2D1N Two wonders: Ephesus and Pamukkale

This two day, one night tour from Istanbul provides a wonderful glimpse of two sites unique to Turkey:  Ephesus and Pamukkale.

Ephesus, one of the best-preserved cities from the ancient world, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  No trip to Turkey is complete without a visit to Ephesus.   According to legend, the Greeks founded Ephesus around 1,000 BC.  The ruins of today date from the 4th Century under the Romans when Ephesus became the chief port on the Aegean.  Excavations have revealed grand monuments of the Roman Imperial period.  Ephesus also played an important role in the spread of Christianity.

In Ephesus, you’ll visit the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the House of the Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent her final years, watched over by the Apostle John.  You will also visit Isa Bey Mosque, an ornate mosque illustrative of 14th century Selcuk architecture.

Pamukkale is another unique Turkish landscape.  Its limestone terraces have been formed by layers of calcium carbonate deposits as warm mineral water cascaded down the slopes of a ridge, forming petrified pools that create the illusion of ‘cotton castles’.  These formations are unlike anything you’ll see anywhere else in Turkey.   Many of the terraces are filled with mineral water from the hot springs, forming pools that glisten in the sun.  While the Terraces are off-limits for swimming, there is a pool of warm mineral water in which people may swim among fragments of marble columns in nearby Hierapolis.   Hierapolis, the ancient city next to the hot springs, is a treasure trove of excavated ruins, including the Necropolis, for which it is famous and which contains more than 1200 tombs from Greek, Roman and early Christian times.  You will also see the Theater which sat 20,000 and the Thermal Baths.

2D1N Two wonders: Ephesus and Pamukkale

Route: Isa Bey Mosque, Hierapolis, Thermal Baths, Devil’s Hole, Cotton Castle
Tour Type: Small Group Tour
Duration: 2 Days – 1 Night

INCLUDED

• Inbound and outbound airport transfers from/to your hotel in Istanbul and Izmir
• Professional English-speaking tour guide
• 1-night accommodation with breakfast
• 1 breakfast, 2 lunches
• Entrance fees to all the sites