3-Day Gallipoli, Pamukkale & Ephesus Tour from Istanbul with Flight
Overview
3-Day Gallipoli, Pamukkale & Ephesus Tour from Istanbul with Flight
War memorials, Roman marble and white thermal terraces shape this three-day package from Istanbul. You begin at the First World War sites of Gallipoli, travel overnight to the Aegean for Pamukkale and finish among the old streets of Ephesus, then fly to Istanbul.
On the peninsula your guide shows you Lone Pine, ANZAC Cove, The Nek, the Mehmetcik Memorial and the New Zealand memorial on Chunuk Bair. After visiting Hierapolis and its Cleopatra Antique Pool you have free time, and the final day pairs the House of the Virgin Mary with the Temple of Artemis, followed by your flight from Izmir.
Your hotels, guides, transfers, lunches and entrance fees, plus the intercity bus and the domestic flight home, are all booked before you arrive.
Leave the logistics to us and simply enjoy the journey.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Istanbul to Gallipoli & Night Bus to Kusadasi/Selcuk
Meals: lunch. Transfers: included. Overnight: Kusadasi/Selcuk.
06:30 - 07:00 – Pick-up at central Istanbul hotels and departure for the Gallipoli Peninsula. The drive to Eceabat takes about 4.5 hours, with short breaks on the way. Before the battlefield route starts, you have lunch at a local restaurant.
13:00 – The guided tour of the Gallipoli battlefields begins.
- Beach Cemetery – a calm seaside cemetery in memory of the soldiers who died during the landings.
- ANZAC Cove – in April 1915, ANZAC troops came ashore on this slim strip of beach.
- Ari Burnu Cemetery – a quiet memorial ground looking over the Aegean and the area of the first landings.
- ANZAC Commemorative Site – the chief remembrance ground, used for the yearly ceremonies.
- Mehmetcik Memorial – a Turkish monument to bravery, sacrifice and the human price paid in the campaign.
- Lone Pine Australian Memorial – one of the key Australian memorials, with traces of the battlefield preserved close by.
- Johnston's Jolly – a trench zone where the two front lines lay very close together.
- Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment Memorial – honouring the regiment whose role in holding the peninsula was decisive.
- The Nek – a narrow ridge remembered for its tragic frontal attacks.
- Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial – a lofty ridge with wide views, home to one of the most significant memorials to New Zealand anywhere on the peninsula.
17:30 – The Gallipoli tour ends. After a ferry crossing we take you to Canakkale Bus Station.
In the evening an intercity bus heads for the Aegean; the ride takes about 7 hours. At Izmir Bus Station our team waits for you with a sign bearing your name and drives you to your Kusadasi/Selcuk hotel to check in.
Day 2 – Pamukkale & Hierapolis Day Tour
Meals: breakfast and lunch. Transfers: included. Free time after the tour. Overnight: Kusadasi/Selcuk.
07:30 – We collect you from your Kusadasi/Selcuk hotel for the drive to the Pamukkale meeting point. The journey is about 3 hours, including a brief stop.
13:00 – The guided tour of Pamukkale and Hierapolis begins.
- Pamukkale Travertines – stroll across the white mineral terraces that thermal water has built across thousands of years.
- Hierapolis Ancient City – discover the remains of this ancient spa town, from the necropolis and Roman baths to the colonnaded streets and the theatre area.
- Cleopatra Antique Pool – visiting the pool area costs nothing extra; a swim in the thermal water is optional and paid on site.
- Free Time – once the guided part is over, you are free to take pictures, wander close to the terraces or try the optional thermal pool.
16:00 – The Pamukkale tour ends and the drive back starts. It takes about 3 hours to reach your hotel in Kusadasi/Selcuk.
Day 3 – Ephesus Day Tour & Flight to Istanbul
Meals: breakfast and lunch. Transfers: included.
08:30 – Once you have had breakfast at your Kusadasi/Selcuk hotel, you meet your guide and the Ephesus tour sets off.
- Temple of Artemis – see what is left of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
- Ephesus Ancient City – explore one of the best-kept Greco-Roman cities anywhere, with its marble streets, the area of the Library of Celsus, the Great Theater, the Temple of Hadrian and the Fountain of Trajan.
- House of Virgin Mary – a quiet pilgrimage site that many believe was the last home of Mary.
After the guided visits you have lunch at a local restaurant.
16:00 – Transfer from the tour area to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport.
19:30 – Flight from Izmir to Istanbul. The flight time can change with seasonal availability.
20:30 – Landing at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen Airport; the landing airport and time may differ depending on availability. Our local team meets you after landing and drives you to your Istanbul hotel, where the three-day package comes to an end.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓Pick-up from centrally located Istanbul hotels
- ✓Fully guided Gallipoli battlefield tour with lunch
- ✓Intercity bus transportation from the Gallipoli region to the Aegean region
- ✓Guided Pamukkale and Ephesus tours with lunches included
- ✓2 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast as per the program
- ✓One-way domestic flight ticket from Izmir to Istanbul with 15 kg checked baggage and 8 kg cabin baggage
- ✓Airport, bus station, hotel, and tour transfers mentioned in the itinerary
- ✓Professional English-speaking licensed tour guide during guided tours
- ✓Entrance fees to museums and historical sites listed in the itinerary
- ✓Transportation during tours by modern, air-conditioned, non-smoking vehicles
- ✓Local taxes, service fees, parking, highway, and ferry charges
- ✕Personal expenses
- ✕Drinks during lunches
- ✕Dinners
- ✕Hotel pick-up or drop-off outside central Istanbul areas
- ✕Optional tours, activities, or experiences not stated in the itinerary
- ✕Optional swimming in Cleopatra Antique Pool in Pamukkale
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Three-day Gallipoli, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour from Istanbul: the key facts
This three-day group package starts with an early pick-up at your central Istanbul hotel and a guided afternoon on the Gallipoli battlefields. In the evening you take an intercity bus of about seven hours to Izmir and are driven to your hotel in Kusadasi or Selcuk. Day 2 is a guided day at Pamukkale and Hierapolis with free time, and Day 3 covers Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis and the House of the Virgin Mary before an evening flight from Izmir to Istanbul.
It suits travellers with limited time who want the battlefields and the two main Aegean sites in one trip and do not mind a night on the bus. The price is from $796 per person.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Length | 3 days / 2 nights |
| Route | Istanbul - Eceabat - Gallipoli - Canakkale - (night bus) - Izmir - Kusadasi/Selcuk - Pamukkale - Ephesus - Izmir - Istanbul |
| Style | Group tour, licensed English-speaking guide |
| Start / end | 06:30-07:00 pick-up at a central Istanbul hotel / hotel drop-off in Istanbul after a flight landing around 20:30 |
| Included | Gallipoli tour with lunch, intercity bus to the Aegean, 2 hotel nights with breakfast, guided Pamukkale and Ephesus days with lunch, Izmir-Istanbul flight (15 kg + 8 kg), transfers, entrance fees, ferry and road charges |
| Extra | Dinners, drinks at lunch, Cleopatra Pool swim, pick-up outside central Istanbul, personal expenses |
How does the night bus work after Gallipoli?
The battlefield tour ends around 17:30. After a ferry crossing you are taken to Canakkale Bus Station for an intercity bus to the Aegean, a ride of about seven hours. At Izmir Bus Station our team waits with a sign bearing your name and drives you to your hotel in Kusadasi or Selcuk. The page labels Day 1 as a hotel night, but with that timing you arrive in the early hours and are collected again at 07:30. Ask us to confirm in writing the bus departure time and when you reach the hotel.
What do we see at Gallipoli on Day 1?
After the drive of about 4.5 hours to Eceabat and lunch, the guided visit starts at 13:00. The route covers Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ari Burnu Cemetery, the ANZAC Commemorative Site, the Mehmetcik Memorial, the Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston's Jolly, the Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment Memorial, The Nek and the Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial. Most stops involve short walks from the vehicle on uneven ground. Read more on our Gallipoli page and the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site guide.
How long is the Pamukkale day?
Long. You are collected at 07:30 for a drive of about three hours, and the guided tour of Pamukkale and Hierapolis starts at 13:00, which leaves a gap the page does not explain. The visit covers the travertines, the necropolis, the Roman baths, the colonnaded streets and the theatre area, then free time. At 16:00 you drive about three hours back to Kusadasi or Selcuk. Shoes are not allowed on the white terraces, so you walk barefoot and carry them. A swim in the Cleopatra Antique Pool is optional and paid on site.
What does the Ephesus day include?
Day 3 starts at 08:30 after breakfast. You visit the Temple of Artemis, then Ephesus Ancient City with its marble streets, the Library of Celsus area, the Great Theatre, the Temple of Hadrian and the Fountain of Trajan, and the House of the Virgin Mary, followed by lunch. At 16:00 you transfer to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport for a flight at about 19:30, landing at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen around 20:30. Modest clothing is expected at the House of the Virgin Mary.
Where do we stay, and which hotels are used?
Both nights are in Kusadasi or Selcuk, with breakfast, so you do not change hotels between Day 2 and Day 3. The FAQ says two nights in Kusadasi and refers to a Hotels section listing hotels by class, but no hotel names or categories appear on the page. Ask us which hotel is planned for your dates, and whether you can keep your luggage there during the Pamukkale day. Our guide to Kusadasi hotels for Ephesus describes the two towns.
When is the best time of year for this route?
April to early June and September to October are usually the most comfortable months. In July and August, Ephesus regularly reaches the mid-30s °C and the white Pamukkale terraces reflect the heat, so bring a hat, water and sun cream. Around 24-25 April the Turkish authorities restrict traffic on the Gallipoli peninsula for the Anzac Day commemoration, which can change the battlefield route or times, so mention it before booking if your dates fall then.
Is there a version with Troy or without the night bus?
Yes. The 4-day Gallipoli, Troy, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour, from $889 per person, adds a hotel night in Canakkale and a morning at Troy, and the bus south runs in daytime. For a slower trip by road, compare the 5-day Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus and Pamukkale tour by bus, from $842 per person. Our guide to Gallipoli tours from Istanbul and the multi-city packages list more options.
How do we book this three-day tour?
Use the booking form on this page to choose your start date and number of guests, and tell us your central Istanbul hotel for the Day 1 pick-up. You can also message us on WhatsApp at +90 545 307 67 88. We check the night bus, the Izmir flight and the hotel for your dates and send the full plan, including the bus arrival time, in writing before you make any payment. The tour departs daily with no minimum group size. Get Turkey Tours holds TÜRSAB licence A-15751.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the tour begin and finish?
How do we get from one city to the next?
Where will we spend the nights?
What language does the guide speak?
Can I start the tour on any day?
Is it possible to adjust the route or extend the trip?
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