Kusadasi · SHORE EXCURSIONS
Good shore excursions fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Meet your English-speaking guide at Kusadasi port for a small-group day at Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, St John’s Basilica, and the Temple of Artemis. Expect included lunch, air-conditioned transport, and possible carpet or leather shopping stops.
“Our tour guy did a great job. Would recommend her to others.”
Meet your licensed guide after docking in Kusadasi and visit Ephesus, Meryemana, and the Temple of Artemis in 5 to 7 hours. The private vehicle, driver, port transfers, and taxes are included. Guide Burak is praised for shaping the day around each group.
“We had a tour with Burak and he was AMAZING! He was super knowledgeable, relaxed and just an all around interesting person. He created the perfect itinerary for our group of 4 and we learned so much! I can't imagine doing Ephesus by ourselves, there is so much history. Burak made it such a special day!”
Meet your private guide at Kusadasi port for a six-hour visit to Ephesus, the Library of Celsus, Great Theatre, Temple of Artemis, and hilltop Şirince. Expect a flexible route, air-conditioned transport, fruit-wine tasting, and guides such as Begu, Erman, Char, or Serdar Karakas, subject to availability.
“We were met off our cruise ship by the guide, who took us to Ephesus and other places of interest including a small Turkish market town up in the hills where we tasted lots of local products, our guide was very Knowlegable and gave us a really good insight into ancient living, all in all this was a tour worth going on, thank you.”
Spend 5 to 7 hours touring Ephesus with a private English-speaking guide, stopping at Mary’s House, the Terrace Houses, Celsus Library, the Great Theatre, St. John Basilica, and the Temple of Artemis. Lunch is included, while several entry fees are extra.
“We had a great time on our tour to Ephesus and our guide, Selin was amazing and incredibly knowledgeable.”
Meet your guide at Kusadasi Port for a private minivan tour to Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, Selcuk, and the Temple of Artemis. Expect a guide-led visit, Turkish lunch, and time for carpet and ceramics, with entrance fees paid separately.
“Fantastic private guided tour by Mr. Ercument. We identified quickly in the port and took us everywhere in a impeccable comfortable new van. We visited Ephesus and Virgin Mary sites plus bonus shopping areas. We were back in to the cruise port on time. I highly recommended to book via this team: SmartTurkeyTours.com”
From Kusadasi Port, your private guide and driver take you to Ephesus, Mary’s House, and the Temple of Artemis. Expect an air-conditioned minivan, Turkish lunch, flexible pacing, and strong historical commentary from guides such as Tugba, Mahmet, Ayse, and Ekin. Ask about carpet stops before departure.
“Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and we learned so much. Our driver and vehicle were excellent. I highly recommend to everyone.”
Visit Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis in about 3.5 hours from Kusadasi. An official guide, air-conditioned transport, parking, and fuel are included. Guide Adem Arslan is praised for patience and flexibility, but Ephesus admission costs an extra €40 per person.
“Adem Arslan a great tourist guide. High educated, flexible, patient and his knowledge seems to be endless (-: We learned a lot, we highly recommend him and the tour. Thank you once again!”
Meet your private guide at Kusadasi Cruise Port and ride by air-conditioned minivan to Ephesus, Mary’s House, and the Temple of Artemis. Guides such as Orcun, Gizem, Serdar, and Hüray have earned strong praise for clear history talks and flexible pacing. Confirm ticket and shopping details before you go.
“We loved booking this tour in Ephesus. It was quite a bit cheaper than booking through the cruise ship, and it was so much better to have a private guide and not have to travel on a bus with 50 other people. Our guide, Orcun, met us at the cruise port and was very knowledgeable about the places we went. We probably could have done without the leather and carpet stores at the end of the tour, but I understand that it's part of their business to try and sell those things. When I booked this excursion, the agency also reached out to me to see if I was stopping…”
You’ll tour Ephesus and Selçuk by private Mercedes Vito or Sprinter with an English-speaking guide, visiting Hadrian’s Temple, Artemis Temple, and the House of the Virgin Mary. Guide Gul is praised for her personal stories and local lunch choice. The $75 price excludes site admissions.
“We had a wonderful tour around the Kusadasi area with our guide, Gul. She was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about sharing the rich history of her hometown. Visiting the House of the Virgin Mary was a deeply moving experience, and walking through ancient Ephesus with Gul’s insightful commentary made the ruins come alive. She took us to a fantastic local spot for lunch—authentic, delicious, and far from the usual tourist traps. Her personal stories and deep understanding of both ancient and modern Turkey added so much depth to the tour. I would highly recommend Gul to anyone looking for a meaningful and memorable experience in the area.”
Meet your guide at Kusadasi Cruise Port for a private 4 to 6-hour visit to Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, and optional St. John’s Basilica or Mary’s House. Guides such as Ali, Memo, Serdar, and Murat have led past departures. Ticket options and shopping stops require careful checking.
“Our tour guide ali was wonderful! He was very funny and knowledgeable about all the places we visited. We saw lots of cool details and sights that a lot of visitors might have missed on their tour of Ephesus.He is very tentative and assisted my husband throughout the tour”
Travel from Kusadasi to Pamukkale and Hierapolis in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with a licensed guide and local lunch. Walk the white travertine terraces, see the Roman theater and baths, and visit the archaeology museum. Guides may include Adam, Cemal, Yesra, or Mehmet.
“We joined our group tour with adam as guide for pamukkale. It was so lovely to see the nice terraces of calsium and the good preserved theatre there. 2,5 hours driving but was worth to see it. Thanks adam to be our guide and inform us. If you book the trip ask for him”
From Kusadasi port, your private guide and air-conditioned vehicle take you to Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, St John’s Basilica, the Temple of Artemis, and the Ephesus Museum. Guides such as Emre and Alex have been praised for clear English, flexible pacing, and strong local knowledge.
“Excellent tour with knowledgeable guide to Ephesus, Basilica of St. John and Temple of the Virgin Mary and history of the region. Guide had excellent recommendations on restaurants and shops.”
Walk downhill through Ephesus with a licensed English-speaking guide, seeing the Celsus Library, Great Theater, temples, and Trajan Fountain. A small group of up to 10 travels from Kusadasi Port in an air-conditioned vehicle, with lunch, carpets, ceramics, and the Temple of Artemis included.
“This tour was short and simple. We started early and managed to beat the crowd. The guide is very kind and knowledgeable. I had a good time.”
Meet your private guide at Kusadasi port, then ride in a private vehicle to Ephesus, the House of Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis. Guides such as Emre, Alex, Tay, and Inan have earned praise for clear storytelling and flexible pacing, though shopping stops may require advance discussion.
“Ephesus is not to be missed but you need an excellent guide. Guide quickly walked us through Ephesus; with limited commentary. We had been here previously 7 yrs ago with an excellent guide; we made a point of asking specific questionRead more”
Visit Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, and the Terrace Houses on a private 3 to 4-hour tour from Kusadasi port. Your guide meets you after customs, drives you in air-conditioned comfort, and plans the return around your ship’s onboard time. Entrance tickets are optional.
“Our tour operator guided so well and its really interested place to visit and look around, I just love this place.”
Pick a ruin, a coast road or a hot room.
