Ephesus and Virgin Mary House Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore ancient Ephesus ruins
- Marvel at the Temple of Artemis
- Visit the House of Virgin Mary
- Enjoy a traditional Turkish lunch
- Learn from expert local guides
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Guided tour of Ephesus Ruins
- Visit to the Temple of Artemis
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Important information
Know before you book
- Tour operates in English; check availability for other languages.
- Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Photography is allowed; please be respectful of local customs.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes for uneven terrain.
- Bring a hat and sunscreen to protect against the sun.
- Carry a bottle of water to stay hydrated.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Infant Seats Available
- Stroller Accessible
- Easy Public Transport
Good to know
- We GUARANTEE your timely return to the port
- The tour offers Group and Private Tour options, with or without tickets.
- Group Tour Option: This option usually has 8–10 participants. But, even if your group has 10+ people, you can still book. Groups are formed as passengers of the same ship.
- Private Tour Option: The tour wİll be provided only for your party with personal tour guide. Stay in the sites as much you wish, if there is any other site you want to visit, depending on time availability, it can be added to the program.
- The tour specialy designed for the cruise guests. Pick up and drop off only available from Kusadasi Port. The tour starting time will adjust according to your cruise dock and onboard times. We GUARANTEE your timely return to the Port.
- Your tour guide may suggest visiting places with handmade items, but it’s completely optional for the guests.
- Free entry for kids 8yr and below (take passport for children if any)
Traveler reviews
Pleasant tour of Ephesus
Ephesus is a marvel, and the guide we had was very good. We did it in English, and it was perfectly understandable. Good explanations and very pleasant. We also ate at a place that we liked. Totally recommendable.
Excellent, amazing tour!
Erdal was amazing! Great tour. He arranged it so that we didn't wait in any lines and the crowds were minimal. He was also patient and accommodating while we made purchases and the lunch was amazing! Highly recommend this tour.
Disappointing Tour of Ephesus, House of Mary
Everyone is going to the same locations (House of Mary, Ephesus) so expect to wait to get to each site, then wait in line to go into a venue. The venues themselves are crowded and our guide had to try to maneuver around other tour groups at each of the stopping points. There were 3 cruise ships in port, so the port pickup was rather crowded and confusing. Our tour guide's English pronunciation was sometimes lacking - he was often hard to understand, although he was trying hard to be informative. The House of Mary is an impressive visit, but has to be very short due to crowds - especially if you wish to offer a prayer. Also, the tour vehicle, a Mercedes Sprinter van, could have been cleaner. The most disappointing part was having the "optional" lunch and carpet weaving "demonstration". The food was OK, nothing great. There was a minimal carpet demo, just a strong sales push by the owner. Lots of tours stop at the same location, so must be well known. Left us feeling uncomfortable and somewhat mislead. Given the choice, we should have opted out of these last two items. We paid the tour guide for the lunch after we had departed back for the cruise ship port (we paid for a bottle of water at the lunch stop), so we wonder if he paid them and we reimbursed him or if he pocketed the money.
Highly recommended
Yonet and Mimit are very professional and friendly. We learnt a lot of historical information of Turkey from Yonet and it really made our day! We also enjoyed the traditional Turkish lunch!
A most pleasant day
Yonet is very knowledgeable, personable and professional. It was a pleasure to spend the day with him. Tour itself is fascinating and an easy walk. Excellent lunch too!