Private & Small Group Ephesus & Virgin Mary Tours for Cruisers

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Our guide will meet you at Kusadasi Port / Hotel with EPHESUS SHUTTLE sign. Meeting times are differ for each cruise line. Meeting time will be given during your confirmation.

   10 min

2. We will have 30 min. drive to The House of Virgin Mary is located on the Aladag Mountains 5 miles away from Ephesus. At the third Ecumenical Council on 431 AD in Ephesus, it was claimed that Mary came to Ephesus with St. John in 37 A.D. and lived there until her death in 48 A.D. After the discovery of the house, the Archbishop of Izmir declared there as a place of pilgrimage in 1892. On July 26, 1967, Pope Paul VI visited this place and prayed there.

   45 min

3. We will have 10 mins drive to Ephesus from The House of Virgin Mary. We will start visiting one of the main highlights in Turkey, Ephesus, one of the 12 cities of Ionian League (an ancient Greek district on the western coast of Asia Minor) is located near Izmir. As a port city it was a major departure point for trade routes into Asia Minor. Walk through history along marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus; it was built in the beginning of the 2nd century A.D. by Gaius Julius Aquila to be a memorial to his father Gaius Julius Celsus Polemanus, the proconsul of Province of Asia. , the Temple of Hadrian and The Grand Theater are two of the most impressive buildings in Ephesus. Grand theatre was built in 3rd century B.C and it was later expanded to 24.000 spectators by the Romans in the 1st century A.D.

   2 h

4. Terrace houses included in " with Terrace Houses options " only. Not included in other options. Terrace Houses is located on skirt of Pion Mountain. There are 6 residential units which were built on three man-made terraces. These houses were settled by wealty citizens of Ephesus. These houses were very fancy decorated with wall frescoes and floor mosaics. There are many steps to ascend from bottom to top. Not recommended for people who has walking difficulties and acro-phobia (fear of heights).

   30 min

5. We will stop at Artemission Temple where used to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world as our last stop before drive back to your hotel / Kusadasi town center and port.

   15 min

6. Drive to Port through Kusadasi Marina. Arrival and the end of services

   Passes by

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 221 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5Great Ephesus tour guide

  Aleyna was an excellent tour guide. Very knowledgeable and great to listen to! We thouroghly enjoyed her guiding 👍

  Z1228TFmarionwSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5was an e cellent choice

  Very well organized. Excellent booking experience. We loved our guide Aleyna.

  BinRoundDWorldSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5A great excursion

  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this excursion with Gurkan. Pick up and drop off were smooth as was the trip itself. Gurkan was very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. It's a lot of walking but worth it to see the history.

  TheresamalSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Excellent guided tour of Ephesus and more

  This was a great experience and so much better with our guide, Aleyna. She was so enthusiastic about telling us about the history of the area and showed us all around Ephesus. Lunch was delicious. So much food. And we enjoyed meeting every cat we saw!

  michelee930September 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Lifetime experience

  Very informative and guide did a great job at explaining what we were seeing

  W9521CPmichaelySeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Great Experience Private Tour in Ephesus

  Aleyna was guide. She was terrific! Very knowledgeable and gracious. I had some trouble walking the steps of the Terrace Houses and she was happy to slow down and let me rest. Our private tour included the House of the Virgin Mary, the terrace Houses, the ancient city of Ephesus and Artemis. It was a great tour. I re ommens this company and Aleyna highly.

  stephanieyT153ADSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Kusadasi

• Its from-price is 28% below the median of the 447 day trips we list in Kusadasi.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 13 of 447.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Kusadasi

Kuşadası is a busy Aegean resort on Turkey's west coast, a short drive from Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean.

The town curves around a bay with a busy cruise port, a marina and Pigeon Island, linked to the shore by a causeway and topped by a small stone fortress. The old town's streets climb behind the harbour with bazaars, cafés and restaurants, and beaches such as Ladies Beach and Long Beach stretch along the coast.

Top-ranked sights in Kusadasi: Kusadasi Castle, Kusadasi Caravanserai (Öküz Mehmed Pasha Caravanserai), Kusadasi Shopping Center (Kusadasi AVM).

See all 1371 experiences in Kusadasi