Ephesus Tour: Explore Ancient Greco-Roman City and Virgin Mary's Last Home From Istanbul
3.0
1 Rating
Selcuk
Embark on an unforgettable Ephesus tour from Istanbul and discover the ancient Greco-Roman city, the last home of Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Duration: 15 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Ancient City of Ephesus - Visit to the old Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, Marble Street, Odeon, Bouleterion, Temple of Hadrian and Serapis, Agora, Library of Celsus, Great Theatre, Double Church, Arcadian Way, Gate of Magnesia

  • Meryemana (The Virgin Mary’s House) - Visit the Last abode of Virgin Mary at Mount Solmissos
    House of Virgin Mary is located on the top of the “Bulbul” mountain 9 km ahead of Ephesus, the shrine of Virgin Mary enjoys a marvelous atmosphere hidden in the green. It is the place where Mary may have spent her last days. Indeed, she may have come in the area together with Saint John, who spent several years in the area to spread Christianity. Mary preferred this remote place rather than living in crowded place.

  • The Temple of Artemis - The Templeof Artemis was built on sacred grounds for the Greek goddess Artemis. Artemis was the twin of Apollo and daughter to Zeus and Leto. She represented abundance, hunting and all things wild. Citizens would find refuge, safety and comfort in the temple. Based on recent archeologist’s findings, evidence shows a flood destroyed the original Temple of Artemis.

  • Bibliotheque de Celsus - Celsus Library is one of the most beautiful structures in Ephesus. Celcius Library was built in 117 A.D. Celsus Library was a monumental tomb for Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, the governor of the province of Asia; from his son Galius Julius Aquila. The grave of Celsus was beneath the ground floor, across the entrance and there was a statue of Athena over it. Because Athena was the goddess of the wisdom.

  • Isa Bey Mosque - Isa bey mosque is one of the best and important example which reflects the end of the Seljuk Empire period in late 14 C A.D. In addition, this mosque bears the imprint of Umayyad mosque in Damascus in which is one of the Islamic centers for scientists and scholars. The marble and tiles here make almost a harmonial visiual feast those who want to visit.

What's Included
  • Transport by air-conditioned minivan during the tour
  • Professional guide
  • Lunch
  • Round-trip shared transfer
  • Roundtrip flight tickets
  • Local taxes
What's Not Included
  • Drinks
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

You will have the opportunity to visit the ancient Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, including Marble Street, the Odeon, Bouleterion, the Temple of Hadrian and Serapis, the Agora, the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre, the Double Church, Arcadian Way, and the Gate of Magnesia. You will also see the last residence of the Virgin Mary at Mount Solmissos and enjoy lunch in Selçuk. Additionally, you will visit the İsabey Mosque, one of the oldest and most remarkable architectural works from the Anatolian Beyliks, and the Temple of Artemis, one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.”

  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
  • Operated by Plan Tours & Gray Line Turkey
Location
Ancient City of Ephesus
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
3.0
(1 Rating)
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Darryj2016
Nov 13, 2019
Phenomenal locale but select the right tour guide - Let me begin by stating that experiencing Ephesus and the other surrounding historical sites, e.g. the Church (House) of the Virgin Mary, are absolutely worth the effort. If you have only one day to spare away from Istanbul, take the short flight to Izmir and see one of the true wonders of the ancient world. Having said that, be very critical of the travel agency you pick to get you to Ephesus. We selected Plan Tours and, in hindsight, we should have gone with another company. Keep in mind that the company that arranges your intra-Turkish air will most likely not be the tour agency that actually conducts the tour of Ephesus, which in our case was a good thing. Plan Tours picked us up at 5:15 AM and then unbeknownst to us took us to the wrong airport. NOTE: check your travel docs because there are two airports in Istanbul (IST and SAW), and they are, at minimum, an hour apart. We discovered after we attempted to check-in at the gate for our 8:00 AM flight that the driver had taken us to the wrong airport. We tried in vain for almost an hour to get anyone at Plan Tours to answer their phone. The only reply was a voicemail stating that someone would be in the office at 7:30 AM, a mere 30 minutes before our flight. To salvage our trip we acted quickly and booked another regional flight to Izmir at additional cost in hopes making it to Izmir to meet up with the Ephesus tour. We arrived 45 minutes behind schedule. Castle Tours in Izmir did an amazing job of picking us up at the airport and linking us with our tour group, which was already underway. We missed seeing the Temple of Artemis, but we did make it to the city of Ephesus, which was extraordinary. The rest of the day played out as planned. After returning to home to Germany, we engaged Plan Tours about a refund for the plane tickets lost due to the logistical mistake as well as the the plane tickets purchased to offset being sent to the wrong airport. In the end, we had to engage Viator to get Plan Tours to refund 20% of the cost. As we explained to both Viator and Plan Tours, if we hadn't taken the initiative and bought the new airfare to offset being taken to the wrong airport, we would be seeking a full refund for the entire trip. In the end, please heed our warnings and check your itineraries to ensure logistical details, like airport codes, are correct and think about how you might anticipate and/or offset logistical snafu's,, like non-responsive emergency contacts.
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
July 2024
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