BEST SELLER EPHESUS PRIVATE TOUR: Mary's House and Ephesus Ruins

based on 769 reviews

Duration:4 hours to 6 hours (approx.)
Location: Kusadasi, Turkish Riviera

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PRIVATE EPHESUS TOUR FOR YOUR PARTY ONLY!

Embark on a PRIVATE TOUR through Ephesus with a seasoned LOCAL GUIDE. Explore the UNESCO-listed Ancient City, retracing the footsteps of Apostle Paul and John. Stand where St. Paul preached at the Grand Theatre, capture iconic moments at Celsus Library, uncover the wonders of the Temple of Hadrian, and more.

Marvel at the opulent TERRACE HOUSES OF ANCIENT EPHESUS, showcasing Roman-era luxury with stunning mosaics and frescoes. Experience tranquility at the House of Virgen Mary (can be changed to BASILICA OF ST.JOHN THE APOSTLE upon request), a significant Biblical site. Your expert guide will offer tons of informations, and photography tips, ensuring you capture the essence of each site.

This personalized PRIVATE TOUR caters exclusively to your PARTY, ensuring an intimate experience. Upon request, indulge in a LOCAL LUNCH to complete your day of exploration. Uncover the beauty of Ephesus in a PRIVATE TOUR, tailored to your preferences.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Kusadasi
We meet you at the Cruise Port! Our team will be waiting next to Information Desk at the Exit Gate of Cruise Port by holding a sign which is your name written on it. After booking this tour, please contact our team to agree on your meeting time. There are several Cruise Ships with different timings. So, you might decide about the best meeting time which is fitting your schedule.
2. Ancient City of Ephesus
Ephesus Ruins is the largest open-air museum of Turkey which is dated to the Greek and Roman periods. Inside the Ruins of Ephesus, we explore Senate Building, Ancient Hospital, Domitian Temple, Nike Statue, Hercules Gate, Trajan Fountain, Hadrian Temple, Celsus Library, Grand Theatre of Ephesus and many more...
3. Ephesus Terrace Houses
Terrace Houses were the houses of rich & upper class people in Ephesus City have been lived, famed with gorgeous mosaics, frescoes and wall paintings. One of the best preserved site in the Ephesus in which archeological works still continue.
4. Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House)
The House of Virgin Mary is one of the pilgrimage centres of Christians where the Mary came to Ephesus with John the Apostle and lived her last 10 years. Pope Paul VI visited the shrine in 1967, and 'unofficially' confirmed its authenticity. Pope John Paul II also visited the shrine in 1979. Pope Benedict XVI visited this shrine in 2006. Whether or not she died in Ephesus was not known until Anne Catherine Emmerich’s vision. A disabled German nun who had never been to Ephesus, had a vision of the House of the Virgin Mary and described it in detail to the German writer Clemens Brentano who later published a book about it. Catherine Emmerich died in 1884. In 1891 Paul, Superior of the Lazarists from Izmir read about her visions and found a little building which corresponded with Emmerich’s descriptions. Then, the archeological works started which allows us to visit Mary's House and see the result today!
5. The Temple of Artemis
Artemis was the Greek goddess, the virginal huntress and twin of Apollo, who replaced the Titan Selene as Goddess of the Moon. The ancient temple was built around 650 BC to the cult of Artemis, was constructed on a site already sacred to the Anatolian Mother Goddess, Cybele. The temple was financed by the wealthy king of Lydia and the marshy ground was selected for the building site as a precaution against future earthquakes. During the time, it has been destroyed and collapsed many times due to the natural disasters.
6. The Basilica of Saint John
You can see Saint John Basilica from a distance when we are in the Temple of Artemis. It is believed that the Evangelist St. John had spent his last years in the in & around Ephesus and buried in the southern slope of Ayosolug Hill. The tomb of St John was under the central dome of the Basilica.
7. Kusadasi
We will drive through the Kusadasi Town and will have a panoramic view while listening the key informations from our Local Tour Guide.
8. Kusadasi Shopping Center
You are able to see local handicrafts and experience local shopping if preferred. You will be also able to collect informations from your Local Tour Guide about: best traditional handicrafts, best places to go, things to be carrefull, and best tips for hassle free experience...
9. Kusadasi Castle
Also called Pigeon Island! One of the earliest settlements of modern Kusadasi. We will pass by and have an opportunity of seeing it in a distance. It is located very close to the Port, you might be able to have time after your tour if you are interested.
10. Kusadasi
At the end of our tour, we will return to the Cruise Port. PLEASE NOTE THAT: There are several Ships with different arrival and departure times. We carefully check all the timings, confirm with the passengers, and coordinate the return time. OUR TOURS ARE WITH GUARANTEED ON-TIME RETURN TO THE BOAT!

ADDITIONAL INFO

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Posted By : Journey587679
The best tour ever! Fatima and our driver were very professional and Fatima tweeted our tour to miss the crowds. Thank you both for teaching us so much about your beautiful country!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-30 06:28:03

Posted By : Shannon G
Fatima was great! She and our driver were a great team❤️ Fatima has a great love and knowledge of her country and local area! We were able to see Mary’s house before all the crowds got there because she knew what to do. Additionally, there was a fire that closed our road but she knew a quick easy way back to the boat. I would highly recommend!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-29 12:07:26

Posted By : bretthN9163AX
We did an Ephesus private tour with Fatima and our driver was Bekir. We had an amazing day and learned so much about so many things. There is an amazing amount of history here, just so much. Everything was covered and all the waybthough they were sure to be able to make it back to the ship in time. There was even a wild fire that broke out through the day and they got us around that and back with time to spare. I will be looking them both up if we ever get back to Turkey again.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-29 11:25:25

Posted By : brandyk597
Taylan, the best guide in all of Turkey, took us to the best sites, the best photo locations and took great pictures. We were unable to stump him with random questions. He took his time explaining everything and was always patient with us stopping to take pictures. Even though we had an itinerary , he was willing to alter if we wanted to make an extra stop or not go somewhere. We had 10 and 12 year old boys and they both felt this was the best tour for our 2 week trip! Thank you Taylan
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-29 11:19:42

Posted By : brandyk597
Our tour was amazing. We were able to see the Ephesus ruins, terrace houses and Basilica of St. John. My kids especially loved the 3d Ephesus museum. We also stopped at a family pottery shop where we learned about Turkish pottery and sipped Turkish tea. My kids were even able to make their own clay pots on the wheel! Our guide Taylin was very knowledgeable, friendly, and always made sure we had what we needed. Our vehicle was always nice and air-conditioned and cold water was also provided. Recommend to families!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-29 11:18:51

Posted By : Z1015MGjessicah
Fatima was amazing! So sweet and she knows her stuff. She was am amazing guide, she customized our tour so that we skipped the busiest times at the Ephesus site and were able to tour it without a crowd. And, we got back to the ship in plenty of time. It was an amazing day!
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Posted On : 2024-06-29 11:18:17

Posted By : R6471XTchrisp
Oznur was a great tour guide. We went to Mary’s house, Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis. She had the information about the sites and the backstories that made it a very fun and interesting tour. Oznur was very friendly and more than happy to fit the tour to our preferences.
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Posted On : 2024-06-29 10:09:46

Posted By : Jee_T
Great experience. Tour guide and driver were on time. Tour guide was friendly and very informative. Very flexible, easy going and patient. High light of my trip..!!
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Posted On : 2024-06-28 13:12:49

Posted By : Eleana C
5 out of 5. Ezgi is extremely knowledgeable about her culture, she enjoys showing people around, explained in detail many things which we would have never learned had we explored the sites Ephesus on our own. Also very patient and shared many things about how things were back then and what it is today. We visited different sites, our tour van was great at well, nice, new, and air conditioned. She also took us to a place where we saw how the local ladies make Turkish rugs. Overall, this was an exciting experience for us, so grateful and extremely happy she was our tour guide.
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Posted On : 2024-06-28 10:13:42

Posted By : 427tianar
Ezgi was the most amazing tour guide. She explained the history of all the places we visited extremely well while still making it entertaining. Getting to know Ezgi was an absolute pleasure as she was extremely kind.
Ezgi brought us to a wonderful lunch and weave lesson which was absolutely fabulous. We got to see how the Turkish Rugs were made…. What an experience.
I would recommend this trip to anyone interested and you will be extremely lucky if you get Ezgi as your tour guide.
Everywhere we went we were greeted with a smile. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes as this tour includes a lot of walking. Nonetheless, this is well worth the money.
Thank you Ezgi for an amazing day.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-28 10:04:45