Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary and Artemis from İzmir cruise port
Some Oceania sailings dock at İzmir instead of Kuşadası. İzmir is about 80 km from Ephesus, so the day starts earlier and is planned around the longer drive, but the ancient city, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis all fit before the ship sails.
On 28 September 2026 Oceania Allura was at İzmir from 07:00 to 16:00. A group of 15 had booked a day with us, and the port on their ship documents was İzmir, not Kuşadası. We noticed it there and built the day from the start around İzmir: a new meeting point, the House of the Virgin Mary first, as the group asked, then Ephesus and Artemis, and the terminal by about 14:45. It is why we read the port on your ticket ourselves: we plan from whichever port your ticket shows.
Oceania from İzmir, in one paragraph
For Oceania ships docking at İzmir, Tours of Ephesus, running private tours since 1999, meets you at the exit of the İzmir cruise terminal at 08:00: the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus from the Upper to the Lower Gate and the Temple of Artemis, back around 14:45. No lunch, up to 15 guests in one Mercedes Sprinter, price on request, paid after the tour.
- Written by
- Volkan Yırtımcı, Founder, Tours of Ephesus
- Last reviewed
- October 2026
Oceania’s 2027 dates and hours come from Oceania’s own voyage pages. The programmes are the days Oceania guests booked with us in 2026.
The day from İzmir, hour by hour
The order is the one the 2026 group chose, the House of the Virgin Mary first, and we keep it on this page as they ran it.
- 08:00Met at the exit of the İzmir cruise terminal
- 09:15House of the Virgin MaryAbout 45 minutes.
- 10:15Ephesus, Upper Gate to Lower GateAbout 2 hours 45 minutes, downhill and one way; your driver waits at the Lower Gate.
- 13:10Temple of ArtemisAbout 20 minutes, no entrance fee.
- 14:45Back at the İzmir cruise terminal, around this time
No shopping stops unless you want them.
Where we meet at İzmir
Your guide waits at the exit of the İzmir cruise terminal at Alsancak, holding a printed sign with the name you give us at booking.
Price for 2027
Price on request. Tell us your ship, your date and how many are travelling, and we quote the day for your party, up to 15 guests in one Mercedes Sprinter.
- Children under 9 free; 9 and over pay the full rate.
- No deposit. You pay at the end of the tour, in cash or by card.
What the price includes
- A licensed private guide, yours alone for the day
- An air-conditioned private vehicle with a separate driver
- Skip-the-line entrance tickets for every site on the route (Ephesus is 45 EUR from 1 April 2027, the Experience Museum is inside that ticket, and the Temple of Artemis is free)
- Bottled water, parking, road tolls and taxes
Oceania at İzmir in 2027
Two Oceania calls at İzmir in 2027, each checked on Oceania’s own voyage pages. We meet at 08:00, or 30 minutes after the ship berths if that is later.
- Friday, 9 April 2027
Oceania Sirena
At İzmir 09:00 to 18:00, Istanbul to Venice (SIR270407). We meet at 09:30 and are back at the terminal around 16:15.
- Tuesday, 19 October 2027
Oceania Sonata
At İzmir 07:00 to 16:00, Athens to Istanbul (SON271014). We meet at 08:00 and are back at the terminal around 14:45.
Cruise schedules can change; we check your ship’s time again before your day.
Source: Oceania Cruises voyage pages (oceaniacruises.com), read 21 October 2026. Where Oceania and CruiseMapper differ, Oceania is used.
Back to your ship on time
Your guide follows the ship’s time from the official schedule and from the ship’s live position all day.
On the 2026 İzmir day the ship sailed at 16:00 and the group was back at the terminal around 14:45. When you send your ship and date, we time the day from that sailing.
How that works, layer by layer, is in how we track your cruise ship.
Guide languages
Licensed guides in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian; German on request.
The 2026 İzmir group was Brazilian, and their guide spoke Portuguese for the whole day.
The 2026 Oceania day behind this programme
All four Oceania days we ran in 2026 are on our Oceania Cruises shore excursions page.
Monday, 28 September 2026
Oceania Allura, in port 07:00 to 16:00, at İzmir
A Brazilian group of 15 with a Portuguese-speaking guide. The House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus Upper to Lower Gate and the Temple of Artemis, no lunch, 08:00 to 14:45.
Payment
Visa and Mastercard are welcome, and the price is the same by card, so pay however suits you. Whichever you choose, it is one payment at the end of the tour: no deposit, and nothing paid before the day itself. Cash is a choice, not a requirement. If your plans change, cancellation is free up to 48 hours before the tour.
Oceania from İzmir: your questions
Ask anything else on WhatsApp, +90 532 324 2489, and we answer the same day.
If your Oceania ship docks at Kuşadası
Kuşadası · Half day, about 4 hours, no lunch
Ephesus Morning: Upper Gate to Lower Gate, Experience Museum and Artemis
Meet 08:30, Ephesus from the Upper Gate down to the Lower Gate, the Experience Museum and the Temple of Artemis, back at 12:30. No lunch.
USD 132 per person for 2 to 4 guests, 2027
See the Ephesus MorningKuşadası · Full day, about 7 hours 15 minutes, lunch included
Full Day: Ephesus, Terrace Houses, Virgin Mary, Artemis and Şirince, lunch included
Meet 08:30, Ephesus with the optional Terrace Houses, the Temple of Artemis, lunch in Selçuk, then the House of the Virgin Mary and Şirince, back at 15:45.
USD 169 per person for 2 to 4 guests, 2027
See the full day with Şirince
Oceania’s 2027 Kuşadası calls, with the programme that fits each one, are on our Oceania Cruises shore excursions page.
Docking at İzmir? Ask for a quote
Write to booking@toursofephesus.com, message us on WhatsApp, or use the booking form. Send your ship, your date and the port on your ticket; we check the call against Oceania’s schedule and hold the day for your party alone. Nothing is paid until the tour ends.
Look Closer, Journey Deeper, Travel like an Insider
Tours of Ephesus is an independent local operator and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of Oceania Cruises.