Ephesus Small Group Day Tour from Selcuk
Description
Step back thousands of years on this small-group guided tour of Ephesus from Selcuk. Start off in Selcuk, exploring the many ancient archeological sites, and then move on to Ephesus, once one of the most important cities in Asia Minor. Stroll among the millennia-old ruins, many of which have only been excavated in the last century. See the remains of the Temple of Artemis and visit the supposed house of the Virgin Mary before stopping by a famous 14th-century mosque.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The House of the Virgin Mary (or Meryem Ana Evi in Turkish) is a place where, according to the beliefs of many people Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent the 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 (according to Catholic doctrine) or Dormition (according to Orthodox belief).
Of Turkey's hundreds of ancient cities and classical ruins, Ephesus is the grandest and best preserved. Indeed, it's the best place on the Mediterranean to get a feel for what life was like in ancient times. Ancient Ephesus was a great trading city and a centre for the cult of Cybele, the Anatolian fertility goddess.
The Odeion of Ancient Ephesus is a small, semi-circular theater originally constructed in the 2nd century A.D and financed by PubliusVedius Antonius and his wife FlaviaPaiana. The building would have served as a space for political meetings, social events, concerts and theatrical performances.
This temple dedicated to the Emperor Hadrian is considered one of the best preserved and most beautiful structures on Curetes Street. It was constructed in the beginning of the 2nd century AD by P. Quintilius to celebrate Hadrian visiting the city from Athens.
Bibliotheque de Celsus, Selcuk, Turkey This magnificent library dating from the early 2nd century AD, the best-known monument in Ephesus, has been extensively restored. Originally built as part of a complex, the library looks bigger than it actually is: the convex facade base heightens the central elements, while the middle columns and capitals are larger than those at the ends. Facade niches hold replica statues of the Four Virtues. From left to right, they are Sophia (Wisdom), Arete (Goodness), Ennoia (Thought) and Episteme (Knowledge).
The great theater of Ephesus is a splendidly preserved and very impressive building. This structure, built of marble, has a width of 145 meters, and its audience once reached up to 30 meters. In its heyday, it could accommodate up to 24,000 spectators. The construction of the theater began in Hellenistic times.
Temple of Artemis (or Artemision), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In an empty field to the west of the centre, this lone reconstructed pillar is all that remains of the massive Temple of Artemis (or Artemision) At its zenith, the temple counted 127 columns.
Isabey mosque was built in a post-Seljuk/pre-Ottoman transitional style, when Selcuk was capital of the Aydin Emirate. An inscription in Arabic above the main entrance states that it was built in 1375.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
HOTEL PICK-UPS - From Kusadasi are usually from 8.00 AM to 09.00 AM. - From Selcuk are usually from 9.00 AM to 09.30 AM. - Pick up times may vary depending on a) your pick up point b) how many other additional people/pick up points we have that day. This means the final pick up time will be decided 1 day before. - IT IS IMPORTANT that you contact our pick up operator (call/whatsapp/sms) to find out your final pick up time. MEETING POINT - If you are coming to our office to meet the tour, our office is located next to Ephesus Museum in Selcuk, opposite Selcuk bus station. Address: Ataturk Mah. Ugur mumcu sevgi yolu sok. No 16/b Selcuk, Izmir
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- Infant meals not included
Reviews(46)
Fantastic tour with Nizam ! Informative and funny guy. Made the tour extremely enjoyable. Much recommended
Our guide Octavio was amazing and was very knowledgeable . He knew everything about every single site !! I would choose him again.
Our guide, Faiz, was energetic and able to communicate well with our group of 10 or so, spanning young children to older adults. I appreciated the balance between listening to information about the different sites and having time to explore on our own. The later demonstration of silk making and carpet weaving was very interesting.
Faisal has a lot of knowledge about pagan gods and symbols, as well as historical facts about Ephesus and surrounding sites that made this an enjoyable and educational tour. A good alternative to a private tour at half the price. Of course, the usual shopping component was included (carpet school, leather jackets) but that is the norm, and was somewhat educational in this case.
Three mentioned stops: St Mary's house, Ancient City of Efes, temple of Artemis (most sites mentioned at the description are just stops along the course of visit of the main archaeological site) and two unmentioned LONG stops at shops (a carpet weaving "school" and a leather goods store, complete with a catwalk fashion show just for our small group). Guide was average, with many sensational narratives unrelated to the sights. The "homemade" lunch was offered in one of the shops, a place no locals would ever visit for lunch.
Mr. Coşkun, who supported our guidance, gave us the ruins of Ephesus It felt like we were living history. We still have a 2-year-old infant and a 5-year-old child with us We never understood how our history journey went right under the sun that lasted near 4 hours. Fun yet exciting, We spent 4 hours without a full breath. Required source descriptions based on individual research with insights, we made for an unforgettable trip. Probably the only memory we’ll remember at the time :) We also immediately evaluated their recommendations for the city. We really appreciate Mr Coşkun.
Brings the ancient city of Ephesus to life. Knowledgeable but not boring. Good judge of the needs and interests of the group. Highly recommend
Joseph was our guide and interpreter for 6 day trip excursions over a week long stay in Kusadasi. His knowledge of classical Greco-Roman culture, civilization, and architecture was deep and thorough. As well his ability to translate and transition between Turkish and English made his presence invaluable for our group with a limited knowledge of the language. He is very personable and a great listener. We wish we could’ve brought him along to the next stop on our trip, Istanbul!!! Highly recommend
Excellent tour company, Coskun our guide always going beyond to help us. He is very knowledgeable. The vehicles comfortable and the food was good.
Dear Guray, we want to thank you for your kind attention and professionalism during our group tour of Ephesus, it has been exceptional and memorable, we recommend you very well, excellent. Thanks a lot Estimado Guray, queremos agradecer por su amable atención y profesionalismo durante nuestra excursión en grupo por Efeso, ha sido excepcional y memorable, la recomendamos bastante bien, excelente. Muchas gracias
