FOR CRUISERS: Ephesus Tour from Kusadasi Port /GUARANTEED ON-TIME RETURN TO BOAT

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Kusadasi, Turkey

4 to 6 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Explore the ancient ruins of Ephesus on a private full-day tour when your cruise ship docks in Kusadasi. Your private guide shows you the well-preserved ruins of Ephesus, including the Great Theater and the Library of Celsus. Continue to the nearby site where the Temple of Artemis once stood, plus other highlights like the Basilica of Saint John. Includes private guide and driver, and transportation from Kusadasi port.

Private Ephesus shore excursion from Kusadasi port
Take in the highlights of the Ephesus ruins
Learn about life in ancient Rome
Enjoy a more personalized experience with a private guide

What's Included

Professional LICENSED LOCAL TOUR GUIDE
PRIVATE TOUR that ensures more personalized service
Cruise Port/Hotel Pick-up & Drop-Off (mentioned on the details)
GUARANTEED ON-TIME RETURN FOR CRUISE PASSENGERS
Transportation with A/C Minivans with separate Driver

Museum Tickets (we will send pre-purchased tickets with guide, you can pay as cash to your guide)

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

Kuşadası Port Türkiye
Camikebir, Feribot Limanı, 09400 Kuşadası/Aydın, Türkiye

Pickup details

*****CRUISE PASSENGERS WHO WILL JOIN FROM THE CRUISE PORT***** • Upon your ship's arrival at the port, WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to meet with our team WITHIN 30 to 45 MINUTES. By doing so, you can bypass the crowds, school busses, and harsh weather conditions, ensuring an enhanced and MORE ENJOYABLE TOUR EXPERIENCE OF EPHESUS. • WHY CHOOSE OUR PRIVATE TOURS OVER THE GROUP TOURS? In Ephesus, every moment counts, especially if it's your only chance to visit. OUR PRIVATE TOURS ensure you savor every bit of this extraordinary experience. Ever been on a group tour where one person's mishap halts the entire group? IN PRIVATE TOURS, your journey remains undisturbed, focused solely on your enjoyment. Flexibility reigns supreme in a PRIVATE TOUR. Your day in EPHESUS isn't bound by someone else's timetable. You dictate the pace, sights, and timeline of your excursion. Large groups often miss the nuanced details of each site due to logistical constraints. In OUR PRIVATE TOUR, delve deeper into the most intriguing facets of EPHESUS. Bid farewell to lagging behind, snapping hurried photos, or missing the guide's insights. In our PRIVATE TOUR, these hassles fade away, granting you a more immersive experience. No more struggling to hear or keep pace in a crowd. Our PRIVATE TOUR caters exclusively to your preferences, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable journey. Long queues for tickets or entry? Not on your watch. Our PRIVATE TOUR GUIDE takes care of all logistics, ensuring swift access to ruins and museums. Your own guide. Say goodbye to sharing with a throng of strangers. In our PRIVATE TOUR, the spotlight is solely on your experience. When it comes to exploring EPHESUS from the CRUISE PORT, our PRIVATE TOURS redefine what it means to truly experience this historical marvel. NOTE: ADDITIONAL FEES APPLY FOR PICK-UPS FROM IZMIR, BODRUM, OR OTHER PORTS THEN KUSADASI.

Arranged start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

10/01/2015 - 05/01/2027
Monday - Sunday : 6:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Itinerary

Kusadasi

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Ancient City of Ephesus

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Ephesus Terrace Houses

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Basilica of St. John

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Kusadasi Shopping Center (Pass By)

The Temple of Artemis (Pass By)

Kusadasi (Pass By)

Kusadasi Castle (Pass By)

Kusadasi

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
Transportation is wheelchair accessible

Most travelers can participate
UPON YOUR SHIP'S ARRIVAL AT THE PORT, WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO MEET WITH OUR TEAM WITHIN 30 TO 45 MINUTES. BY DOING SO, YOU CAN BYPASS THE CROWDS, SCHOOL BUSES, AND HARSH WEATHER CONDITIONS, ENSURING AN ENHANCED AND MORE ENJOYABLE TOUR EXPERIENCE OF EPHESUS.
OUR PRIVATE TOURS ENSURE GUARANTEED ON-TIME RETURN TO THE CRUISE SHIP.
BOOK YOUR PRIVATE TOUR WITH US, VERIFIED PROVIDER OF KUSADASI/EPHESUS CRUISE PORT!
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

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 65 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Awful

Mel_L, Oct 2024

The actual tour of the ruins was all we expected, very interesting. However, the rest of the tour was a complete waste of our money and time as it consisted of being dragged through a leather outlet and of course the high pressure carpet factory. Our tour guide even pestered my wife to give a 5 star review on your site. By far the worst tour on our trip, and there where many ! Beware !! Forced to give a 1 star rating but not worthy.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

We regret that we cannot respond to your review with the level of professionalism we would like. The tour you booked clearly outlines the following options based on your interests: Ephesus Ruins, House of the Virgin Mary, Temple of Artemis, and local handicrafts. As our tours are fully personalized, we do not operate on a fixed itinerary. Each morning, our guides meet with guests, explain the possible sites in detail, and ask which ones they would like to visit. According to your feedback, we create the day’s program. Upon reviewing the in-car camera footage, it’s clear that you requested a combination of historical, cultural sites, and a local shopping experience. Our guide tailored the itinerary to match your requests and proceeded accordingly. You appeared very satisfied toward the end of the tour, which is why our guide kindly asked you for a 5-star review. Following the tour, you informed us of your dissatisfaction and requested a refund. Naturally, we asked for the reason, and you cited the points mentioned in your review. After careful consideration, we explained that a refund could not be provided as the tour had been conducted according to your requests. Subsequently, you posted a negative review. We are deeply disappointed on behalf of our team, as travelers of this nature, unfortunately, do not appreciate the high level of service we provide.

Best port!

Terri_C, Oct 2024

Oscar was a great guide! Very informative and the city was beautiful! I would highly recommend this tour, it was our favorite stop on the cruise!

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed with our service.We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back again soon for another wonderful trip! Best Regards

Amazing Epping

Heather_E, Sep 2024

Ephesus was amazing. This tour and experienced guide was a great way to see this ancient city. Pick up from our ship was easy. Only downside was not realising that Ephesus is classed a museum and therefore entry was not included in the tour price. I thought museum meant the traditional museum and I was happy to miss this. The terrace houses are also an extra cost but worth it.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Tailor Made Brilliant Tour

Gary_L, Aug 2024

I have never taken a tour that was SO tailored for men and my sister, both of whom have difficulty walking long distances. Dilek, our tour guide told us what ruin would be difficult for us and if it was, she still gave us the commentary. We both are so appreciative of Silk and the tour was great.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Awesome day!

Peter_K, Aug 2024

What a an amazing ancient Roman city! Tour guide was super knowledgeable. Beautiful rugs at the factory too.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Amazing.

Joel_L, Jul 2024

What a great way to visit Ephesus. Our guide was Funda and the driver was Efe. The private minivan was a Mercedes, very clean and some bottle of waters were offered. Very appreciated in this scorching heat. We met them outside the port. Funda asked us what were our expectations and all was very well organized. Wonderful! The library is just so amazing. It was one of the highlight of our trip. We even had some time for some shopping. The stop in Kusadasi was part of a cruise.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed with our service.We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back again soon for another wonderful trip!

One of my most enriching...

vesta_m, Jul 2024

One of my most enriching experiences was our Ephesus Tour! Ali, was the best guide to enlighten us about this beautiful and historically rich place. I would definitely visit this place again and learn more from Ali. Thank you Ali!

Great tour of Ephesus!

Vanessa_K, Jul 2024

Dicle and Ihan were the best team to tour us around Ephesus and the surrounding area. We learned so much from Dicle about the ancient ruins of Ephesus as well as the Turkish culture. We are so inspired by her that we are planning a trip back to explore other parts of Turkey. She really opened our eyes of the beauty and the culture we can experience in Turkey! Ihan was a great driver and made us comfortable in his van. All in all a very memorable experience for us!

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Great tour option for cruisers

Jennifer_W, Jun 2024

Our guide Dennis was very friendly and full of great information. We enjoyed our tour with him. As soon as I booked this tour, they contacted me to finalize details about timing and the meeting place. It was easy to find them after we got off the boat and was a comfort to know we would make it back in plenty of time.

Response from Host, Jun 2024

The perfect way to visit Ephesus

Dana_P, Jun 2024

While our cruise provided free shore excursions/tours, we prefer a private guide and driver, so that we can go at our own pace and focus on what we want to do and see. This tour was perfect. The guide, Ismail, is very knowledgeable, friendly and informative. His English is excellent and he made sure to give us the tour and visit that we wanted. We truly enjoyed Ephesus and had a delicious, local lunch. Highly recommended.

Response from Host, Jun 2024

Incredible experience!

Meredith_N, Apr 2024

A perfect way to see the sights! This private tour with Fatima cost our family far less than the large group excursion from our Celestyal cruise. Fatima is so cheerful and knowledgeable and tailored the tour perfectly to both the parents and children in our group. We have 5 young children and wanted to focus on the Protestant Biblical sites, and she did a great job explaining the history and Turkish culture in great detail but quickly so that we could arrive back to the ship with plenty of time. The van with a friendly driver was such an easy way to get around. She allowed us time to stop and mark our Bibles at various sites, which would not have been possible in the large cruise-ship herd. As a mom herself, she understood the speed at which young children move and accommodated us beautifully. I booked this tour very last minute, solwishI had time to review the schedule with Fatima to ensure that we went to the actual Temple of Artemis location. We viewed it from above, but we would have liked to have actually walked on the site. But that was my oversight-no fault of Fatima's at all. Also, while we learned a lot from the visit to the rug-making co-op (our children sat with the weavers), in retrospect we would have likely preferred to use that time to see another site such as Mary's house. The rug store is an experience, and be prepared to negotiate to buy a rug. While Fatima sweetly assured me that we had no obligation to buy anything, after tea and the host's kindness, we still felt we were expected to buy something. The rugs are beautiful and a lovely reminder of our visit, but just add it into your mental budget in advance so that you are not surprised or spend more than you want to. This is an incredible tour and one of our favorite memories, thanks to Fatima.

Response from Host, May 2024

Amazing time in Turkey

Marjory_L, Apr 2024

Dilek was a wonderful guide. She suggested activities that we were unaware of and accommodated our requests. We had amazing tours of Mary's house, Ephesus and a carpet weaving business. We also did a little shopping in Kusadasi. Thank you, Dilek for an awesome day in Turkey!

Response from Host, May 2024

Book it!

Daniel_S, Jan 2024

This was absolutely fantastic! We lucked out and had Fatima as our guide, and as a local, she was so knowledgeable, personable and so fun to hang out with during the day! 10/10 recommend

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Dear Guest, We want to express our sincerest gratitude for your TripAdvisor review of your recent experience with us. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are thrilled to receive such positive remarks Your support and recommendation mean the world to us. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back in the future for another exceptional visit. Warmest Regards Iglesias Tour Turkey Team

Wonderful

April_O, Nov 2023

The whole tour with Lisa was very good as I am hearing impaired and she made sure I was able to hear her. She is very knowledgeable and makes the trip fun. Lisa explained everything very clearly and was a Joy to have as an tour guide.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Girls trip

Bryan_D, Jul 2023

This tour was amazing! We had the best tour guide, Ali, and he took us to all the best spots in and around Ephesus. St John’s Basilica, ruins of Ephesus, and the temple of Artemis just to name a few. He was extremely nice and very knowledgeable about it all. The Turkish lunch was an added extra and it was DELICIOUS! The absolute sweetest watermelon ever. And he has us back at our cruise boat with plenty of time to spare. I would highly recommend this tour from this tour company!

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Kusadasi experience

Lucrecia_L, Jun 2023

Our guide Leyla was great. She was informative and passionate about sharing her country. She was flexible and catered to our choices. Highly recommend this tour

Response from Host, Jun 2023

great for first time visitors

Elaine_K, Oct 2022

Take this tour if you have never been here, it was our 4th time and would have loved to see things other that the top 3 , I was looking for things off the beaten path… overall it was flexible based on the set menu of things

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Dear Guest, Thank you very much for sharing travel experience you had with us. Our company values put customer satisfaction as top priority and we are committed to our customers. We look forward to serving you again. Best Wishes Fatima& Ismail

Best Day Ever in Kusadisi/Ephesus

Linda_T, Sep 2022

Fatima and Ismael communicated beautifully and offered the BEST tour I have ever been on. Thier passion and love for guests and their culture shines through. Absolute angels who have truly found their calling.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

What a WONDERFUL DAY!

margaretcazer, Aug 2022

Fatima our guide & Ismail our driver were the perfect start to a wonderful adventure of enjoying the best of Kusadasi. We were met at our cruise port with a sign with our name. We were shuttled in a very comfortable van. This was a private tour, just my family of 5. We did not have to wear those silly headsets. We could ask questions and hear everything! We learned a lot about Turkey, the Ephesus region and Fatima was a local and knew so much. We also were taken to a wonderful culinary school where we had the most delicious authentic Turkish selections. And some wine! If you decide to choose Kusadasi for your destination, do not feel stressed. Just take this one!!! Thank you Fatima & Ismail for a wonderful adventure! Good luck on your trip to visit the USA!

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Dear Guest, Thank you very much for sharing the travel experience you had with us. Our company values put customer satisfaction as a top priority and we are committed to our customers. We look forward to serving you again. Best Wishes Fatima& Ismail

This tour is all about the guide...

Margaret_M, Nov 2016

This tour is all about the guide, and the guide we had was amazing. She was waiting for us at the pier, had a wonderful day planned and was so knowledgeable about each place we visited. The longest visit was Ephesus and she geared the information to the various ages that we had in our family group. It was wonderful. I would highly recommend this tour.