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Izmir Shore Excursion: Private Tour to Ephesus and the House of Virgin Mary
5 h
Private
About this activity
When you arrive in the Izmir port, leave your cruise ship behind and head out on a private tour to the ancient city of Ephesus and the House of Virgin Mary. Your experienced private guide will lead you around the city and ensure that you make the most of your time in port. As you travel south from Izmir to Selcuk in your private vehicle, you’ll drive along the blue Aegean Sea, passing cotton fields, vineyards and pine woods.
When you arrive in Ephesus, enter the city through the Magnesia Gate, a marvelous example of ancient architecture. Inside the former Roman capital city, you will see the Odeon (a small theater), the Celsus Library (built in honor of the Roman senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanu), and the Temple of Hadrian (originally built in the 2nd century). You will also see the Great Theater and the Fountain of Trajan, which was erected between 102 and 104 AD and consecrated to the Emperor Trajan.
The Great Theater is one of Ephesus' most famous landmarks, as it is still used today for the local spring festival. It once had seating space for 24,000 people, and it is believed to be the site where St Paul preached to the Ephesians.
You will then visit the House of the Virgin Mary in the Solmissos Mountains. This small house it is of extraordinary importance to Christians as the place where the Virgin Mary spent her final days. A small shrine dedicated to her was found there when the ruins of the house were first discovered.
Worry-free Shore Excursion:
We will ensure your timely return to the Izmir port for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.
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When you arrive in Ephesus, enter the city through the Magnesia Gate, a marvelous example of ancient architecture. Inside the former Roman capital city, you will see the Odeon (a small theater), the Celsus Library (built in honor of the Roman senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanu), and the Temple of Hadrian (originally built in the 2nd century). You will also see the Great Theater and the Fountain of Trajan, which was erected between 102 and 104 AD and consecrated to the Emperor Trajan.
The Great Theater is one of Ephesus' most famous landmarks, as it is still used today for the local spring festival. It once had seating space for 24,000 people, and it is believed to be the site where St Paul preached to the Ephesians.
You will then visit the House of the Virgin Mary in the Solmissos Mountains. This small house it is of extraordinary importance to Christians as the place where the Virgin Mary spent her final days. A small shrine dedicated to her was found there when the ruins of the house were first discovered.
Worry-free Shore Excursion:
We will ensure your timely return to the Izmir port for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.
Included
- Transport by private vehicle
- Professional guide
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Worry-Free Shore Excursion Guarantee
Not included
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks, unless specified
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 5 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
- At time of booking, Cruise Ship passengers must provide the following details under Special Requirements: Ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Not recommended for children aged 4 and under
- Children 18 years and under must be accompanied by an adult
- Please enter your preferred pickup time in the Special Requirements box at the time of booking, and reconfirm 48 hours prior to the tour’s departure time
Features
Tourism
100%
Cultural
65%
Aquatic
35%
Reviews
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We were greeted immediately from departing the ship by a very friendly man named Alex who was our guide for the day. Alex made our day for sure, his knowledge and passion for these ancient sites was amazing. These two sites are very special so we were so thankful we did get such a good guide that knew so much we got so much great knowledge that we otherwise never would have known. I would highly recommend this tour and ask for Alex. John was the driver and he was equally as good. We are definitely going back to Turkey beautiful country and super people.
Our tour was fantastic. Our guide, Emre Dasdemir, was knowledgeable, considerate, respectful, helpful, interesting and funny. He made a point of educating us as well as entertaining us, in fact, he restored our faith in the Turkish people after a less than positive experience we had the previous day while in Istanbul. His knowledge of the sites we visited and his ability to provide relevant history and geographic information to ensure we developed a complete understanding of the relevance of the site historically was exceptional. We took three tours on our cruise, each from different providers, and this one was by far the most positive experience, due in large part, we believe, to the skill and personality of our guide. We would strongly recommend this tour and in particular our guide, to anyone visiting Turkey.