Private Tour
PRIVATE Ephesus Full Day Tour from Izmir
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Our PRIVATE Ephesus Tour is one of its kind about places it covers and it's our best-seller! This tour is a perfect option for those who have a full day to spend around the most important sights of the Ephesus area.
This tour is guaranteed Skip-The-Line with pre-purchased tickets.
You can always customize your tour with your private guide.
This tour includes pick up service from Izmir Cruise Port / Hotels. During your tour, you will visit; Ephesus Ancient City which used to be the most important commercial center of the western Anatolia, the House of Virgin Mary where Mary had spent her last day, the Basilica of St. John where is believed that the evangelist St. John had spent his last years in the region around Ephesus and buried in the southern slope of Ayosolug Hill and the Temple of Artemision which is known as one of the seven wonders of the Antic World.
Enjoy the personalized attention of your licensed local tour guide and the comfort of your private vehicle.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
At time of booking, cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
Please note that it takes one hour from Izmir to Ephesus Ancient City by drive
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Transport by Luxury Private Vehicle
Hotel/port pickup and drop-off
All Parking Fees and Taxes
English Speaking Tour Guide with Archaeological Backgroud
Entrance Fees(Your guide will have pre-purchased tickets to skip the lines. )
Local Lunch
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Ancient City of Ephesus
This enclosure for archaeological remains at Ephesus elegantly reconciles historic conservation with accessibility for visitors. The site of a succession of great ancient civilizations, Ephesus, on the south-west coast of modern Turkey, embodied a peculiarly fertile synthesis of architecture and culture. In 356BC the Greeks built the Artemesium (a colossal Ionic temple dedicated to Artemis the fertility goddess) which was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. During the 2nd century BC, Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the eastern Roman Empire, famous for its Artemesium, the Library of Celsus and its medical school..
The Temple of Artemis
The Temple of Artemis is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It has been built in the areas of Ephesus on a flat area which has over the centuries turned into a swamp. If you visit Ephesus today, you can only see the ruins of the foundations of this marvelous construction of the Hellenistic Age, entirely made of marble and full of sculptured columns' capitals and shafts. The most beautiful remaining of this temple are today exhibited in the London British Museum.
Options
From Izmir Hotels /Cruise Port
Duration: 6 hours
Mercedes Vito or Sprinter
Pickup included
Reviews
93 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Historical Journey
Dean D,
Jun 26, 2025
- Viator
5.00Our Guide, Ahmet - and our Driver Engin were fantastic. Ahmet spoke very good English, and provided a lot of historical context as we drove from Izmir to Ephesus. Engin was masterful climbing the tight roads up the mountain to go to "Mary's House". We left the hotel early (0700), which helped get us ahead of the cruise bus excursions... After Mary's House, we went to Ephesus proper. The excavations are amazing, as Ahmet said it is only 25% complete. A sprawling compound, once a port city. What a historical site it is!! Very glad we went there. Finally, we went to the Temple of Artemis, where Pagan god worship, a distant Mosque where muslims worship, and St. Lukes Basilica where Christians worship - all in a tight view. Very unique in the world. The only thing we did not particularly enjoy was the "ending" we were encouraged to go to a cultural facility for lunch - it seemed a lot of "pressure" to purchase goods from the salesmen there.... it took a lot of time, and would have rather spent more time having lunch and finalizing our tour with robust discussion, but the sales workers really put a lot of pressure on all of us to purchase jewels or hand woven rugs.
Great tour guide and driver with an unfortunate rug/jewellery sales pitch
Sameer B,
May 29, 2025
- Viator
4.00We had an overall very good trip with Elif, our guide, and Ibrahim, our driver. Both were kind, courteous and friendly. Elif's knowledge of Ephesus and other sites around Izmir were great and enjoyed learning about her family, her education and interest in English. At pickup, she had a sign with my name on it at the Airport when we left the arrivals hall. We would have given her 5-stars, except for lunch we went to what was obviously a "tourist-trap" and sat down for a slightly lengthy presentation on how Turkish rugs are made, followed by a sales pitch for Turkish rugs and random jewelry. That left a bad taste unfortunately since before lunch I specifically told her that we didn't want to eat at any "touristy" style place. You'd think if you are paying for a private tour, you would get to customize the tour (within reason).
Expensive for what it is
Jaime P,
May 17, 2025
- Viator
3.00For 300 euros rather poor the tour, I do not recommend it, it is not worth it, nothing that you can not do alone and a third of the way through Price
A Journey into Ancient Turkey!
Scott C,
May 11, 2025
- Viator
5.00Our tour guide, Ash, was very articulate and knowledgeable about Izmir and Ephasis. She was from the area and gave a personal perspective of not only the history, but the culture and how that influences life today. Our first stop was the Virgin Mother’s home which was not only very spiritual, but also wonderfully wooded and serene. I did not expect the connection with nature. The next stop was the ancient city of Ephasis. I cannot adequately describe the majesty or historical significance of the ruins from this ancient city. You could almost go back in time to feel the vibrancy. Ash gave us a good overview of the historical points, but also did not overwhelm us with non-stop talking like some guides. She would wait for us to ask questions so she would know what aspects of the ruins we were interested in learning about. Next we had lunch and a carpet weaving demonstration. They tried to sell us a carpet but understood that we were not interested. The pressure to buy was not very high. Finally we went to the Apostle John’s home which was in the city. Ash was an amazing tour guide who not only gave us a tour of historical sites, but gave us the insights to be transformed back in time with her on our journey.
Most interesting tour in Efesus
KATIA F,
Apr 17, 2025
- Viator
5.00Perfect tour , very detailed and informing. Nagi , our guide was expert in the history of Efesus. The visit in the house of Vigrin Mary was astonished. The story behind about its finding is magical. Also the visit to Basilica of Saint Jonh is a place that any Cristian should not miss. Nagi thank you for your lovely company and all the information that you shared with us.
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