Ephesus Transfer

A GET4S transfer from Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport to Selçuk is 60 km and about 50 minutes, from €89; the road follows the motorway via Torbalı and Belevi, and the lower gate of Ephesus is 3 km from Selçuk centre, the upper gate 5 km. Şirince is 71 km and 1 hour 5 minutes, from €104; the village sits on a hillside 8 km east of Selçuk. Kuşadası from the same airport is 85 km and 1 hour 20 minutes, from €122.

From a Kuşadası hotel or the cruise port, Ephesus is 19 km and 25 minutes, from €41; this leg is also sold as a same-day return with the driver waiting at the Ephesus car park. All prices are per vehicle and include road tolls; groups of 7 to 16 travel by Sprinter minibus.

Selçuk is the small town at the gate of Ephesus; guesthouses and boutique hotels are in the centre and the site is 3 to 5 km away. It is the right choice if you want to enter Ephesus at 08:00 before the tour buses; the Ephesus Museum, the Temple of Artemis and the Basilica of St John are within walking distance. Kuşadası, 19 km away, is a seaside resort with a cruise port and hotels of every size; choose it for the sea and the hotel choice, Ephesus is 25 minutes away.

Between the two lies Şirince: 8 km from Selçuk, an old Greek village among vineyards and olive groves, known for its stone houses, fruit wines and village breakfast. The village core is closed to cars, vehicles wait at the car park by the entrance, and the lanes are steep and cobbled. For boutique hotels in Şirince the driver takes you to that car park.

Ephesus is open 08:00 to 19:30 in the summer season (April to October) and 08:30 to 17:30 in winter (November to March); last entry is one hour before closing. In 2026 the foreign visitor ticket is €40 and the Terrace Houses cost an extra €15; ticket desks take cards, cash only in Turkish lira. In July and August midday temperatures pass 35 degrees, so visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon; the driver can drop you at the upper gate and collect you at the lower gate so you walk downhill.

The House of the Virgin Mary is 9 km from Selçuk on a mountain road up Bülbül Dağı; there is no public transport, it is open 08:00 to 18:00 in summer and 08:00 to 17:00 in winter, with a separate ticket and a parking fee. A typical day: Ephesus in the morning (2 to 3 hours), the House of the Virgin Mary (45 minutes), then Şirince for lunch and wine tasting; the driver waits at every stop, and waiting time plus the return are added as a return booking.

You can reach Selçuk from Izmir Airport by the İZBAN commuter train: from the airport station to Tepeköy, then a change to Selçuk, about 1.5 hours in total with a change carrying luggage. There is no direct public transport from the airport to Şirince; village minibuses leave from Selçuk. Airport taxis run on the meter and the fare is not known in advance; a private transfer has a fixed price at booking and goes to the hotel door.

The driver waits at the arrivals exit with a name board; at Izmir Airport domestic and international flights use separate terminals, and the driver comes to the right one based on the flight number in your booking. If the flight is late the pickup time moves automatically, and 60 minutes of waiting after landing is free; pickups between 22:00 and 06:00 carry a 20% night tariff. For cruise passengers the Kuşadası port to Ephesus return is completed while the ship is in port.