Ephesus, Selçuk and Şirince

Ephesus is the greatest ancient city on Turkey's Aegean coast. You visit it from Selçuk, the small town at its gates, or from Şirince, a former Greek village in the nearby hills. The region is also a base for three day trips: the white terraces of Pamukkale, the city of Aphrodisias and the Ionian sites of Priene, Miletus and Didyma.

Planning your visit to Ephesus

The site, on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2015, is 4 km from Selçuk. You walk along Curetes Street to the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre.

• Opening hours: daily from 8 am to 6 pm local time (ticket office closes at 5.30 pm), according to the museum portal of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, checked in October 2026. Turkey is on UTC+3 all year round: 3 hours ahead of London in winter and 2 hours ahead in summer.
• Ticket: €45 from 1 April 2027, including the "Ephesus Experience" digital museum.
• Terrace Houses: these covered Roman houses, with their mosaics and frescoes, need a separate ticket, €16 from 1 April 2027; they open from 9 am to 5 pm.
• Heat: in July and August the average high reaches 34.6 °C in Selçuk. Arrive at opening time.

A guided day trip in French from İzmir, with tickets and lunch, is sold from €99 per person for nine and a half hours.

Selçuk and Ayasuluk Hill

Selçuk sits at the foot of Ayasuluk Hill, crowned by a citadel. On its slopes, the Basilica of St John, built in Byzantine times over the presumed tomb of the Apostle John, is open daily from 8 am to 6 pm; admission will be €7 from 1 April 2027. The İsa Bey Mosque is just below. The Ephesus Museum, in central Selçuk, displays finds from the site, from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, for €11. Nearby you can also visit the House of the Virgin Mary, a place of pilgrimage, and the site of the Temple of Artemis.

Şirince, the village in the hills

Şirince is a former Greek village 8 km from Selçuk, about 12 minutes by road. Its white houses climb the slope around stone lanes and a small bazaar. The family that runs Kırkınca came here from Thessaloniki at the time of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. You stay in restored village houses, quiet once the day visitors have left. A trip to Ephesus and Şirince from Kuşadası is sold from €59.20 per person, excluding the Ephesus ticket.

Three day trips

Pamukkale opens from 8 am to 6 pm local time; the ticket office and pedestrian entrance close at 5 pm. Aphrodisias, Miletus and Didyma open from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. Pamukkale and Aphrodisias can be combined in a long day, or with a night on the spot.

Prices checked: day trip to Pamukkale from Kuşadası from €45 per person (twelve hours); Priene, Miletus and Didyma from €112.16; 35-minute hot-air balloon flight over Pamukkale from €190. For more sites, see our museums and culture page.

Hotels in the Sabaro selection

Selçuk and Şirince have no hotel with an international label. Our selection includes four boutique hotels, two in the village and two in town.

• Markiz Konakları, in Şirince: 8 rooms and suites in village konaks, with a spa and hammam, breakfast included. Price on request.
• Kirkinca Houses & Boutique Hotel, in Şirince: 10 rooms in the village and 6 cottages with a pool in the hills, run by the same family since 1999. About €133 a night for two, breakfast included.
• Cella Boutique Hotel & Spa, in Selçuk: 17 rooms with a sauna, Turkish bath or jacuzzi depending on the room, and a pool, 3 km from Ephesus. Price on request.
• Ayasoluk Butik Otel, in Selçuk: at the foot of Ayasuluk Hill, with views of the Basilica of St John from the King rooms. About €106 a night for two, room only.

Prices were checked in October 2026 for two nights from 1 to 3 June 2027, including taxes and fees. For a night in Şirince, see also our boutique hotels page.

Getting there

İzmir airport (ADB) is 59 km from Selçuk, about 52 minutes by road. It has year-round flights to Istanbul and, in season, direct flights to France, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany: İzmir is a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop. Kuşadası and its beaches are 21 km from Selçuk. For Pamukkale, Denizli airport (DNZ) is 1 h 11 from the site.

İzmir is 57 minutes from Selçuk and Alaçatı about 1 h 40: see İzmir and Urla and Çeşme and Alaçatı.

Climate and best time to go

Selçuk is hot in summer: the average high reaches 34.6 °C in July and August, and there is almost no rain from June to September. Winter days are mild (13.6 °C in January) but nights are cool (3.9 °C). The sea at Kuşadası is above 23 °C from June to September and reaches 25.1 °C in August.

April, May, September and October are the best months for Ephesus, Pamukkale and Aphrodisias. In summer, visit early in the morning.

Safety

No European foreign ministry advises against Selçuk, Ephesus, Şirince, Pamukkale or Aphrodisias; the general advice for Turkey applies. Several ministries point to the summer risk of forest fires on the Aegean coast and to methanol-contaminated alcohol in the İzmir region. For a balloon flight, check the operator's safety measures. The "Travel advice" table on this page gives the advice of your country.