12 Private Shore Excursions in Selcuk You Can Do Before All-Aboard

1.Ephesus Private Tour ONLY FOR CRUISE GUESTS

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 101 reviews · 5 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $39Our pick

Spend 5 to 7 hours exploring Ephesus, Meryemana, and the Temple of Artemis with a licensed English-speaking guide and private air-conditioned vehicle. Cruise passengers meet at Kusadasi Port, ideally 30 to 45 minutes after docking. Guide Burak is one possible guide.

“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!”

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2.Ephesus Shore Excursion: Private Guide and Vehicle

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 98 reviews · from $173

From Kusadasi port, take a private, six-hour tour to Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, and Şirince. Your guide leads you past the Library of Celsus, Great Theatre, Roman baths, and possibly Terrace Houses, Mary’s House, and St. John’s Basilica. Finish with a fruit-wine tasting in the hills.

“Tour of Ephesus was good, but our tour guide then wasted the rest of the tour on visiting local vendors trying to sell us rugs, candy, and cheap items you see at the airport. I do not recommend this tour, stay away unless you want to spend your time and money on worthless stuff”

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3.EPHESUS TOUR From Cruise Port: Private Tour & Skip The Line

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $36

Travel privately from Kusadasi Cruise Port to the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus, Artemis Temple, St. John Basilica, and Isa Bey Mosque. An English-speaking guide leads the two-hour Ephesus walk, while air-conditioned transport keeps the day comfortable. Entrance fees and lunch cost extra.

“The tour was great, very informative. Our guide was friendly and very considerate to our need for shade. He shared lots of interesting information about the sites and surrounding idea. He timed our visit to the House of the Virgin Mary to perfection to avoid the crowds!”

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4.Private Tour : Biblical Ephesus Tour for Cruisers from Kusadasi ( Ephesus ) Port

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 55 reviews · 4 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $39

Meet your guide at Kusadasi cruise port and explore Ephesus, Mary’s House, St. John’s Basilica, and the Temple of Artemis in a private, air-conditioned vehicle. Guides such as Goksu, Ayse, Mustafa, and Hakan tailor the pace, explain the biblical links, and help you avoid the worst crowds.

“A memorable day with Eicar. Deluxe van transportation to Ephesus. Got a detailed history of the city and saw the age and weather worn structures. Museum theater was a highlight - amazing graphics. Lunch at a local restaurant, typical Turkish meal which was a great experience. Visit to a leather fashion center, then back to our ship at the port. One of the best days in our world travels. Good job by the tour guide Eicar.”

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5.Private Ephesus Tour with Lunch for Cruisers

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 36 reviews · 5 hours · from $123

Meet your private guide at Kusadasi cruise port, ride in a comfortable vehicle to Ephesus, and walk among the Odeon, Celsus Library, Great Theater, and Roman streets. You’ll also see the Temple of Artemis, enjoy lunch in Selcuk, and may add Mary’s House for an extra entrance fee.

“Everything was wonderful! We loved the private guide, good air conditioning, great knowledge from guide as well. We would book with this company again!”

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6.Private Tour in Ephesus and TraditionalTurkishBath from Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 22 reviews · 5 hours · from $33

Meet your English-speaking guide at Kusadasi Cruise Terminal, then visit Ephesus, stop for lunch in Selcuk, and finish at Ada Saray Hamami. Guides such as Celine, Sereh, Alper Günel, Liza, and Yilmaz have led this tour, but assignments vary.

“We had an absolutely wonderful experience on our private tour of Ephesus! Our guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the entire visit both educational and fun. From the moment we met, everything was well-organized and stress-free. The historical details shared really brought the ancient city to life — we learned so much more than we ever would have on our own. Our guide also made sure to pace the tour perfectly, balancing the must-see highlights with hidden gems we wouldn’t have found ourselves. What stood out the most was how attentive and personable our guide was. They answered every question, tailored the tour to our interests, and made sure we…”

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7.PRIVATE Ephesus Tour for Cruisers | Guaranteed Port Return

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 9 reviews · 6 hours · from $59

Meet your English-speaking guide at Kusadasi cruise port for a private six-hour visit to the House of Mary, Ephesus, and the Temple of Artemis. You’ll ride in an air-conditioned vehicle, walk Ephesus downhill from its upper gate, and have time for photos at St. John’s Church and Isa Bey Mosque.

“Very professional tour guide…let us decide the places & location we wanted to see and good.. Ahmet Kamari r guide was very knowledgeable of Turkish history and accommodating…”

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8.Private Ephesus tour for Cruise Guests w/SkipTheLineTickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 6 reviews · from $204

From Kusadasi Port, your private guide and air-conditioned van take you first to the House of Virgin Mary, then through Ephesus, its Terrace Houses, St. John Basilica, and Artemis Temple. Guides named Ilker Olccaydu and Sechkin are associated with warm, personal service.

“Our tour guide, Ilker Olccaydu, made this excursion the best one we had for this vacation at any of our ports. He reached out to me before arriving at the port of Kusadasi and ensured me that he would be waiting for us upon arrival, which true to his word, he was standing at the entrance door with a Big smile. His personality put us all at ease and we felt completely safe and secure with him at our side. He had such a rapport with all the staff at each location we visited as they joked amongst themselves. We were feeling like family by the end of the tour.…”

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9.Izmir: Ephesus Private Tour for Cruise Guests

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 6 hours · from $106

From Izmir port, your private guide takes you to Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis. Expect about 6 hours, air-conditioned transport, lunch, and time for photos. Guides including Ahu, Nazmican, Hasan, and Hugo have been praised for clear explanations and a relaxed pace.

“our tour guide Ahu was the best. Perfect balance of history and fun and perfect photo spots in Ephesus. The lunch is delicious very Turkish BBQ meats, salads and dips. 10/10”

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10.Private Ephesus Tour for Cruise Guests

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · 6 hours · from $45

Meet your guide at Kusadasi port for a private six-hour visit to Ephesus, Mary’s House, and the Temple of Artemis. You’ll ride in a private air-conditioned vehicle, walk Marble Street and the Great Theater, and get lunch. Spanish-language guiding is available.

“The history of the region, the house of Mary was powerful, the ruins at Ephesus were amazing and we had an amazing guide. Diego was incredibly energetic, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about sharing the history of the region. also a special thank you to our remarkable driver.”

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11.Ephesus: Private Guided Tour For Cruisers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 5 hours · from $105

Meet your private guide at Kusadasi Port and shape a five-hour visit around Ephesus, Mary’s House, the Terrace Houses, Saint John’s Basilica, and the Temple of Artemis. Emre can guide in Japanese, English, or Russian, with private transport and a guaranteed return to your ship.

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12.Private Ephesus Tour (SKIP THE LINE)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 6 hours · from $31Best value

Meet your English-speaking guide at Kusadasi Port for a private six-hour visit to the House of Virgin Mary, Ephesus, its Terrace Houses, and the Temple of Artemis. Guide Vedat is specifically praised for teaching clearly. Bring a passport, sunglasses, and sturdy shoes.

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