Daily Iasos & Euromos Tour from Cesme – Temple of Zeus Lepsynos

Iasos and Euromos Day Trip from Cesme: Two Ancient Cities of Caria

This daily Iasos and Euromos tour from Cesme heads south into ancient Caria to visit two archaeological sites that many visitors to the Aegean never see. In one full day tour you explore the seaside ruins of Iasos with its open-air Fish Market Museum and the strikingly complete Temple of Zeus Lepsynos at Euromos.

Day Trip to Çeşme from the Greek Islands (Chios)

Guests staying on Chios can enjoy the Iasos & Euromos Tour as a day trip from the Greek islands to Turkey — from Chios the ferry takes 20 minutes, so the excursion can be planned between the morning and evening sailings. Pickup is at the Çeşme 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.

• Iasos Agora and Theatre – the civic heart and performance space of a city founded by settlers from Argos
• Temples of Artemis and Zeus Megistos – sanctuaries of the city's leading deities
• Fish Market Museum – an ancient fish market later reused as a bathhouse, now an open-air museum
• Purple-veined marble – the distinctive local stone seen throughout the city's buildings
• Temple of Zeus Lepsynos at Euromos – one of the best-preserved temples in Anatolia

Iasos sits beside the sea and, according to tradition, was founded by colonists from Argos. Your guide shows you the agora, the temples of Artemis and Zeus Megistos and the theatre, pointing out the purple-veined marble used widely across the town. Iasos was one of the most important fish markets of the ancient world, and its old market building was reused as a bathhouse under the Menteshe, one of the earliest Turkish beyliks of Anatolia. Today it serves as an open-air museum.

Euromos, near the village of Ayakli, is far less visited. Its centrepiece is the Temple of Zeus Lepsynos, whose present structure dates from the Roman era after an earlier sanctuary was destroyed. Many of its columns still stand, several bearing inscriptions from donors, including the physician Menekrates and his daughter Tryphania.

The guided daily excursion includes hotel transfers from and back to Cesme and entrance fees for the sites. Lunch is not included. Expect a moderate amount of walking on uneven ground, so comfortable shoes and sun protection are recommended.