Best of Ephesus Guided Tour For Cruise Guest

Embark on a private guided tour of Ephesus, led by a knowledgeable local guide. Explore historic sights, including the Ancient City of Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis.

Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Unique Ephesus Tours - Unique Ephesus Tours will meet you at the kusadası port
  • Kusadasi - Kusadasi Turkey is the most popular in Aydin Province, which is located around 56 miles south of Izmir at the Aegean Coast of Turkey. It is called since from an angle from the sea, the peninsula resembles the head of a bird, thus, “kus” for bird and �ada� for island as Kusadasi..
    It is usually said Kusadasi is one of the most beautiful cities facing the Aegean Sea since the scenery and landscape of the area is just as fascinatingly beautiful. Kusadasi has been a center of art, culture and history not only of Turkey but also of many civilizations since it was founded in 3000 B.C. Today, Kusadasi resembles a modern European city. Because of hot Mediterranean climate for roughly 92% of the year, so Kusadasi in Turkey has become one of the most traveled destinations in Europe.

The city has an open sea side at the back of the peninsula, where public beaches are located. Among the most popular swimming spots in Kusadasi district is the Ladies Beach, Bird Island Beach and on and on

  • Ancient City of Ephesus - According to Greek mythology, the ancient city of Ephesus was established by Greeks in 11 Century B.C. by Androclos, the son of legendary King of Athens. He asked the oracles in Delphi where and how he could find a new settlement for Greeks. The answer of oracles was very interesting and simple.

According to oracles a wild boar and a fish would lead them to the site of the new settlement. One day, Androklos and his friends were cooking fish on an open fire, when a fish flew from the pan into the nearby bushes. Sparks from the fire also ignited the bushes and as they flared up, a wild boar ran out of the bushes to escape from the flames. Androklos pursued and killed the boar. Then he recalled the words of the oracles and built his city on this site.

  • Meryemana (The Virgin Mary’s House) - It is known with certainty that the Virgin Mary went to Ephesus and lived there for some time. Whether or not she died in Ephesus was not known until Anne Catherine Emmerich’s vision. The stigmatized German nun who had never been to Ephesus had a vision of the House of the Virgin Mary and described it in detail to the German writer Clemens Brentano who later published a book about it. Catherine Emmerich died in 1884. In 1891 Paul, Superior of the Lazarists from Izmir read about her vision and found a little building which corresponded with Emmerich’s descriptions. Archeological evidence showed that the little house was from the 6C AD but that the foundations were from the 1C AD.

This place was officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church in 1896, and since then it has become a popular place of pilgrimage. Pope Paul VI visited the shrine in 1967, Pope John Paul II in 1979 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

  • Kusadasi Castle - Kuşadası’s small, picturesque Byzantine fortress stands on the causeway-connected Güvercin Adası (Pigeon Island) and has recently been renovated. It’s now part of a popular and well-kept public park. A path winds around the island past excellent information boards and a small lighthouse, providing fine views of Kuşadası. Inside the fortress there’s a skeleton of a 14.5m fin whale and a few models of sailing boats.
  • Selcuk - An ideal base camp for exploring the Aegean coastline, Selcuk draws big tourist crowds due to its proximity to the ancient city of Ephesus. The ruins of this ancient Greek settlement represent one of Turkey’s best-preserved archaeological sites, allowing visitors to peel back nearly 3,000 years of history and learn about the region’s rich cultural heritage. Selcuk itself remains a relatively small town, making up for its lack of modern tourist attractions with hospitality and a laid-back atmosphere. Walk through the compact city center to see the remains of an ancient Roman aqueduct and the ruins of a Byzantine citadel.
  • The Temple of Artemis - Artemis was the Greek goddess, the virginal huntress and twin of Apollo, who replaced the Titan Selene as Goddess of the Moon.

At Ephesus a goddess whom the Greeks associated with Artemis was passionately venerated in an archaic icon. The original was carved of wood, with many breast-like protuberances apparently emphasizing fertility over the virginity traditionally associated with the Greek Artemis. Like Near Eastern and Egyptian deities (and unlike Grek ones), her body and legs are enclosed within a tapering pillar-like term, from which her feet protrude.

On the coins minted at Ephesus, the many-breasted Goddess wears a mural crown (like a city’s walls). She rests either arm on a staff formed of entwined serpents or of a stack of ouroboroi the eternal serpent with its tail in its mouth. Like Cybele, the goddess at Ephesus was served by hierodules called megabyzae, and by maidens (korai).

A votive inscription dating from about the 3rd century BC associates Ephesian Artemis with Crete: “To the Healer of diseases, to Apollo, Giver of Light to mortals, Eutyches has set up in votive offering (a statue of) the Cretan Lady of Ephesus, the Light-Bearer.”

For a more in-depth look at Artemis of Ephesus and the role she played in Ephesian life and religion, please see our special article on Artemis of Ephesus.

  • Ephesus Terrace Houses - A cluster of ancient 2-story homes spread across three tiers, the Ephesus Terrace Houses reveal how wealthy Romans lived during the city’s glory days. Glass floors let you admire geometric mosaics and still-colorful frescoes gleaming on the walls—it’s a small wonder some compare the site to Pompeii.
What's Included
  • 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
  • Private Local Licensed Guide
  • In-vehicle Air Conditioning
  • All Transportation Costs including Parking Fees and Gas
What's Not Included
  • Admission fees
  • Lunch (optional)
  • Personal expenses
Additional Information

Explore the notable sights of Ephesus, guided by an erudite local professional. This tour will be privately conducted solely for you and your group. Visit the UNESCO heritage site, the Ancient City of Ephesus, walk along the same streets where Apostle Paul and John once tread, marvel at the Grand Theatre where St. Paul used to preach to the Ephesians, capture beautiful photos in front of the Celsus Library, delve into the Roman Baths, Temple of Hadrian, Public lavatories, Marble Street, Agora, and more. Witness the beautifully conserved Terrace Houses which were once residences of the affluent in Roman Ephesus, renowned for their exclusive mosaics and frescoes. Absorb the tranquil ambiance of the sacred pilgrimage site in Turkey, the House of the Virgin Mary. Experience the wonder of visiting the ancient world marvel, the Temple of Artemis. Capture captivating memories of these historical sites guided by your proficient local guide. If you wish, you can relish a local lunch at a nearby eatery.

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Location
Unique Ephesus Tours
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(23 Ratings)
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1 star
Karin_t
May 18, 2024
Excellent private tour of Ephesus Ancient City - Our guide, ALİ, picked us up at the cruise port and took us directly to the Ancient site. His knowledge of the history and architecture, changes in topography over the centuries and cultural insights into the people who walked those roads gave us a realistic understanding of the city. We were also able to explore the Archeological Museum, and the remnants of both the Church of St John the Apostle and the temple of Artemis. We enjoyed a delicious lunch of local food, we did have wine which was not included in the price but was very reasonable. Following lunch, we were given a hands on tour of a rug making school. I was given the honor of putting two knots into a rug. We also watched silk fibers being extracted from their cocoons. Our friends on the cruise ship only saw a small fraction of this for the same cost. We highly recommend guide Ali
Review provided by Viator
Andrewkx6038kt
Sep 21, 2023
Historical - Awesome experience. Fatih is a great guid and highly recommend requesting him by name. Would do this again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thomas
Sep 11, 2023
Ephesus - A must see place when you visit turkey! Such a beautiful place full of history and such a beautiful country! I highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mariadanielao2023
Jul 28, 2023
Amazing - The tour guy was excelent super kind he was with us during the whole visit at ephesus, and virgin mary’s house at the end he took us to eat traditional food from turkey, we absolutly recommend it
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pablonobrega2004
Jul 23, 2023
Great experience - A great city tour. We loved the guide Sevine. Everyone in the group had a great experience. Emphasis on her communication and organization.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
599eddiel
Jun 22, 2023
I would definitely recommend and do it all over again - Our guide was fantastic she was punctual to pick us up at our cruise dock and she was super knowledgeable and patient. She offered to take all our pictures. I would definitely recommend!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
William_b
May 22, 2023
For the love of Ephesus - Ali is an amazing tour guide, he taught us about Ancient Turkey and took his time with us, as we tend to move a little slower than others. We had a great lunch and learned all about carpet making! We recommend Ali to anyone who would enjoy a great tour!
Review provided by Viator
W2553hznikkit
Mar 17, 2023
Awesome time with Ali! - Our group of 8 had a fantastic time with Ali on our Best of Ephusus tour. We got great info on Turkey and even more on the beautiful and amazing sites we took in. It was a fabulous day and we were well taken care of. Ali was informative, flexible, and fun. Highly recommend! Though it won't always be this way, we managed to be the First guests at house of Mary (pretty cool!) We sampled lovely apple tea, and shopped for leather and saw handmade rugs (highly recommend you do this even if you do not want a rug ) Turkey is beautiful, the traffic was not bad. We had a great day!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zezob2023
Mar 4, 2023
Better - We have been to turkey and kusadasi we find this agency and we had private Ephesus tour our guide was Ali he was every good excellent services
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jomt2023
May 6, 2023
EXPLORE TURKIYE - So far the arrangement is good, hotel , food, transportation all is ok .keep it up for give more extra service for next tour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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