Ancient Wonders of Western Turkey – 8-Day Self-Launched Istanbul to Selçuk

Land at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen and take the Havaist airport bus or M11 metro + Marmaray into Sultanahmet (roughly £3–5). Check into a hostel or small guesthouse in Sultanahmet or Karaköy. Spend the late afternoon simply walking the old town: the Hippodrome, the outer courtyards of the Blue Mosque and a sunset stroll down to the Golden Horn. Buy an Istanbulkart at the airport or a metro station — it makes all trams, ferries and buses cheap. Dinner: a balık ekmek (fish sandwich) by the Galata Bridge or a budget meyhane in Karaköy.

🚌Havaist airport bus or metro into Sultanahmet, ~£3–5; Istanbulkart ~£2 deposit

🛏Sultanahmet/Karaköy hostel dorm (£12–18) or simple guesthouse (£25–35)

• →Self-guided walk of the Hippodrome and Sultanahmet square
• →Sunset walk to the Golden Horn

Start early at Hagia Sophia (book a timed slot online via the official muze.gov.tr site; visitor entry around £22) and the Blue Mosque (free, respectful dress required). Lunch at a lokanta near the Grand Bazaar for £3–5. In the afternoon take a public Şehir Hatları ferry up the Bosphorus — the short commuter hop to Ortaköy or the full route toward Anadolu Kavağı costs only a few pounds on an Istanbulkart and beats any tour boat. Wander the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar on the way back. Optional: join a small-group food walk (£25–35) if you want a guide for the food side of things.

🚌Tram T1 + public Bosphorus ferry, ~£4 total on Istanbulkart

🛏Sultanahmet/Karaköy hostel dorm (£12–18)

• →Hagia Sophia entry (book online)
• →Blue Mosque (free)
• →Public Bosphorus ferry
• →Grand Bazaar & Spice Bazaar wander

Take an early BUDO or İDO fast ferry from Istanbul to Bursa (Mudanya or Yalova pier), about £8–12 and 1.5–2 hours, then the metro/bus to Bursa centre. See the Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) and Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami) and wander the Koza Han silk bazaar — all free or nearly so. Have the classic İskender kebab for lunch (£4–6). In the late afternoon take a coach from Bursa Otogar to Çanakkale (Metro or Kamil Koç, ~5 hours, £12–16), crossing the Dardanelles by ferry. Stay overnight in Çanakkale's small hotels or hostel near the waterfront.

🚌İDO/BUDO ferry Istanbul–Bursa ~£10; Bursa–Çanakkale coach ~£14

🛏Çanakkale guesthouse/small hotel (£18–28) or hostel dorm (£12–15)

• →Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque)
• →Yeşil Cami (Green Mosque)
• →Koza Han silk bazaar
• →İskender kebab lunch

Head to Troy (Truva) by local minibus from Çanakkale Otogar (about 40 minutes, £2–3). Entry to the archaeological site is around £10 on the Museum Pass; the wooden Trojan Horse replica and the excavation layers are self-explanatory, though a small-group guided walk from Çanakkale (£20–30) adds real context. Continue south by dolmuş to Behramkale/Assos to see the Temple of Athena on the acropolis above the harbour, and stop at one of the roadside olive oil producers for a tasting (£3–5). In the evening take a coach or dolmuş down the coast to Ayvalık (about 2.5–3 hours), a lovely old Greek-built town on the Aegean with cheap seafront pensions.

🚌Çanakkale–Troy dolmuş ~£3; local dolmuş to Assos ~£3; Assos–Ayvalık coach ~£8–10

🛏Ayvalık pension/guesthouse (£18–28)

• →Troy archaeological site
• →Temple of Athena at Assos
• →Olive oil tasting at a local producer

Bus or dolmuş north to Bergama (about 1 hour, £3–5). Take the cable car or a taxi up to the Pergamon Acropolis (UNESCO site; entry ~£12) and walk the terraces — the steepest theatre in the ancient world, the Altar of Zeus foundations, the Temple of Trajan. Add the Asklepion lower site if time allows. Then continue south: a coach from Bergama or İzmir to Kuşadası takes 3–4 hours (£10–14). In Kuşadası, walk the seafront promenade at sunset and eat cheap grilled fish by the harbour.

🚌Ayvalık–Bergama bus ~£4; Bergama–Kuşadası coach via İzmir ~£12

🛏Kuşadası hostel or small hotel (£15–25)

• →Pergamon Acropolis (UNESCO)
• →Altar of Zeus, Temple of Trajan, Pergamon theatre
• →Kuşadası seafront stroll

Early dolmuş or local train from Kuşadası to Selçuk (£2–3), then the free-ish shuttle or a 20-minute walk/dolmuş to Ephesus. Arrive at opening time (08:00) to beat the tour buses; entry is around £25 on the official site. Walk the Celsus Library, Temple of Hadrian, the great theatre and the Agora — a licensed local guide at the gate costs £25–35 for a small group and is genuinely worth it here. Afterwards see the remains of the Temple of Artemis and visit a weaving/silk cooperative in Selçuk. Late afternoon dolmuş up to Şirince (20 minutes, £2) for village wine tasting and a slow dinner. Sleep in Selçuk.

🚌Kuşadası–Selçuk dolmuş/train ~£3; Selçuk–Şirince dolmuş ~£2

🛏Selçuk guesthouse (£15–25)

• →Ephesus archaeological site (UNESCO)
• →Temple of Artemis
• →Weaving/silk cooperative visit
• →Şirince village wine tasting

Take a local bus or dolmuş from Selçuk to Söke, then onward to Miletus (about 1.5 hours each way, £4–6 total) — or hire a shared taxi with other travellers from your guesthouse for around £8 each. At Miletus see the huge Roman theatre, the Faustina Baths and the agora (entry ~£8). Continue 20 minutes to Didyma for the Temple of Apollo with its colossal columns (~£8). Return to Selçuk for a farewell dinner — a proper Turkish meze spread with rakı or a cheap pide and çay, £8–14.

🚌Selçuk–Söke–Miletus local buses ~£6; local dolmuş to Didyma ~£3

🛏Selçuk guesthouse (£15–25)

• →Miletus theatre, Faustina Baths and agora
• →Temple of Apollo at Didyma
• →Farewell meze dinner in Selçuk

Take the local İZBAN train from Selçuk straight to İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport (about 1 hour, £2–3) — one of the easiest airport transfers in Turkey. If your flight is later, squeeze in the Selçuk Archaeological Museum or the Basilica of St John before leaving. End of the self-launched trip.

🚌Selçuk–İzmir Adnan Menderes İZBAN train ~£3

🛏N/A – departure day

• →Basilica of St John / Selçuk museum (optional)
• →İZBAN train to İzmir airport