PRIVATE Ephesus Full Day Tour from Izmir

Recommended by 97% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Kusadasi, Turkey

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

5 to 7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Travel directly from Izmir to Ephesus on this private tour. This tour takes you right from the meeting point in central Izmir out to the ancient city of Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where your guide explains all of the history and architecture. You stop by many important sites, like Saint John Kilisesi, Meryemana, and more.

Enjoy either airport or hotel pickup in Izmir for ease
Entrance fees are extra so bring some extra cash
Tour the area with your English-speaking guide
Go at your own pace on this private tour

What's Included

All Parking Fees and Taxes
Hotel/port pickup and drop-off
English Speaking Tour Guide with Archaeological Backgroud
Transport by Luxury Private Vehicle

Admission Fee - Ephesus Ancient City

€40.00 per person
Local Lunch

$15.00 per person
Admission Fee - Virgin Mary House

€18.00 per person

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

CRUISE PASSENGERS; WE MEET GUESTS AT THE EXIT GATE OF THE IMMIGRATION TERMINAL OF THE IZMIR CRUISE PORT WITH A BOARD WITH OTTI TRAVEL SIGN ON IT. FOR PICK UP FROM HOTELS, WE MEET GUEST BY THE HOTEL RECEPTION. FOR IZMIR AIRPORT (ADB) PICK UP, WE MEET GUEST AT THE EXIT GATE OF THE DOMESTIC TERMINAL WITH A BOARD WITH OTTI TRAVEL SIGN ON IT.

Itinerary

Ephesus Ancient City

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

The Temple of Artemis

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Basilica of St. John

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

The House of the Virgin Mary

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Stroller accessible
Not wheelchair accessible

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
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
Please note that it takes one hour from Izmir to Ephesus Ancient City by drive
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

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Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 99 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

BOOK THIS TOUR!!! Fabulous Experience, Brilliant Guide!

Emily_D, Dec 2025

WOWOW! What a tour!!! Asli very generously picked us up from the airport with our great driver, (who introduced himself as, "Boss"), and took us straight from Izmir to our day in Ephesus. On the way, she shared tons of details about the region, and was *so* accommodating to our needs—even flipping the schedule to let us have lunch upon arrival. Asli made sure to pack our time with as much information and history as she could, and she did so from a place of deep love and enthusiasm. Ephesus was hands down the most interesting place my husband and I have ever visited, and it was all thanks to Asli's vast knowledge and passion for the region. We are so lucky to now call Asli a friend of ours, and would recommend her tour to ANYONE!!! Please book this tour if you are visiting Izmir and Ephesus!!!

Ask for Elif and Mehmet!!!! Perfect Tour!

KarenKiyoko_B, Oct 2025

Wow! This was an amazing tour led by Elif and her driver Mehmet! Despite the downpour of rain for a few hours, Elif was experienced to keep us dry with other activiites during the downpour. Then we had hours at Ephesus in the dryness. We loved every minute of our tour and Elif was like a family friend in her approach to everything. Some of my family are history buffs and there were alot of questions! This was a 10 out of 10 tour!!! Thank you Elif and Mehmet!

Historical Journey

Dean_D, Jun 2025

Our Guide, Ahmet - and our Driver Engin were fantastic. Ahmet spoke very good English, and provided a lot of historical context as we drove from Izmir to Ephesus. Engin was masterful climbing the tight roads up the mountain to go to "Mary's House". We left the hotel early (0700), which helped get us ahead of the cruise bus excursions... After Mary's House, we went to Ephesus proper. The excavations are amazing, as Ahmet said it is only 25% complete. A sprawling compound, once a port city. What a historical site it is!! Very glad we went there. Finally, we went to the Temple of Artemis, where Pagan god worship, a distant Mosque where muslims worship, and St. Lukes Basilica where Christians worship - all in a tight view. Very unique in the world. The only thing we did not particularly enjoy was the "ending" we were encouraged to go to a cultural facility for lunch - it seemed a lot of "pressure" to purchase goods from the salesmen there.... it took a lot of time, and would have rather spent more time having lunch and finalizing our tour with robust discussion, but the sales workers really put a lot of pressure on all of us to purchase jewels or hand woven rugs.

Great tour guide and driver with an unfortunate rug/jewellery sales pitch

Sameer_B, May 2025

We had an overall very good trip with Elif, our guide, and Ibrahim, our driver. Both were kind, courteous and friendly. Elif's knowledge of Ephesus and other sites around Izmir were great and enjoyed learning about her family, her education and interest in English. At pickup, she had a sign with my name on it at the Airport when we left the arrivals hall. We would have given her 5-stars, except for lunch we went to what was obviously a "tourist-trap" and sat down for a slightly lengthy presentation on how Turkish rugs are made, followed by a sales pitch for Turkish rugs and random jewelry. That left a bad taste unfortunately since before lunch I specifically told her that we didn't want to eat at any "touristy" style place. You'd think if you are paying for a private tour, you would get to customize the tour (within reason).

A Journey into Ancient Turkey!

Scott_C, May 2025

Our tour guide, Ash, was very articulate and knowledgeable about Izmir and Ephasis. She was from the area and gave a personal perspective of not only the history, but the culture and how that influences life today. Our first stop was the Virgin Mother’s home which was not only very spiritual, but also wonderfully wooded and serene. I did not expect the connection with nature. The next stop was the ancient city of Ephasis. I cannot adequately describe the majesty or historical significance of the ruins from this ancient city. You could almost go back in time to feel the vibrancy. Ash gave us a good overview of the historical points, but also did not overwhelm us with non-stop talking like some guides. She would wait for us to ask questions so she would know what aspects of the ruins we were interested in learning about. Next we had lunch and a carpet weaving demonstration. They tried to sell us a carpet but understood that we were not interested. The pressure to buy was not very high. Finally we went to the Apostle John’s home which was in the city. Ash was an amazing tour guide who not only gave us a tour of historical sites, but gave us the insights to be transformed back in time with her on our journey.

Most interesting tour in Efesus

KATIA_F, Apr 2025

Perfect tour , very detailed and informing. Nagi , our guide was expert in the history of Efesus. The visit in the house of Vigrin Mary was astonished. The story behind about its finding is magical. Also the visit to Basilica of Saint Jonh is a place that any Cristian should not miss. Nagi thank you for your lovely company and all the information that you shared with us.

A wonderful trip in Ephesus

David_H, Jan 2025

We booked a private tour as the cruise we were on was not offering a similar deal. We were not disappointed. Our very knowledgable guide took us to Ephesus, Mary's House, and a ceramics shop for Turkish coffee. The experience in Izmir was truly magical.

Great Tour with Etan the Guide

Jorge_H, Oct 2024

Great Service from Etam and Ali the driver. Great tours and very pleasant. Highly recommended, Ethan very well knowledgeable if the historical sites including biblical passages.

Ephesus Tour Highly Recommend

Stephen_H, Oct 2024

Incredible experience from start to finish. Mehmet Gokbora was an exceptional, knowledgeable, and entertaining guide. We were picked up on time and both Mehmet and our driver were very accommodating and adjusted the schedule to our desires. Highly recommend.

Very knowledgeable

Ronald_B, Jul 2024

On time, professional and spoke very good English. Seemed to be in a hurry. As soon as he finished telling us about each area, he was ready to move on.

Spend the day with Tas

Cecilia_T, Jul 2024

Tas was wonderful. His knowledge of the history is second to none. We were connected to Tas the day before the tour and it has been a pleasant trip from beginning to end. Highly recommending Tas for any visit to Ismir or Cesme from a cruise ship. Spending the day with Tas is a pleasant experience. His is so thoughtful and helped my husband who has an issue with his mobility. Thank you Tas. Five star rated !

Great Experience

Matthew_M, Jul 2024

Great communication. Picked us up at port with guide holding a sign for our group. We learned a lot about the sites and Turkish culture. You get a high pressure sales pitch to buy a Turkish rug but they are polite and you don’t have to buy anything. It was well worth it!

Guide great; ask about entrance fee payment

TERESE_F, Jun 2024

Gigi was a fantastic guide, customizing the experience to our preferences. She is very knowledgeable and speaks excellent English. My only complaint with the operator is that it was not clear that we would have to pay the guide cash for the entrance fees at the end of our tour. If entrance fees were not included, I assumed any additional fees would be charged to the same card I had used to reserve. This was frustrating as we did carry that much cash and had to find an ATM and I’m sure had extra fees. 😞

Great custom tour with Nur

Cynthia_H, Jun 2024

We had a wonderful time with Nur. She helped us customize the tour to feed what we wanted to do. She had a lot of knowledge of what we saw which she happily shared. We all had a great time! Her driver was also very good and safe.

A great day in Ephesus

Susan_C, May 2024

We had a great day with Lori Cili. She is an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and friendly. Also went way out of her way to locate and return my lost sunglasses. Thank you Lori!

Amazing private tour

Daniel_L, Jul 2023

The private trip was amazing! Our tour guide Necla is a very proficient and knowledgeable lady, showing us around the ruins, patiently explaining every details. The most important thing is the flexibility, we can arrange our own itinerary and visit as much as we want. It’s absolutely amazing. Also, the vehicle is clean and spacious, with fully functional aircon and excellent driver!

Fantastic!

Jose_H, Feb 2023

Fantastic guide! Went beyond what was needed to make us have s great experience. The local co-op for market weaving and pottery were great recommendations

Nice walk.

JOSETARCISIO_F, Feb 2026

We were picked up at the airport and went straight to the House of the Virgin Mary, which was excellent because the day was rainy and we got the place just for us.😁 Overall it is a good walk, a pity that the entrance to the attractions are not included; even we found the old city very expensive. Typical lunch, homemade, with good price. Our guide Mel was very attentive and friendly. The driver, too.

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