Selçuk

South of Izmir and just east of the coastal town of Kuşadası, Selçuk is visited mostly because of its close proximity to the ruins of the Roman city of Ephesus—some of the best preserved in the country—and the services the town has to offer, although the town centre has some historical sights to spend some time at.

By plane

Although there is a small airport in Selçuk, it is only open for private planes. So the nearest option for commercial flights is Adnan Menderes Airport in Izmir, which lies 55 km north of Selçuk.
From the airport, you have two options for getting to Selçuk: you can take trains which call at the station directly on the airport grounds (4 TL), and which connect airport with Selçuk and points south 6 times daily (see "By train" below for a timetable). The train can be very packed, though, so be ready for the possibility of having to stand or not being able to get on.
A quicker but more expensive option is to take a dolmuş, which is more like a big van rather than a bus. They depart from Selçuk – Ephesus Otogar, which lies 2 km away from the airport (a taxi ride from the airport there costs 10 TL). This otogar is not of the bus station type found in the rest of the country—it's just a bus stop with some benches. Take the minivan signed Selçuk – Ephesus on its front. Ask around if someone in charge is nearby. From here, a ride to Selçuk costs 7 TL, and takes around an hour. The van will stop in many stops along the way, including some remote areas, and just stay on till the very end.
If you arrive in Adnan Menderes by Atlas Jet, they provide free shuttles to Selçuk from the airport.
Selçuk otogar also have minibuses that going to Havalimani Airport every hour or so.

By train

The TCDD train runs from Izmir's Basmane Station daily at 07:40, 08:52, 11:25, 15:35, 16:45, 18:23, and 19:25 - 6.50 TL one-way (Nov 2017). The first six trains are marked to Denizli, while the final one runs to Söke. All trains, which call at the airport station about 20 minutes later, arrive at Selçuk station about 1½ hours after their departure (Selçuk is not their last station, though, so be sure not to miss it).
There are several trains a day from Denizli (near Pamukkale) to Selçuk at 04:19, 05:45, 08:25, 12:45, 14:35 and 17:30 - about 3 hr, 17.50 TL one-way (Dec 2018).

By bus

There are also dolmuşes from the city of Izmir, and buses from Pamukkale, which cost 20 TL. They serve drinks and snacks along the way.
The local otogar of Selçuk is located in the center of the town.
It is possible to take an overnight bus that departs from Istanbul at midnight and arrives here at ~08:00. This service is run by Varan bus lines and costs 70 TL (2011).

There are mini-buses (dolmus) to Şirince and Ephesus. To go to the House of Mary you may need to take a taxi.
Rented motorbikes or scooters can be a fun way to discover the surroundings of Selçuk. If you rent a bike be prepared as Şirince and the House of Mary are up in the hills.

Selçuk is a good starting place for many excursions and visits in the area.

• A major attraction is the ancient Greek city of Ephesus which is located 4 km away from the center of the town.
• The promenade will also take you to the Temple of Artemis (Artemision). Although it was one of the "Seven Wonders" of the Ancient world, nowadays only a column is left.
• On the way there you can also visit the Cave of the Seven Sleepers (see the infobox at right).
• The picturesque village of Şirince is located 9 km east to Selcuk up in the hills. It offers wonderful views among olive and peach trees as well as several excellent country hotels.
• House of the Virgin Mary (Meryem Ana Evi), 10 km south on the hills, is claimed to have been the house where Virgin Mary spend her last days in Ephesus. The Vatican declared this place as an official Catholic pilgrimage site.

In the city center there are other very interesting spots:

• Byzantine Citadel and the St. John BasilicaThe Byzantine Citadel on Ayasuluk hill, built for defensive purposes in the 6th century and also used during the early Turkish period, has been reconstructed in the 21st century. Thete is a small Byzantine basilica that was converted to a cistern during the Turkish period, and a small mosque. thanks This hill is supposedly where St. John wrote his scriptures. It provides views of the surrounding area. St. John's Basilica, built in the 7th century, is a well-maintained and partly reconstructed site. You can look west from the site to see the single rebuilt column of the Temple of Artemis. St. John's tomb is here. Both parts of the site can be explored in an hour.

• The Aqueduct, which runs perpendicular to the train station.

• Museum of Ephesus

  phone: +9 232 892 60 10
  address: Atatürk Mh., Uğur Mumcu Sevgi Yolu
  An excellent collection of statues, pottery, glass, sarcophagi, and coins found in the Ephesus excavation at the site. It also had an exhibition on the cult of the mother goddess up to and including Artemis. Shop and café.

A day trip to Şirince (8 km out of Selçuk). Nestled in the hills, small little village, narrow winding streets, great wines and lots of small cosy wine bars to try them all out in. Accommodation is very expensive, except for the camping spots. Rooms can be had for less 200 TL.

• PamucakThe beach of Pamucak is pretty and worth a trip. A dolmuş from the otogar will take you there for 3 TL.

• Double Knot Carpets

  address: Corner of Cangiz Topel Cad and Namik Kemal Cad
  Run by 20-something locals, this carpet shop is a great place to find a carpet for cheap (prices start under €100) or just to have a cup of tea. Unlike the shops of Istanbul, the shopkeepers won't pressure you into buying anything, and are glad to offer recommendations on local restaurants and bars or just have a chat.

Mehmet and Alibaba's carpet shop, right next to the Ephesus Museum. At this family run business, you will find high-quality carpets with personable sales people - no pressure here.

• Amazon Cafe Bistro

• Ejder Restaurant

  phone: +90 232 8923296
  address: Cengiz Topel Cad. no.9 E PTT Karsisi
  Very friendly place with homemade vegetarian food. Delicious.

• Mehmet and Ali Baba Kebab House

  phone: +90 232 892-38-72
  address: Ataturk mah. 1047 Sok. no: 4
  Cheap, big portions and very tasty kebabs and desserts. Also complimentary tea and they serve beer.

• Dolphin BarThis is a really cool place. Talip is a great guy & the beer is good.

• Pink Bistro CafeAsk Mesut the bartender to show you some magic tricks and you'll be entertained for hours. And try some of Simone's famous çay!

• Rumeli

  phone: +90 232 892 16 93
  address: 25 Ataturk Mah Cengiz Topel Cadessi.
  A fantastic 24-hour restaurant serving traditional Turkish food, normally for Turkish people. It isn't in any guide books as the owner relies on a heavy after midnight trade of locals - but it is a must see. Different corners are assigned different specialities, soup corner, vegetarian corner, etc. The mushroom pide is especially good!

Since 2013, prices have risen greatly. Expect to pay about triple the prices mentioned here.
Free shuttles arranged by various hotels usually include a visit to a carpet or Turkish delight shop that pay commission to cover the costs of the transport.

• Urkmez hotel

  phone: +90 232 892 6312
  Namik Kemal Cad. 20. The Ürkmez Hotel is run by the multi-lingual Ozkan Brothers (English, German, Spanish). All rooms are newly decorated and comes with orthopaedic mattresses and most have A/C and private balconies. Starting from €11 per person incl. breakfast buffet on the roof terrace.

• Amazon Pension

  phone: +90 232 892 3215
  Ataturk Mah 1054. Breakfast in the garden, free daily shuttle rides to Ephesus, Internet and book exchange. Free use of bicycle.

• The Australia New Zealand (Turkish) GuesthouseHas clean rooms with private bathrooms. Very calm & great atmosphere, drinks and dinner on the roof-top terrace. Price includes breakfast. Offers complimentary pick-up from Kusadasi and rides to Ephesus. Wifi free, laundry 20 TL per load, bikes 2 TL/h or 15 TL/day.

• Homeros Pension is an old house converted into a pension which has been richly decorated by the owner, who is a carpenter. The rooms are full of charm and the meals, prepared by the sister and mother of the owner, are very good. They also provide free transportation to Ephesus and back. +90 892 3995. e-mail: homeros_turkey@hotmail.com

• Bella Hotel

  phone: +90 232 892 3944
  address: Ataturk Mah. St. John Street No:7 Selcuk
  Small family run hotel with wonderful ceramic and carpet/textile decorations. Very convenient location. Excellent dinner on the roof terrace. Free transport to and from Ephesus.

• Atilla’s Getaway

  phone: +90 (232) 892 3847
  address: info@atillasgetaway.com
  Has a spring water swimming pool surrounded by fruit trees and gardens. Free shuttle buses to Selçuk and Ephesus, and free pick up from Kuşadasi Ferry Port.

• Kalehan Hotel

  address: Ataturk Caddesi No: 98, 35920 Selcuk-izmir
  Famous, long established family hotel, built and landscaped in the style of an Ottoman inn. Charming, authentic atmosphere in the heart of antiquities… relax lounge with fire place for cold days… Family collection of antique keys, photographs, textiles with real stories… Memories of the past in every corner… Large attractive garden and a swimming pool with a view of the castle… A tranquil setting among blooming roses, jasmines and lemon and cherry trees after a busy day of excursions… Restaurant serving Cretan/Aegean/local food prepared with fresh healthy ingredients using the olive oil from its own olive grow. Variety of jams and marmalade served in breakfast also comes from its own gardens mostly. A large library of books as the owners also have a bookstore. Free Bikes available for guests

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• Izmir — enroute to Istanbul
• Bergama — Ancient Pergamon. Tours popularly include Ephesus and Bergama together.
• Sardis — Former capital of Lydia, and like Ephesus and Pergamon, one of the Seven Churches of Asia, today notable for its Temple of Artemis, gymnasium, and synagogue.
• Çamlık — 12 km south of Selçuk, the old station of the village now hosts the Çamlık Train Museum, which has one of the largest steam engine collections in Europe on its grounds and is a must-see for any rail enthusiast in the area. Trains and minibuses head there from Selçuk.
• Heading east will bring you further into the fertile valley of the Küçükmenderes River (ancient Cayster), where you can take a break from the touristy, crowded, and overpriced attractions common in the region, and get to see what "real Turkey" has to offer. In this area, Tire is a historic town notable for its street market, Ödemiş is a traditional agricultural town noted for its meatballs, while Birgi is a postcard-beauty old town in the hills.
• Didim where one can visit the three archeological sites of Priene, Miletus, and Didyma, all Greek or Roman cities located a little bit south in the coast. Several hotels and pensions offer this tour or you can also rent a van, with driver or not, on your own.
• Denizli — en route to Pamukkale and Antalya
• Bodrum — seaside route to Marmaris and Fethiye
• Aphrodisias — To go by public transport, catch a bus to Nazilli to arrive as early in the morning as possible. There's plenty of bus traffic along the highway between Izmir, Aydin and Denizli all day long. From Nazilli, catch a minibus to Karacasu—they leave about every 30 minutes, and are especially reliable in the morning. From Karacasu there are several minibuses a day to Aphrodisias, leaving about every 1½ to 2 hours.