Library of Celsus

According to your tour pickup time, meet with your guide and start your day. First, visit the House of Virgin Mary. Located 6 km to the north of the ruins of Ephesus, this church was built in 6C AD on top of the foundations of a house from 1C AD. Next check out Ephesus, an archeological treasure and the best preserved classical city in the Eastern Mediterranean. During 1C AD, Ephesus was the second largest city on the planet after Rome with more than 250.000 citizens. It was in the center of the known world and played the role of a gateway between the East and the West. With its giant harbor, it was also the center of trading in antiquity. It is also home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. Walking on the ancient streets among the beautiful monuments such as the third largest library of the ancient world or the largest roman theatre on the Asia continent gives you the feeling of a time traveler. After lunch, continue to the Temple of Artemis. Its ancient cult dedicated to Artemis was famous in antiquity and made Ephesus a much-visited pilgrimage place. At the end of the tour, head back to your hotel or the port.

According your pick-up time, meet with your guide and transfer to the first sight in ancient Ephesus, the best preserved classic city in the eastern Mediterranean and the largest open-air museum in Turkey. Ephesus contains more then 30 buildings and structures linked together by streets that still have the marks of ancient chariot wheels. Visit the Great Theatre, where St. Paul preached against the pagans and the gladiators once engaged in battle. Originally holding 25,000 people, this theater was built in the Hellenistic period and was renovated by several Roman emperors. Designed for theatrical performances, later alterations allowed gladiatorial contests to be held here. The face of the Library of Celsus, which has been remarkably restored, is probably the most photographed place in Ephesus originally built in 115 to 125. You might also be able to see the Odeon Temple, Fountain of Trajan, Temple of Hadrian, the steam Scholastica Baths, marble road, agora and the Temple of Domitian. After visiting ancient Ephesus, continue to the Temple of Arthemis. Considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis was dedicated to the Goddess of the Hunt. Only the foundation and one column remains of this temple which once measured 425 feet by 220 feet wide. St. Paul’s successful ministry in this city was considered a threat to this temple. The city reached its Golden Age and became a good model to the ancient world in culture and art. The tour finishes at around 1:00 PM, from here you will return to cruise port.

Start with a pickup from your hotel in Izmir. Then, the discovery of Ephesus begins with the House of the Virgin Mary and a 10-minute drive to the ancient city of Ephesus. Explore the city by walking on the marble streets, accompanied by a guide.  See the Odeon, State Agora, the Pretension, the Memmius Monument, the Domitian Temple, Hercules Gate, Curetes Street, Hadrian Temple, and the Latrines. Choose to take an optional visit to the terrace houses for an additional cost.  After the terrace houses, carry on with your exploration with the Celsus Library, Marble Road, Commercial Agora, Great Theater, and Arcadian (harbor road). Enjoy a nice lunch served in a quaint local restaurant. Visit the Temple of Artemisa and take pictures of the church of St. John and the Mosque of İsa Bey. Enjoy free time in the old village of Sirince to discover the traditional houses, the fruit-flavored wine production, and enjoy some wine tasting.  End the day with a transfer back to Izmir airport or to your hotel in Izmir.

After greeting begin your 20-minute drive to Ephesus. Once there, begin touring the city, which is one of the 12 cities of the Ionian League. As a port city, this was a major departure point for trade routes into Asia Minor. Walk through history along marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them discover the Baths of Scholastica and the Library of Celsus. Encounter the Temple of Hadrian and The Grand Theater, which are 2 of the most impressive buildings in Ephesus. Visit the Terrace Houses, located on the skirt of Pion Mountain. See the 6 residential units which were built on 3 man-made terraces. These houses are decorated with wall frescoes and floor mosaics, settled by the wealthy citizens of Ephesus. ( Terrace Houses is included in Private with Terrace Houses and Small group with Terrace Houses Options only. Not included in other 2 options. Attention Not recommended for people who has walking difficulties and acro-phobia (fear of heights).) See the House of Virgin Mary, located in the Aladag Mountains, 5 miles away from Ephesus, and learn about its connection to when Mary came to Ephesus in 431 A.D. and why this area became a place of pilgrimage in 1892. Stop at the Artemission Temple, where one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world used to be. This will be the final stop on your tour before your return drive to your point of origin. ( Meeting time is differenet for each cruises. Meeting time will be given in your confirmation in max 24 hours following your reservation . Meeting time will be 30 to 60 minutes after your cruise docks )

Disembark and meet your private guide at the Kusadasi Port. Start by driving to the House of the Virgin Mary, the place where Mary may have spent her last days, officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church in 1986. Up next, enjoy a short drive to Ephesus to admire the cultural traditions of the Hellenistic, Roman Imperial, and early Christian periods. Discover this historic site, one of the 7 churches of revelation, by walking along the marble streets in the company of your guide. See the Odeon, State Agora, Prytaneion, Memmius Monument, Domatian Temple, Hercules Gate, Curetes Street, Hadrian Temple, Latriens and Private House, Celsus Library, Marble Road, Commercial Agora, Great Theater, and Arcadine. Head over to the Temple of Artemis and snap photos of the Church of St. John and the Mosque of Isa Bey from the best possible angle. Finally, be dropped off back at the Kusadasi Port.

Private and Mini Group (Max. 10 Guests) Options with / without Terrace Houses Ephesus, The House of Virgin Mary and Artemission Temple on a guided tour. ( Skip the lines tickets are paid to our guide after the tour ) Your guide will have your name sign at the Kusadasi Cruise terminal exit just after you pass customs. Please note that pick up time ( usually 30 minutes after your cruise arrival ) will be emailed with in 24 hours after your reservation. If you miss this email, please do not forget to contact with us for pick up time. After meeting your guide, drive to the House of the Virgin Mary, located in the Aladag Mountains, 5 miles away from Ephesus. Visit Ephesus, one of the 12 cities of the Ionian League, an ancient Greek district on the western coast of Asia Minor, located near Izmir. As a port city, it was a major departure point for trade routes into Asia Minor. Walk through its historic marble streets lined with historic public buildings like the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, and the Grand Theater. Visit the Terrace Houses, located on the skirt of Pion Mountain. See the 6 residential units which were built on 3 man-made terraces. These houses are decorated with wall frescoes and floor mosaics, settled by the wealthy citizens of Ephesus. ( Terrace Houses is included in Private with Terrace Houses and Mini group with Terrace Houses Options only. Not included in other 2 options. Attention Not recommended for people who has walking difficulties and acro-phobia (fear of heights).) Stop at Artemission Temple, which used to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, as your last stop before driving back to Kusadasi town center. Please note : This tour is for cruise ship passengers only and is not available to those staying in hotels.

Start your day with a convenient pickup from your hotel in Izmir and enjoy the drive to your first destination, the House of the Virgin Mary, a popular pilgrimage site. After a 1-hour visit to the church, you'll head to Ephesus, a 10-minute drive away. Walk the marble streets of Ephesus and see the Odeon, the State Agora, the Prytaneion, the Memmius Monument, the Domination Temple and much more. Ephesus is an exceptional testimony of the Hellenistic, Roman and early Christian periods. Enjoy a nice lunch during the 2-hour stay in Ephesus, and take the opportunity to visit the "Terrace Houses" (entry fee not included). Visit the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. See the Church of St. John and the Mosque of Isa Bey. Next, visit Sirince, a village popular for its beautiful traditional houses and fruit-flavored wines. Enjoy some free time for wine tasting.

Discover the wonders of Ephesus on a private tour with less walking and more exploring for travelers seeking a more relaxed experience. Enjoy pickup from Izmir or Kusadasi. With a guide and skip-the-line access, bypass queues and dive straight into the heart of this UNESCO-listed site. Explore the iconic Library of Celsus, an architectural masterpiece that once housed thousands of scrolls. Marvel at the grandeur of the Grand Theatre, where gladiators once battled and audiences were captivated by theatrical performances. Stroll along the ancient streets of Ephesus, adorned with intricate columns and historic ruins. Immerse yourself in the rich history and cultural heritage of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Listen to fascinating stories and legends from your guide that will bring Ephesus to life. Enjoy the advantage of less walking and savor every moment without feeling rushed. Capture stunning photos, soak in the ambiance, and let the ancient past transport you to a bygone era.

Skip The Lines : Ephesus Mini Group Tour with Private Option Start your tour by being picked up at Kusadasi port with your name sign.( Your pick up time will be given in your confirmation email by your local operator ) Drive 20 mins to Ephesus, one of 12 cities of the Ionian League, the ancient Greek district on the western coast of Asia Minor. This city thrived centuries ago as a Greek colony and then as a part of ancient Rome. In its heyday, the cities bustling port was a major departure point for trade routes into Asia Minor. Today, the city is still filled with well-preserved ruins from this era.  Take a journey back in time as you walk down marble streets adorned with wonderful public buildings. See the ruins of the Baths of Scholastica, a bathing complex dating back to the 1st century. Admire the facade of the Library of Celsus. Once one of the largest libraries of the ancient world, this Roman structure was devasted when it was rocked by an earthquake, and burned by invading Goths in the same year. Despite its lack of luck, it’s magnificent façade still stands. Admire the massive collonade of the Temple of Hadrian. Explore the Grand Theater. This impressive structure housed 24,000 spectators and was where Emperors once saw plays, concerts, and gladiatorial fights. Marvel at the ruins of the Artmisission Temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Dedicated to the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt, pilgrims from all over the ancient world used to travel to this temple to seek the Goddess’s favor. After touring the temple, enjoy the convenience of being dropped off back to Kusadasi town center and port.

The tour starts with your pick up from your hotel in Kusadasi. The pick up in Kusadasi starts at 08:30 am; and the pick up in Selcuk starts at 09:00 am. After all the participants of the tour meet up; the discovery of Ephesus starts with the House of Virgin Mary. House of Virgin Mary is the place where Mary may have spent her last days. Indeed, she may have come in this area together with Saint John. This place was offically declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church in 1986, and since then it has become a popular place of pilgrimage. Pope Paul VI visited shrine in 1967. The visit to the House (church) takes about 1 hour and after our visit there will be a 10 min drive to Ephesus. Ephesus is an exceptional testimony to the cultural traditions of the Hellenistic, Roman Imperial and early Christian periods. Ephesus is an important site for Christianity; being one of the seven Churches of Revelation Apostle Paul probably spent two and half years in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. In two hours, you will be exploring the city by walking on the marble streets, accompanied by our English speaking tour guide. In our tour, we will be seeing the odeon,state agora,the prytaneion,the Memmius monument,the Domatian temple,Hercules gate,curetes street,the Hadrian temple and the latriens. The visits to the private houses (So-called ‘Terrace Houses’) is an optional visit for an extra 320 ₺/ per person and your guide should be informed on before hand. After the terrace houses, we will carry on with our exploration with the Celsus library,marble road,commercial Agora,great theather, and arcadiane (harbour road). A nice lunch will be served in a quaint local restaurant. After lunch we will visit the temple of Artemis; which is one of the 'seven world wonders' of antiquity. Here, there will be good chance to take georgious pictures of the church of St.John and the Mosque of İsa Bey . Sirince is an old village of ‘the Byzantine Greeks situated on the hills of Selcuk and 9 km from Ephesus. As part of the peace pact after theTurkish national war (1919-1922), a formal exchange of Turkish and Greeks, was agreed upon and Sirince is inhabited by Turkish now. The village is popular for beautiful traditional houses and fruit flavoured wine production; and you will have a free time for some wine tasting. Our daily tour will be finalised around 4:30 pm and you will be brought back to your hotels.