Private Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary Tours
Places to see “Duration : 4 hours (approx.) “ View similar tours & things to do
Highlights
- Take a half day trip to the ruins of Ancient city of Ephesus the great cities & home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
- Visit the House of Virgin Mary, where she spent last days of her life.
- Enjoy authentic Turkish cuisine.
- Transport by Private De-Luxe Cars.
- Private Local Licensed Guide.
- No shopping stops along the way ! “ Without the hassle of being taken to various factory outlets or shopping “.
Schedule details
When you arrive in the port of Kusadasi, your private guide will be waiting to lead you to your own luxury vehicle, during a 20 minute ride to Ephesus, your guide gives you a brief info about the area and about the country.
As you arrive in Ephesus, you will first see the Magnesia Gate, a marvelous example of ancient architecture that once stood tall as an entrance to the city. Begin a downhill walk with your guide into the city’s ruins. The route will take you past the Odeon, the Celsus Library, the Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan and the Great Theater. The theater, one of the city’s best-preserved monuments, it is still used today for the local spring festival. It once had seating space for 24,000 people, and it is believed to be the site where St Paul preached to the Ephesians.
This tour includes a visit to the House of Virgin Mary, where she spent last days of her life. House of Mary discovered in a vision by a bedridden German nun in 1812, this stone building is believed by many Catholics and Muslims to be where the Virgin Mary lived her last years. There is also a healing fountain.
After enjoying authentic Turkish cuisine at lunch, returning to port of Kusadasi where you tour concludes.
Inclusions
Price Chart
Payment
Additional information
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 7 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability.
- At time of booking, Cruise Ship passengers must provide the following details under Special Requirements: Ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time.
- Children 6-18 years must be accompanied by an adult
- Please enter your preferred pickup time in the Special Requirements box at the time of booking, and reconfirm 48 hours prior to the tour’s departure time.
- Ephesus requires walking long distances over uneven surfaces, comfortable clothing and closed toe, sensible walking shoes are recommended. Sunglasses and sunscreen are suggested.
- We will ensure your timely return to the Kusadasi or Izmir port for this activity. If you are not returned to the ship in time to board, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call.
One of the 2 recognized houses of Mary. A special experience to go there. Don't forget to bring some small bottles if you want to get some holy water. The merchandise sold on site (medals, pendants,…) turned out to be a little more expensive than what one could get at the stores near the Kusadasi port though.
The house where Mary and( Peter?) went to live and die, after the crucifiction. It's in the Bible. A clear running spring, at the top of a mountain! So many biblical references. Gotta see it.
Hard to believe that the house of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was actually found after 2000 years. And in Turkey. One of those bits of history that somehow has been neglected.
You can't take pictures inside but just visiting somehow makes you feel something special.
Whether it was really the house of the Virgin Mary or not, we will not know for sure, but it is nice to think that this was a restful place for her last years. There is a peaceful and spiritual feeling in the site. We are glad to have gone.
Peaceful place to reflect and inside the little church looks wonderful. Location also is nice. We visited twice.
Our guide was truly a blessing! She was knowledgeable and easy to understand. The vehicle we used was beautiful and very comfortable.
We spent a good amount of time at ancient ephesus and house of terraces and I can tell you, a private tour is the way to go. There were many group tours that would crowd around their guide to get a glimpse of what he/she was pointing out. With a private tour, you are able to set the pace with your guide and skip what you aren’t that interested in. We also visited the House of the St Mary, Temple of Artemis. It was a full day that did not disappoint and well worth the expense.
This is a lovely mountain retreat with lovely gardens and surrounding forests. The drive up is delightful climb and, if you look carefully, you can still see some of the walls crossing the hills of ancient Ephesus. As far as the site is concerned it is controversial but believers will enjoy the opportunity to indluge in a bit of spiritual…
Thank you very much for the Mystery Tours
Ephesus – the city established in 10 BC is a must visit for anyone having an interest in history. What is amazing is the way one can almost walk through the streets of the city and imagine how the city was organised in those time by seeing the ruins on both sides.
The site is surprisingly easy to access from Selcuk (5 km) or Kusadasi (15 km)
Be sure to take ample sun protection and water on the tour since one cannot get anything in the middle of the ruins,