From KusadasiEphesus, Virgin Mary's House & St John Basilica Tour

Highlights of the Ephesus, Virgin Mary's House & Basilica of Saint John Tour

• Ancient City of Ephesus — the Great Theatre, Celsus Library, Temple of Hadrian, Marble Street, the Agora and the Terrace Houses
• House of the Virgin Mary (Meryemana) — the tranquil hilltop shrine where Mary is believed to have spent her final years
• Basilica of Saint John — the Byzantine ruins above Selcuk marking the tomb of St. John the Apostle
• Temple of Artemis — the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
• Traditional Turkish lunch in Selcuk and a visit to a local handicrafts workshop

This full-day Ephesus tour from Kusadasi brings together the greatest classical and Christian landmarks of the Aegean in one unforgettable daily excursion. Beginning at the cruise port, you drive the short distance to Ephesus, where your licensed guide leads you along the ancient marble streets. You explore the Great Theatre, the elegant Temple of Hadrian, the Terrace Houses with their mosaics and frescoes, the Agora and the world-famous facade of the Celsus Library, piecing together the story of a city that was once one of the largest in the Roman Empire.

From the ruins the tour climbs the wooded slopes of Bulbul Mountain to the House of the Virgin Mary, a peaceful stone chapel and pilgrimage site revered by Christians and Muslims alike. You then visit the Basilica of Saint John above Selcuk, built over the apostle's tomb and offering sweeping views across the plain, and pause at the lone surviving column of the Temple of Artemis, once counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is a rare chance to stand among sites that shaped both ancient history and early Christianity on a single Kusadasi day trip.

A traditional Turkish lunch in Selcuk, with vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher choices, and a stop at a local handicrafts cooperative round out this Ephesus day tour. With a professional English-speaking guide and comfortable air-conditioned transport, this daily excursion from Kusadasi is ideal for history enthusiasts, pilgrims and curious travellers who want to see the very best of the Ephesus region in one well-organised day.