Ephesus Day Trip from Bodrum Including Lunch

Start your tour in the early morning with a pickup from your centrally located Bodrum hotel. Board your air-conditioned coach and after a stop for breakfast (own expense), drive to Ephesus, the best-preserved ancient city in the eastern Mediterranean, roughly a 2.5-hour journey away. On arrival, enjoy a guided tour of this spectacular Greco-Roman site. Laid into a valley, this once-flourishing city became one of Rome’s greatest trading centers around the 2nd century BC, when it was believed to have been home to as many as 50,000 people. Listen to revealing facts from your guide as you view everything from semi-intact shops and houses to the bathhouse. Then, gape at the magnificent façade of the Library of Celsus, one of the ancient world’s largest libraries, and once home to 12,000 scrolls. Imagine the cries of long-dead stallholders at the Agora, and gaze at the spectacular Great Theatre, where plays and events were staged. Other relics to note are those of the Fountain of Trajan, Odeon and Temple of Hadrian. You’ll also view the remnants of the Temple of Artemis, a once-mighty temple that was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. After around three hours, leave Ephesus and visit a restaurant for an included buffet lunch of salads, main dishes and desserts. Drinks are also available at your own expense. Later, drive back to Bodrum, with a stop at a jewelry center on route to see how Turkey’s classic jewelry is made. After another stop for refreshments (own expense) along the way, your tour ends with an early evening drop-off at your hotel in Bodrum.