When your cruise ship docks your professional tour guide will be awaiting you with a board where your name is written at the arrival gate of the Port. Then you will join your guide to get to the van. After 30 min. driving you will be arrived to Selcuk town where Ephesus ruins stand.
Firstly, you will stop in Ephesus Ancient City. The extensive ruins which include Varius Bath Complex, The Odeon, State Agora, The Temples of Dea Roma, Prytaneion, Domitian Square, Hercules Gate, Curetes Street, The Fountain of Trajan, The Baths of Scholastica, Temple of Hadrian, Celsius Library, The Gymnasium, Great Theatre.. And much more monuments stand in the special atmosphere of Ephesus, charming each one. Once it was a commerce and trade center of the ancient world, later on became a sacred religious place of the early Christianity and today, a famous and unique tourism center proving all its perfects to the visitors as one of the biggest open air museum in the world.
Next stop is to visit The House of Virgin Mary, the place where it is believed that she had spent last years of her life. It is considered that St. John brought Virgin Mary to Ephesus after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and that a small house was built for her on Bulbul Mountain. On July 26, 1967, Pope Paul VI visited The House of Virgin Mary and declared one of the pilgrimage center.
Then drive to the Isa Bey Mosque which was constructed in 14th AD as a first mosque of turkish people in Asia Minor. Then we are going to visit one of the oldest mosques of Turkey, Isa Bey Mosque was built by order of the leader of Turks(Mr. Isa) in 1375. It is the first example among all mosques which was constructed with a courtyard in Turkey. You can see transitional differences from Seljuks to Ottoman architecture.
Then drive to the Temple of Artemis which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, although there is one single column left today, magnificient temple had been built for the goddess of fertility and hunters, Artemis, known as Diana after city passed under the rule of Romans.
To the end of your tour you are going to have chance to see a cooperative where turkish hand-made rugs carpets and klimms are weaven by ladies who comes from different villages around ephesus ancient city. Drive back to the port.
Ancient city of Ephesus it's an open air museum and includes 2 km. walking. Sun-cream-umbrella or hat is really recommended.
NOTE! The Terrace Houses section is located inside of Ancient ruins in Ephesus and has an extra entrance fee - 15 USD per person. So called as "the houses where the richest romans used to live", the oldest building dates back into the 1C BC until 7C AD. You will be able to see amazing mosaics and frescoes and the famous water-running and heating system with clay pipes. In this section there are over 100s stairs. We dont recommend for people who has physical disabilities. It takes minimum 30 min. to visit.
A Promise: We assure that you are not going to miss your cruise.