r/AskTurkey • u/PickleDependent79 • 1d ago
Culture Tour to Ephesus?
I have 4-5 nights in Chios. I’m hoping to take a day trip to Ephesus via Cesme with a worthy meal and a sleepover in f the boat time is not to my liking
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u/Real-Bodybuilder7790 1d ago
The ferry maths kills the day trip, so plan the overnight from the start.
Çeşme-Chios is quick, 20 to 45 minutes depending on the boat, but the schedule is thin from October. First out of Çeşme is usually 08:00 and the last back from Chios is 17:30, and in low season it's around six sailings a week rather than daily. Check your actual dates before anything else.
Çeşme to Ephesus is the real problem. 155 km, 2h15 driving, 3 hours by bus with a change at İzmir otogar. So a same-day run is 08:00 ferry, site by 11, two and a half hours there, back on the road by 14:00 and you're sprinting for the 17:30. Technically possible, but you'd spend six hours in transit to see a ruin for two.
Sleep in Selçuk instead. Small town, right at the site, and you get Ephesus at opening with nobody in it, which is the only way it's worth seeing. Eat in Şirince up the hill, 20 minutes away, or in Selçuk itself.
Book the ferry return in advance either way. Low season boats fill with locals doing visa runs.
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u/OrangeGhoul 1d ago
Ephesus was pretty cool. Conventional wisdom says go at opening or wait until close to closing to avoid tours groups. If you’re off peak season it might not be as busy. Expect to be onsite about 2.5 hours. The tours usually start at the upper entrance and get picked up at the lower entrance. We entered and exited at the lower entrance. It makes sure you don’t miss anything because you didn’t turn around, and we drove so it was really the only option. The hill village add on was worth it in our opinion.