How to Get to Ephesus

Nearly every route to Ephesus goes through Selçuk, the small town next door. Get yourself to Selçuk and the rest is a short taxi ride.

By air

Fly into İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB). There are frequent flights from Istanbul, about an hour in the air, and direct flights from a lot of European cities in the summer. From the airport:

• Car or transfer: about an hour on the motorway.
• Train: the airport has its own station. Some trains go straight through to Selçuk and some need a change on the way, so check the day's timetable. It's the cheapest option by far.
• Taxi: easy, but agree the price first.

Bodrum airport also works if you're combining Ephesus with the south coast, but it's about two and a half hours away.

From Istanbul by bus

Overnight buses go from Istanbul to Selçuk in roughly nine to ten hours. Some stop in Selçuk itself, others only in Kuşadası or İzmir, so check where you'll actually be dropped. Unless you're on a very tight budget, the flight is the better deal once you count the lost night's sleep.

From Kuşadası

Only 20 km. Minibuses (dolmuş) run to Selçuk all day, and taxis are everywhere near the port. Cruise passengers can book the ship's excursion or just take a taxi and go at their own pace.

From Pamukkale and Denizli

About three hours by car. Buses run from Denizli bus station, and the regional trains on the İzmir to Denizli line stop at Selçuk too. The train takes longer but it's comfortable and cheap, and it runs through cotton fields and fig orchards for most of the way.

The last 3 km

From Selçuk to the lower gate is a flat 35 to 40 minute walk, fine in the early morning. For the upper gate, take a taxi.