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Private Ephesus Shore Excursion from KuşadasıVirgin Mary & Artemis

Shore excursion4-5 HoursPrivate, your party onlyLunch included

Pay nothing now — pay cash on the day

No card needed · Free cancellation up to 24 hours

From$79≈ €69per person, based on 2 travellers

Total for 2: $158 · per person drops as your group grows

+ 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: $158 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)

  • Duration4-5 Hours

  • Tour typePrivate · your party only

  • Meeting pointMeet your guide at the Kuşadası Ege Port cruise terminal exit, where they will hold a TurkeyVia sign. Minimum port stay: 6.5 hours; 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

Meet your private guide at Kuşadası Ege Port for a 4–5 hour shore excursion to Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis. Lunch in Selçuk; 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
  • Choose an optional St John or Terrace Houses visit

Itinerary

Your private guide waits at the Kuşadası Ege Port cruise terminal exit holding a TurkeyVia sign, and your own air-conditioned vehicle takes you about 25 minutes inland to Ephesus. With no group to keep pace with, you decide where to linger: the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre or a quiet corner of Curetes Street. After the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis, lunch is in Selçuk, followed by a carpet weaving stop. Entrance tickets are optional and not included by default; add them when you book or buy them at the gate. The tour takes 4–5 hours; your guide times it to your ship so you are back at the port at least 60 minutes before all-aboard.

  1. Meet your guide at Kuşadası Ege Port

    Walk out of the cruise terminal exit and look for your guide holding a TurkeyVia sign. Ephesus is about 20 km away, roughly 25 minutes by road.

    Tip: Keep your cruise card and photo ID with you for re-boarding.

  2. Ephesus: Curetes Street to the Library of Celsus

    Time here: about 2 hours

    Enter at the upper gate and follow the marble street downhill for about 1.5 km, past the Odeon, the Temple of Hadrian and rows of ancient shopfronts, to the two-level facade of the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre.

    Tip: Polished marble gets slippery; wear shoes with grip.

  3. House of the Virgin Mary

    Time here: about 45 min

    A small stone chapel in the pine woods of Bülbüldağı, about 7 km above Selçuk, honored by Christians and Muslims as Mary's last home. Outside, visitors tie written wishes to a wall of cloth and paper.

    Tip: Cover shoulders and knees; no photos inside the chapel.

  4. Temple of Artemis

    One reassembled column in a marshy field is what remains of a temple counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Entry is free, and a short stop is enough.

  5. Lunch in Selçuk

    A sit-down lunch at a local restaurant in Selçuk; on a private tour you can ask your guide to move it earlier or later. Drinks are extra.

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

    Watch weavers tie knots by hand at the loom and see silk reeled from cocoons, over a glass of Turkish tea. No obligation to buy.

  7. Back to Kuşadası port

    Your driver returns you to the cruise terminal with at least 60 minutes to spare before all-aboard.

Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver

Optional activities

  • St John's Basilica on Ayasuluk Hill (add when booking) · Not included
  • Ephesus Terrace Houses (add when booking) · Not included

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. Minimum port stay: 6.5 hours; your return is planned for at least 60 minutes before all-aboard.
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

  • Private licensed English-speaking guide
  • Private transport from and back to Kuşadası Ege Port
  • Lunch in Selçuk
  • Carpet Weaving Education Center visit

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

Optional extras

  • Add the Terrace Houses

Good to know

Workshop stop: a carpet weaving centre. 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

Where do I meet my private guide at Kuşadası port?

At the exit of the Ege Port cruise terminal. Your guide holds a TurkeyVia sign and walks you to your private vehicle, which is reserved for your party alone for the whole tour.

What if our ship docks later than planned?

We adjust the start of the tour to your actual arrival time and plan the return so you are back at the port at least 60 minutes before all-aboard. Share your ship's name and port date when you book so we can follow its schedule.

Are entrance tickets included on the private shore excursion?

Not by default. You can add the Ephesus and House of the Virgin Mary tickets when you book or buy them at the gates on the day. The Temple of Artemis is free to enter.

Can we add St John's Basilica or the Terrace Houses?

Yes. Both are optional add-ons you can select when booking, each with its own ticket. The Terrace Houses are Roman homes with frescoes and mosaics inside Ephesus; St John's Basilica stands on Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk, over the traditional tomb of the apostle.

How far will we walk at Ephesus?

The marble main street runs downhill for about 1.5 km from the upper gate, and your vehicle picks you up at the lower end. Paving is uneven and can be slippery, so wear shoes with good grip. With a private guide you can stop and rest as often as you like.

What should I wear for the House of the Virgin Mary?

It is an active place of worship, so cover your shoulders and knees; a light scarf in your day bag is handy. Photography is not allowed inside the chapel, but you can take pictures in the gardens.

How do I book and pay for the Private 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 Private 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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Questions before you book? Message us on WhatsApp.

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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