PRIVATE Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary Tour (Skip-The-Line)
Overview
This tour is guaranteed Skip-The-Line with pre-purchased tickets.
You can always customize your tour with your private guide.
This tour includes 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.
Inclusions
- Professional Tour Guide with Archaeological Backgroud
- Pick Up and Drop Off for the Cruise Guests
- Transport by Luxury Private Vehicle
- All Parking Fees and Taxes
What to expect
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Ancient City of Ephesus, Selcuk 35920 Turkiye
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..
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: The Temple of Artemis, Ataturk, Park Ici Yolu No:12, Selcuk Turkiye
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.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: The Basilica of Saint John, Isa Bey Mahallesi, 2013. Sk. No:1, Selcuk 35920 Turkiye
It 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. Three hundred years after the death of St. John, a small chapel was constructed over the grave in the 4th century. The church of St John was changed into a marvelous basilica during the region of Emperor Justinian (527 -565 AD).
The second half of the first century was full of persecution for the early Christians.Apostle James and Stephen were killed in Jerusalem.Paul was sent to Rome and executed. According to tradition John took The Mother Mary and came to Ephesus.He wrote his Gospel in Ephesus and the Revelation in Greece Island, Patmos in 96AD.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House), Sultaniye Mahallesi, Selcuk 35100 Turkiye
House of Virgin Mary is located on the top of the "Bulbul" mountain 9 km ahead of Ephesus, the shrine of Virgin Mary enjoys a marvelous atmosphere hidden in the green. It is the place where Mary may have spent her last days. Indeed, she may have come in the area together with Saint John, who spent several years in the area to spread Christianity. Mary preferred this remote place rather than living in crowded place.
The house of Virgin Mary is a typical Roman architectural example, entirely made of stones. In the 4th century AD, a church, combining her house and grave, has been built. The original two-stored house, which consisted of an anteroom (where today candles are proposed), bedroom and praying room (Christian church area) and a room with fireplace (chapel for Muslims).
Duration: 40 minutes
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- 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
- Stroller accessible
- Infant seats available
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- According to the new regulations in Turkey, the ministry of transport requires all passengers' full names as on passport, passport numbers and nationality
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
Cancellation
The whole day exceeded expectations from start to finish. The planned sites were incredible, and the guide takes you through and provides lots of information. You can expect a few extra excursions on top of planned itinerary (leather, ceramics, rug shops) if you are open to it. Vehicle was punctu...
The whole day exceeded expectations from start to finish. The planned sites were incredible, and the guide takes you through and provides lots of information. You can expect a few extra excursions on top of planned itinerary (leather, ceramics, rug shops) if you are open to it. Vehicle was punctual and luxury to drive around in. The organised lunch was delicious and gave a taste of Turkish cuisine. We had Ali as our guide, and he was amazing! Would definitely recommend!An amazing experience with so much history to learn. Ali was really knowledgeable and made us feel very comfortable. The lunch was delicious! Highly recommended
An amazing experience with so much history to learn. Ali was really knowledgeable and made us feel very comfortable. The lunch was delicious! Highly recommendedWe had an amazing day with Ali as our guide. He is very knowledgeable and made the day both informative and lots of fun. We enjoyed every moment and learned so much about Turkish culture too. Highly recommended!
We had an amazing day with Ali as our guide. He is very knowledgeable and made the day both informative and lots of fun. We enjoyed every moment and learned so much about Turkish culture too. Highly recommended!Can not thank Eda our tour guide enough for the an amazing 2days, touring roind Ephesus and Pamukkale. She made it fun and personal for all the tour group and I loved how much time she spent talking to and helping everyone. Especially loved that she took photos ha ha. 100% recommend.
Can not thank Eda our tour guide enough for the an amazing 2days, touring roind Ephesus and Pamukkale. She made it fun and personal for all the tour group and I loved how much time she spent talking to and helping everyone. Especially loved that she took photos ha ha. 100% recommend.We booked our tour after discussing exactly what we were after by email with Otti Travel who explained the various options and costs very clearly. Our guide, Ulas Adali, picked us up at our hotel promptly and started to tell us all about the places we were going to see during the day. He speaks ...
We booked our tour after discussing exactly what we were after by email with Otti Travel who explained the various options and costs very clearly. Our guide, Ulas Adali, picked us up at our hotel promptly and started to tell us all about the places we were going to see during the day. He speaks excellent English and is extremely knowledgeable about not only the history of Ephesus but also about everything else connected with Turkiye, the roman empire, the ottomans and Alexander the Great. He explained things throughout our visits in a very understandable way and was very considerate to our interests. A very well organised tour with an excellent guide.We really enjoyed our private tour with Ali! We visited the House of Mary, Ephesus and St John’s Basilica before returning to our cruise ship. He is a great guide, very patient and knowledgeable, and was also great at engaging our kids (ages 8 and 10) too! We managed to learn a lot and enjoyed...
We really enjoyed our private tour with Ali! We visited the House of Mary, Ephesus and St John’s Basilica before returning to our cruise ship. He is a great guide, very patient and knowledgeable, and was also great at engaging our kids (ages 8 and 10) too! We managed to learn a lot and enjoyed the sights! Would highly recommend to anyone!