Ephesus and St. Mary's House Day Trip from Izmir: Explore Ancient Ruins in Turkey
4.3
208 Ratings
Selcuk

No trip to Turkey is complete without exploring the ancient ruins of Ephesus - the best-preserved classical city in the eastern Mediterranean. You will also visit the final resting place of the Virgin Mary on this day trip from Izmir.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • The Basilica of Saint John - On your way to Ephesus, you will stop at St Johns Basilica atop Ayasuluk Hill built in honor of the Saint who wrote his gospel on this very hill. See the 4th-century tomb where his remains are said to be housed.
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Lunch
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Hotel pickup and drop off
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
Additional Information
  • Confirmation for this tour will be received at time of booking
  • In the event of any museum closures, an alternative similar museum will be visited
  • Not recommended for children aged 4 and under
  • Children 18 years and under must be accompanied by an adult
  • A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Location
Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House)
Sultaniye Mahallesi
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.3
(208 Ratings)
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Julia_v
Jul 22, 2023
Well done Tour - I was initially unsure of how the experience would go, especially from booking online but it was a totally worthwhile experience! The company was very helpful when asking what time pick-up would be. They even called our hotel room when they arrived. We were picked up in Izmir and brought to an office with plenty of time before our tour started. We joined the others from our tour and were on our way promptly at 9:30. The tour guide gave us just the right amount of information and spent a good amount of time at each location. It was a hot day 38 C or 100 F, but the bus was nicely airconditioned. On our way back we dropped our other tour members off at the airport and then were quickly on the way back to Izmir. Overall, really well-done tour, worth the price because of the ease of transportation!
Review provided by Viator
Melody_d
Jun 6, 2023
A day in Ephesus - The best part of our tour was the visit to Mother Mary’s house. It was made special by our tour guide who was very knowledgeable of the events that led to the discovery of her house. He also went with us in the Ephesus tour and gave us a detailed stories of each building, wall, icons. It was an enjoyable tour because of the tour guide
Review provided by Viator
Sarrah85
May 29, 2023
Amazing! - Our guide was extremely knowledgeable of everything Efes. He answered all our questions and was very patient. Highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Steven_z
May 26, 2023
Best memories - Ephesus is wonderful history sites In Turkey Our tour guide is very knowledgeable and professional. I’m highly recommended this tour
Review provided by Viator
Mitchell_m
May 9, 2023
Amazing tour guide, super... - Amazing tour guide, super knowledgable! We ended up being the only ones on our tour and really appreciated the history and guide!
Review provided by Viator
Amitrajitsaha
Apr 30, 2023
Excellent, if exhausting day trip to Ephesus and St. Mary's House - It was a long day, but one of the best trips my partner and I'd made in recent times. The day began with us being picked up from our stay in Izmir--we then picked up our guide for the day and traveled to the see the sites. Our guide was informative and quite knowledgeable and he gave us relevant details on the way. Our first stop was St. Mary's House (where it's believed St. Mary spent some time of her life after Jesus' death). The surroundings of the location was tranquil and magnificent, and the house had a nice atmosphere. We then traveled to Ephesus---which was truly a grand experience. The Greeks and later the Romans knew a thing or two about building cities, baths and water and sanitation way ahead of their times---and examples of that was all around. We spent about 2-3 hours there, and didn't visit the terrace houses (needed separate fees)---but we could easily have spent another hour or two in the ruins. We then moved to the Artemis temple and finally saw the ruins of St. John's Church and his purported burial site. There was a lunch in between---which was surprisingly good (in our experience) for a 'lunch inclusive' day trip. We were lucky that we went in April, although, the day was a Saturday after a Turkish holiday and so there were some crowds. But not, as the guide told us, overwhelming masses of visitors as is wont during the peak summer tourist season. Important: to carry water, sun-shades/sunglasses, hat/cap and sunscreen (for those who need it). Sturdy shoes with good grip are essential--the marble path through Ephesus are worn quite smooth and one tends to slip easily. A weather check---to ensure no rain, would be good to do as well. And of course, all the sites are visited on foot--so a bit of walking (and resting) will happen. A few snacks too would help, if you are a family with hungry kids---and do bring your cameras/GoPros/selfie-sticks and smart phones... Also, for those who are interested in ruins/history, please check if your entrance fees cover the terrace-houses entrance, if not, may be good to get those tickets before you go. We didn't, so will have to go back! Overall, it was a grand day among ruins and wonders of the ancient world.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Valerie_k
Mar 13, 2023
Great experience! - Nazım Bey is intelligent, informative, interesting, and knowledgeable. One of the best tour guides around. The lunch of local cuisine was delicious!
Review provided by Viator
Lisa_h
Nov 28, 2022
Worth the trip! - We had a wonderful tour of Ephesus with a friendly and knowledgeable guide! We had fun while learning about this amazing site. Our guide was confident, thoughtful, and professional. Would highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Thanuwat_t
Sep 29, 2022
A day in Ephesus - Tour started from my hotel at 7:30 And dropped me off at the airport (as requested) around 5 pm Some schedules were changed but overall was ok
Review provided by Viator
Amber_g
Jun 19, 2023
Disappointing, focused on making money - Overal disappointed with the tour. It was extremely rushed. The sightseeing itself was maybe at most 4 hours. They took us to a mediocre at best restaurant where the buffet had no taste. The tour itinerary doesn’t tell you they take you to a leather store but it does. We wasted two hours there waiting for people to shop. I could have used those two hours to sightsee and not sit there waiting for other people to do their shopping. They were also insisting on taking us to a carpet workshop and we declined. Saint John’s basically was part of the tour and tour guide kept asking if we really wanted to go see it. After I insisted she spent a meager 10 mins inside. The whole experience was disappointing. I would not pick this tour again
Review provided by Viator
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