Private Ancient Ephesus

Experience overview

Meet your professionally trained guide at Kusadasi and set out for your private Ephesus shore excursion tour. This fascinating, ancient city is located approximately 30 minutes from Kusadasi. Famous in antiquity for its Temple of Artemis during the years of the Roman Empire, the Greek port of Ephesus became the greatest city in Asia Minor. You will start your Ephesus excursion at the upper Magnesia Gate, and work your way down through the city, ending near the ancient Harbor. Along the way, you will see the Forum, the Odeon, the Library of Celsus, the Thermal Baths of Scolastika and the Great Theater, built in the Greek era and reconstructed in the Roman period. It has played host to programs as varied as St. Paul and his sermons to the Ephesians, and concerts by Sting, in part due to its remarkable acoustics. Skip-the-line tickets are included for sites to ensure a seamless experience. You will walk along the Arcadian Way, where once Mark Antony and Cleopatra rode in procession. You will hear stories of Alexander the Great, the Virgin Mary, and many other famous visitors who walked the same marble streets that you are walking. As you depart the Ephesus site, you will be able to view the hilltop ruins of the Basilica of St. John in the distance, which was erected over his grave in the 6th century A.D. by Emperor Justinian. Returning to the town of Kusadasi, guests will have the option to end their tour in the shopping area, where they can attend a Turkish carpet explanation and shop. Explore the shops filled with jewelry, carpets, leatherware, and copper goods, or both. Turkish salespeople expect you to haggle, and quite often you can get 10-15% off the listed price. Treat it as an adventure. The cruise pier is a 5-10 minute walk from the main shopping area. Guests not wishing to attend the optional carpet shopping should advise their guide, and they will be taken directly back to the pier.