PRIVATE EPHESUS TOUR: Best Seller GUARANTEED ON-TIME RETURN PORT

based on 253 reviews

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

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This private tour is ideal for those who want to explore the ancient city of Ephesus and its surroundings at their own pace.

Your personal guide will meet you at Kusadasi port, accompany you to the various sites, including the ancient city of Ephesus, the Terrace Houses, and the House of the Virgin Mary.

At Ephesus, you will see the impressive ruins of the ancient city, including the Celsus Library, the Great Theater, and the Temple of Hadrian. The Terrace Houses, also known as the "houses of the rich," are some of the most impressive structures in Ephesus, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the wealthy elite of ancient times. Finally, the House of the Virgin Mary, believed by many to be the final resting place of Mary.

At the end of the tour, your guide will drop you off at Kusadasi port.

Stores to Visit:
Turkish Carpet Weaving Village
Ceramic Workshop
Leather Factory

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1.
Ephesus, was the second largest city in the Roman Empire over 250.000 people in the 1st BC. Ranking only behind Rome it was the second largest city in the world. Ephesus was also a harbour city. And, this giant city was built only with marbel. Did you know Ephesus had a largest amphitheater in the ancient world over 25.000 seats? Also see Goddess Nike, Local pharmacy, Hadrian Gate, Library of Celcius (the third largest library), Marbel Street and Harbour Street.
2.
The House of Virgin Mary, is a place where according to the beliefs of many people Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent her last years of her life. She was supposed to arrive at Ephesus together with St. John and lived there in the years 37-45 CE until her Assumption or Dormition.
3.
Terraced Houses, are located on the hill, opposite the Hadrian Temple. Also called “the houses of rich”, they are important for the reason that they give us an idea about the family life during the Roman period. They were built according to the Hippodamian plan of the city in which roads transected each other of right angles.
4.
Behind the basilica is the Prytaneion, where religious ceremonies , official receptions and banquets were held. The sacred flame symbolizing the heart of Ephesus was kept constantly alight in the Prytaneion. The construction of the building dates to the 3rd century B.C, during the reign of Lysimachos, but the ruins of the complex dates to the Augustan age. The four-cornered pit in which the sacred fire is burned is a relic from the reign of Lysimachos. The front of the building is four columns, beyond the columns is a courtyard surrounded by a portico, and on the north is the center of the building, the ceremonial hall, and its side rooms. The eternal flame was here in the center of the ceremonial hall, the red color on the floor determined the location of the flame. The double columns on the corners of the hall held up the wooden roof. During excavations, archeologists found 2 artemis statues, which are now presented in Ephesus museum.
5.
The water was brought to the fountains of Ephesus from three main sources through aqueducts and distributed from fountains by a branching system of baked clay pipes. The sources were Kencherios (42km) at Kuşadası, Çamlık village stream of Marnas (15km), and the Cayster River (20km).Water was free of charge by the city in the public fountains. Also they provided refreshment in hot summer days for the streets. It has a high arch facing the temple of Domitian. It is known to be decorated with a number of statues. One of these statues is the Head of Zeus which is on display in the Ephesus Museum today. Some of these statues were thought to be taken from the Isis Temple, probably after an earthquake, to repair the fountain. The statue group of Odysseus and Polyphemus , that once were on the basin, are now displayed also in Ephesus Museum.
6.
The ruins to the east of the Basilica belong to the bath of Varius, dating to the Roman period. The construction dates to the 2nd century A.D and the mosaics in the 40 meters long corridor dates to the 5th century. It is built of cut blocks of marble. It has three sections, frigidarium (cold water), tepidarium (warm water) and caldarium (hot water). The excavations have not been completed yet.
7.
Temple of Artemis or Artemision, also known as the Temple of Diana, was a Greek Temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. It was located in Ephesus and it was one of the seven wonders of the world.

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Salewis1
Our tour guide Erdem (Adam) was amazing!! He made our trip, we all agree our day with him in Kusadasi was the best day of our vacation. Adam is incredibly knowledgeable about the area & history, he’s funny, smart, enthusiastic & tailors your tour to your exact interests. We couldn’t recommend him more.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-01 05:33:48

Posted By : Wanderer45078549216
Today we saw Ephesus, the fabulous city of Greko-Roman empire . Our guide Erdem Erylmaz needs a special mention here He was fabulous, enthusiasts. He kept very engaging conversation, great information and very fluent in English with a great sense of humour. The trip was in a very hot weather ( 39degree) . But what we remembered today was one memorable day ..... Thanks Erdem ... Garfield of Ephesus 👍
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-30 16:08:39

Posted By : NortheyClan
Ardem was very informative and showed his love of his work, his people, his cats. We totally enjoy this tour and the energy Ardem brought to the table. Thank you so much, from the Auzzie crew.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-28 04:22:06

Posted By : 666tullys
From start to finish we were laughing and learning so much about all our different stops. Our guide Erdem was amazing, funny and very knowledgeable! With only 2 days in Turkey I think this tour was a fantastic experience, it gave us lots to do, lots of fun and an amazing authentic Turkish experience.
I highly recommend using these guys and girls!
Thanks again Erdem! I can't wait to see what Garfield gets up to!
Thanks for making our time in turkey so special!
The Aussies
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-27 13:50:23

Posted By : leahsL2698XD
Yesra was a fantastic, knowledgeable and patient tour guide. She led us through Ephesus and the temple of Artemis, giving us a clear and vibrant picture of life in the ancient near east.

She went above and beyond, showing us an authentic rural Turkish lunch and shepherding us the whole way.

It was a highlight of the trip, for sure.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-27 07:13:35

Posted By : 35ilonad
Erdem (Adam) thank you for your expertise and humour, ephasus was beyond spectacular! Highly recommend for those staying near Kuşadası
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-26 17:10:10

Posted By : eddiecP5312IZ
Enjoyable and entertaining trip made more so by our guide Erdam ( Adam), who was informative as humorous. A must see if you're in the area.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-24 01:35:00

Posted By : paulbJ2988YB
We booked a day trip to Ephesus which also included the House of Virgin Mary and Artemis Temple. Our guide for the day was Erdem (Adam), who was brilliant and also very knowledgeable about all the sites we visited. His information about the history as we walked through Ephesus and were given commentary was exceptional. The trip through Ephesus lasted about 1.5 hours but a tip at this time of year is to go early, as the temp was about 38c. The picture opportunity is great with some real reminders of the trip and Erdem also guided us on where best to take pictures from. He even gave us an interesting story about the Statue of Nikke and when you look at her dress it looks like the Nike swoosh as apparently that is how they chose the design. She is the goddess of Victory.
Our guide also brings cat food to feed the cats at Ephesus and introduced us to his favourite Garfield who he has set up and instagram page for which has 6k followers. He also took a nice group photo outside the library in Ephesus. In addition to our tour of the historical sites we went to a leather factory, Turkish Delight Shop and Art Ceramics with each having a little tour.
It was a truly memorable day and having such a great guide made it that much better.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-23 10:43:37

Posted By : Vanjo C
This is a must do tour while in Kusadasi. Erdem was my tour guide, and he did a fantastic job at it. He and his driver picked me up on time at the cruise port in an air-conditioned vehicle. Erdem is a professional and is very knowledgeable about the history of this tour. He also has great connections on skipping the long wait lines at the ticket booth so I didn't have to wait. He was also to take great photos as well. Thanks again Erdem!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-23 09:03:18

Posted By : vtfelix
Our guide Erdem (aka Adam) was wonderfully knowledgeable. His enthusiasm for historically made the visit exciting and he had a great senator humor.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-23 08:33:25