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Ephesus Tour: Explore Ancient Ruins and Virgin Mary House
4.9
486 Ratings
Izmir
Explore the ancient city of Ephesus on this all-inclusive tour from Izmir. Visit the ruins, the House of the Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis. Indulge in delicious Turkish cuisine and enjoy shopping for jewelry, leather, and ceramics.
Explore the ancient city of Ephesus on this all-inclusive tour from Izmir. Visit the ruins, the House of the Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis. Indulge in delicious Turkish cuisine and enjoy shopping for jewelry, leather, and ceramics.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Izmir - Tour starts at 8.30 am.
- Meryemana (The Virgin Mary’s House) - Visit of House of Virgin Mary is located near to Ephesus with your guide during 45 minutes.
- Ancient City of Ephesus - Visit Ephesus Ancient City with your guide during 2 hours.
- Selcuk - Take a lunch at the town of Selcuk in the local restaurant with…
- Izmir - Tour starts at 8.30 am.
- Meryemana (The Virgin Mary’s House) - Visit of House of Virgin Mary is located near to Ephesus with your guide during 45 minutes.
- Ancient City of Ephesus - Visit Ephesus Ancient City with your guide during 2 hours.
- Selcuk - Take a lunch at the town of Selcuk in the local restaurant with open-buffet.
- Izmir - Turn back to Izmir, the travel is 1 hour. Take off all guests to their address.
What's Included
- Guided tour with a professional tour guide
- Admission to iconic Ephesus Ancient City
- Visit to the serene Virgin Mary House
- Comfortable transportation by private air-conditioned vehicle
- Convenient hotel, port, or Izmir Airport pickup and drop-off
- Delicious lunch included
- Guided tour with a professional tour guide
- Admission to iconic Ephesus Ancient City
- Visit to the serene Virgin Mary House
- Comfortable transportation by private air-conditioned vehicle
- Convenient hotel, port, or Izmir Airport pickup and drop-off
- Delicious lunch included
What's Not Included
- Drinks
- Gratuities
- Personal Expenses
- Drinks
- Gratuities
- Personal Expenses
Additional Information
Ephesus was an ancient city from the Greco-Roman period situated on the coast of Ionia, about three kilometers southwest of what is now Selçuk in the Izmir province of Turkey. The Ephesus excursion covers the archaeological remains of the old city of Ephesus, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Nestled next to a lush valley, the…
Ephesus was an ancient city from the Greco-Roman period situated on the coast of Ionia, about three kilometers southwest of what is now Selçuk in the Izmir province of Turkey. The Ephesus excursion covers the archaeological remains of the old city of Ephesus, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Nestled next to a lush valley, the city was historically a hub for commerce and early Christian religious practices. It stands out as one of the most intact ancient cities and is notable for its rich cultural relics including the Treasure Odeon, the Temple of Domitian, Roman public baths, communal latrines, and the Hercules Gate, making it a gem among Turkey’s tourist attractions.
Explore the House of the Virgin Mary, believed to be the place where she spent her final days, complete with sacred springs and a wishing wall. Glimpse the panoramic view of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the classical world.
During the mealtime break, you’ll have the chance to savor the flavors of traditional Turkish dishes. Moreover, there will be opportunities to engage in heritage shopping, whether it’s for jewelry, leather goods, or ceramic ware.
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- The duration of transfers is approximate 1 hour and 30 minutes, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
- Please inform us, if you have a flight at the same day on the turn back to Izmir
- Since the program you purchased is a group tour, tour end times may vary. If you have travel plans after the tour, please contact us.
- You will see the Temple of Artemis panoramic.
- If there is not a sufficient majority in languages other than English, our tour operate in English
Location
Izmir
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(486 Ratings)
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Z921xuvijayp
Feb 27, 2026
Amazing Ephesus tour with engaging guide Erman, comfy Sprinter ride, great lunch & authentic shops! - We had an absolutely fantastic Ephesus tour from Izmir! Our guide, Erman, was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely fun to be around. He brought the history of Ephesus to life with great storytelling and made the entire experience both educational and entertaining. You could tell he truly loves what he does.
A special thank you as well to our driver, who was professional and courteous throughout the day. The transportation was a brand-new, spotless Mercedes Sprinter — extremely comfortable and made the journey smooth and relaxing.
The buffet lunch was excellent, with a great variety of fresh and delicious options. We also appreciated the thoughtfully selected shops included as part of the tour — they felt authentic and well-curated, not rushed or pressured.
Overall, this tour exceeded our expectations. Great organization, great service, and an unforgettable experience. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jurrix
Feb 23, 2026
Excellent experience - Excellent tour with Erman guide, very friendly and with a great knowledge of history, which made the explanation clear, interesting and that could solve all our doubts.
We also highlight the excellent service of the tour operator, which made it possible for our tour to take place in Spanish, which we highly value.
Top quality service, fully recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V1771dgpaolac
Feb 14, 2026
Tour of Efesos - Very good guide with a clear reference to each of the places we toured Efesos with Erman who has a very good Spanish, which makes the experience even better
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Reahm2026
Feb 13, 2026
Highly recommended - We had a wonderful experience visiting Ephesus with Erman as our guide. He is extremely knowledgeable about all the places we visited and shared detailed information that truly enriched our trip. His explanations were clear, engaging, and easy to understand.
Erman was very approachable and accommodating, always making sure we were comfortable. He has a great sense of humor, which helped us feel relaxed and enjoy the tour even more. Despite the rainy weather, he carefully timed each visit so we wouldn’t get wet, showing how thoughtful and intentional he is in planning the experience.
A special mention to our driver as well — he was skilled, professional, and very polite throughout the trip, making us feel safe and well taken care of.
We highly recommend Erman and his team for anyone visiting Ephesus. It was truly a memorable and enjoyable experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherpa27083868953
Feb 9, 2026
Beautiful place, full of history - Erman, super good guide, patient so we could take pictures. Tour highly recommended, to enjoy with family or friends, as it was in our case. Greetings from Chile
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thomas_w
Feb 4, 2026
Amazing tour with an amazing guide! - A perfect way to see the unbelievably well preserved city of Ephesus. Erman was a very friendly guide and had endless knowledge of all the history surrounding these sites. The ride was quick and comfortable and the lunch was very good as well. I highly recommend this tour when in Izmir!
Review provided by Viator
Cruiser09426943762
Jan 19, 2026
A Truly Enriching Experience in Ephesus - Our tour from Izmir to Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis was simply wonderful and truly unforgettable. First of all, I would like to sincerely thank the agency for their kindness, understanding, and flexibility regarding the change of dates. They handled the situation with great care and consideration, which already made us feel very well supported from the beginning.
The entire service was extremely punctual and well organized. Our guide, Alperen, was absolutely exceptional. He is incredibly kind, welcoming, and attentive, always making sure we felt comfortable throughout the day. His knowledge is impressive: he demonstrated a deep understanding of the territory, the history of Turkey, ancient civilizations, and the archaeological context of each site we visited. He answered all our questions with clarity and enthusiasm, making the experience truly enriching.
Having such a knowledgeable and prepared guide made the experience far superior to visiting the sites on our own. Alperen is not only highly professional, but also very polite, friendly, and genuinely passionate about what he does. The driver was also excellent: kind, responsible, and very professional.
We traveled to Izmir specifically to take part in this tour, and it exceeded all our expectations. It was a wonderful day and a very special moment for us. We are deeply grateful for the outstanding service and for providing us with such an incredible experience. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mary
Feb 21, 2026
Glorious histrical and valuable place to go in Izmir - 1/background information or history preparation:
for Asian visitors for example, some related homework to do first is suggested, otherwise it is difficult to understand and follow in Englis.
2/value: it is a glorious and grand spot to visit. you can have a on-site experience to read its great past times. even most of constructions have been ruined, it is interesting and meaningful.
3/ tour guide and driver: very professional and friendly.
4/tour: duration and places arranged is ok.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rtp1415wb
Feb 17, 2026
A Rainy but Meaningful Day in Ephesus - Our guide, Erman Uslu, was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English, making the history and stories easy to understand and enjoyable throughout the day. Our driver was also friendly and drove safely, which made the trip comfortable despite the weather.
The Ephesus tour itself was well organized and still enjoyable even though it rained the entire day. The included lunch was a bit underwhelming compared to the rest of the experience.
The Temple of Artemis was slightly disappointing as there isn’t much left to see — mainly one full column and a smaller one — but it’s still interesting from a historical perspective. A highlight for me was visiting the House of Mary; it felt peaceful and meaningful, and I even bought some rosaries for loved ones.
The tour also includes stops at a leather store and a souvenir shop, which may be enjoyable if you’re interested in shopping.
Overall, a good tour with an excellent guide and meaningful sites, even with the rainy weather.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Voyage43545231210
Feb 9, 2026
Visit to the ancient city of Ephesus, home of the Virgin Mary and semi temple of artemis - Excellent coordination, we were picked up from the airport, and everything super. Very attentive guide, Erman, very good.
I recommend the tour.
No more detail that it was due to end at 6:30 p.m., and concluded at 4:30 p.m.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
