Bodrum to Ephesus, in a single day

Bodrum to Ephesus in a day is roughly 175 km each way, about two and a half hours on the road, with the whole ancient city at an unhurried pace. We collect you from your Bodrum hotel, villa or the marina early, at a pickup time agreed when you book. A licensed guide, car, driver, lunch and skip-the-line entry are included, from €44 per person for groups of 8 or more (smaller groups are priced privately); the tickets themselves are charged at the gate price.

Bodrum is a long way from Ephesus by Turkish coastal standards — about 175 kilometers, two and a half hours of driving each way — and we will not pretend otherwise. It is the longest day we run. It is also, for a great many of our guests, the one they are most glad they did, because there is nothing on the Bodrum peninsula remotely like the city you are going to see.

The question we actually get asked is not "what is on the itinerary". It is "is it too far?" So: it is far, it is completely doable in a day, and the difference between a good version and a miserable one is entirely down to how the driving is handled.

How we make five hours of driving painless

You are collected from your hotel, villa or the marina early, at a time agreed when you book — the early start is the whole trick. The road runs inland through Milas, then down across the Söke plain with the Menderes delta opening out on your right. It is a genuinely beautiful drive, and you are doing it in an air-conditioned car with a professional driver, stopping wherever you like: a photo over the delta, a glass of çay, or the farm stand your guide knows for the best figs and olive oil on the road.

Your guide travels with you, which turns the drive into the first part of the tour rather than dead time. By the time you reach the upper gate you already know what Arzawa was, why the harbor silted up, and what you are about to walk into.

What the day actually contains

• Ephesus, at an unhurried pace, walked downhill from the upper gate — the Odeon, Curetes Street, the Temple of Hadrian, the Library of Celsus, the Great Theater. The full route is set out in our guide to walking Ephesus gate to harbor.
• The Terrace Houses if you want them — a separate ticket, glass walkways over frescoed Roman villas, and in our view the most underrated thing in Turkey.
• A proper sit-down lunch, included in the price. Mezes, hot bread, a main, çay. This is what that table looks like.
• Meryem Ana Evi, the Virgin Mary's house up on Bülbül Dağı, if the clock allows and it interests you — tell us when you book and we will build the timing around it.

Your own car, your own pace

There are good ways to see Ephesus from Bodrum for every kind of traveler, and the right one depends on your group. A private day gives you this: pickup at your own door, a route shaped around the people in the car, and as long as you like at every stop. On a day with five hours of driving in it, being able to say "can we stop here for ten minutes" is what makes it easy, and your guide knows where to find the best of everything along the way, from the çay to the olive oil. You arrive at Ephesus fresh. And it works for any group size: one coach takes up to 52 guests, and for larger groups we arrange several guides and coaches.

Worth knowing before you book

This is a long day and it is honest to say so: the driving alone is about five hours. If that sounds like too much for small children or anyone who tires easily, say so — we would rather tell you that the Ephesus and Şirince day from a base nearer the ruins suits you better than sell you a day you will not enjoy. If you are staying in Bodrum and Ephesus is the thing you came to Turkey for, this is how to do it well.

Bodrum to Ephesus Day Trip in photographs

What the day actually looks like, in order. 5 photographs — swipe sideways, tap any one to enlarge it.

What’s included, plainly

• Included: Private licensed local guide
• Included: Priority entrance — we hold your tickets and walk you past the queue
• Included: Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver
• Included: Hotel or cruise port pickup and drop-off
• Included: Parking fees and fuel
• Included: All taxes and required insurance
• Included: Lunch at a local restaurant — included on every tour that visits Ephesus

• Not included: The entrance fee itself — we obtain the tickets for you, at the official Ministry price with nothing added
• Not included: Personal drinks and anything ordered beyond the set lunch
• Not included: Gratuities (optional, always appreciated)

Where we meet, and where the day happens

Your meeting point: Your Bodrum hotel, villa or the marina — we collect you

Open any of these in your own map application:

• Ephesus on Google Maps — the ancient city — both gates
• Selçuk on Google Maps — the town at the gate
• Şirince on Google Maps — the hill village
• Meryem Ana Evi on Google Maps — the House of the Virgin Mary
• Kuşadası port on Google Maps — where the ships tie up

Questions we actually get