Ephesus Small Group Tour: Exploring Ancient Landmarks from Kusadasi or Selcuk
4.9
328 Ratings
Selcuk
Embark on a small group tour of Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world. Explore iconic landmarks and visit the House of the Virgin Mary on this engaging guided tour from Kusadasi or Selcuk.
Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Ancient City of Ephesus - Ephesus, was the second largest city in the Roman Empire over 250.000 people in the 1st BC. Ranking only behind Rome it was the second largest city in the world. Ephesus was the harbour city. This giant city was built only with marbel. Did you know Ephesus had a largest amphitheater in the ancient world over 25.000 seats. Also see Goddess Nike, Local pharmacy, Hadrian Gate, Library of Celcius (the third largest library), Marbel Street, Harbour Street.
  • Meryemana (The Virgin Mary’s House) - The House of Virgin Mary, is a place where according to the beliefs of many people Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent her last years of her life. She was supposed to arrive at Ephesus together with St. John and lived there in the years 37-45 CE until her Assumption or Dormition.
  • The Temple of Artemis - Temple of Artemis or Artemision, also know less pracisely as the Temple of Diana, was Greek Temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. It was located in Ephesus and it was seven wonders of the world.
  • İ - The Isabey Mosque, constructed in 1374
  • 1375, is one of the oldest and most impressive works of architectural art remaining from the Anatolian Beyliks. The mosque is stuated in outskirts of the Ayasuluk Hills at Selcuk
  • Ephesus.
  • State Agora - The agora on the southern part of the Basilica is the State Agora, and was built in the Roman Period in the first century B.C. This agora was used not for commerce but for business, it played an important role as a meeting place for the governmental discussions. During the excavations in the northeast corner of the Agora were found a great number of graves from the 7th-6th centuries B.C and a stone-paved road, and a archaic sarcophagus of terra cotta.

From this it is understood that in the archaic period this part of the Agora was used as the necropolis of Ephesus. There is a water reservoir at the corner of the Agora, which played an important role in Ephesus. Its water was brought to the city through the Pollio Aqueduct, the remains of the Pollio Aqueduct can be seen 5 kilometers away, along the Selçuk-Aydin highway.

  • Temple of Domitian - Located to the south end of the Domitian Street, it is the first structure in Ephesus known to be dedicated to an emperor. It was built on a high and wide terrace set by 50x100 meters in size, on vaulted foundations. The northern size of the terrace seems to be two-stories high, reached by stairs. The stairs are still visible today.

The temple, built in pro-style plan, had eight columns on the short side and thirteen columns on the long side, and four additional columns in front of the cella. At the northern side there was an u-shaped altar, which is now displayed in Izmir museum.

It was in the reign of Domitian that an emperor gave permission to built an Emperor Temple; that is the permission to be the ‘neocoros’ for the first time, which was a great honor for a city.

  • Hercules Gate - Hercules Gate located towards the end of the Curetes Street, it was called the Hercules gate because of the relief of Hercules on it. It was brought from another place in the fourth century AD to its current place, but the relief on it dates back to the second century AD.

Only the two side of the columns remain today and the other parts of it have not been found. The relief of the flying Nike in the Domitian Square is thought to also be a part of this gate.

The Heracles Gate narrowed the access to the street, preventing the passage of vehicles.We can understand that from the Fourth Century, the street had become a pedestrian area.

What's Included
  • Pick Up & Drop Off
  • Fully Air-Conditioned Vehicle
  • Insurance
  • Lunch
  • Professional Licensed Tour Guide
What's Not Included
  • Driver & Guide Tips – Gratitue
  • Drinks
  • Personal Expenses
  • Admission Fees to Attractions
Additional Information

The Small Group Ephesus Excursion is an educational journey through the ancient city of Ephesus, a highly preserved historical town globally. Throughout the excursion, you’ll encounter distinctive landmarks and edifices contributing to Ephesus’ recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Your adventure commences with a pickup from your accommodation in Kusadasi or Selcuk, followed by a picturesque journey to Ephesus. Upon arrival, your guide directs you across the primary roads, showcasing the commendable architectural designs of the ancient city. These include the Celsus Library, the Great Theatre, and Hadrian’s Temple.

Included in the excursion is a trip to Virgin Mary’s House, a humble stone house perched on a hill beyond Ephesus. As per tradition, this house was the final residence of Jesus’ mother, Mary, and has since become a significant religious destination for Christians.

Upon the tour’s completion, transportation back to your hotel is provided. The tour is a small-group activity that allows meaningful interaction with your guide and fellow explorers.

  • Ephesus entrance fee is 40 €. You can pay to the guide for skip-the-line tickets.
  • House of Virgin Mary entrance fee is 400 TRY. You can pay to the guide for skip-the-line tickets.
Location
Ancient City of Ephesus
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(328 Ratings)
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Anac209
May 30, 2024
Wonderful experience, great guide - Melis did a fantastic job. She is very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. We never felt rushed and loved every minute of our tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
926tha_sr
May 29, 2024
Great - Great! The guide made all the difference in the tour. Very beautiful and special place! Spectacular day! Very beautiful, organized and fun
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Navigate16774097478
May 18, 2024
Ephesus tour with Yesra - Thank you to Yesra, and our driver Metin.Ephesus tour was made even more special by you . Love Turkiye❤️yesra made it more enjoyable she was a great guide would love to book with her again
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Maz-trav7
May 18, 2024
Great Ephesus trip made fun by Yesra - Excellent knowledgeable guide Yesra was amazing Years made it fun with her commentary and good humour , the views were amazing brought to life by Yesra
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S9243upanna_
May 18, 2024
Excellent experience - Yesra is a lovely, professional, knowledgeable and friendly guide. Highly recommended! Thank you for a great tour! Xxx
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Lunaromana2018
May 16, 2024
Walking across hisory - If you are passionate about history and cultural heritage this tour is for you. Coming from Rome, it has been fascinating for me to see the impressive archeological site of Ephesus and also Virgin Mary’s house. The tour includes two stops for shopping at jewellery and ceramics shops and a buffet lunch. I personally could have skipped them to visit St. John’s, the castle or other sites nearby.
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Jackiekelly
May 16, 2024
Well worth putting on your list - Definitely a trip that should be on your list, Our Guide Melis was excellent,made sure we had plenty of time to take photos and explain the history of the sites of Ephesus, Temple of Artemis, and the house of the Virgin Mary,lunch included was excellent,
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O3243lialia
May 16, 2024
Ephsus - Melisa was excellent guide very clear information and instructions Great day with a lot of fun Started the day with induction about the day
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Levib172
May 16, 2024
Wonderful experience. Guide Melis. - My guide Melis is excellent. She is very generous and shares all her knowledge and culture. If you come to Kusadasi, look for it, you won't regret it.
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Meneka
May 1, 2024
Fabulous Day spent getting lost in history - We had a lovely tour to Ephesus and the house of mother Mary with a small group. Our guide, Baris was excellent and knew so much about the history and background of the location. We enjoyed exploring the site and reliving what life in that era would have been like. Baris was excellent in showing us the best spots for photographs, keeping us away from crowds and recommending places we should explore more. His experience and knowledge made such a difference in our experience in all the locations we visited. Overall this was such a fantastic tour.
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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