Private Ephesus Tour with Skip-the-Line Entry and On-Time Ship Return
4–5 hours, port to port
From$180 total for 2 guests
≈ $90 per person
Best of Ephesus Tour: Terrace Houses and House of the Virgin Mary
- Duration5–6 hours
- StartsFrom/to Kusadasi Cruise Port
- TypePrivate, only your group
- CancellationFree up to 24 h before
- Payment50% deposit online, rest in cash on the day
- ReturnBack to your ship on time, guaranteed
Tour at a glance
- Duration
- 5–6 hours
- Starts
- From/to Kusadasi Cruise Port
- Price
- From $180 total for 2 guests (≈ $90 per person); price depends on group size
- Included
- A licensed, professional local guide from our Kusadasi team, A private tour for your party only, Pick-up and drop-off at Kusadasi cruise port or your hotel, Back at the ship on time, guaranteed
- Entrance fees
- Not included; paid in cash (USD or EUR) on the day, only for the sites you visit. Your guide brings skip-the-line tickets
- Group size
- 1–15 guests online; larger groups on request
- Children
- Ages 0–4 travel free (max. 2 per booking); from age 5 the adult price applies
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 h before
- Payment
- 50% deposit online, rest in cash on the day
About this tour
Some guests want the ruins, others come for the shrine. This tour gives you both in a single day ashore: the ancient city of Ephesus, its richly decorated Terrace Houses and, higher in the hills, the quiet shrine known as House of the Virgin Mary.
Your day
Look for our team and your name card by the port's information desk as you walk out. The drive to Ephesus Ancient City takes roughly twenty minutes, and your guide starts the stories on the way. Inside this UNESCO-listed Greco-Roman city you walk among temples, past the great library and up to the Roman theatre linked with the preaching of St. Paul and St. John.
In the Terrace Houses on Bulbul Mountain you step into the private world of wealthy Ephesians of the 1st century AD: wall paintings, mosaic floors and household items still in place.
From there we climb into the hills to Mary's shrine, known as House of the Virgin Mary, honoured by Christians as Mary's last home. It is a small, calm place, and three popes have visited: Paul VI in 1967, John Paul II in 1979 and Benedict XVI in 2006.
Heading back, you glimpse the old Temple of Artemis ground, then Kusadasi town and the island castle on Pigeon Island from the road. A short visit to a traditional handicraft cooperative fits in if you are curious, and a local lunch can be added as an option.
Good to know
Dress for walking and sun. The shrine is a place of prayer, so a quiet voice is appreciated. You settle entrance fees in cash on the day (US dollars or euros) for the places you actually visit, and your guide has the skip-the-line tickets. Your onboard time drives our timetable, and we get you back to the ship on time.
Places you visit
- Ephesus Ancient City
- Terrace Houses of Ephesus
- House of the Virgin Mary
- Local cooperative: Hand-Woven Rugs and Leather Outlets
Included
- A licensed, professional local guide from our Kusadasi team
- A private tour for your party only
- Pick-up and drop-off at Kusadasi cruise port or your hotel
- Back at the ship on time, guaranteed
- Air-conditioned minivan with a separate driver
Not included
- Gratuities (recommended)
- Entrance fees for the sites on your route, settled in cash (US dollars or euros) on the day; the skip-the-line tickets travel with your guide
Meeting point
Port exit gate, Kusadasi cruise terminal
Your guide waits at the cruise terminal exit holding a sign that says "PRIVATE & GROUP EPHESUS TOURS", 30–45 minutes after your ship docks. We confirm the exact meeting time and spot by email before your tour.
Good to know
- Nobody else joins: your guide and vehicle are booked for your party only.
- One price for the whole party: it does not go up per head within your group size.
- We meet you at the cruise terminal exit gate, next to the information desk, 30–45 minutes after the ship is alongside, holding a sign that says "PRIVATE & GROUP EPHESUS TOURS".
- Site tickets are not in the tour price. You pay them in cash (USD or EUR) on the day, only where you go in; your guide has skip-the-line tickets with them.
- A 50% card deposit confirms the booking; you hand the other 50% to your guide in cash.
- Up to two children aged 4 or under ride free on each booking; anyone 5 or older counts as an adult.
- Expect old, uneven paving stones: flat shoes with grip are best, and from May a hat and water bottle too.
- Your all-aboard time sets the plan for the whole day, and we get you back to the pier before it.
Price for your whole group
One price per private group, not per person. Children 0–4 travel free (max. 2 per booking).
| Guests | Group total |
|---|---|
| 1–2 guests | $180 |
| 3 guests | $220 |
| 4–6 guests | $250 |
| 7–9 guests | $280 |
| 10–12 guests | $300 |
| 13–15 guests | $350 |
| 16+ guests | Ask for a quote |
Questions
Is the price for each person?
No, it is one price for your whole party. As long as your group stays within the size you chose, nothing is added per person.
What exactly am I paying for?
A licensed guide for your party alone, the transport on the day (a private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the Ephesus tours; tram and public transport in Istanbul) and our on-time return to your ship. The tour page lists what is in and what is not.
Do you include the entrance tickets?
No. Ticket prices change during the year, so they stay outside the tour price. Your guide carries skip-the-line tickets, and you pay for them in cash (USD or EUR) on the day, only for the places you enter.
Can the tickets go on my card?
No. Because your guide buys them for you, they are paid in cash (USD or EUR) on the tour day.
How do I reserve?
Reserve online up to 24 hours before the tour. A 50% deposit is charged to your card in USD; the remaining half is paid in cash to your guide on the day.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Cancel at least 24 hours before your tour and the whole deposit is refunded. If your ship cannot dock in port, you also get the full deposit back.
Where will we find our guide?
At the cruise terminal exit gate, next to the information desk, 30–45 minutes after your ship docks, look for a sign that says "PRIVATE & GROUP EPHESUS TOURS". Before the tour we email you the exact time and spot.
Why so early in the morning?
On days with several ships, the sites fill up fast. Meeting 30–45 minutes after docking puts you ahead of the crowds and the midday heat.
What if we run late at a site?
Your guide keeps an eye on the clock for you. The day is planned backwards from your ship’s all-aboard time, and we guarantee your return to the port in time.
Is the walking hard?
It is manageable at an easy pace. Ephesus is walked mostly downhill on old marble that is uneven in places, and the Terrace Houses have plenty of steps. Tell us about any mobility needs when you book and your guide will plan the pace and breaks.
How much do children pay?
Children up to 4 years old are free, up to two per booking. From the age of 5 they pay the adult price.
Do we stop for lunch?
Lunch is only included when the tour page says so. Otherwise your guide can suggest a local place on the way, and you pay the restaurant directly.
Who are you?
Ephesus Tour from Kusadasi is a brand of Iglesias Tour Turkey, a TÜRSAB-licensed travel agency (licence no. 10772) based in Kusadasi since 2010. Every guide we work with is a licensed professional guide.
Photos: Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ashokmehta72, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marsyas, CC BY 3.0 · Knowledge2need, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
More tours from Kusadasi
Biblical Ephesus Tour: House of the Virgin Mary and St. John
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From$200 total for 2 guests
≈ $100 per person
Half-Day Private Ephesus Tour: Ancient City and Terrace Houses
3–4 hours, port to port
From$170 total for 2 guests
≈ $85 per person