Best of Ephesus Tour: Terrace Houses and House of the Virgin Mary
5–6 hours, port to port
From$180 total for 2 guests
≈ $90 per person
Private Ephesus Tour with Skip-the-Line Entry and On-Time Ship Return
- Duration4–5 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
- 4–5 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
If this is your first call at Kusadasi, this is the day we would plan for our own friends: the great streets of Ephesus, the painted rooms of the Terrace Houses and, in Selcuk, the quiet ruins of the Basilica of St. John. A licensed guide from our team looks after your party alone.
Your day
We wait beside the port's information desk, right at the exit, with a card showing your name. About twenty minutes in our air-conditioned minivan brings you to Ephesus Ancient City. UNESCO lists it as World Heritage, and few Greco-Roman cities anywhere are as well kept. Your guide leads you past temples to the library and into the Roman theatre, where St. Paul and St. John are said to have preached to the Ephesians.
Next come the Terrace Houses, cut into the lower slopes of Bulbul Mountain: homes built in the 1st century AD for the city's richest families. You see their frescoes, mosaics and everyday objects up close.
In Selcuk we reach the Basilica of St. John. Justinian, the 6th-century emperor, raised it over what is believed to be the apostle's tomb, and a 14th-century earthquake brought it down. On the drive back you get a panoramic view over the old Temple of Artemis ground, Kusadasi town and the castle on Pigeon Island. A visit to a traditional rug-weaving cooperative can be part of the day if you like, and a local lunch is an option too.
Good to know
Ephesus is an open-air site with long stretches in the sun, so bring comfortable shoes, a hat and water. Entrance fees are settled in cash on the day, in US dollars or euros, and only for the sites on your route; the skip-the-line tickets travel with your guide. We check your ship's schedule ourselves and have you back at the port on time.
Places you visit
- Ephesus Ancient City
- Terrace Houses of Ephesus
- Basilica of St. John
- 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: Peter K Burian, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · José Luiz, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabeau, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Boris Kasimov, CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
More tours from Kusadasi
Biblical Ephesus Tour: House of the Virgin Mary and St. John
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Half-Day Private Ephesus Tour: Ancient City and Terrace Houses
3–4 hours, port to port
From$170 total for 2 guests
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