Shortest tourPrivate Ephesus Ancient City Tour
Ephesus
- Approx. 3-4 hours
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$91/ person
View tourPrivate Ephesus Tours & Shore Excursions from Kusadasi
Tours of Ephesus is a TÜRSAB-licensed local operator (licence no. 2290) based in Kusadasi, running private tours to Ephesus and the surrounding sites every day of the cruise season. We are not a booking platform: the team that answers your message assigns your guide, dispatches your vehicle and stands behind your day.
The short answer
Private Ephesus tours from Kusadasi Cruise Port run 3 to 7 hours as shore excursions, from USD 91 per person with all entrance fees included (2027 rates). Every tour is private, with a licensed guide, a separate driver, no pre-payment, and guaranteed on-time return to your ship.
By the Tours of Ephesus operations team · Last reviewed October 2026
How every tour runs
Every tour below runs the same way. A licensed professional guide works exclusively for your party, with a separate professional driver and a commercially registered, insured, air-conditioned vehicle. All entrance fees are included in the per-person rate (2026 rates), and Ephesus is entered through the upper gate so the walking runs downhill, with the ticket bought before you dock. There is no pre-payment: your reservation is confirmed without a deposit, you pay at the end of the tour in cash or by card, and if your ship cannot dock you owe nothing. Your guide meets you inside the port shopping plaza at Starbucks with a small named sign, at the time you choose, and on-time return to your ship is guaranteed. Ephesus is a 20-25 minute drive from the port; nothing on our standard routes is more than 35 minutes away. Still sketching the day itself? The hour-by-hour port day itineraries show what three, five or eight hours ashore allow.
TÜRSAB #2290Pay after your tourTripadvisor 4.7Google 4.9Guaranteed return to shipQR-coded skip-the-line tickets
Compare at a glance
Half-day, extended or full day
| Tour type | Length | From, per person | Lunch | Fits a port call of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half-Day Essentials | 3-4 hours | $91 | Not included | Under 5 hours ashore |
| Extended Half-Day | 5-5.5 hours | $118 | Included | 5 to 6 hours ashore |
| Full-Day | 5 to 7 hours | $126 | Included | 7 hours or more ashore |
Starting prices apply at the largest group size, with entrance fees included (2027 rates). Where the hours go on the ground is in how long an Ephesus tour takes.
Half-Day Essentials (3-4 hours)
Built for short port calls: Ephesus is only 20-25 minutes from the ship, so even a tight window fits the essential sites.
Shortest tour
Private Ephesus & Temple of Artemis Tour
Ephesus · Temple of Artemis
- Approx. 3.5 hours
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$93/ person
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Most requestedPrivate Ephesus Tour with House of the Virgin Mary & Temple of Artemis
Ephesus · Virgin Mary · Temple of Artemis
- Approx. 4 hours
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$111/ person
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Private Ephesus, Temple of Artemis & Basilica of St. John Tour
Ephesus · Temple of Artemis · St John Basilica
- Approx. 4 hours
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$99/ person
View tourExtended Half-Day (5-5.5 hours)
Five to six hours ashore adds the Virgin Mary, St. John or Sirince without pressure, with lunch included on every route.
Private Ephesus, Virgin Mary, Artemis & Basilica of St. John Tour
Ephesus · Virgin Mary · Temple of Artemis · St John Basilica
- Approx. 5 hours, lunch included
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$124/ person
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Bible-oriented guidePrivate Biblical Ephesus Tour with Bible-Oriented Guide
Ephesus · Virgin Mary · St John Basilica
- Approx. 5 hours, lunch included
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$136/ person
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Private Ephesus & Sirince Village Tour
Ephesus · Şirince
- Approx. 5 hours, lunch included
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$118/ person
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Private Ephesus, Temple of Artemis & Sirince Village Tour
Ephesus · Temple of Artemis · Şirince
- Approx. 5.5 hours, lunch included
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$119/ person
View tourFull-Day (5 to 7 hours)
Seven hours or more in port opens the complete circuits: every major site, quiet Ionia, or the definitive five-stop day.
All-inclusivePrivate All-Inclusive Ephesus Tour with Turkish Lunch
Ephesus · Virgin Mary · Temple of Artemis
- 5-6 hours, lunch included
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$126/ person
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Private Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary, Temple of Artemis & Sirince Village Tour
Ephesus · Virgin Mary · Temple of Artemis · Şirince
- Approx. 6 hours, lunch included
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$128/ person
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Private Ephesus, Miletus & Didyma Tour
Ephesus · Miletus · Didyma
- Approx. 7 hours, lunch included
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$130/ person
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The definitive dayGrand Private Ephesus Tour: Virgin Mary, St. John, Artemis & Sirince
Ephesus · Virgin Mary · St John Basilica · Temple of Artemis · Şirince
- Approx. 7 hours, lunch included
- Private · sized to your party
- Starbucks at Kuşadası cruise plaza
From$134/ person
View tourGuest photos
Shared with us by our guests.
Photographs our guests sent back after their tours, published with their permission. Un-staged and un-retouched: this is what the day actually looks like.
30 October 2026: three guests off Enchanted Princess with our guide Zafer Korkmaz, on the right, at the Library of Celsus. Booked at the last minute, their private day from Kuşadası cruise port ran from the Starbucks at 09:30: Ephesus from the Upper Gate down to the Lower Gate from 10:00, the Temple of Artemis at 12:00, lunch in Selçuk, the House of the Virgin Mary at 13:45 and back at the ship around 15:00. 
22 October 2026: six guests from Canada off Celebrity Ascent with our guide Eli Halegua, on the right, at the Library of Celsus. Their private morning from Kuşadası cruise port: Ephesus from the Upper Gate down to the Lower Gate, then the Temple of Artemis, back at the port by about 12:30, guided in English. 
22 October 2026: one of four guests from the United States off Celebrity Ascent on the seats of the Great Theatre, where Acts 19 sets the riot of the silversmiths. Their private Biblical day from Kuşadası cruise port, guided in English by Hakan Cebeci, who took the photo: Ephesus from the Upper Gate, the Temple of Artemis, lunch in Selçuk, the Basilica of St John and the House of the Virgin Mary. 
22 October 2026: the four guests from the United States off Celebrity Ascent at the Temple of Hadrian on Curetes Street, the Medusa relief over the inner door behind them. Their private Biblical day from Kuşadası cruise port, guided in English by Hakan Cebeci, who took the photo: Ephesus from the Upper Gate, the Temple of Artemis, lunch in Selçuk, the Basilica of St John and the House of the Virgin Mary. 
20 October 2026: our guide Ebru Özkan with seven Holland America Oosterdam guests from Andorra, Ebru in the centre, at the House of the Virgin Mary on a private tour from Kuşadası cruise port guided in Spanish. 
9 October 2026: our guide Cihan Yaşkaya with two Holland America Oosterdam guests, Cihan on the right taking the selfie, among the columns of Ephesus, on a private Ephesus, Virgin Mary and Artemis tour from Kuşadası cruise port guided in Russian. 
3 October 2026: a family of four off Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas with our guide İbrahim Pancar, on the right, above the Library of Celsus on a private Biblical Ephesus tour of the city where Paul taught for about three years (Acts 20:31), from Kuşadası cruise port, guided in English. 
3 October 2026: five guests off Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas at the House of the Virgin Mary with their guide Burçak Akdemir, fourth from left, on a private Ephesus, Virgin Mary and Artemis tour from Kuşadası cruise port guided in English. 
3 October 2026: our guide Burçak Akdemir takes a selfie with the Odyssey of the Seas guests at the spring below the House of the Virgin Mary, on a private Ephesus, Virgin Mary and Artemis tour from Kuşadası cruise port guided in English. 
30 September 2026: four guests off Odyssey of the Seas with their guide Murat Fesli on the Kuşadası seafront, their ship at the cruise port behind them, heading back to board after a private Ephesus, Virgin Mary and Artemis tour guided in English. 
21 September 2026: eleven MSC Divina guests on the steps of a Roman archway at Ephesus with their guide Cihan Yaşkaya, on the right in the straw hat, on a private Ephesus, Virgin Mary and Artemis tour from Kuşadası cruise port guided in Russian. 
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. 
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. 
24 September 2026: Oceania Nautica guests resting by the Library of Celsus on a private Ephesus, Virgin Mary and Artemis tour from Kuşadası cruise port, photographed by their guide Mehmet Tunalı. 
16 September 2026: two guests off Odyssey of the Seas above the Library of Celsus, the Gate of Mazaeus and Mithridates beside it, on a private Ephesus, Virgin Mary and Artemis tour from Kuşadası cruise port with Tours of Ephesus. 
16 September 2026: our Spanish-speaking guide Celal Ceylan at the front of the minibus on a private Ephesus tour from Kuşadası port, the vehicle carrying nobody but his own group. 
9 September 2026: two couples off Celebrity Xcel at the Library of Celsus on a private tour, photographed by their guide Gökhan Günaydın. 
5 September 2026: guests off Enchanted Princess on a private tour with our guide Ferah Pekdemir on the Celsus plaza, stroller and all. 
18 July 2026: our guide Fulya Tamer with her guests at the Yedi Bilgeler wine house, a stop a private tour can add on request. 
18 July 2026: our guide Ebru Özkan and the private tour group at the top of Curetes Street, the Library of Celsus at the far end. 
3 August 2026: our Spanish-speaking guide Ebru Özkan, kneeling front and centre, with the whole private tour group off MSC Divina on Curetes Street, the Library of Celsus far below. 
13 September 2026: our French-speaking guide Eli Halegua with his private tour group off Celebrity Infinity, on the plaza below the Library of Celsus. 
4 August 2026: an American family off Celebrity Infinity with our guide İbrahim Pancar in the Celsus plaza, on the private Biblical Ephesus tour. 
18 July 2026: our guide Ebru Özkan with the private tour group at the Temple of Artemis, the lone column and Ayasuluk Castle behind. 
July 2026: our guide Gökhan Özden with his whole private tour group at the harbour dove sculpture, their ships at the berth behind. 
Beside Arete, virtue personified, in her niche on the library. 
The Grand Theatre from the upper rim, a group on the stage far below. 
The Celsus facade in the first morning light, before the plaza fills. 
Beside a carved sarcophagus and the story cut into it, with a licensed guide. 
On the marble plaza, the library and the Gate of Augustus behind. 
The Roman public latrines, reliably the stop with the most questions.
Our guides
24 licensed guides, 6 languages
- English 17
- Spanish 8
- Portuguese 3
- Russian 2
- Italian 1
- French 1
- Celal CeylanSpanish · EnglishLicence no. 11794
- Cihan YaşkayaRussianLicence no. 6313
- İbrahim PancarEnglishLicence no. 12874
- Nedret GüngörSpanish · Italian · PortugueseLicence no. 8861
- Mehmet TunalıEnglish · RussianLicence no. 6489
- Hakan CebeciSpanish · EnglishLicence no. 4049
Before you choose
Common questions
What the whole day costs, line by line, is in what an Ephesus tour actually costs from Kuşadası; the official ticket prices are in Ephesus entrance fees 2027. Weighing a luxury private day against a standard one? See what actually changes at the luxury level. What premium means on every one of our tours, with 2027 prices for each party size, is on our premium Ephesus tours from Kuşadası port page. New to Ephesus from a cruise? Start with the first-time cruiser guide, or meet our licensed Ephesus guides.
Tours run from $91 to $188 per person in 2027 with entrance fees included; the lowest price applies at the largest group size. Tours on or before 31 December 2026 are charged at the 2026 rates.
No. There is no deposit and no card details are taken to book. You pay at the end of the tour, in cash (USD, EUR, GBP or TRY) or by card through a mobile card reader. If your ship cannot dock, you owe nothing.
Every tour is planned around your ship's all-aboard time. We track your ship on the day and shape the route around its actual arrival, and your guide and driver stay with you from the port and back. If the ship docks late, we shorten the sightseeing, never the return to the ship. On-time return to your ship is guaranteed.
Your guide holds QR-coded skip-the-line tickets, bought in advance, so you walk straight to the gate without waiting at the ticket window. Ephesus has no separate priority lane, so the saving is the ticket queue, which in high season can be the longest wait of the day.
Start with your hours ashore. Under five hours in port, take a half-day tour: Ephesus on its own, or Ephesus with the Temple of Artemis, the House of the Virgin Mary or the Basilica of St. John, since the site is only 20-25 minutes from the ship. With five to six hours, the extended half-day routes add the Virgin Mary, St. John or Şirince village, with lunch included on every one, the Biblical Ephesus tour among them. Seven hours or more opens the full-day circuits. Send us your ship and date and we will tell you honestly what fits.
You travel in your own vehicle with one guide for your party, on a schedule set by your ship rather than by a coach group.
Your licensed private guide, a private air-conditioned vehicle with a separate driver, parking, taxes and the entrance fees, held as skip-the-line QR tickets bought before you dock. Lunch is included only on the tours that list it. Tips and the optional Terrace Houses ticket, which can be added on the day, are not included.
Yes. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before your tour start time, and because nothing is prepaid there is no refund to wait for. If your ship is delayed or rerouted there is no rebooking penalty, and if the port call is cancelled you owe nothing.
Every guide on our roster is licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Most work in English, and the roster also covers Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian and French. Tell us the language when you book: guides in those languages are finite on mornings when several ships dock at once.
There is no dress code at Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, the House of the Virgin Mary or the Basilica of St. John. Wear whatever you are comfortable walking in. Footwear matters most: Ephesus is uneven ancient marble, so flat, closed, comfortable shoes make the biggest difference.
How to choose
Start with your hours ashore. Under five hours in port, take a Half-Day Essential: the 3-hour Ephesus tour fits even tight calls, since the site is only 20-25 minutes from the ship. With five to six hours, an Extended Half-Day adds the Virgin Mary, St. John or Sirince without pressure. Seven hours or more in port opens the Full-Day routes. If you are unsure, send us your ship and date and we will tell you honestly what fits. On a cruise morning, our Kuşadası cruise port guide walks through the timing in detail.
How to book
Write to us by WhatsApp or email with your date, group size and preferred tour. We confirm your guide and vehicle the same day, with no deposit and nothing to pay in advance: you settle at the end of the tour in cash (USD, EUR, GBP, TL) or by Visa/Mastercard. If your plans change or your ship cannot dock, you owe nothing.
WhatsApp +90 532 324 2489 · TÜRSAB #2290