Ephesus Transport, Turkey

Travel to, from and around Ephesus, Selçuk and nearby towns, beaches, archeological sites, and İzmir‘s Adnan Menderes Airport is easy with minibuses and trains.

Some routes are better done by rental/hire car.

Here are distances and estimated travel times.

Here is my 

Here’s how to travel between Ephesus and Cappadocia.

İzmir

There’s virtual shuttle service by minibus between Selçuk‘s Otogar (bus terminal) and İzmir‘s Büyük Otogar, with minibuses departing every 15 or 20 minutes throughout the day. A ticket costs about TL10, and the trip takes a little over an hour.

TCDD trains travel between Selçuk, İzmir, Adnan Menderes Airport, and Denizli (for Pamukkale) at least six times daily. More…

Kuşadası-İzmir minibuses depart the Kuşadası Otogarabout every 20 or 25 minutes all day, every day.

Selçuk-Efes-Kuşadası

During the warm months, minibuses shuttle frequently (every 20 minutes or so) between Selçuk and Kuşadası, passing the entrance to the Ephesus Archeological Site about 4 minutes after leaving the Selçuk Otogar. (It’s a 10-minute walk from the highway drop-off point to the archeological site entrance, though.) Service is scarcer in the evening, however.

Some minibuses pass near Pamucak Beach on their way. Ask about the route before departure if you want to go to Pamucak.

Şirince

Minibuses travel the 8 km between Selçuk and the hill town of Şirince every 30 minutes during the day in the summer months, more frequently (about every 20 minutes) on busy summer weekends, less frequently in the winter.

İzmir‘s Adnan Menderes Airport

Please see the Adnan Menderes Airport Transport page for details. Here’s how to drive from the airport to Selçuk.

Priene-Miletus-Didyma-Altınkum

In summer, minibuses depart Selçuk‘s Otogar at 09:00 am on a “tour route” to these three impressive archeological sites. You pay a flat fee for the ride, stopping at each site for a period of time, and usually ending with a swim at Altınkum beach, returning to Selçuk by 17:00 (5 pm).

Pamukkale

Between 3 and 6 buses daily travel between Selçuk Otogar and Pamukkale Town, and there are also faster (3 hours), more comfortable trains between Selçuk and Denizli (for Pamukkale). More…

Bodrum

The Pamukkale Turizm bus company operates Bodrum—Çeşme buses that stop in Selçuk. The trip between Bodrum and Selçuk takes 3 hours; between Selçuk and Çeşme 2-1/4 hours.

Otherwise, to travel between Bodrum and Selçuk, take a minibus between Selçuk and the nearby town of Söke(SUR-keh), then a bus to Bodrum; or a minibus to İzmir, then a bus to Bodrum.

—by Tom Brosnahan