ALL INCLUSIVE VIP Shore Excursion Customizable Ephesus with Lunch
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Kusadasi, Turkey
- 4 to 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Make the most of your cruise stop in Kusadasi without the stress of arranging transport, tickets, or navigating multiple historic sites on a tight schedule. This private shore excursion connects key regional landmarks, including the ancient city of Ephesus, with a knowledgeable guide handling logistics and storytelling throughout. With meals, entry fees, and port transfers included, you can focus on the experience rather than planning or timing.
- Private Kusadasi shore excursion to Ephesus and surrounding highlights for a seamless and exclusive day ashore
- Explore Ephesus and other regional landmarks with a rich blend of history, culture, and scenery
- Enjoy a fully customizable itinerary tailored to your interests for a more personal experience
- All-inclusive convenience with lunch, entrance fees, private guide and vehicle, plus port pickup and drop-off
What's Included
- Entrance Fees ( Our guide will have pre-paid tickets to skip the lines )
- Professional Licensed private tour guide
- Traditional Turkish Lunch
- Private transportation By private A/C Mercedes Minibus
- Pickup and drop-off from Kusadasi Port
- Parking Fees
- GUARANTEED On Time Return to PORT
- Drinks
- Graditutes
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
The meeting time at Kusadasi port varies for each ship. Generally, the meeting time is 45-60 minutes after your ship arrives. The Kusadasi Port meeting time will be sent via email. ALL INCLUSIVE . NO HIDDEN COSTS Suggested pick up time will be given on your confirmation message. This tour is customized to your personal preferences. Meeting will be at Kusadasi Cruise terminal or at the reception of listed hotels ( Guests have to stay inone of the listed 5 hotels ) Your guide will meet you at pre-arranged time You may decide with your guide which places you wish to see when you get in your vehicle. Your guide will explain you the area first, and give you suggestions about the must see attractions. You can have your private service until your boarding which is an hour before departure . You may use our service from 3 to 8 hours * Private Tour for your family and friends • You will decide on departure time • Our tour guide will meet you at Kusadasi port with your name sign, • Our professional tour guide will be with you from arrival till departure, • You will have flexibilty to spend how much time you want in each site and customize the itinerary, • You do not have to wait for other group members • You may stop to have pictures during your tour.
Itinerary
When your cruise arrives in the Kusadasi port, your private guide meets you at the port for your tour.
Discuss the options for your day with your guide, including one of the region's top attractions. Ephesus is considered one of the best examples of an ancient Roman city, and the well-preserved ruins give you a glimpse of an important commercial center for western Anatolia.
The Terrace Houses housed the wealthy people of Ephesus, and you can see their mosaics, frescoes, and early central heating systems.
Located near Ephesus, the ruins of the Temple of Artemis represent one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Basilica of St John is the site where the early Christian saint may have been entombed.
Your tour includes stops for a traditional Turkish lunch, shopping, and sightseeing. Have up to 10 hours to explore before your guide returns you to the Kusadasi port at least one hour before your cruise departs.
Discuss the options for your day with your guide, including one of the region's top attractions. Ephesus is considered one of the best examples of an ancient Roman city, and the well-preserved ruins give you a glimpse of an important commercial center for western Anatolia.
The Terrace Houses housed the wealthy people of Ephesus, and you can see their mosaics, frescoes, and early central heating systems.
Located near Ephesus, the ruins of the Temple of Artemis represent one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Basilica of St John is the site where the early Christian saint may have been entombed.
Your tour includes stops for a traditional Turkish lunch, shopping, and sightseeing. Have up to 10 hours to explore before your guide returns you to the Kusadasi port at least one hour before your cruise departs.
1
Kusadasi Port
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Okuz Mehmet Pasa KervansarayI (Pass By)
2
The House of the Virgin Mary
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Ephesus Ancient City
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
4
Ephesus Terrace Houses
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Basilica of Saint John
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
6
The Temple of Artemis
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
7
Kusadasi
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- No Hidden Cost. All inclusive tour with Guide, Lunch and Entrance Fees ( Our guide will have pre-paid tickets to skip the line )
- Private Tour for your family and Friends
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 563 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Ozzy was the best. He was great from the pick up point at the dock and we literally were the very first ones into Ephesus. He gave an incredible and knowledgable tour of the entire place at our pace, we move a little faster. Our excursions was customizable so he took us to an incredible leather store to buy some things and we saw many other sites. The last thing we did was go to a carpet manufacturing area that was great and had a very good lunch outdoors. Could not have asked for a more relaxing tour and great tour guide. Thank you
This tour of Ephesus was perfect! Emre had so much knowledge of the places and artifacts we were seeing. We enjoyed the history and stories that he told us. He always made sure that we had the time that we wanted in each area and checked with us frequently to make sure all was good. We chose the option to see the terrace houses and were glad that we did. Seeing these homes from ancient times was amazing. He offered options to see pottery, rug making and/or leather shops, but made it clear that those were options and up to us. I asked to see the pottery because I was genuinely curious and we were so glad that we did. There was never pressure to make a purchase, only a pride of sharing the craft. After having seen the pottery, and eaten lunch where the rugs were made (absolutely delicious!) I asked if we could walk around the rug shop without the demonstration. Emre took us through and explained the process and watching and hearing about it was fascinating. Again no pressure to purchase and we were so glad we did it. Overall it was a fantastic day and we couldn’t have been any happier.
It was clear from the beginning that the tour guide wanted to keep the length of the tour as short as possible, unless it involved additional visiting shopping sites. We chose not the visit the Virgin Mary’s house, and went to the archeological museum instead. The tour guide was knowledgeable and showed use the main highlights in Ephesus, but his personality did not match well with our group. As represented the tour included all ticket costs and a good lunch. Overall the tour was okay, and not as high of a quality tour as compared to other private tours I have taken.
Very disappointing private tour. Our guide barely guided us. He would give a few basic facts, then stay behind in the shade while we explored the sites on our own.
For a private tour, we expected the guide to actually walk with us, explain what we were seeing, and answer questions throughout the visit. Instead, it felt more like transportation with brief introductions at each stop.
To make matters worse, the guide repeatedly used profane and inappropriate language, which made the experience even more uncomfortable and unprofessional. We specifically asked for a Christian guide to experience Apostle Paul’s journey in Ephesus. We felt rushed at each site and pressured to not take pictures. He would leave before us and we had to catch up with him at each store.
Ephesus itself was amazing, but the guiding service was absolutely not what we paid for. I would not recommend this tour.
Our Guide and van were very good. What took away from the experience was the suggested optional visits to the leather & rug factories. The former was a classic "Tourist Trap", while the latter we were told was supported by the Turkish government and run as a Co-op. It did not seem to be any of this and the lunch provided here seemed to be an inducement for travel agents to bring potential clients to the factory. We could have had a much better & authentic Turkish meal in the city. There were barely any vegetarian mains besides some beans & couscous.
This tour is AMAZING! Our guide was wonderful and took care of everything! We really enjoyed seeing all the sites and our guide was so knowledgeable and accommodating to everything we wished to see.
Well worth the cost!! A full day with a great tour of Ephesus. Tour guide was very personable and knowledgeable
Had a great day with Ozzy! He had lots of knowledge about Ephesus and the blessed mother house! Lunch was great! He customized our trip to go to a leather shop and pottery store which were both awesome
One of the best tour I’ve ever taken. Picked us up at ship pier drove to old city. Port was crowded but his driver did well. He had lived in area for years and knew everything about the area. I almost thought he had met Paul.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear Dave,
I don't know how to thank you enough for your comment. Your feedback is precious and has been proudly share with the entire team.
Our colleagues' dedication to our guests is fully rewarded when we received such wonderful comments. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of him.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderfull country again.
Curio Travel Team
Our guide was the very best! She has been guiding for many years, and her knowledge is both deep and wide…and she easily adjusts if you want more or less!
Ephesus was amazing - and in addition to a fabulous visit there, we were able to experience local rug weavers, traditional family pottery and a lovely Turkish meal.
As additional intel, we had both a driver and a guide, which gave us an elevated experience. Our guide was dedicated to guiding and didn’t have to worry about driving!
Highly recommend this tour!
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear Julie,
Once again, we deeply appreciate your long-standing loyalty and the detailed feedback you’ve provided. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderfull country again.
Curio Travel Team
Can design the experience down to the last minute. For a year i dreamed of the excursion. Did not anticipate the headcold that would sideline me for a week prior. Modifications were made that fully met the expectations and didn't overstrain my physical abilities. Our guide was exceptionally well versed and offered the highlights in lieu of the detailed examination I Had anticipated. No doubt he would have excelled there also. Would absolutely do it again
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear Barbara,
Once again, we deeply appreciate your long-standing loyalty and the detailed feedback you’ve provided. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderfull country again.
Curio Travel Team
This tour of Ephesus was much more than we expected. Our tour guide Ozzie was fabulous. His depth of knowledge along with his story telling ability was second to none. We saw and did so much hitting all the highlights along the way. I would recommend this tour especially if you lucky enough to have Ozzie as your guide.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear Ruth,
Once again, we deeply appreciate your long-standing loyalty and the detailed feedback you’ve provided. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of him.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderfull country again.
Curio Travel Team
We were so happy to have Orkan guide us through the local sites of Kusadasi. With my 78 year old mother, we needed to customize the experience to meet her abilities. He quickly navigated us to have the optimum time to visit Mary’s house, ahead of the crowds, then told us all about the local history. We wanted to try some local Greek olive oil and he knew just the place. We were in port on a holiday and he and our driver knew the perfect way to navigate the crowds to get us back to our ship quickly. And bonus - when my husband left his expensive sunglasses in the van, he was so sad. He knew we would never get them back. He contacted Viator and the driver swung back to the port to drop them off. We are SO thankful! We will use Viator again and again. Thank you to Orkan for making our stay so educational and enjoyable!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Nathan,
Your kind words will be shared with our entire team, who will be thrilled to know they helped create this memorable experience. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of him.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderfull country again.
Curio Travel Team
For a small port town, Ilknur was a great guide. She did her absolute best to ensure we saw the Virgin Mary home and Ephesus. She was fun and knowledgeable.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Gayle,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and giving us such a good note!
We hope to have the occasion to welcome you back soon. Thank you for taking the time to share such a lovely review. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderfull country again.
Curio Travel Team
We had a great experience on the tour and with our guide! Our guide was very knowledgeable and thorough. As a word of caution to parents, the tour isn’t very stroller friendly so have an alternative plan. Also, you will go through a short sales pitch for rugs after lunch. We felt no pressure but they were passionate. 😁 Food was great!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Brando,
Your kind words will be shared with our entire team, who will be thrilled to know they helped create this memorable experience. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderfull country again.
Curio Travel Team
I booked this private tour not realizing it would be just 2 of us plus our guide. She was very informative during our tour and knowledgeable. I loved that my husband was able to hear everything she had to say about what we were seeing. Our driver was always on standby and we never waited long for him between destinations. The Turkish lunch was delicious. Only downfall was the rug store behind the restaurant staff very aggressive to sell you a carpet when we showed interest in them.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Kim,
Thank you again for your loyalty and thoughtful insights. We look forward to welcoming you back on your next trip to Ephesus and will do everything we can to ensure another wonderful travel. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
This tour was phenomenal ! We had Ceren as our guide who was easily to find when we got off our ship ! She took us to a spacious van and sat with us and explained the history and culture of Turkey as our driver drove us to all the destinations! This was so personalized and so much fun ! Ceren made us laugh and was soo informative!! We had an amazing Turkish lunch ! I strongly recommend booking this tour ! And request Ceren if possible ! Our driver was excellent too !!!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Marie,
Please rest assured that your kind words have been passed on to the entire Team. We look forward to welcoming you back for more memorable moments. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
Very comprehensive information about Ephesus and the area. Shoes with a grippy sole is essential. Marble walk ways were very slippery. Transportation vehicle was excellent.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Oscar,
We don't know how to thank you enough for your comment. Your feedback is precious and has been proudly share with the entire team.
Our colleagues' dedication to our guests is fully rewarded when we received such wonderful comments. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her/him.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
Wonderful tour. Would highly recommend anyone going to Ephesus choose this tour. You can customize it to what you want to do so if you don’t want to look at rugs or go to one of the sights, no worries. Our guide was so knowledgeable about Turkey and history and the Bible- he blew us away. Plus, my husband had some walking issues and he was always looking out for him and finding a place for him to sit if he needed to. Our lunch was yummy. Loved the Egges beer😁
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Nancy,
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your kind words. We are delighted to hear that your experience with us exceeded your expectations, and your compliments have been shared with our team with great pleasure. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of him.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
Had a great trip with Selda during our cruise stop in Kusadasi. We first went to the Virgin Mary’s house. Selda got us there during a great time with minimal crowds so there was no wait. Then we went Ephesus and walked around town the ruins there and heard all about the history. We had a fantastic lunch at a Turkish rug place. Then we visited the site where Saint John was buried. We finished our tour at an amazing pottery place with beautiful ceramics. This tour was great for our family where people ranged in age from 14-75. I highly recommend Selda.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Erin,
Your kind words will be shared with our entire team, who will be thrilled to know they helped create this memorable experience. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
Customizable tour was the best! My family was able to pick and choose what we wanted to do to avoid the heat! Emre was a very knowledgeable tour guide and provided the right amount of information while guiding us through the sites to make sure we had enough information and still keep pace so we could see everything.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Brian,
Once again, we deeply appreciate your long-standing loyalty and the detailed feedback you’ve provided. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of him.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
Fabulous trip to Ephesus, a very hot day but great to have a wonderful guide and beautiful air conditioned van. The whole tour was great , the only thing I would say is we didn’t need a big sale on rugs, felt little pressure . However the rest was wonderful and a nice day was had x thank you for showing us around !
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Louise,
We don't know how to thank you enough for your comment. Your feedback is precious and has been proudly share with the entire team.
Our colleagues' dedication to our guests is fully rewarded when we received such wonderful comments. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her/him.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
Hazel was our tour guide. She was extremely knowledgeable and helpful in providing recommendations to us. I would highly recommend her and this tour!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Lisa,
Thank you again for your loyalty and thoughtful insights. We look forward to welcoming you back on your next trip to Ephesus and will do everything we can to ensure another wonderful travel. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
We were in Ephesus, Turkey for one day. My 70th birthday! We went everywhere! Our guide knew what we wanted to see and what we did not want to do and took exceptional care of us. We had a wonderful lunch (the chicken was delicious)! The last thing I wanted to do for my birthday was to walk the beach. We were taken to Ladies Beach! While there we stopped in a restaurant and out came a birthday cake! I was moved to tears. Above and beyond and something I will never forget. This was a great tour! Thank you again!! I’m
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Dianne,
We don't know how to thank you enough for your comment. Your feedback is precious and has been proudly share with the entire team.
Our colleagues' dedication to our guests is fully rewarded when we received such wonderful comments. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her/him.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
Ceren is an excellent guide. We had a very interesting day. This tour is to be recommended. The lunch was also nice.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Barbara,
Thank you again for your loyalty and thoughtful insights. We look forward to welcoming you back on your next trip to Ephesus and will do everything we can to ensure another wonderful travel. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
Fevzi, our tour guide is a native of Kusadasi with a degree in archaeology. His English was excellent and his ability to explain the history and architecture made our visit interesting and entertaining for family members from age 14 to 78. We want to return to see and learn even more about this beautiful and historically important area.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Kenneth,
Please rest assured that your kind words have been passed on to the entire Team. We look forward to welcoming you back for more memorable moments. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of him.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
We enjoyed going into ancient Ephesus and see what we wanted to see. We wanted to skip the House of the Virgin Mary and we were able to do so with no problems, and we also wanted to go into the Terrace Houses which we were able to do. Doing this trip with just us two plus the guide made getting around the big cruise groups so much easier and faster. The lunch was incredible, too!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Josh,
Your kind words will be shared with our entire team, who will be thrilled to know they helped create this memorable experience. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her/him.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderful country again.
Curio Travel Team
Our tour guide Ganja (Rose) was absolutely amazing! She made us all feel like we were part of her family all the while being so informative on everything. If I was to ever do another tour I would request her again hands down.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Noele,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and giving us such a good note!
We hope to have the occasion to welcome you back soon. Thank you for taking the time to share such a lovely review. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderfull country again.
Curio Travel Team
This tour was everything we were looking for and more. We chose this one because it had lunch included and stopped at St. John Basilica (in addition to house of Mary and Ephesus). We had a really good traditional Turkish lunch in a great outdoor atmosphere. It included an interesting rug making demonstration at the end along with a sales pitch but it wasn’t overly pushy. St John Basilica was interesting and the site gives you a beautiful view of the area and overlooks the Temple of Artemis site. I wouldn’t bother stopping at the Temple of Artemis since there is not much left to see. We contemplated skipping House of Mary but our guide got us there before the crowds arrived so we only waited about 30 min. We were glad we didn’t skip. Ephesus has a lot to see and was very interesting especially since we had visited Rome a few days before and you can see the Roman influence in the ruins. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and made our day enjoyable. She was very aware of the time and got us back to our cruise ship in plenty of time.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Greg,
Thank you again for your loyalty and thoughtful insights. We look forward to welcoming you back on your next trip to Ephesus and will do everything we can to ensure another wonderful travel. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of her.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderfull country again.
Curio Travel Team
This was a fabulous experience. Booked as a small group tour, it was just the 2 of us - so extra special.
The car was great- real luxury and comfortable. The driver was good. Very careful and knowledgeable about getting around in the area.
The tour was well- designed and was done at leisure. It was an exceptionally busy period with 3 large cruise ships on port, but everything was taken into stride and worked like magic. Our guide was amazing. Very knowledgeable about the local area and the history and historical
Sites he was walking us through. He was very laid back and gave us all the time we needed to
Visit, view, experience and photograph the amazing historical sites. Our guide was Ekim Ates and I would highly recommend this tour and Ekim.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Lesley,
I don't know how to thank you enough for your comment. Your feedback is precious and has been proudly share with the entire team.
Our colleagues' dedication to our guests is fully rewarded when we received such wonderful comments. We will share your kind message and opinions with your guide. Thank you on behalf of him.
We would be delighted to see you in our wonderfull country again.
Curio Travel Team
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$139.62
per personWas $179.00
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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