Start the day with pickup at the Kusadasi cruise port and travel to ancient Ephesus in a private, air-conditioned van that accommodates 12 passengers. Explore the archeological site with your guide, following a route that’s tailored to your interests. The sprawling site is only 80% excavated, but is already considered one of the best-preserved cities from classical times, with private homes, temples, squares, and monuments that bring the Greco-Roman world to life.
See the artifacts and treasures that have been excavated from the Ephesus region at the Ephesus Archeological Museum, whose exhibits display locally-minted ancient coins, funerary relics, and religious objects. Your guide will recommend a nearby restaurant where you can sample traditional Turkish cuisine.
Continue to St. John’s Basilica, a Byzantine church built on the legendary site of the apostle’s tomb, then follow a short footpath to Isa Bey Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Western Turkey. Visit a group of local craftspeople who make rugs and tiles by hand, and make a final stop at the Temple of Artemis, a ruined structure that was once a ‘Wonder of the Ancient World.’
This tour concludes with drop-off at the Kusadasi cruise port. Entrance fees are not included.
