Ephesus Skip-the-Line Group & Private Tour with Entry Fee and Lunch from Kusadasi Port
by Turkey Tours Company
Choose from 6 available options
How do you want to book?
✓Confirmation before Wed, 9 Sept - card's only charged if it's a yes. If it's a no, still time to book on Viator.
Book on Viator Confirmed right away, but you pay full price.$31.92Overview
This 4-6 hour group or private tour begins with a meeting at Kusadasi port, where the guide will be waiting at the cruise dock exit area. The tour proceeds to the ancient city of Ephesus, once the second largest city in the Roman Empire with a population of over 250,000 people. Visitors spend about two hours exploring the marble ruins, including the Celsus Library, the Great Theater with over 25,000 seats, the Temple of Hadrian, the Hadrian Gate, the Local Pharmacy, and the marble and harbor streets. The guide also shows the Prytaneion, where the sacred flame of Ephesus was kept, the Roman aqueduct fountain supplied by three water sources, and the Varius Baths, a Roman-era bath complex with mosaics. After the archaeological site, the tour includes a one-hour traditional lunch at a nearby carpet-weaving village, where guests can watch artisans handcraft Turkish rugs. Additional stops include visits to a Turkish carpet weaving village, a ceramic workshop, and a leather factory. The itinerary also features a 15-minute visit to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The final stop is the House of the Virgin Mary, believed to be where Mary, mother of Jesus, spent her last years; the visit lasts about 45 minutes. Entry fees for Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary are included if the entry fee option is selected at booking, allowing skip-the-line access with tickets provided by the guide. The vehicle used is fully air-conditioned for comfort. The tour schedule is arranged to match cruise docking and departure times, with a guaranteed timely return to Kusadasi port. Entry fees can also be paid on-site if the entry fee option is not chosen. Driver and guide tips, beverages, and any optional admission fees are not included.
Highlights
What's included
What's not included
Itinerary
Kusadasi Port Pickup
The guide and team meet guests at the cruise dock at the reserved time. Look for the reservation name on the board in the port exit area for pickup.
15 min
Ephesus Ancient City
Explore Ephesus, once the second largest city in the Roman Empire with over 250,000 residents in the 1st century BC. See marble streets, the largest amphitheater of the ancient world seating 25,000, the Library of Celsus, Hadrian Gate, Goddess Nike statue, local pharmacy, and harbor streets.
120 min
Prytaneion
Visit the Prytaneion behind the basilica, where religious ceremonies and official receptions were held. The sacred flame, symbolizing the city's heart, burned constantly here. The building dates to the 3rd century BC with ruins from the Augustan period. Archaeologists found two Artemis statues now displayed in the Ephesus Museum.
10 min
Roman Aqueduct Fountain
Water was supplied to Ephesus fountains from three main sources through aqueducts: Kencherios at Kuşadası (42km), the Çamlık village stream of Marnas (15km), and the Cayster River (20km). This water was distributed freely at public fountains via a network of baked clay pipes, providing refreshment during hot summer days. The fountain has a tall arch facing the temple of Domitian and was decorated with several statues. Among these statues, the Head of Zeus and the group of Odysseus and Polyphemus, originally on the basin, are now exhibited in the Ephesus Museum. Some statues are believed to have been taken from the Isis Temple, possibly after an earthquake, to repair the fountain.
5 min
Bath of Varius
View the ruins of the Bath of Varius dating to the 2nd century AD, with mosaics in a 40-meter corridor from the 5th century. The bath has three sections: frigidarium, tepidarium, and caldarium, and excavation is ongoing.
5 min
Lunch at Carpet-Weaving Village
Enjoy a traditional lunch at a local village known for carpet weaving, where guests can watch artisans creating authentic Turkish rugs by hand.
60 min
Temple of Artemis
Visit the Temple of Artemis, also called Artemision or Temple of Diana, a Greek temple dedicated to Artemis and listed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
15 min
House of the Virgin Mary
Tour the House of the Virgin Mary, believed by many to be where Mary, mother of Jesus, lived her last years between 37 and 45 CE after arriving with St. John.
45 min
Return to Kusadasi Port
The tour schedule is coordinated with the cruise docking and boarding times to guarantee a timely return to the port.
15 min
Languages
Cancellation policy
- Cancel at least 24 hours before start for a full refund.
Additional info
Ephesus Skip-the-Line Group & Private Tour with Entry Fee and Lunch from Kusadasi Port
by Turkey Tours Company
Choose from 6 available options
How do you want to book?
✓Confirmation before Wed, 9 Sept - card's only charged if it's a yes. If it's a no, still time to book on Viator.
Book on Viator Confirmed right away, but you pay full price.$31.92Overview
This 4-6 hour group or private tour begins with a meeting at Kusadasi port, where the guide will be waiting at the cruise dock exit area. The tour proceeds to the ancient city of Ephesus, once the second largest city in the Roman Empire with a population of over 250,000 people. Visitors spend about two hours exploring the marble ruins, including the Celsus Library, the Great Theater with over 25,000 seats, the Temple of Hadrian, the Hadrian Gate, the Local Pharmacy, and the marble and harbor streets. The guide also shows the Prytaneion, where the sacred flame of Ephesus was kept, the Roman aqueduct fountain supplied by three water sources, and the Varius Baths, a Roman-era bath complex with mosaics. After the archaeological site, the tour includes a one-hour traditional lunch at a nearby carpet-weaving village, where guests can watch artisans handcraft Turkish rugs. Additional stops include visits to a Turkish carpet weaving village, a ceramic workshop, and a leather factory. The itinerary also features a 15-minute visit to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The final stop is the House of the Virgin Mary, believed to be where Mary, mother of Jesus, spent her last years; the visit lasts about 45 minutes. Entry fees for Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary are included if the entry fee option is selected at booking, allowing skip-the-line access with tickets provided by the guide. The vehicle used is fully air-conditioned for comfort. The tour schedule is arranged to match cruise docking and departure times, with a guaranteed timely return to Kusadasi port. Entry fees can also be paid on-site if the entry fee option is not chosen. Driver and guide tips, beverages, and any optional admission fees are not included.
Highlights
What's included
What's not included
Itinerary
Kusadasi Port Pickup
The guide and team meet guests at the cruise dock at the reserved time. Look for the reservation name on the board in the port exit area for pickup.
15 min
Ephesus Ancient City
Explore Ephesus, once the second largest city in the Roman Empire with over 250,000 residents in the 1st century BC. See marble streets, the largest amphitheater of the ancient world seating 25,000, the Library of Celsus, Hadrian Gate, Goddess Nike statue, local pharmacy, and harbor streets.
120 min
Prytaneion
Visit the Prytaneion behind the basilica, where religious ceremonies and official receptions were held. The sacred flame, symbolizing the city's heart, burned constantly here. The building dates to the 3rd century BC with ruins from the Augustan period. Archaeologists found two Artemis statues now displayed in the Ephesus Museum.
10 min
Roman Aqueduct Fountain
Water was supplied to Ephesus fountains from three main sources through aqueducts: Kencherios at Kuşadası (42km), the Çamlık village stream of Marnas (15km), and the Cayster River (20km). This water was distributed freely at public fountains via a network of baked clay pipes, providing refreshment during hot summer days. The fountain has a tall arch facing the temple of Domitian and was decorated with several statues. Among these statues, the Head of Zeus and the group of Odysseus and Polyphemus, originally on the basin, are now exhibited in the Ephesus Museum. Some statues are believed to have been taken from the Isis Temple, possibly after an earthquake, to repair the fountain.
5 min
Bath of Varius
View the ruins of the Bath of Varius dating to the 2nd century AD, with mosaics in a 40-meter corridor from the 5th century. The bath has three sections: frigidarium, tepidarium, and caldarium, and excavation is ongoing.
5 min
Lunch at Carpet-Weaving Village
Enjoy a traditional lunch at a local village known for carpet weaving, where guests can watch artisans creating authentic Turkish rugs by hand.
60 min
Temple of Artemis
Visit the Temple of Artemis, also called Artemision or Temple of Diana, a Greek temple dedicated to Artemis and listed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
15 min
House of the Virgin Mary
Tour the House of the Virgin Mary, believed by many to be where Mary, mother of Jesus, lived her last years between 37 and 45 CE after arriving with St. John.
45 min
Return to Kusadasi Port
The tour schedule is coordinated with the cruise docking and boarding times to guarantee a timely return to the port.
15 min
Languages
Cancellation policy
- Cancel at least 24 hours before start for a full refund.