Private Tour
Private Tour from Izmir to Ephesus, Artemission, Virgin Mary House incl. Lunch
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Private guided tour of Ephesus, Temple of Artemis, The House of Virgin Mary with lunch. Entrance fees, A/C transportation,and lunch are included in the price. Terrace houses can be added into the program (additional cost)
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
At time of booking, passengers must provide hotel name
Private guided tour of Ephesus, Temple of Artemis, The House of Virgin Mary with lunch. Entrance fees, A/C transportation,and lunch are included in the price.
Terrace houses can be added into the program (additional cost)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Izmir
Your private guide will meet you at Izmir Airport / Hotel / Port with a sign written “ Your Name “ on it, anytime you want .We will drive around 50 mins. to reach Ephesus.
Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House)
First visit The House of Virgin Mary is located on the Aladag Mountains 5 miles away from Ephesus. At the third Ecumenical Council on 431 AD in Ephesus, it was claimed that Mary came to Ephesus with St. John in 37 A.D. and lived there until her death in 48 A.D. After the discovery of the house, the Archbishop of Izmir declared there as a place of pilgrimage in 1892. On July 26, 1967, Pope Paul VI visited this place and prayed there.
What‘s Included
Traditional Turkish Lunch
GUARANTEED On Time Return to PORT
Private tour
Professional guide
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
ENTRANCE FEES ( Our guide will have pre-paid tickets to skip the lines )
Drinks
Gratuities
Pickup points
Hyatt Regency Izmir IstinyePark
Bahcelerarasi Sehit Binbasi Izmir Turkiye
Izmir Marriott Hotel
Akdeniz Mahallesi Gazi Bulvari No 1 Alsancak, Konak, Cumhuriyet Bulvari Izmir Turkiye
Adnan Menderes Airport
Izmir Turkiye
Renaissance Izmir Hotel
Akdeniz Mah. Gaziosmanpasa Bulvari No: 16 Izmir Turkiye
Key Hotel
Akdeniz Mahallesi Mimar Kemalettin Caddesi No 1 Alsancak, Konak, Izmir, Konak, İzmir Izmir Turkiye
Swissotel Buyuk Efes Izmir
Gazi Osman Pasa Blv. No:1, Izmir Turkiye
Options
Private Izmir to Ephesus
Pickup included
Reviews
37 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
The tours was excellent. The was informative and so helpful. Lunch was very and the whole experience was great Great tour. Great
Dennis J,,Nov 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful day touring Ephesus. The tour guide was excellent and our experience viewing the ancient city was one we will not forget
Absolutely fabulous!
Pioneer56145374050,,Oct 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour exceeded our expectations. Our guide Gürkan was a wealth of information and very knowledgeable. He is a wonderful conversationalist and always had an answer for any question. Even though we are familiar with the history, we learned much more. This tour was excellent from the pick-up till the end. Highly recommend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ephesus and Virgin Mary’s house!! Private tour is a good choice!! This agency good also!!
Silvia E M,,Oct 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide Emre Dasdemir and the Driver made sure we were able to see Virgins Marys house with out getting went since it was pouring when we got there!! They made the good decision of starting there so by the time we got to Ephesus the rain had subsided and we were able to do the walk in the city!! It was a perfect tour in spite the weather conditions… I would recommend this tour and of course the knowledgeable guide Emre!! Good job!!
One-of-a kind experience!
Andria G,,Oct 4, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This trip was an amazing experience! History buff's dream! Our guide Gem was very knowledgeable about local history and made our trip great. Exactly as described. The transport vehicle was clean and well kept and the driver was super friendly. Both Gem and our driver offered other local recommendations. Also included in this trip was a stop at a Turkish rug making co-op, which provided a one-of-a-kind experience to see the amazing craftsmanship and effort that go into the making of Turkish rugs. Note: Be prepared, they will try VERY hard to sell you a rug!
Best tour guide Mr Emre
Mayuri S,,Sep 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Emre was our tour guide and he did an excellent job. Very professional & detailed history on each place. We were very happy with lunch place also. Please pass on the message to whoever it implies. Thank you, Curio travel
Amazing tour guide experience with Ekim, lunch wasn't great
Mary M,,Aug 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00Our tour guide Ekim was amazing (6 stars, one of the best I've had, more below) but the lunch brought it down by a star. Our guide had impeccable timing, read our group and was fantastic with the kids. We loved hanging out with him and our driver was great too. We went to Ephesus which is really crowded--we had to be dropped off at the top of the old city and then walk down and meet the driver with our guide below. He subtly asked if we wanted to get Turkish ice cream at the end (bonus points for asking me and NOT the kids) and went to the place who had delicious ice cream--and the family loved the whole magic show too. He and our driver timed it perfectly (this is more impressive than it sounds as the traffic line was probably a mile long) and then took us to check out pottery after one of the kids said she loved art. They gave us a demonstration of both making and painting the pottery and we purchased a serving bowl as a souvenir--expensive but worth it! The final experience was touring a rug workshop and an outdoor lunch. There were multiple ships in port that day so the location was busy but he had called ahead to let them know when we'd be there and they were completely unprepared. They were out of some of the food, we waited in the sun forever and they forgot to offer us any beverages at all. Our guide did an amazing job compensating, trying to set the table himself, helping us clear and telling us interesting information (seriously, phenomenal) but the lunch experience wasn't great. Also, I think this was supposed to be his break and he didn't get one at all while trying to salvage the lunch for us. Then we walked across the courtyard for a weaving demonstration. Once again, our guide tried to share information about the silk worm process, but the man demonstrating the process waited for a staff member, making the process slow once again. Throughout the tour, he did a great job of keeping us engaged and giving us information while also giving us time to talk amongst ourselves (it's a pretty long drive from Izmir to Ephesus). I would highly recommend him and if we were ever in the area again would be sure to specifically request him. While my group was kids, his attentiveness and detail would make him a great fit for any age of group. He was easy to find at the pick up spot and matched our pace. We didn't interact a ton with the driver but he also did a great job.
Excellent
May Y,,Jun 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great experience, wonderful and very informative and friendly guide, Beyza. Very Highly recommended.
A Lovely Time… Until…
Elise B,,Jun 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00I will start by saying that we were prepared to give this tour 5 stars. I spoke to the operations manager as to why I would not be able to, so that no one was caught off guard by our review. The day started out wonderfully with our guide Gem and our driver. Beautiful Mercedes SUV, by the way! We spent the majority of our time at the ancient city of Ephesus. Whether you are of the Christian faith, or fascinated with history, this was an amazing site. Make sure to have walking shoes and water! We were then taken to a Turkish rug shop where we got to see how Turkish rugs are made. You can purchase with no expectation.. but expect a price tag that goes with the craftsmanship! We then enjoyed a local lunch that was delicious. The last part of the tour was to see the Virgin Mary’s house. As a person of the Christian faith, I was looking forward to this. About 2 miles from the house, we were told that we would have to return to the boat as our cruise was leaving early. My husband and I were shocked and caught off guard, as no communication was sent to us from the cruise… and we were suspicious as to why they would reach out to a 3rd party tour company and not to their guests. We begged to quickly see the Virgin Mary’s house as I have no idea the next time I’ll be in Ephesus. We ran to the house, took a picture, and ran back to the van. I was disappointed, but at least I have the picture! My husband was then asked to sign a form that said we went against advice to go back to the boat when we were told. I let him sign it, as the reservation was under my name.. so legally my husband means nothing in their system. (yes, I was raised by an attorney!) I also had him add that the tour company was given information we never received from the cruise. Once we arrived to the port, there was no talk of the cruise leaving early. As you can imagine, I was furious, as this cut our tour short. The operations manager of this tour company was very kind and took my call. He said he was told by the MSC cruise director that there was a possible Israeli/Pakistan protest and wanted to give tour companies a heads up to bring their guests back early in case of traffic. Although still upset, I appreciated the manager for explaining this to me and ultimately for Gem and our driver getting us to the boat safely. I have sense spoken to the cruise. There is no documentation of this conversation with this tour company. So I felt 4 stars was fair for what could have been a 5 start review but there is definitely a missing puzzle piece in the communication. Should you take this tour, and we do recommend the tour for the itinerary, please make sure you have access to all of your cruise documents including contact information to check in with your cruise to verify embankment times.
Informative yet relaxed tour
pje1971,,May 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Gulsah our guide was extremely helpful and knowledgeable from the moment we were collected from the port right up to dropping us back off. We were given the opportunity to choose the time spent at each attraction and everything was explained to us in great detail which made the experience a pleasure. Thank you Gulsah, we would recommend the tour and you personally to anyone!
Ephesus tour and Mary’s house
Valerie D,,May 4, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide was very knowledgeable and easy to understand and very accommodating. We enjoyed our time with him learning the history of this amazing place.
Related Experiences
Operated by Kusadasi Private Tours