Private Tour
FROM IZMIR Cruise Port: Ephesus and Mary's House Private Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Discover the top highlights of Ephesus on a private, stress-free shore excursion crafted exclusively for CRUISE PASSENGERS arriving at IZMIR CRUISE PORT. Travel in comfort with your own air-conditioned Minivan and expert local guide as you explore the UNESCO-listed Ancient City of Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis. Your guide plans the entire day around your ship’s schedule—handling entrances, timing, comfort breaks, and optional cultural stops. Enjoy a flexible itinerary, personalised attention, and a guaranteed on-time return to your cruise ship.
• Private shore excursion from İzmir Cruise Port, designed specifically for cruise passengers
• Explore three major highlights in one day: Ephesus Ruins, House of the Virgin Mary, and Temple of Artemis
• Enjoy a flexible, personalised itinerary with your own licensed guide
• Worry-free booking with port pickup/drop-off and guaranteed on-time return
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Pick up and Drop off services available from the below mentioned places;
* Centrally located Hotels in Izmir * Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport * Izmir Cruise Port
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Izmir
We will meet you at the Cruise Port! Once your tour is confirmed, we will promptly contact you with your personalised meeting time and exact pickup location, carefully planned according to your cruise ship’s arrival and departure schedule. After greeting our team at the port, you will begin your journey with a comfortable 1-hour drive to Ephesus. Along the way, your guide will share valuable insights about Turkey, the region, and what to expect during your tour.
Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House)
The House of the Virgin Mary is one of the most important Christian pilgrimage sites, believed to be where Mary spent her final years after coming to Ephesus with John the Apostle. The shrine has been honored by several Popes, including Paul VI (1967), John Paul II (1979), and Benedict XVI (2006). Its discovery is linked to the visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich, a German nun who described the house in remarkable detail despite never having visited Ephesus. Her accounts, published by writer Clemens Brentano, inspired Father Poulin, a Lazarist priest from Izmir, to search for the site. In 1891, he found a small stone house that matched her descriptions perfectly, leading to archaeological studies and the preservation of the site we visit today.
What‘s Included
Transportation with A/C Minivans with separate Driver
GUARANTEED ON-TIME RETURN FOR CRUISE PASSENGERS
Professional LICENSED LOCAL TOUR GUIDE
SKIP-THE-LINE ENTRANCE TICKET (according to the option chosen), allow you to bypass long lines
Pick-up & Drop-off available only from Mentioned Places
PRIVATE TOUR that ensures more personalized service
Gratuities recommended
Food and Drinks (optional)
Entrance Fees if the option is not selected
Pickup points
Adnan Menderes Airport
Izmir Turkiye
Options
INCL. MUSEUM ENTRANCE TICKETS
MUSEUM TICKETS: INCLUDING MUSEUM ENTRANCE TICKETS for Ephesus Ancient City and the House of Virgen Mary.
Pickup included
EXCL. MUSEUM ENTRANCE TICKETS
MUSEUM TICKETS: On the day of your tour, you can choose the Museums you are interested in visiting and pay the entrance fees on-site.
PRIVATE TOUR: Tailor-made Private Tour excluding the Museum Entrance Tickets.
Pickup included
Reviews
18 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
An amazing tour. Highly...
RommelAngelo E,,Nov 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00An amazing tour. Highly recommended! The tour guide went above and beyond to accommodate our requests during the tour.
The guide made it 10x better
Nicolas F,,Nov 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Overall experience was great, we had a very good time, very good explanations of the site, with enough time to see all the highlights. Ozzy was an excellent guide, he gave us time in all stops and he knows a lot.
Great tour of Ephesus area!
Elizabeth L,,Nov 11, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a fabulous tour off of our cruise ship! Canan and Ahmed were wonderful and really took good care of us. We went to Mary’s house, the Basilica of St. John, and the Temple of Artemis. Highly recommend!
Efesus nice tour
leonardo L,,Jul 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Mehmet Kadir was very nice and helpful, he knows a lot about the place and took us a lot of nice fotógraphs, we highly recommend him if you want to know efesus
Excellent
kellywB7900RA,,Dec 23, 2021
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I had a fantastic time. All for the history was on beautiful display. Our guide made connections to ancient times and now. I would recommend Ismail he provided a talior made experience for our group. He made everything interesting and tangible
Good customer service
kbell91827465,,Jun 26, 2021
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Tour company was accommodating and easy to get in touch with! There was an issue scheduling and they were very helpful. 🙏
Tourist trap
Giulia C 89 viajante,,Nov 26, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00The tour had everything to be great (nive guide, trasportation from the hotel, lunch in a local place and duration) BUT we visited Ephesus in a rush (a little bit more than 1h30), didnt see the terrace houses and other interesting elements as the guide seened to be in a rush to see the artemis temple and then do a quick stop at a carpet and a leather shop. Actually The artemis was simple and done in 10 minutes, and then we spent more time in the shops that were made for you to buy. The leather shop had a fashion show and the average price was 800 USD! And the carpets were ariund 2000 USD: not something you buy out of the blue abd definetly I didnt want to rish through ephesus for that. After we realised what happened we felt used and that the tour was unfair: they could have given us the choice. Watch out, after talking to other tourists who have done the same tour with other companies, the same happened. Watch out. By the way, we spent more than 70€ for each one, 270€ in total. Too expensive for getting a rush visit through the main attraction.
A memorable trip
Varsha S,,Oct 27, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful time on this tour thanks to Fatima and Ismail. Ismail coordinated and organised everything for us including the pickup from our hotel in Izmir. Fatima was our tour guide for the day and she was amazing. Her warmth and pleasantness along with her knowledge made the tour even more special. The tour included a visit to the House of Mother Mary, Ephesus, Lunch, visit to a local Leather Wholesaler and an Arts and Craft Centre. Fatima paced the tour really well. We thoroughly enjoyed each of them. Ephesus is a must see if you are visiting Turkey. It is fascinating from a historical perspective and set against a hilly and green countryside, it is quite spectacular. Fatima and Ismail organise great tours and I highly recommend anyone visiting Turkey and looking for organised tours to book with them. Thank you Fatima for a wonderful and memorable day. We will truly cherish these memories.
Wonderful.
davidbO3328AU,,Oct 26, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was, without a doubt, one of the best stops of the cruise The Library is simply spectacular, just for that it is worth the trip Highly recommended
Great experience with great tour guide!!
gkhattak,,Oct 7, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were looking for a small tour; semi private tour that would be personal and informative and we found it! Ismail was our tour guide and he was full of useful cultural and historical knowledge but at the same time not overwhelming us. The van was very comfortable as well. Ismail took us to a special local restaurant that did not disappoint and was a better experience than the usual tour buffet stops.
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