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Ritz-Carlton Ilma Shore Excursions from Kuşadası Port

Ilma calls at Kuşadası three times in 2027, each time on a Saturday, in port from 08:00 to 19:00. Ephesus sits a 20-25 minute drive from the cruise port, and you can reach the Upper Gate in the first quiet hour after it opens, then decide whether the afternoon belongs to the yacht or to more of the coast.

We have not guided an Ilma day yet; her first call here is 15 May 2027. We guided guests from Evrima, Ilma’s sister yacht in the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, on both of her 2026 Kuşadası calls. The two Ilma programmes below are those two days, the half day on 21 September and the full biblical day on 2 October, with the same meeting and return times and now with the Terrace Houses included in both, priced for 2027. Other small ships we look after are on our luxury cruise Ephesus tours page.

Ilma shore excursions from Kuşadası, in one paragraph

Tours of Ephesus, a Kuşadası operator running private Ephesus days since 1999, plans private shore days for Ritz-Carlton Ilma guests with a licensed guide and a private vehicle. Ilma calls at Kuşadası on three Saturdays in 2027, 15 May, 31 July and 7 August, from 08:00 to 19:00: eleven hours ashore, with Ephesus 20-25 minutes from the port. The half day costs USD 323 in total for two and the full biblical day USD 419 for two, with the Terrace Houses included in both and the tour paid at the end.

Written by
Volkan Yırtımcı, Founder, Tours of Ephesus
Last reviewed
October 2026

Ilma’s dates and hours come from Ritz-Carlton’s own voyage pages. The two day programmes are the two days we ran for Evrima guests in 2026.

Two programmes

Two private Ilma days at Ephesus.

These are the two days we ran for Evrima guests in 2026, the half day on 21 September and the full biblical day on 2 October, with the same meeting and return times and now with the Terrace Houses included in both, priced for 2027.

Half day · Morning

The half day, back on board for lunch

You walk Ephesus downhill, from the Upper Gate to the Lower Gate, then drive up to the House of the Virgin Mary and finish at the Temple of Artemis, which charges no entry fee. An 08:00 start puts you inside the site soon after it opens, and at 13:00 you are back on Ilma with six hours of the call still ahead.

  1. 01Ephesus Ancient City, Upper Gate to Lower Gate, downhill
  2. 02Terrace Houses, after the walk down Curetes Street
  3. 03House of the Virgin Mary
  4. 04Temple of Artemis

Good to knowThe Terrace Houses are included in this day, with their ticket. The visit climbs six levels of steel walkway and has no step-free alternative. See where the Terrace Houses sit on our Ephesus map.

Meet
08:00
Back on board
13:00
Total for twoUSD 323

Everything in the standard private day is included; the full list is below.

Read more about the private Kuşadası port to Ephesus half day.

Full day · Biblical Ephesus

The full day, the biblical route

The day starts in Ephesus, walked from the Upper Gate to the Lower Gate, where your Bible-focused guide reads Acts 19 in the Great Theatre, the place of the silversmiths' riot. You then visit the Terrace Houses and the Temple of Artemis, stop for a traditional Turkish lunch at a family-run restaurant near Selçuk, and go on to the House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica of St. John. You reach the port at 15:45, more than three hours before Ilma sails.

  1. 01Ephesus Ancient City, Upper Gate to Lower Gate, Acts 19 told in the Great Theatre
  2. 02Terrace Houses, after the walk down Curetes Street
  3. 03Temple of Artemis
  4. 04Traditional lunch near Selçuk
  5. 05House of the Virgin Mary
  6. 06Basilica of St. John

Good to knowThe Terrace Houses are included in this day, with their ticket. The visit climbs six levels of steel walkway and has no step-free alternative. See where the Terrace Houses sit on our Ephesus map.

Meet
08:30
At the port
15:45
Total for twoUSD 419

Everything in the standard private day is included; the full list is below.

Read more about the private biblical Ephesus tour.

For two Ilma guests, the private Ephesus half day costs USD 323 in total, meeting at 08:00 and back on board by 13:00. The full biblical day costs USD 419 in total and returns you to the port by 15:45.

What eleven hours at Kuşadası give an Ilma guest

Ilma has 224 suites and carries up to 448 guests, and she was rated Forbes Five-Star in the 2026 Star Awards. On a summer Saturday she can share Kuşadası port with ships that carry several thousand guests each, and their coach groups tend to reach Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, later in the morning. A party that meets at 08:00 walks the upper half of the city while the marble streets are still close to empty.

Ilma sails at 19:00, so you choose where the afternoon goes. Take the half day and you are on board by 13:00, with the afternoon for the yacht or a walk into Kuşadası town. Take the full day and lunch can run long, the Basilica of St. John fits in, and you still reach the port at 15:45, more than three hours before she sails at 19:00. We plan every day to have you back at least ninety minutes before all-aboard.

2027 calls

Ilma’s three Kuşadası calls, voyage by voyage.

Each call belongs to a different Athens round trip. Find your voyage by the date it leaves Athens to see your day in Kuşadası.
The Ritz-Carlton yacht Ilma berthed in the Port of Barcelona, her navy hull and tiered white decks in profile
Ilma carries up to 448 guests, and her three Saturday calls at Kuşadası in 2027 run from 08:00 to 19:00.

Ilma in the Port of Barcelona, photo by Ilkka Simomaa via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Resized and optimized for web use.

  • 13 May voyage · 4 nights

    15 May 2027

    Saturday in Kuşadası, 08:00 to 19:00

    Athens round trip: Mykonos, Kuşadası, Patmos

  • 29 July voyage · 7 nights

    31 July 2027

    Saturday in Kuşadası, 08:00 to 19:00

    Athens round trip: Patmos, Kuşadası, Mykonos, Naxos, Rhodes, Santorini

  • 5 August voyage · 5 nights

    7 August 2027

    Saturday in Kuşadası, 08:00 to 19:00

    Athens round trip: Mykonos, Kuşadası, Patmos, Milos

Booked on both voyages? The 29 July voyage returns to Athens on 5 August at 06:00, and the 5 August voyage leaves Athens at 18:00 the same day. Guests on both voyages are in Kuşadası twice, on 31 July and 7 August, which gives you room for both programmes: the half day on one call and the full biblical day on the other. The two walk Ephesus by different routes, and only the full day includes the Basilica of St. John and lunch near Selçuk.

Source: Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection voyage pages 12270513 / 12270729 / 12270805 and press release of 10 March 2026, read 21 October 2026. Schedules change by sailing; we reconfirm your call when you book.

Evrima guests · 2026

Guests from her sister yacht, Evrima, in 2026.

Ilma has not called here yet, so we have no Ilma photographs. These three come from Evrima's two 2026 calls, on 21 September and 2 October. Our guide Mehmet Tunalı ran both days and took every frame.
  • Licensed English- and Russian-speaking guide Mehmet Tunalı in a selfie with two Ritz-Carlton Evrima guests in front of the Library of Celsus, on a private biblical full-day tour from Kuşadası cruise port with the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus from the Upper Gate to the Lower Gate, a traditional Turkish lunch, the Temple of Artemis and the Basilica of St John, 2 October 2026
    2 October 2026: our guide Mehmet Tunalı takes a selfie with two guests off the Ritz-Carlton Evrima at the Library of Celsus, on a private biblical full-day tour from Kuşadası cruise port that took in the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus from the Upper Gate to the Lower Gate, a traditional Turkish lunch, the Temple of Artemis and the Basilica of St John.
  • Two American guests from the Ritz-Carlton yacht Evrima with their licensed English- and Russian-speaking guide Mehmet Tunalı in front of the Library of Celsus on a private half-day Ephesus and House of the Virgin Mary tour in English from Kuşadası cruise port, 21 September 2026
    21 September 2026: guests ashore from the Ritz-Carlton Evrima at the Library of Celsus with their guide Mehmet Tunalı, who works in English and Russian, on a private half-day tour from Kuşadası cruise port, Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary, guided in English.
  • Licensed English- and Russian-speaking guide Mehmet Tunalı and two Ritz-Carlton Evrima guests beneath a stone arch that frames the Library of Celsus at Ephesus, on a private Ephesus tour in English from Kuşadası cruise port, 21 September 2026
    21 September 2026: the Library of Celsus seen through the arch beside it, on a private Ephesus tour from Kuşadası cruise port, guided in English by Mehmet Tunalı (who also guides in Russian) for guests off the Ritz-Carlton Evrima.

The guide shared these with us on the day, and the guests gave permission to publish them. Evrima’s 2026 calls and her two day programmes are on our Ritz-Carlton Evrima shore excursions page, and what the entrance tickets cover at the gate is in skip the line at Ephesus.

What is included in every private day

The price is the whole price; both days include the same eight things. What a luxury day adds on top of them is in luxury vs standard private Ephesus tours.

  • A licensed private guideYours alone for the day.
  • An air-conditioned private vehicleWith a separate professional driver, so your guide guides.
  • Skip-the-line entry ticketsPre-purchased and pre-paid, carried as QR codes. How the gate actually works.
  • The Terrace Houses ticketIncluded in both Ilma days, at the same total. The visit climbs six levels of steel walkway; there is no step-free alternative.
  • Bottled waterIn the vehicle throughout the day.
  • ParkingAt every site on the route.
  • Road tollsThe whole route, no roadside surprises.
  • TaxesThe price you see is the whole price.

How we get you back to your ship on time

Every day we run is planned backwards from your ship’s schedule, and it ends with you at the port at least ninety minutes before all-aboard. The margin is deliberate and comfortable: Ephesus is a 20-25 minute drive from the berth, and behind the margin sit four separate confirmations of the ship’s schedule, the official port list the evening before, the ship’s live position from first light, our own contacts inside the port through the morning, and your guide reading the times posted at the gangway itself.

How the whole system works, layer by layer, is written up in full in how we track your cruise ship.

Meeting point

We meet in the Starbucks garden in the port plaza, two minutes from the ship on flat ground, with no steps between the gangway and the table. Your guide will already be there, holding a printed sign with the name you give us at booking, so there is no searching a crowded gate for a face you have never met. If you would like a coffee before the drive, there is time; the day begins when you are ready.

The walk from the gangway to the table, step by step, is in our Kuşadası cruise port guide.

Tours of Ephesus guide Fulya Tamer waiting with a printed name sign on the Starbucks terrace at Kuşadası cruise port
The Starbucks gardenOur guide Fulya Tamer with a printed name sign on the Starbucks terrace, two minutes from the gangway at Kuşadası port.
Pay after your tour

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.

Frequently asked

Ilma at Kuşadası: your questions

Ask anything else on WhatsApp, +90 532 324 2489, and we answer the same day.

Saturday 31 July 2027, from 08:00 to 19:00. Each of Ilma's three 2027 voyages calls at Kuşadası once: the 13 May voyage on Saturday 15 May 2027, the 29 July voyage on Saturday 31 July 2027, and the 5 August voyage on Saturday 7 August 2027. All three are Athens round trips, and we reconfirm your call against the published schedule when you book.

Yes. The 29 July voyage returns to Athens on 5 August at 06:00 and the 5 August voyage leaves Athens at 18:00 the same day, so guests on both voyages are in Kuşadası twice, on 31 July and 7 August. You can take the half day on one call and the full biblical day on the other. The two walk Ephesus by different routes, and only the full day adds the Basilica of St. John and lunch near Selçuk.

Yes. The half day meets at 08:00 in the port plaza and has you back on board by 13:00, after Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis. Ilma stays until 19:00, so you keep six hours of the call for the yacht or for Kuşadası town. Ephesus is a 20-25 minute drive from the port. The half day costs USD 323 in total for two.

We have not read Ilma's excursion programme, so we do not compare it. We can describe our own day: private to your party, with your own licensed guide, an air-conditioned vehicle and a driver no one else shares, and a pace and route you set. If the yacht offers something you want and we do not, book it with the yacht. If you want Ephesus private and on your own clock, that is the day we run.

The day belongs to your party alone. Your guide holds a licence from Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and does not drive; a separate driver handles the air-conditioned vehicle. You pay nothing in advance and no deposit: the total, USD 323 for the half day or USD 419 for the full day for two, is one payment at the end, by Visa, Mastercard or cash at the same price. The totals include the entrance tickets, with Ephesus at 45 EUR per person from 1 April 2027, and the Terrace Houses ticket. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before the tour.

Yes, in both days, with their ticket, at the same total. The Terrace Houses are the covered Roman homes inside Ephesus, visited after the walk down Curetes Street. The visit climbs six levels of steel walkway and there is no step-free alternative, so tell us before the day if stairs are a concern.

In the Starbucks garden in the port plaza, two minutes from the ship on flat ground with no steps. Your guide waits there with a printed sign carrying the name you give us at booking. Private tours start and end at Kuşadası Cruise Port.

Not yet. Ilma's first Kuşadası call is 15 May 2027. We guided guests from Evrima, her sister yacht in the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, on both of her 2026 Kuşadası calls. The two Ilma programmes are those two days, the half day on 21 September and the full biblical day on 2 October, with the same meeting and return times and now with the Terrace Houses included in both, priced for 2027.

Booking an Ilma day

Send us your voyage and the day you want.

Write to booking@toursofephesus.com, message us on WhatsApp, or use the booking form, which arrives with Ritz-Carlton Ilma already filled in as your ship. We check your call against the published schedule, hold the day for your party alone, and take no payment until the tour ends.

  • Your voyage date, so we can match your call
  • The full names of your party, for the welcome sign
  • A WhatsApp number we can reach on the day
WhatsApp +90 532 324 2489

Tours of Ephesus is an independent local operator and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

How booking works

From your ship to Ephesus, in three steps.

  1. Step 1

    Pick a tour, or just message us

    Choose from the tours below or send your ship name and date on WhatsApp. No deposit, no card details.

  2. Step 2

    Meet your guide at the port

    Your licensed guide waits at the Starbucks inside the Kuşadası port plaza, holding a sign with your name.

  3. Step 3

    Pay after your tour

    Cash or card, at the end of the day, once you are happy. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before.

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