How to Get from Izmir Airport to Didim and Altınkum

Didim is a seaside town in Aydın province, with a long sandy beach at Altınkum, a large marina and the Temple of Apollo at Didyma in its centre. It is a long drive from the nearest big airport, so this guide covers the journey from Izmir Airport, which is where our transfers start on this route.

Izmir Airport to Didim: All Options at a Glance

*Drive times are for a clear road and come from routing data; allow up to two hours or more on busy summer weekends. The coach and train figures come from booking sites and timetable aggregators, so check them before you travel. Private-transfer prices are per vehicle, not per person.

Distance and Drive Time

The road from Izmir Airport to Didim is about 142 km. You leave on the O-31 motorway (a toll road) towards Aydın as far as Germencik, then follow the D-525 past Söke and take the Didim road for the last stretch. Altınkum is about 145 km from the airport, so in practice the two are the same journey. Allow about 1 h 45 min on a clear road; the last section into Didim can be slower in the summer season.

Bodrum-Milas Airport is closer to Didim on the map, roughly 80 km, but our transfers on this route start from Izmir Airport. The Havaş shuttle that used to run between Didim and Milas-Bodrum Airport was discontinued from 7 August 2026, so there is no longer a scheduled bus link to that airport either.

Option 1: Private Transfer

Your driver tracks your flight and waits just outside the arrivals exit. Once you have landed, they send the exact meeting point and a short video on WhatsApp, and the drivers speak English. The car then takes you to your hotel, apartment or the marina in Didim, with no change of vehicle. Prices are per vehicle and shown before you pay, and there is no extra charge for traffic or flight delays. A Mercedes Vito carries up to 6 passengers with luggage, a V-Class VIP is available, and larger groups can book a Sprinter. Child seats are available on request.

Tell us how many passengers and bags you have when you book so the right vehicle is sent. If you want a stop on the way, ask us on WhatsApp before booking. See the full price and details on the Izmir Airport to Didim transfer page, or compare other routes on the transfer prices page. If you land late, read arriving in Izmir at night.

Option 2: Airport Taxi

Official taxis wait outside arrivals around the clock, with no night rate. The airport taxi office publishes a price list dated 1 May 2026: Didim is ≈€145 (₺8,200) and Söke ≈€98 (₺5,450). The printed rule is that the meter must be running, and you may pay either the meter amount or the list price. The list does not say whether the motorway toll is included, so ask the driver before you set off. More detail is in our Izmir Airport taxi prices guide.

For a journey of this length it is worth agreeing the price and the payment method with the driver at the rank before you get in.

Option 3: Regional Train to Söke and a Local Minibus

Neither Havaş nor İZBAN serves Söke or Didim from the airport, so the public chain starts with the regional train. TCDD regional trains between Izmir Basmane and Söke call at the airport station, then at Torbalı, Selçuk and Ortaklar before Söke. Timetable listings give about 2 hours from the airport to Söke, or about 2 hours 20 minutes from Basmane. Departure times change, so check the current timetable on the TCDD website before you plan around this route.

From Söke, Didim is about 53 km by road. A local minibus (dolmuş) covers that stretch; ask at Söke bus station for the next departure and pay in cash. With the change in Söke and the wait for the minibus, this option takes much longer than the drive and is hard work with large suitcases. It suits a traveller with a backpack and no deadline. Our Izmir Airport bus and train guide shows what does and does not leave from the airport.

Option 4: Coach From Izmir Otogar

Intercity coaches run from the Izmir Otogar to Didim all day. At the time of writing, booking sites list about 78 departures a day, with the quickest taking about 2 h 25 min. Fares quoted for 2026 range from about ₺200 to ₺350 depending on the company and the date; the operators named include Kale Seyahat, Pamukkale and Aydın Muğla Koop.

The catch is the Otogar itself. There is no direct daytime public link from the airport, so you need İZBAN and the metro, or a taxi at ≈€28–33 (₺1,550–1,850) on the meter. The coach therefore works best if you are already staying in the city. Add the cost and time of reaching the Otogar before you compare it with the other options.

The Temple of Apollo at Didyma

The Temple of Apollo stands in the middle of Didim town, a short drive from the beaches. It was one of the most important oracle centres of the ancient world and is described by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as the third largest Ionic-style temple in the world. It is a dipteral temple, meaning it was ringed by a double row of columns, and the building measures about 109 by 51 metres. It was excavated between 1906 and 1913 and partly reconstructed. A Medusa head at the garden entrance has become a symbol of the town. The inner sacred court, about 53 by 21 metres, now hosts concerts.

• Hours: 08:30 to 17:30 every day, with the ticket office closing at 17:00. Check the official page before you go, as hours can change.
• Ticket: 6 euros for foreign visitors in 2026, rising to 7 euros from 1 April 2027 under the tariff the ministry has announced. Turkish adults pay ₺200.
• Museum Pass The Aegean: valid for 7 days in Izmir, Aydın, Muğla and Denizli provinces, it covers Didyma, Miletus and Knidos. It cost 95 euros in 2026 and rises to 105 euros from 1 April 2027, so it pays off only if you visit several sites.
• Foreign children: aged 0 to 8 are free; visitors aged 8 to 18 pay the adult foreign price.
• Evening opening: in 2026 the temple opened in the evening, 19:00 to 21:00, from 1 June to 1 October. Check the ministry page for any 2027 dates.

The temple is about 5 km from Altınkum beach, a drive of roughly 10 minutes. It is easy to see in the morning and spend the afternoon on the sand.

Miletus, Priene and Lake Bafa

Miletus is an ancient city whose Sacred Way, about 17 km long, once joined it to the temple at Didyma. By road the site is roughly 20 km from Didim, about half an hour. The site is open 08:30 to 17:30 and the museum on the same grounds 09:00 to 17:30, with ticket offices closing at 17:00. One ticket covers both: 6 euros for foreign visitors in 2026 and 7 euros from 1 April 2027. The Museum Pass The Aegean covers it as well.

Priene and Lake Bafa are also within reach of Didim. The ministry has announced a Priene ticket of 5 euros from 1 April 2027. Hours and fees on these sites are set by the ministry, so check the official pages linked below before you go.

Altınkum Beach and the Marina

Altınkum is a sandy, shallow public beach in Didim, and entry is free. The shallow water suits families. Altınkum was among the beaches on the 2024 Blue Flag list for Didim; the list is updated every year, so check the current one if the flag matters to you. Sunbed and umbrella arrangements vary by operator and year, so ask at your hotel.

D-Marin Didim is one of the largest marinas in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to the operator, with berths for 90 superyachts, a 400-ton travel lift and 5 Gold Anchors. If you are joining a yacht here, give us the marina name when you book.

When to Go

The beach season runs roughly from May to October. The ministry lists the temple as open daily, so it also works as an outing outside the beach months; check the opening hours on the ministry page before you go.

Heading Back to the Airport

Book your return with your arrival so the driver meets you at your hotel at the agreed time. Allow at least two hours for the drive, plus the airport's advised check-in time of 3 hours before an international departure and 2 hours before a domestic one. Read the meeting your driver at Izmir Airport guide for the arrival steps, and Izmir Airport to Kuşadası and Ephesus if you are also visiting Ephesus.

Sources — checked on 25 October 2026: Didyma, Ministry of Culture and Tourism · Miletus, Ministry of Culture and Tourism · Didyma, turkishmuseums.com · Miletus, turkishmuseums.com · D-Marin Didim · Havaş · Airport taxi price list · 2027 museum tariff · Izmir–Söke regional train · Obilet · Enuygun · Didyma · Didim Blue Flag beaches 2024
Euro amounts at 1 euro = 55.6 lira.

Related guides: Izmir Airport (ADB) · Izmir Airport bus and train · Izmir Airport taxi prices · Izmir Airport to Kuşadası and Ephesus · Arriving in Izmir at night · Meeting your driver at Izmir Airport · Bodrum Airport (BJV) · Bodrum Airport to Bodrum Town and Gümbet · Bodrum Airport to Yalıkavak & Türkbükü · Bodrum Airport to Turgutreis and Gümüşlük

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