weather-dependent activity and the Civil Aviation Authority determines whether the flight will be held. If your flight is cancelled due to inclement weather conditions, you are entitled to a partial refund. In such a case, your refund will be processed by the day after of that trip.
- The Standard Balloon Ride has an One-hour approximately flight duration with 20 to 28 people capacity basket. The flight duration could be 50-55 minutes or 65-70 minutes. This situation depend the weather conditions before landing, and pilots are decide to that within the safety rules of Civil Aviation Authority. Total activity duration is approximately 3 hours.
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required.
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking.
- This tour is not available for the bookings to children who are 17 years old and under.
If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
