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Ephesus Shore Excursion from Kuşadası (Group)Virgin Mary & Artemis

Shore excursion5-6 HoursGroup tourLunch included

Pay nothing now — pay cash on the day

No card needed · Free cancellation up to 24 hours

From$49≈ €42per person, based on 2 travellers

+ about $60 pp entrance fees (≈ €53), paid at the sites

Ask us on WhatsApp

On WhatsApp within about 1 hour, 09:00–18:00 Turkey time

  • Back-to-ship guarantee: back at the pier 60 minutes before all-aboard

Licensed local guides+90 507 357 58 94Office in Kuşadası

Entrance fees
You pay about $60 per adult (≈ €53) at Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary (children under 8 free). Ticket queues can be long on cruise days — your guide plans the time around them.

Official prices per adult: Ephesus $46 · House of the Virgin Mary $14

2 adults: $98 in cash on the tour day (US dollars, euros or British pounds) · entrance fees paid at the sites

Infants under 2 travel free · Children 2–7: free site entrances (seats and flights at adult rate)

  • Duration5-6 Hours

  • Tour typeGroup tour

  • Meeting pointMeet your guide at the Kuşadası Ege Port cruise terminal exit, where they will hold a TurkeyVia sign. Your return is planned for at least 60 minutes before all-aboard.

  • Return to shipBack at the ship 60 min before all-aboard

  • CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours · Port-call cancellation covered

Overview

Join a 5–6 hour group shore excursion from Kuşadası Ege Port to Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis. Lunch is included; pay your guide in cash on the day.

Highlights

  • Walk Curetes Street to the Library of Celsus
  • See the Great Theatre at Ephesus
  • Visit the House of the Virgin Mary
  • Stop at the Temple of Artemis
  • Visit carpet and leather workshops

Itinerary

This shared group tour leaves Kuşadası Ege Port at 08:30 or 09:30, depending on your ship's arrival; your guide stands at the cruise terminal exit with a TurkeyVia sign. You walk through Ephesus with a licensed guide, visit the House of the Virgin Mary on its wooded hillside and eat lunch together in Selçuk. The afternoon brings a carpet weaving center, a leather workshop and the lone column of the Temple of Artemis. Tickets for Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary are not included by default: add them when booking or buy them at each gate. The schedule gets you back to the port at least 60 minutes before all-aboard.

  1. or 09:30 - Terminal exit meeting point

    08:30

    Meet the group and your guide at the Ege Port terminal exit (look for the TurkeyVia sign). A shared air-conditioned minibus drives you inland to Ephesus in about 25 minutes.

  2. Ancient Ephesus with a licensed guide

    Time here: about 2 hours

    The Library of Celsus was raised by a son as a tomb for his father, the Roman governor Celsus, whose marble sarcophagus still lies beneath the floor. Your guide also leads you past the Temple of Hadrian to the Great Theatre.

    Tip: There is little shade; bring a hat and water.

  3. House of the Virgin Mary

    Time here: about 45 min

    A French priest located this modest stone house in 1881, guided by the recorded visions of a German nun, and three popes have since visited it. Walk through the chapel in single file, then fill a bottle at the spring taps below.

  4. Group lunch in Selçuk

    Lunch is served at a local restaurant in Selçuk; drinks with the meal are not included.

  5. Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min)

    See how natural dyes are made and how one knot at a time becomes a hand-knotted carpet. No obligation to buy.

  6. Leather workshop (about 30–45 min)

    A showroom visit introducing the Aegean region's leather-working tradition, from soft lambskin jackets to bags. No obligation to buy.

  7. Temple of Artemis

    Free to visit: a single column pieced together from fragments marks the site of this Wonder of the Ancient World, burned by Herostratus in 356 BC.

  8. Return to Ege Port

    The minibus brings the group back to the cruise terminal at least 60 minutes before all-aboard.

Shared air-conditioned minibus with the group

Meals: Lunch

Meeting point and return to your ship

Meeting point
Meet your guide at the Kuşadası Ege Port cruise terminal exit, where they will hold a TurkeyVia sign. Your return is planned for at least 60 minutes before all-aboard.
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Return to your ship
Back at the port at least 60 minutes before all-aboard. If your ship is late or the call is cancelled, see the cancellation terms below.

What happens after you book

  1. 1
    Reserve online, no card

    Give your ship name, port date and WhatsApp number. Nothing is charged.

  2. 2
    We confirm

    We confirm on WhatsApp or by email, usually within about 1 hour (09:00–18:00 Turkey time). Your e-voucher follows by email.

  3. 3
    We check in before your port day

    We confirm the plan 48 and 24 hours before your call.

  4. 4
    Pay your guide in cash

    Pay your guide in cash on the day — US dollars, euros or British pounds.

What's included

Included

  • Licensed English-speaking guide
  • Group transport from and back to Kuşadası Ege Port
  • Lunch in Selçuk
  • Carpet Weaving Education Center and leather workshop visits

Not included

  • Tips (optional)
  • Personal purchases
  • Drinks with meals
  • Dinner
  • Entrance fees (Ephesus and House of the Virgin Mary): about €53 per adult, paid at the sites; children under 8 free

Good to know

Workshop stops: a carpet weaving centre and a leather workshop. Part of the programme, no obligation to buy.

Before you go

  • Bring your cruise card and a photo ID; you need them to leave and re-board the ship.
  • Wear comfortable walking shoes: most sites have uneven ground, stone paths and steps.
  • Bring a hat, sunscreen and water in the warm months; there is little shade at the ancient sites.
  • Vegetarian, vegan or other dietary needs at lunch: tell us when you book and we let the restaurant know.
  • Mobility needs or travelling with small children? Tell us before you book, and we tell you honestly which parts of the day suit you.

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 24 hours · Port-call cancellation covered

  • 24 hours or more: Free cancellation, full refund. Under 24 hours or no-show: No refund, unless the cruise line cancels or skips the port call. If the cruise line cancels or skips the port call, you receive a full refund.
  • Request cancellation in writing, by email or WhatsApp; the cancellation date is the day we receive your message. Refunds go back the way you paid, within 14 days: card payments to the same card. Shore excursions are paid on the day, so nothing is collected in advance.
  • If unavoidable extraordinary circumstances at the destination make the trip impossible, you receive a full refund, less any mandatory taxes and genuinely non-refundable third-party payments, itemised for you.
  • Date changes are free when requested at least 72 hours before a day tour, 24 hours before a shore excursion, or 21 days before a package or a day trip by plane, subject to availability. For these, a date change 14–20 days before departure costs €50 per booking; under 14 days it depends on availability, and any airline or hotel change fees are charged at cost. Name changes (passing your booking to someone else at least 7 days before departure) are free except for any airline name-change fee, charged at cost.
  • If TurkeyVia cancels, including because the minimum group size is not met, you can choose a full refund or an alternative.
Full cancellation policy

Your contract is with İlke Seyahat Turizm Ticaret Gıda Orman Ürünleri Gemi Acenteliği İthalat İhracat Sanayi Limited Şirketi, Turgut Ozal Bulvari 67/1, Kusadasi, Aydin 09400, Turkey — the company behind TurkeyVia. Terms

Frequently asked questions

What time does the Ephesus group shore tour leave the port?

Departures are at 08:30 or 09:30, matched to your ship's arrival. Meet your guide at the Ege Port cruise terminal exit, where they hold a TurkeyVia sign; please be there on time, as the group leaves together.

Will the group tour get me back before all-aboard?

The schedule is planned so the group is back at Kuşadası port at least 60 minutes before all-aboard. Staying with the group and keeping to the meeting times at each stop helps everyone return on schedule.

My cruise ship is running late. What happens?

Let us know as early as you can. Where possible we rearrange your tour around the ship's actual arrival, for example by moving you to the later departure, and the return is still planned for at least 60 minutes before all-aboard.

Do entrance tickets come with the group shore tour?

No, they are optional. Add tickets for Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary when booking, or buy them at each entrance. The Temple of Artemis has no entry fee, and the Terrace Houses are not part of this group route.

Which workshops does the group shore tour visit?

A Carpet Weaving Education Center and a leather workshop, each about 30–45 minutes, with no obligation to buy. If time is tight on a short port day, the guide may shorten a workshop stop.

Is the Ephesus walk suitable for children or slower walkers?

Most children manage well. Expect about 1.5 km downhill on uneven, sometimes slippery marble, with some steps and little shade. Guests with reduced mobility should tell us when booking so we can advise honestly.

How do I book and pay for the Ephesus Shore Excursion from Kuşadası?

Reserve now, pay your guide in cash on the day (US dollars, euros or British pounds) — no deposit and no card needed. Send your ship name, port date and WhatsApp number with the request, and we confirm the booking and your meeting point.

What is the cancellation policy for the Ephesus Shore Excursion from Kuşadası?

Free cancellation up to 24 hours · Port-call cancellation covered. 24 hours or more: Free cancellation, full refund. Under 24 hours or no-show: No refund, unless the cruise line cancels or skips the port call. If the cruise line cancels or skips the port call, you receive a full refund. Full terms: cancellation policy.

Planning guide

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Tell us your dates, your ship or the tour you like. We reply on WhatsApp within about 1 hour, 09:00–18:00 Turkey time, and in the evening whenever we can.

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