Daily Ephesus and Virgin Mary House Tour with Lunch Included
Description
Visit the House of Virgin Mary where she might spend her last days and learn about her life Explore the well-preserved UNESCO Heritage site of Ephesus Step into the past and walk on the marble streets as Romans did once View the stunning Library of Celsus which was the third largest library of the Roman times See the Temple of Artemis once one of the Seven Wonders of the World
Tour Options
Itinerary
Enjoy a memorable day seeing the historical sights in the ancient city of Ephesus and the Virgin Mary House on this day trip. Be picked up from your centrally located hotel in Kusadasi or Kusadasi Cruise Port drive to Selcuk for about 30 minutes. Meet with the participants joining the tour from Selcuk and start exploring the Virgin Mary House and Ephesus around 10.00 am.
The first stop of the tour is the House of Virgin Mary where she might spent the last days of her life. Indeed, she may have come in the area with Saint John, who spent several years in the area to spread Christianity. Paul VI was the first pope to visit this place in the 1960's. Later, in the 1980's, during his visit Pope John-Paul II declared the Shrine of Virgin Mary as a pilgrimage place for Christians.
Next start exploring Ephesus which was once one of the majör powers of the ancient world.Take a journey to the past walking on the marble streets, visitng the upper Agora.Then continue to the Odeon theater.Head to Domitian Square and view the gorgeous columns at the Temple of Domitian. Pass by the Fountain of Pollio.See the Hercules Gate before moving to the temple and fountain of Trajan. Marvel the Temple of Hadrian. Stroll by the Roman baths,latrines,market place and the ancient brothel house.See the stunning remains of the 3rd largest library in the Roman world at the Library of Celsus.See The Great Theater and imagine how it might be like watching a play at ancient times. . After Ephesus have a look at the one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient world at the Temple of Artemis. Return to your hotel with unforgettable memories.
Artemis, the Greek goddess, daoghter of Zeus & Leto and twin of Apollo was the goddess of wild animals, the hunt and child birth. She was widely worshipped in the Greek wolrd but her most famous cult site was the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple was destroyed on July 21 356 BC in an act of arson committed by Herostratus. According to the story that very same night, Alexander the Great was born. A noble Ephesian remarked that Artemis was too busy with Alexander's delivery to save her burning temple. Alexander later offered to pay for the Temple's rebuilding, but the Ephesians refused. Eventually, the temple was restored after Alexander's death in 323 BC. This reconstruction was itself destroyed during a raid by the Goths Then it was rebuilt but after thousands of years today not much left to see from the Artemision. Will pay a visit to imagine how magnificent the temple was once.
After all the visits lunch will be provided in a restaurant in Selcuk.
During the tour, you will have a chance to explore local handicrafts of the Turkish tradition and at the end of the day around 16:00 - 16:30 you will be dropped off to your pick up location.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Meeting point might be arranged according to the location of the hotel one day prior to the departure date. Pick up for the participants from the Cruise is infront of Kervansaray Hotel accross the Kusadasi Port between 09.00 - 09.15 am Pick up from hotels in Kusadasi is between 09.00 - 09.15 am Pick up from hotels in Selcuk is netween 09.30 - 09.45 am
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(369)
Our family joined the Ephesus and Virgin Mary House tour on July 9th, 2026. We had the pleasure of having Azer as our tour guide and Mustafa as our driver. Our pick up time at our hotel was 8:30am, but Azer was already there to greet us enthusiastically when we reached the lobby before our scheduled pick up time. Our family also appreciated that we were part of a small tour group (9 people in total). Our tour was supposed to start at Ephesus and finish at Virgin Mary house. However, when Azer saw that there were 2 cruise ships docked at Kadadasi, she decided that it would be better to visit Virgin Mary House first to avoid the large crowd in the afternoon. It was definitely the right call. When we arrived in Ephesus Azer explained everything about the ruins of Ephesus, the history, and the different cultures that inhabited Ephesus in detail. Azer is very knowledgeable indeed. A buffet lunch was included with the tour. They served traditional Turkiye dishes. Nothing special, but good quality. Thank you to Azer and Mustafa for making our family’s visit a pleasant and memorable experience!
Thank you for your kind review 😊
Yigit is super attentive and a very good guide Everything was excellent!! The transportation was air-conditioned and clean.
Muchas Gracias 😊
Azer is a magnificent guide, knows a lot about the history of the region, is fun and very kind, and also speaks Spanish very well. It is a tour in which one learns a lot. The pickup was very punctual, and Azer was attentive to our needs the entire time.
Muchas Gracias 😊
Yıgıt Bellek has been a fantastic guide; he speaks Spanish perfectly, and his explanations are very thorough and interesting. He cares about the safety of the clients to prevent falls or dehydration, as the visit was on a very hot day.
Muchas Gracias 😊
The driver Mami is the best we have had on our trip, respectful and cautious in his driving style. And Azer gave us a very informative tour and is a very pleasant person.
Muchas Gracias 😊
Great experience. The guide and driver were very good.
Muchas Gracias 😊
Make the guide very good and Ali the driver very kind, beautiful places to discover!
Muchas Gracias 😊
The guide was very friendly and informative
Thank you for your kind review 😊
Tijen was the best guide! She was so incredibly knowledgeable about history. The more she told, the more we were curious to ask and she always had an answer. She made the experience allow us to visualize that period and the stories. She was friendly and fun as well. The group was approximately 8 people so the size was also nice to not feel like we were being herded. Not only would I recommend the tour, because Ephesus is an amazing ancient city to witness, but I’d recommend Tijen.
Thank you for your kind review 😊
Our day discovering the ancient city of Ephesus was perfect! Raphael our guide was extremely knowledgeable in his history, not just of Ephesus, but so much more. He was thoughtful, thorough, funny and really brought the ruins alive. We also enjoyed visiting the House of Mary. Lunch was superb as a bonus. Kudos to Crowded House for exceptional service and a special thanks to Ramazan the owner who has gone above and beyond for us while visiting the beautiful country of Türkiye.
Thank you for your kind review 😊
