ALL INCLUSIVE Private Ephesus, Terrace Houses tour with LUNCH
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Kusadasi, Turkey
- 5 to 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Escape the crowded tour buses and make the most of your time in port with this private guided tour of Ephesus, including pick-up at the cruise port and lunch. Enjoy a comprehensive tour of the ancient city of Ephesus, including access to the Terrace Houses, and a visit to the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Visit an artisan village, shop for local crafts, and also take the optional tour through Basilica of St John (own expense).
- Kusadasi shore excursion to the ancient city of Ephesus
- Visit the Terrace Houses and the Temple of Artemis
- All entrance fees, lunch, and port pickup and drop-off included
- Private tour is operated with just your party and a guide/driver
What's Included
- ENTRANCE FEES ( Our guide will have pre-paid tickets to skip the lines )
- Turkish LUNCH
- Personal Tour guide for your family and friends
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Transport by private air-conditioned minivan
- GUARANTEED On Time Return to PORT
- Drinks
- Gratuities
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. When you compare our rates with others, please check includes and excludes carefully Our rates include ENTRANCE FEES Most of the other travel agents do not include entrance fees to their rates There is not any HIDDEN COSTS in our rates Pick up from Kusadasi Cruise Terminal for cruise guests and listed Hotels. Suggested pick up time will be given on your confirmation message. During this guided tour of Ephesus, Terrace Houses, and Temple of Artemis with lunch, enjoy A/C transportation The Basilica of St. John can be added into the program at an additional cost.
Itinerary
1
Kuşadası Port Türkiye
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Ephesus Ancient City
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
3
Ephesus Terrace Houses
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
The Temple of Artemis
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Kusadasi
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infant seats available
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- When you compare our rates with others, please check includes and excludes carefully
- Most of the other travel agents do not include entrance fees to their rates
- There is not any HIDDEN COSTS in our rates
- Private Tour and NO HIDDEN COSTS . Entrance Fees are included in our Private Tour.
- 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 209 reviews
OLIVIA_D, May 2026
Excellent ! Educational and informative. Great information and the Terrace Houses were really cool. It was a fabulous day. Great guide.
Nicole_B, May 2026
Very well organized, friendly tour guide who's very knowledgeable with the history. We were picked up promptly and the tour around the ancient city was excellent. Such an amazing site. We then visited a local family owned/run handmade pottery place and was given a walk-through of how each piece is made. The handmade pottery are extremely gorgeous. We also visited a carpet weaving place and had scrumptious lunch. Then it was back at the port. 100% recommend this tour!
Ernest_B, May 2026
Great guide. Ephesus and the Terrace Houses were interesting and beautiful. Lunch was excellent. The stop at the rug company was interesting and the people were helpful, friendly and respectful. The leather company was interesting but the sales team was pushy and did not give up. They were like US car salesmen- that is not a compliment.
David_C, Apr 2026
Great overall experience- we had a wonderful time and our guide customized our experience to exactly what we wanted - saw everythingin the base tour and added in the House of Virgin Mary and a very cool carpet-making tour and a really great local ceramic making shop (very unique). His local experience and friendly personality made it a fabulous day!!
Deborah_N, Apr 2026
Uneven terrain. Numerous steep steps in tbs terrace houses. Well worth the effort but I do not advise if balance is an issue.
ann_c, Nov 2025
The sights of Ephesus and the terrace houses are a wonder. To be able to walk the streets where Roman’s did more than two thousand years ago is something special The history of the area is brought to life before your eyes
I do wish our tour included more stories and detailed description of the history. Of Ephesus. I felt rushed and as though we skipped parts of the site.
The lunch stop was disappointing.
Ronald_L, Oct 2025
This tour was well planned and took you to places other tours don’t. Our guide Aleyna was very knowledgeable and easy to organise the order of the tour.
Jeffrey_E, Oct 2025
Our guide and driver were outstanding as per usual of out Viator experiences. We will continue using Viator when the circumstances, suitability and price consideration is factored in vs. the typical cruise ship packages.
NELL_P, Oct 2025
Excellent knowledgeable guide with great information. Terrace Homes definitely worth viewing.
Very strenuous walking for people with mobility challenges. Lunch was delicious and delightful under the trees. The carpet presentation was low-key and appropriate to our interest. Lots of good information was given. We would recommend this tour.
justinachow, Oct 2025
The tour had covered all entrance fee, really no hidden cost. Ephesus is a very historical place, Terrace house must go to see. Lunch was fantastic . The tour also brought you to see leather jackets show, carpet production. If you are not interested in those places, they will send you back to the ship port. No hard feeling.
Tara_B, Oct 2025
Our guide Aleyna was fantastic, and so knowledgeable. She kept us informed on all the sites we visited. We also had great Turkish lunch.
Andrew_B, Oct 2025
Cem did a fantastic job, I would highly recommend him. Both knowledgeable and friendly, he did a really great job showing my family around Ephesus with the added regional knowledge of the Kusadasi area that I enjoy.
Karen_W, Sep 2025
This was a tour that should not be missed. Our tour guide Melih was very knowledgeable about the history of Ephesus throughout the centuries. The terrace houses opulence was amazing. The advanced technology of the Romans was fascinating. Our lunch was delicious. It was a great day!
Virginia_B, Sep 2025
The whole tour of Ephesus was great!! Amazing ruins and stories to tell. Tour guide Maria was right on point.
The rug factory visit turned out to be a little too good. $$$
John_H, Sep 2025
We toured the ancient city of Ephesus and the Terrace Houses with Nejdet and had a great day. Nejdet was very knowledgeable, friendly, and funny. He was flexible and attentive to our needs. We learned so much about Turkiye. We also had a delicious authentic Turkish lunch and then learned how rugs were made. I know some people have said they were pressured to buy, but they didn't pressure us at all. We didn't end up buying.
Kendall_H, Sep 2025
Wonderful experience. Private tour with three friends and myself. We had a nice, comfortable van to ourselves. Our guide, Emray was fantastic. Taught us many things that we never knew before. Ephesus was breathtaking and he made great choices for us to dodge the crowds. The Terrace Houses are NOT to be missed. A highlight! We thankfully chose to skip House of Virgin Mary because we had zero interest. Lunch was really good. Very tasty. Had to go to the obligatory rug shop. Demonstration of rug creation was great. Sales pitch that followed was less so, and a little higher pressure than I would prefer, but we made it out unscathed. BOOK THIS TOUR if you’re visiting Ephesus. You’ll be glad you did.
Rosanne_C, Sep 2025
Our guide was fabulous Pilar Sezer. She was kind, flexible and knowledgeable. We saw so much in a very small period of time. Lunch was very good and the rug and people were not pushy but kind as well. This is the way to see Ephesus!
Caitlin_S, Sep 2025
Great experience! Aleyna was a fantastic guide and everything went very smoothly. Take plenty of water and an umbrella for shade, and coins or small bills to use the restroom before entering Ephesus.
Theresa_A, Aug 2025
Our family of four (two teenagers - 16, 18) thoroughly enjoyed our private tour to the Ancient City of Ephesus on August 6, 2025. Ephesus and the Terrace Houses are incredible! We are very happy we booked a private tour with Curio Travel instead of a group tour. Our tour guide, Cenk, met us as we exited the port. He walked us out to the street where our driver (in a very comfortable, airconditioned van) met us. Our driver (forgot his name) was friendly and professional. He drove safely throughout the day and got us back to the port with time to leisurely walk back to our cruise ship. Cenk was friendly, professional, and full of knowledge and pride for his country. His telling of the history of this archeological site helped us visualize life of the ancient people that inhabited this place. It was very hot and humid, so he did his best to look for shade as we visited the sites. He kept all of us engaged throughout the tour, which in the heat with teenagers was a little challenging. He welcomed our questions and took family photos of us when requested. After Ephesus, we had lunch at Agouro Restaurant, which is a restaurant Cenk recommended. Our meal was fresh, delicious, and plentiful! It was one of our favorite meals on our port stops. After lunch we visited a place where we watched women weave Turkish rugs. We were fascinated by the intricate designs and the manual labor that goes into these beautiful rugs. We were not interested in purchasing anything, and the host was gracious when we declined. We are glad we went to watch the women do their craft and have a cultural experience, but we wish we skipped this part and headed back to the port to walk around and shop. By the time we got back to the port we were tired and headed straight to the ship. I highly recommend this tour, and if you can request Cenk, you won't be disappointed. If you go during the heat, you may want to purchase an umbrella and/or a fan (they sell them as you enter), bring plenty of water, and wear comfortable walking shoes.
Douglas_C, Aug 2025
Ganja was a terrific tour guide. Her knowledge about everything we saw really added to the experience.
Sharon_L, Aug 2025
Tour was one of the best of my 2 month trip. Our guide Nejdet was informative, friendly and just a nice guy who guided us through the crowds and to shady spots and best photo spots. Van was excellent condition with great aircon. There was no push to see carpets etc unless we wanted. The lunch was relaxing and tasty. Cannot fault the tour. Best way to see sites. Highly recommend
Terry_R, Aug 2025
Excellent tour with Selda! She is very knowledgable and spoke fluent English. We loved Ephesus! Visiting the historic site was amazing, the lunch was delicious and we enjoyed the pottery stop (purchased some beautiful and unique items - no pressure). We also enjoyed the short carpet demo (our daughter purchased a rug - a little more pressure sales but we were interested. If not interested, I don't think you'll be pressured). It is a very high quality rug shop. Our tour driver was excellent and van was comfortable. Private tours are the way to go, and we highly recommend Selda as a guide!
Philip_B, Aug 2025
Our family took this tour during our cruise, and it was one of the best experiences of the trip. Pickup at the port was super easy, right as we walked out, someone was waiting with our name. We met our guide, Ozzy, and our driver, and headed straight to Ephesus.
We started at the top of the site and walked our way down. Ozzy did a great job balancing between keeping us moving while giving us plenty of time to explore and take pictures. He was amazing, his knowledge of the area was impressive, and he shared it in a way that was both informative and engaging. The site itself is fascinating, it’s hard to believe it was once one of the largest cities in the ancient world.
After Ephesus, we were given a choice of places to eat, and we chose the rug-weaving center. We got to see how the rugs are made, and although there was a sales pitch, it wasn’t pushy. The rugs were stunning, and we were happy to learn about them. Lunch there was excellent, plentiful and delicious, one of the best meals of our whole trip.
Before heading back to the port, we also stopped at a pottery studio for a demonstration. Again, there was an opportunity to shop, but no pressure. The pieces were beautiful.
Overall, this was one of the best tours of our cruise. We would absolutely recommend the company and especially Ozzy.
BarbaraLewis, Jul 2025
Nejdet was a wonderful tour guide. He was knowledgeable and took us through Ephesus, explained everything about the history of the ruins. The Terrace Houses and Library were our favorite parts of the walking tour. Afterwards we had a delicious Turkish lunch at a rug weaving place where we saw a demonstration of two kinds of rugs being woven.
Stanley_R, Jul 2025
Excellent tour with a great driver and perfect English-speaking former air force member as a guide. The meeting went flawlessly and the tour couldn't have been better. The guide was very personable and the luncheon and rug-making demonstration couldn't have been more educational. Our group included 9 family members, from 77 year old grandparents to a 12 year old and 5 year old. Everyone agreed this was the best tour we had on our 2 week long cruise.
Todd_W, Jul 2025
Oz was a great host! Super easy to find him at the port and the minibus was quick to collect the whole group. Oz was very accommodating and kept our best interest in mind the whole trip. He was super informative and well educated about Ephesus. A+ trip and highly recommend!
Natalie_K, Jul 2025
What a great way to learn all about the amazing history of this place. We had a fantastic guide Caran who gave us so much background on the culture of Turkey as we drove to Ephasus (which is about a 45-min drive). She was really eager to make everyone happy!
The day was unbearably hot (100+ degrees F) and there was a bit of a language barrier as we tried to figure out if we wanted to take the "short" or "long" route inside the ruins. The short is about 45min - 1 hour and the long is about 1.5 hours, for reference.
Another very important thing to note - there are no bathrooms inside past the ticket gate. And if you have to exit to use the bathroom, you can't re-enter without buying another ticket.
After we went to a very nice Greek restaurant and they brought us all kinds of food (you don't order, they just brought the same thing for everyone). Everything was very good though! But if you have picky eaters or dietary restrictions, you may want to coordinate with the tour to go to a different place where you can order from a menu.
We did this tour from a cruise ship, and the port is FULL of shops if you want to save some time at the end to browse. But everything on the tour is fully customizable according to what you want to do!
AMY_P, Jul 2025
Super nice and accommodating! Very knowledgeable and considerate, especially with our kids. Would use them again!
Christy_H, Jul 2025
Our family of 10 had a wonderful experience with Pinar Sezer as our guide. She was knowledgeable and friendly. We saw the Ephesus ruins, the Temple of Artemis and ate lunch at a wonderful local farm (farm to table food) that gave an overview on weaving carpets. We were in Turkey when it was over 100 degrees, so the air conditioning on the bus was a relief.
Thank you!
Tamara_L, Jul 2025
Cem is the real deal. He’s what I look for in an experience in a city. A local who is smart, well spoken and gives us a glimpse into what life is like in a place. That is why we travel to get a glimpse into this world for a while. We felt incredibly well cared for from meeting us walking out of the port with a sign, to the new Mercedes van with great AC on this 120 degree day to the amazing local food that was delicious to all the good shopping stops. He listened and knew how to treat us. Ephesus was incredible. My third time here but my favorite experience because of this tour!
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