Viator · Private tour

Private Day Trip from Istanbul to Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary

4.9(19)Istanbul1 hour
VIATOR4.9(10)TRIPADVISOR4.9(9)

Description

A Private Day Trip to 'must' to visit places: Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary. Enjoy this excellent tour and receive a Red Carpet Treatment by a Private Tour Guide and luxurious Mercedes-Benz Vehicles.

Tour Options

Private Day Tip to Ephesus
  • Pickup included

Itinerary

Admission not included120 min

Enter through the Magnesia Gate and begin a slow, downhill walk with your guide into the ruins of this Roman provincial capital. Your route takes you past the Odeum, the Celsus Library, the Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan and the Great Theater.

Admission not included45 min

Which is known as one of the seven wonders of the Antic World.

Admission not included60 min

Where Mary had spent her last day, the Basilica of St. John where is believed that the evangelist St. John had spent his last years in the region around Ephesus and buried in the southern slope of Ayosolug Hill.

Highlights

Internal / Domestic Flight Tickets
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Private tour
Professional guide
Transport by private vehicle

What's included

Included
Internal / Domestic Flight Tickets
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Private tour
Professional guide
Transport by private vehicle
Not included
Food and drinks
Lunch
Entrance Fees to the Museums and Sites

Pickup Locations & Times

We provide pick up from all the hotels in Istanbul

Traveller Ratings

4.9
19 reviews
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17
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Important Information

  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Passport name, number, expiry and country is required at time of booking for all participants

Reviews(19)

L
lisasH5137BV
September 22, 2025
Best time ever!!

We had the most perfect day in Ephesus Turkey with our tour guide Boz!!!! He was absolutely the best!!! He was very informative and so nice!!! He left nothing out for sure. He made sure we saw everything!! He spoke very good English which really helped us!!! He was so accommodating!! We would do this again for sure!!!

Operator response

Thank you very much for choosing our services. We all hope to see you in Turkey with a longer trip..

4
441kirkj
July 13, 2023
Amazing!

Ephesus has to be seen to be believed. The ruins of the city are amazing. And the tour was exceptional. Everything went very smoothly—being picked up and returned to our hotel, the flights from Istanbul to Izmir, and the transportation from Izmir to the various sites. Our tour guide was also very good. A must-do experience.

Operator response

Thank you very much for choosing our services. It was our great pleasure to serve you.. We all hope to see you again in Turkey with a longer trip..

W
WellTreadShoes
July 28, 2021
An expensive but very historic tour.

Many thanks to Ozgur for very prompt assistance with the booking. The tour started in the morning with your flight out from Istanbul at 0630HRs. Arrived at Izmir around 0800HRs--ish. Picked up by the tour driver and this would be the car being used on the tour. The tour guide was picked up on the way to the House of Mary. House of Mary was good, if a little underwhelming. Understandably so since it was the house of a very pious woman and mother of Son of God/prophet (depending on your religion). Do not forget to leave a wish on the famous wall here. Do not buy souvenirs here and wait until Ephesus for that. Ephesus was an excellent sight. Watch out for the marble floors while walking. Ensure to visit inside of the Library of Celsius and take pics there. You will visit the site of Temple of Artemis soon after lunch. The tour was a bit tiring on account of the long travels involved (flights in and out of Istanbul plus 45min travel both ways from Izmir to Ephesus). Also, is best to substitute the leather making/rug making/pottery sessions with a museum visit instead. The lady guide appeared to be more interested in walking you through the money-making shops in the vicinity than moving on to the next site. The tour could have offered a free lunch and museum visit due to the large cost involved. But overall, I liked the tour.

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

Thank you very much for choosing our services. We hope to see you again in Turkey with a longer trip..

F
flatinag
December 30, 2020
Unforgettable experience!!

We had the opportunity to take this tour with Emre as our guide and Huso as our driver and we had a great time! Emre showed us the best places and provided all the information. He really knew what he was talking about. This trip worth every penny we spent. Highly recommended!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

Thank you very much for choosing our services. It was our great pleasure to serve you. We all hope to see you again in Turkey with a longer trip..

B
bryces523
December 19, 2020
Ephesus Day Tour from Istanbul

I had a wonderful time touring Ephesus with my guide Riza and driver Okan. Riza was extremely knowledgeable, approachable, and easy to talk to.

Operator response

Thank you very much for choosing our services. We hope to see you again in Turkey with a longer trip..

A
Aura M
November 15, 2020
Worth the expense

The best part of my trip! I had so much fun, learned a lot, and felt the trio surpassed my expectations. My transport from my hostel, Osque, was on time and very friendly. He also picked me up at the end of the day and was easy to locate at the airport. Riza, my tour guide was so friendly and knowledgeable. He picked a great place to stop off for lunch and I really enjoyed the meal. He knew all about each place we stopped and allowed me as much time as I wanted to wander or move on to the next thing. Everything was communicated well. Pickups were seamless. This was absolutely worth the expense.

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

Thank you very much for choosing our services and for the review. It was our great pleasure to serve you. We hope to see you again in Turkey with a longer trip..

A
Aura_M
November 12, 2020
The best part of my trip to Turkey

This was the highlight of my trip to Turkey. I am very happy with the whole experience. There was great communication from the beginning. My driver in Istanbul, Osque, picked me up on time at my hostel and was very professional. The process to catch the flight was easy and my tour guide, Riza, and driver in Izmir, Okan, were there waiting with a sign on time. Riza was an excellent guide. He was very knowledgeable and easy to get along with. He asked my opinion on which extra stops I’d like to make. The lunch recommendation was spot on. I would let Riza lead the way on selecting the food. It was delicious. Seeing Ephesus was an amazing experience beyond what I thought it would be. And being in a small, private tour is much easier to be flexible and ask questions. Definitely worth the expense.

Operator response

Thank you very much for choosing our services and for the review. It was our great pleasure to serve you. We hope to see you again in Turkey with a longer trip.

J
Jsteck87
October 15, 2020
Excellent

The idea of traveling to Ephesus was very interesting to me. So I decided to purchase this privet day tour with my girlfriend. The two of us got top notch service and professionalism. If you are looking for souvenirs they offer you some great and unique items difficult to find in other places. The guide was excellent, privet tours are the way to go it was just the 2 of us and our guide, full attention lots of opportunity for great photos lots of interesting facts and history. Prepare for a long day if you are flying from Istanbul it is very long but worth it. I think you’ll be glad you spent a the money, everything is taken care of they pick you up drop you off very nice new vehicles.

Operator response

Thank you very much for your great review. We hope to see you again in Turkey with a longer trip.

J
Jonathan_B
October 5, 2020
Awesome

Excellent!! Incredible! A must if you in the area at all . Tour guide ( Riza) and driver (Burak) were amazing !!!

Operator response

Thank you very much for your rewiew. It was our great pleasure to serve you in Turkey. We hope to see again in near future..

K
Kim_M_China
October 30, 2019
Private tour of Ephesus

Booking through Viator was simple and exactly as they stated. Transportation was coordinated for me, including purchasing plane tickets, and local transportation in Ephesus. Since I was traveling alone, and only had 1 day for the tour, I really appreciated that Viator handled all of the logistics. My tour guide was so professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful. He knew exactly how to pace the tour and adjust for my personal interests, including the perfect spot for the best photos. His knowledge of the history of Ephesus was overwhelming at times but very helpful to learn in a real and authentic way as we walked and talked along the streets of this ancient city. It was truly an amazing experience that I couldn't have had if I tried to manage the tour alone. Thankyou Viator and to may amazing tour guide for this great experience.

Operator response

Thank you very much for your great review. It was our pleasure to serve you in Turkey. We hope to see you again soon with a longer trip..