TR · Aegean Region · 37.95°N 27.37°E

selcuk

Ephesus's marble streets, nesting storks and a small town that stays quiet after the coaches leave.

Best time
April–May and September–October are the best months for the ruins. July–August is fiercely hot on the shadeless marble and busy with tour groups; winter is quiet and mild, with some rain.
How long
2 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop via Istanbul to Izmir, about 14–16 hours all in. Selcuk is about an hour from Izmir airport by road or train. Turkey is 5 hours behind KL all year.
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TR · Aegean Regionselcuk37.95°N 27.37°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Ephesus's marble streets, nesting storks and a small town that stays quiet after the coaches leave.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingSelcukTR, Aegean Region
KLselcuk
≈ 8,421 km from KL, as the crow flies
Façade of the Celsus library, in Ephesus, near Selçuk, west Turkey.

Photo: Benh LIEU SONG · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Selcuk is the small town beside Ephesus, with storks nesting on its Roman aqueduct from spring to late summer. Sleep here and you can be at the ruins when the gates open, then have dinner in peace once the tour coaches have gone.

Makan

  1. Çöp şişTiny skewers of grilled lamb, rolled up in flatbread with onions and tomatoes.Map ↗
  2. GözlemeFlatbread folded around cheese or spinach and cooked on a griddle, the standard lunch in Şirince.Map ↗
  3. Olive-oil dishesArtichokes, beans and wild greens cooked in olive oil and served cold, Aegean-style.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. EphesusA Roman city of marble streets, with the two-storey Library of Celsus and a huge theatre cut into the hillside.Map ↗
  2. Terrace HousesRoofed-over Roman mansions inside Ephesus, with wall paintings and mosaic floors, on a separate ticket.Map ↗
  3. Ephesus MuseumStatues and everyday finds from the site, in the middle of town.Map ↗
  4. Basilica of St JohnThe ruins of a vast Byzantine church on the hill above town, below the castle walls.Map ↗
  5. ŞirinceA hillside village of old stone-and-timber houses, about 15 minutes' drive up into the hills.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Start Ephesus at the upper gate and walk downhill, with a taxi waiting at the lower gate.
  • Meat is halal as standard, though Şirince's shops are full of its well-known fruit wines.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.