4 Small Group Shore Excursions in Turkey Worth a Port Day

1.Ephesus: Small Group Tour for Cruise Passengers

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,100 reviews · 5 hours · from $29Our pick

Meet your English-speaking guide at Kusadasi Cruise Port for a five-hour small-group tour of the House of Virgin Mary, Ephesus, Selcuk, and the Temple of Artemis. Guides such as Tas, Nesli, Ahmet, and Melike tailor the pace, while lunch and a Turkish rug demonstration add local flavor.

“Ahmet our guide was outstanding, he was engaging, extremely knowledgeable and personable. I would strongly recommend anyone who wants to visit Ephesus to take this tour with Ahmet and his trusted Driver the Boss.”

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2.Ephesus Small Group – Semi Private Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 406 reviews · 4 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $27Top rated

Meet your guide at Kusadasi Port and ride in an air-conditioned Mercedes Sprinter to Ephesus, Mary’s House, and the Temple of Artemis. Guides such as Ahmet, Tas, Taylan, and Nage are praised for clear English and flexible pacing. Lunch and a carpet demonstration are included, but entrance fees cost extra.

“Our tour guide Ahmet was wonderful. He was knowledgeable and was prepared for everything. He reshuffled the schedule bc we were early and took us to the Ephesus before the crowd. there was several sites that was not on the itinerary which he stopped by and let us see. Lunch was wonderful in the carpet demonstration was very cool. I would definitely recommend it..”

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3.Small Group Ephesus Shore Excursion from Kusadasi Port

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $15Best value

Walk downhill through Ephesus with a Ministry-licensed English guide, seeing the Celsus Library, Great Theater, temples, and Trajan Fountain. A small group, air-conditioned vehicle, lunch, Temple of Artemis, carpet and ceramic displays, and leather shopping round out this 3 to 4-hour port excursion.

“While this tour itinerary was as advertised, there is no way that it could take 7 hours, even on a generous estimate. That is OK as we were cruise passengers and we didn't have 7 hours anyway, but just something to be aware of. The guide and the driver we had were excellent (sorry, I don't recall their names) and the luxury mini-van was indeed excellent transportation and practically brand new. The guide gave us a good overview of Turkey generally and was very informative for our tour through House of Mary and Ephesus. Due to heavy rain we only looked at the Temple of Artemis through the van window.…”

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4.Ephesus: Small Group Tour for Cruise Passengers

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 16 reviews · 5 hours · from $20

Meet your English-speaking guide at the Kusadasi cruise port for a five-hour tour of Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis. Expect an air-conditioned ride, a group of up to 15, optional Terrace Houses, and entrance fees paid separately.

“Ya cuz, our guide, was fabulous! Very knowledgeable. Took his time and didn’t rush us, gave us plenty of time for photos. Willing to do a bit if customization (we chose to skip the House of Mary due to crowds). Huge lunch do a really reasonable price in a super relaxed tavern.”

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