Daily Didyma, Miletus & Priene Tour from Selcuk – Temple of Apollo

Daily Didyma, Miletus and Priene Tour from Selcuk – Three Ionian Cities in One Day

This daily Didyma, Miletus and Priene tour from Selcuk links three of the most rewarding archaeological sites of the Aegean coast in a single, fully guided day tour. Collected from your hotel lobby in the morning, you travel south in an air-conditioned coach with an English-speaking guide who explains the oracle, the trade port and the hilltop city you will walk through.

Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers in Kuşadası

This Didyma, Miletus & Priene Tour also works as a shore excursion from the Kuşadası cruise port — a popular choice for passengers who have one day ashore. As a private excursion it is fully flexible — pickup is right at the pier, the pace follows your group, and we make sure you are back on board well before departure. Tell us how many hours your ship stays in port and we will confirm that the full programme fits comfortably. Simply share your cruise itinerary and the date you are in Kuşadası, and we will reserve your places.

Day Trip to Kuşadası from the Greek Islands (Samos and Patmos)

Guests staying on Samos or Patmos can enjoy the Didyma, Miletus & Priene Tour as a day trip from the Greek islands to Turkey — from Samos the ferry takes 45 minutes; from Patmos the ferry takes about 3 hours, so the excursion can be planned between the morning and evening sailings. Pickup is at the Kuşadası ferry terminal, and the tour is timed so you can catch the return ferry comfortably. For longer itineraries we check the ferry timetable first and confirm that the full programme fits your day. Please bring your passport and check the Turkish entry requirements for your nationality before travelling.

• The colossal Temple of Apollo at Didyma, once guarded by 128 carved columns
• The oracle sanctuary that rivalled Delphi as a centre of prophecy
• The theatre, Faustina Baths and Harbour Monument of ancient Miletus
• The Ilyas Bey Mosque standing among the Miletus ruins
• Priene's Temple of Athena, council house and theatre on a mountain terrace

Didyma was never a town but a sacred precinct, one of the three great oracle sites of the ancient Greek world and the heart of the cult of Apollo. Its temple covered roughly 118 by 60 metres, larger than a football pitch, and some of its columns rise to nearly twenty metres. Miletus, a short drive away, was among the wealthiest Ionian cities, founding around ninety colonies and nurturing thinkers such as Thales and Anaximander, as well as Hippodamus, the planner credited with the grid street layout. Its theatre is where St. Paul is said to have bid farewell to the elders of Ephesus.

The daily excursion ends at Priene, founded in 350 BC on a dramatic slope and much admired by Alexander the Great. Its 4th-century BC Temple of Athena, compact parliament building, fish market and walls are remarkably well preserved. As a Didyma day trip with a strong archaeological focus, it suits travellers who enjoy walking among ruins at a relaxed pace. Entrance fees in the programme are covered; lunch is at your own expense, so bring some cash, a hat and comfortable shoes.