Istanbul, Troy, Pergamon and Ephesus Tour 2027: 3 to 8 Days

A tour of Istanbul, Troy, Pergamon and Ephesus needs at least three days: Gallipoli and Troy first, Pergamon and Ephesus after that, and a flight from Izmir back to Istanbul. We run this route privately with a driver and a guide, as a 3-day tour or a 4-day tour with Pamukkale, both with the price on request. All routes of this kind are listed under Turkey tour packages, and the quickest way to send your dates is on WhatsApp.

We are an agency licensed by TÜRSAB (group A, no. 15751) and have organised private trips in Istanbul since 2010. This page was written first in German, for travellers from Austria, Switzerland and Germany. It gives distances, our tour prices, the 2026 entrance fees and the entry rules. Information checked on 31 October 2026.

Istanbul, Troy, Pergamon and Ephesus at a glance

Gallipoli & Troy Private Tour from Istanbul, 2 Days, from $235

The route follows the Dardanelles and Aegean coast from north-east to south-west. There are real driving times between the stops, so it helps to look at the numbers before you count days.

These are guideline figures, not satnav data: traffic, ferries and stops shift them. Anyone driving the whole thing in a rental car sits at the wheel for well over 750 km from Istanbul to Selçuk. With a driver and a flight back, the sum looks different.

Which version fits: 3, 4, 8 or 9 days

Gallipoli to Pamukkale 4-Day Private Tour via Ephesus, price on request

The short answer: three days is the minimum, four days is more relaxed, and if you also want to see Istanbul, plan a week or more. The prices are the "from" prices in our booking system, checked on 31 October 2026. Where no price is shown there, we write "on request", because it depends on group size, season and hotel category.

The 8-day trip is the right choice if Istanbul is the main goal and Ephesus the excursion on top. Troy and Pergamon are not part of it. If you want both, take the 3- or 4-day tour and add Istanbul before or after. The full selection is under Turkey tour packages; Ephesus and the coast around Kuşadası are collected on the Ephesus and Kuşadası tours page.

The 4-day route, day by day

Gallipoli to Pamukkale 4-Day Private Tour via Ephesus, price on request

This is how the 4-day tour works in practice. The 3-day version is identical up to the third day, where it ends with the transfer to Izmir airport.

• Day 1, Gallipoli: pickup at 8:00 from your hotel in Istanbul, drive by private car to the First World War battlefields. Stops are Brighton Beach, Anzac Cove, Ari Burnu, Lone Pine, Johnston's Jolly with the trenches, The Nek and Chunuk Bair. Overnight in Eceabat.
• Day 2, Troy and Pergamon: departure at 9:00 for Troy with the excavation and museum, then on to Pergamon with the Acropolis. Overnight in Kuşadası.
• Day 3, Ephesus: Great Theatre, Celsus Library, Temple of Hadrian, Terrace Houses and House of the Virgin Mary. In the 4-day version, overnight in Kuşadası.
• Day 4, Pamukkale: departure at 9:00, about 3 hours' drive to the travertine terraces and Hierapolis. Then a flight from Denizli to Istanbul.

The second day is the longest: between Troy, Pergamon and Kuşadası there are more than six hours of pure driving time. It comes with the route, because the coast road has no shortcut. If you would rather not, split the route in two stages and stay one night in Ayvalık or Bergama; we plan that on request.

Troy: what you actually see today

Troy Full-Day Private Tour from Istanbul, from $165

Troy is not a film set. You see walls, foundations and the stacked settlement layers Troy I to IX, plus a replica of a wooden horse that is mainly a photo spot. The excavation has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1998, and the finds are shown in the Troy Museum close to the site. If you read a little about the Trojan War beforehand, you will understand more along the paths; our guide tells the story on site.

Allow two to three hours for the site and the museum. Troy lies about 30 km south of Çanakkale, near the village of Tevfikiye. A detailed guide is on our page Troy tour from Istanbul.

The 2026 entrance fee: in the Turkish Ministry of Culture's price list, as reproduced in a compilation dated 7 October 2026, the combined ticket for Troy, the Troy Museum and Assos is listed at 38 euros. We did not find a confirmed single price for Troy alone, so ask us or the ticket office. On our tours the tickets are included according to the inclusions list.

Pergamon: Acropolis, cable car and Asklepieion

Pergamon Full-Day Shore Excursion from Kusadasi Port, from $600

Pergamon lies above the town of Bergama and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014. On the hilltop stand the Trajaneum with its white columns, the remains of the library and one of the steepest theatres of antiquity. A cable car runs to the Acropolis, the footpath is steep; we do not quote the cable car fare because we have no confirmed figure.

The Asklepieion lies below the town, it was an ancient healing centre, and the famous physician Galen came from Pergamon. Entrance in 2026 according to the price list mentioned above: 15 euros for the Acropolis and 13 euros for the Asklepieion, each for foreign visitors.

For German-speaking readers one note belongs here: you will not find the Pergamon Altar in Bergama. German excavators took it to Berlin in the 19th century, where it stands in the Pergamon Museum. The building has been closed for renovation since October 2023 and is due to reopen on 4 June 2027, according to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (as of 31 October 2026). On site in Bergama you see the foundations of the altar and the ground where it stood.

Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary

Ephesus Full-Day Private Tour with Skip-the-Line Entry, from $300

Ephesus is the high point of the route and also the place with the most visitors. The Celsus Library, the Great Theatre and the marble street are part of the standard programme. If you can, come early in the morning or in the late afternoon, when the cruise groups have gone.

The 2026 entrance fee is 40 euros according to the Ministry of Culture's tariff on muze.gov.tr, checked on 5 October 2026. The Terrace Houses inside the site cost 15 euros extra, the combined ticket for both 52 euros. From 1 April 2027 the prices rise to 45 and 16 euros according to the ministry's tariff tables. All details are on our page Ephesus entrance fees.

The House of the Virgin Mary lies a few kilometres above Selçuk in a wood. It is a small stone house that Christians revere as the last home of the mother of Jesus. The visit has its own entrance fee, which you learn on site. For Ephesus alone, without Gallipoli and Troy, our tours are on the page Ephesus and Kuşadası tours.

Getting there from Austria, Switzerland and Germany

You fly direct to Istanbul from Vienna, Zurich, Geneva, Basel and the big German airports, among others with Turkish Airlines and Pegasus. Depending on the departure airport the flight takes about 2.5 to 3.5 hours, and from Basel comparison portals give about 3 hours. An open-jaw ticket suits this route: out to Istanbul, back from Izmir. It saves the return trip overland and can be booked as multi-city with most airlines. Please check timetable and price directly with the airline.

On entry, each checked with the authorities on 31 October 2026: Austrians need no visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days within 180 days, according to the foreign ministry (bmeia.gv.at). The ministry names the passport as the travel document, with at least six months' validity left; the digital ID Austria is not valid. Swiss citizens may enter with national ID documents according to the EDA, and passport holders are visa-free for up to 90 days. Germans enter without a visa for up to 90 days within 180 days according to the Federal Foreign Office, and the identity card is accepted. Our advice for all three countries: take the passport, then there is no discussion at the desk. More on planning is on our page Turkey round trip 2027.

You pay in Turkish lira. Euros are often accepted in tourist places, but the rate is usually worse than at the bank. Cards work almost everywhere in hotels and restaurants, and you need lira in cash for small items and tips. Swiss francs are better exchanged beforehand or at a cash machine.

Best time to go and school holidays

Pergamon Full-Day Shore Excursion from Kusadasi Port, from $600

The best months are April to June and September to October. It is warm but not hot then, and fewer groups are out at the ruins than in high summer. In July and August the heat at Ephesus is often above 35 degrees and there is hardly any shade: then you start early and plan a break at the hotel at midday.

On school holidays, in general terms only and without fixed dates: the Easter holidays in Austria, Switzerland and Germany fall in spring and suit the trip well. The autumn holidays in October are also ideal because of the weather. Whitsun holidays in parts of Germany fall in May or June, ski and semester holidays are in winter, when the coast is cool and rainy. Exact dates differ by federal state and canton, so please check them with your school.

Costs: entrance fees, hotels, tips

The following entrance fees apply to foreign adults in 2026. The franc column uses 1 euro equal to 0.93 CHF, as of 2 October 2026, and is rounded. On our tours the entrance fees are included according to the inclusions list, on a trip you organise yourself you pay them.

We book hotels on request in the category you want and give the price in the quote. After 2026 the entrance fees usually change on 1 April, see Ephesus above. Tipping is voluntary; for a good guide and driver about 10 to 15 percent of the tour price is usual, in cash in lira, euros or francs.

Prices and exchange rates fluctuate. We confirm the current amount for your date in writing before you pay anything.

With a German-speaking guide, as a couple or a group

Ephesus Full-Day Private Tour with Skip-the-Line Entry, from $300

We have guides in every language, German included. Each of our private tours is led by a licensed Turkish guide; we arrange German-speaking guides on request and confirm them in writing before you pay. If no guide is free for your date, we tell you beforehand. In Istanbul it works the same way, described on the page German-speaking guide in Istanbul.

The private tour with a van is meant for couples, families and small groups of friends. For groups, such as a club, a parish, a school class or a study trip, we plan vehicle, hotels and programme by number of participants; the quote comes on request. Everything else about the trips is under Turkey tour packages.

Write to us on WhatsApp with your date, number of people and your departure airport, and you will get the route and the price.

Frequently Asked Questions