We pick you up from your hotel in Istanbul early in the morning and provide a private transfer to the airport. (Important Note: Domestic flight tickets are not included in this package. Please ensure you have booked a morning flight arriving in Izmir around 08:00 - 08:30 AM. We drop you off at the departure terminal.
Welcome to the Aegean Coast! Upon landing at Izmir Airport, please exit the domestic terminal building. Our representative will be waiting for you at the meeting point holding a sign with your name. After assisting you with your luggage, we will drive to the Ephesus area in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle (approx. 45-60 minutes). Sit back and enjoy the scenic views of peach orchards and olive groves as we head towards the start of our tour.
We arrive in Selcuk, the historic gateway to Ephesus. Here, you will meet your professional tour guide and fellow travelers. We facilitate a smooth transition from your airport transfer vehicle to the tour bus. After a short introduction and briefing about the day, we head directly to our first destination, the House of Virgin Mary.
Our journey begins with a scenic drive up to the Nightingale Mountain. We visit the House of Virgin Mary, a peaceful pilgrimage site believed to be the final residence of Mary. Recognized by the Vatican and visited by Popes, this humble stone house has a unique spiritual atmosphere. You will have time to visit the chapel, see the holy water fountains, and leave a wish on the famous 'Wishing Wall'.
The highlight of the day! You will walk through the original marble streets of one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. Your guide will take you on a journey back in time, showing you the magnificent Celsus Library, the Temple of Hadrian, and the Trajan Fountain. The tour concludes at the massive Great Theatre, where St. Paul once preached to the Ephesians. It is a truly breathtaking open-air museum
Step into the private lives of the Roman elite. Located on the slopes of Bulbul Mountain, these 'villas of the wealthy' offer a unique glimpse into ancient luxury. You will admire incredibly well-preserved mosaics and colorful frescoes that decorated the walls 2,000 years ago. This section is often called the 'Museum within a Museum'. Please note that this is an OPTIONAL visit. If you wish to explore these houses, you can purchase your ticket at the entrance. Your tour guide will accompany you inside to explain the fascinating history of these ancient villas.
See what the archaeologists saw in their dreams! This award-winning museum offers a spectacular 360-degree digital experience of ancient Ephesus. It is the perfect way to understand how the ruins you just walked through actually looked during the peak of the Roman era. Through cutting-edge technology, your guide will lead you into a world where history comes back to life, showing you the magnificent details of the ancient city in a way you have never imagined before.
Experience the true flavors of Turkey with a delicious lunch at a traditional local restaurant in Selcuk. You will savor authentic Aegean cuisine, featuring a rich variety of regional specialties prepared with fresh, local ingredients. From classic Turkish mezes to tasty main courses, this meal offers a real taste of the region’s culinary heritage. It is the perfect moment to relax in an authentic atmosphere, share your photos with fellow travelers, and recharge before our next discovery.
We make a stop at the site of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. While only a single column remains today, its historical significance is immense, as it was once the largest temple in the Greek world. Your guide will help you visualize the original grandeur of this masterpiece. From this vantage point, you can also enjoy a unique panoramic view where the ancient Temple, the 14th-century Isa Bey Mosque, and the Byzantine Basilica of St. John all meet in one frame.
After a day full of history and discovery, we drive towards the beautiful coastal town of Kusadasi. Enjoy the sea breeze and the scenic views of the Aegean coast as we head to your accommodation. We will drop you off directly at your hotel for check-in and some well-deserved rest. The evening is yours to enjoy the sunset by the sea and prepare for the next part of our adventure in Pamukkale.
Start your morning with a comfortable drive from the coast towards the heart of the inner Aegean region. As we head to Pamukkale, you will pass through fertile valleys filled with olive, fig, and cotton trees. Your guide will share interesting stories about the local culture and the changing landscape. We will take a short break to stretch your legs and enjoy the countryside views before the white 'Cotton Castle' appears on the horizon.
Upon arriving at the summit of the hill, we step into the ruins of Hierapolis, the ancient 'Holy City' located right above the white terraces. After our scenic drive, we begin exploring the Necropolis, one of the largest and most impressive ancient cemeteries in Anatolia. You will walk through the monumental gates and reach the magnificent Roman Theatre, which offers a breathtaking view of the valley below. Your guide will explain how this city became a world-famous center for healing and thermal baths during the Roman Empire.
Located inside the beautifully restored Roman Bath, this museum houses an incredible collection of artifacts from Hierapolis, Laodicea, and the surrounding Lycus Valley. You will see magnificent marble sarcophagi, intricate Roman statues, and rare coins that reflect the artistic wealth of the ancient city. This is an optional visit for those who want to dive deeper into history. If you wish to see these treasures up close, you can purchase your ticket at the entrance, and your guide will be there to provide insights into the most important masterpieces
Experience a unique swim in history! This thermal pool was a gift from Mark Antony to Cleopatra and is still filled with warm, healing mineral waters. You can walk around the lush gardens and see the ancient marble columns submerged under the crystal-clear water. Swimming among these 2,000-year-old ruins is an optional activity. If you wish to swim, you can pay the entrance fee at the pool's office. It is the perfect place to relax your muscles and feel like royalty in a truly ancient setting.
Prepare to be amazed by a natural wonder that looks like a castle made of cotton. These world-famous white terraces were formed over thousands of years by calcium-rich thermal waters cascading down the mountain. You will have free time to walk barefoot on the soft white travertine and soak your feet in the warm, turquoise thermal pools. The contrast between the brilliant white mineral forests and the blue sky offers incredible photo opportunities. It is a surreal landscape that you will remember for a lifetime.
After exploring the wonders of Hierapolis and the white terraces, we take a break for a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. You will enjoy a variety of traditional Turkish dishes, featuring fresh seasonal vegetables and authentic regional flavors. This is the perfect time to relax, enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the Pamukkale village, and share your amazing photos with your travel companions. Recharge your energy with great food and Turkish hospitality before we begin our journey back.
As our 2-day adventure comes to an end, we provide a comfortable transfer to Denizli Cardak Airport. We will ensure you arrive on time for your flight, giving you a smooth and stress-free conclusion to your journey. Your guide and driver will assist you with your luggage and help you with the terminal drop-off. We hope you leave with unforgettable memories of Ephesus and Pamukkale, and we wish you a safe and pleasant flight back.
Upon your arrival in Istanbul, our team will be waiting to meet you for your private transfer back to your accommodation. You can relax in our comfortable vehicle as we drive you through the city directly to your hotel entrance. Our driver will assist you with your luggage, ensuring a seamless and worry-free end to your 2-day journey across Ephesus and Pamukkale. We are honored to have been part of your Turkish adventure and wish you a wonderful continued stay in Istanbul.
Wonderful experience with a guide which was listening to our needs and answering all our questions during our visit and which was also entertaining for the kids.
Gufte was such a great tour guide for our time in Kusadasi!! Our first day we did a tour through Ephesus where she did such a great job explaining everything we were looking at and helping us to imagine what life was like in ancient Ephesus. She also took us to a local carpet weaving facility with a fantastic lunch and we ended the day with a visit to the house of the Virgin Mary. The second day we drove to Pamukkale to visit the ancient city of Heropolis. I learned a lot there and love having time to explore the natural pools. Gufte took us to a couple of other local places for souvenirs. I feel like I got a great balance of history and local culture experience with Gufte. She made a lot of suggestions of places to eat and things to do for the days we were not together. Gufte was very knowledgeable, flexible, and fun to be with for the two days we were together. I'm very thankful we had her as our tour guide and would highly recommend her to anyone.
Güfte was our guide when we were staying in the Kuşadasi area. She was so kind and made sure we did everything we were wanting to do and more! Her experience and knowledge of Turkey is evident on the tours from the moment she meets you to the time to say goodbye. She was very patient and gave us options to customize our daily schedule. She made sure to accommodate us in any way which made our trip much more relaxed. She is very personable and professional! I highly recommend Güfte to anyone wanting to elevate their experience in Turkey!
Güfte was our tour guide for two days while in Kusadasi. She was so great in many ways. She spoke very good English and was very knowledgeable about the entire region. She made sure what we envisioned for those two days was the best. We visited several sights including Ephesus, Pammukale, Sirince and Heiropolis to name a few. She always gave us a couple options for seeing the sights and allowed us to choose what we wanted and that made me feel like we truly experienced what we wanted to the most. I highly recommend her for a private tour or whether you are in a group.
WE loved our time with Güfte our wonderful travel guide. She was so knowledgeable about the sites visited and nothing was too much trouble. She really made two extremely hot days very manageable that we almost forgot how hot it was. Together with our driver Salih they both made our two day’s fun and so enjoyable. We are very grateful to them both for their expertise and good company. Having this guide and driver was the best way to see these two sights and learn so much along the way. Thank you so much, from Lea and Chris, Australia.
Awesome tour! Darya, the guide, was super nice and had all the information! She really knows what to do with the time given. We loved efeso and this tour played the main role! Don’t think twice, super worth it!
An amazing two days in Ephesus and Pamukkale. Our guide was Mrs. Gufte. Gufte and our driver were both very experienced. We enjoyed lunch with them after our visit to Hieropolis. Mrs. Ayfer who organized the trip was extremely helpful throughout the process, from booking until the end of the trip. She checked on us every step of the way. We highly recommend Puerto Travel Turkey.
Our guide gave a special flavour to our tour : She really listened to us and always tried to make sure we were happy, turning this discovery moment into a super positive experience that matched what we were hoping for. We had a great time, especially with such a lovely American family.
We had a great two days with Güfte as our guide and highly recommend her. She explained the history of these amazing sites very well, we had two great lunches, traveled in a comfortable vehicle and really enjoyed her company.
If I could give Gufte more than 5 stars I would! Gufte is a very knowledgeable guide whose pride in modern Türkiye, its many faceted culture & ancient histories made touring a relaxing & stress free experience. Personable & with good humour, Gufte’s warm & truly friendly personality made us at ease & happy to spend two days touring with her. For Gufte nothing was too much trouble or not open for discussion. A highly recommended guide with an excellent driver!
The places are amazing and our guide was excellent... Very knowledgeable and makes the trip very enjoyable. Very recommended.
Our tour guide was Derya and she is not only knowledgeable but passionate. She was so kind and my mom and I felt comfortable the entire tour. We learned so much because Derya’s passion and love for the history was present the entire time. She helped us find great photo spots to help make memories of our visit to Ephesus and mother Mary’s house. She recommended a lovely lunch location and then provided us with an opportunity to personalize the tour since it was just my mom and I. I wasn’t familiar with the kusadasi shopping for olive oil and she guided us to a reliable vendor. It was a fun filled day full of history, fun, good food, lots of learning, good conversation and great memories! She was my tour guide, but now I call her friend! She made this trip way more memorable for us. She not just a tour guide, but a true ambassador of the great city she’s from and a great representation of Turkish hospitality and kindness. Thank you!!!!
This is the second tour we booked with Puerto Travel Turkey. Gufte is amazing! We were very happy the first tour we booked with the company in 2022 that we decided to use them again. She's very knowledgeable, warm and super patient with all of us and catered to our needs. Very flexible in adjusting the schedule. She made it very memorable for all of us. Highly recommend her and her company.
The beauty, the charm, the food, and the richness of cultural history are stunning in Turkey. Güfte, our excellent tour guide, reflects all of these qualities in the way she cares about her clients. What beautiful people, what a beautiful place to visit. I felt welcome in every way.
Amazing experience. Our tour guide Gufte was exceptionally kind, compassionate and informative. She along with Ahmet made our trip very comfortable and worth visiting again. In today's world such genuine human beings are rare. I would recommend them to all my friends. Special thanks to Ayfer who helped us with the itinerary. We will surly take their tour to other parts or Turkey during our next visit.
Puerto travel arranged a private day tour to Pamukkale from Antalya for our party of 12. The whole process from communicating with the agency to our actual tour were on point and great. Our driver Ogun and guide Omar were very good.
We met Rafet at the hotel and it was “love at first sight”! He brought us in the incredibile world of mithology, telling us about faires, gods, monsters and magic… his knowledge about Turkey is the result of study ,passion and pride of his country. The tour was perfectly organized, from the beginning to the transfer to airport, with a confortable minivan and a private driver, very efficient and professional. Any complain, my compliments for everthing and a special thank for leading us in this amazing discovery.
Honestly, he is a genius! He explains everything to you and also speaks perfect Spanish. Highly recommended! I would not hesitate to have him be my guide to see everything. We went with my mom, we were both delighted
It has been a great experience; they have been attentive to every detail, ensuring we could enjoy all the guided tours to the fullest. We haven't had to wait in line anywhere, and in addition to the explanations at all the places visited, he was able to answer all kinds of questions we asked him, demonstrating that he has a lot of knowledge about all kinds of topics. He also recommended typical foods and restaurants where we can go. And the icing on the cake was that I left my sunglasses at the hotel, and through friends, he managed to have them brought to the airport, so I was able to get them back. In summary, an incredible and highly recommended experience.
We have spent two splendid days because everything was tailored. The excellent vehicle and both the driver and Hugo had an exemplary predisposition! The explanations very clear showing great knowledge and we value very much that in several places we give us time without rushing to travel at our leisure I recommend it a hundred percent!!
Fantastic experience. We were picked up at 8 o’clock in our hotel and were not made at all heavy 3 hours of travel thanks to the comfortable vehicle we were with (plus, we made a short stop to replenish strength and drink something, very nice). Once there, Pamukkale is truly impressive and recommended, as well as Hierapolis. Our Guide, Hugo, further enhanced the experience with his explanations. I recommend visiting the pool area and the white mountain, swimming in the Cleopatra pool and then taking a golf cart (you get there) with your Guide to see the necropolis and the spectacular theater. After this, we were taken to eat at a very authentic place of delicious Turkish pizza. Highly recommended experience, especially with Hugo Guide.
It was a wonderful experience... excellent work by the guide... a very special man, he explains very well, speaks perfect Spanish... and is a very good human being... he knows the sites and their history very well.
Our tour with Hugo (Huseyin) was spectacular. He is a great guide, the entire journey from Izmir to Pamukkale he told us stories of both ancient and modern Turkey, giving us a global context of the country, and making the trip feel much faster despite the 3 hours it takes. He is very loved, giving us time to do what we wanted and returning to the guide whenever necessary. The tour you take in Hierapolis is perfect, because the closing with the theater is incredible.
A beauty blends history, culture and nature. Yiğit speaks Spanish perfectly and the tour was very comfortable, flexible and adapted to the interests of the small group we were going. Go enjoy yourself!
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