Daily Sirince Village Tour from Selcuk – Churches & Old Greek Houses

Sirince Day Trip from Selcuk: Hillside Village, Old Churches and Fruit Wines

This daily Sirince village tour from Selcuk leads you up into the hills behind Ephesus to one of the most charming villages of the Aegean. With a professional English-speaking guide, hotel pickup and return included, the day tour reveals whitewashed stone houses, two well-kept churches and the stories that earned Sirince the nickname "Ephesus in the mountains".

Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers in Kuşadası

Arriving in Kuşadası on a cruise ship? The Sirince Village Tour is one of the shore excursions we regularly arrange for cruise guests calling at the port of Kuşadası. Because it runs as a private tour, we plan the timing around your ship: your guide and driver meet you at the cruise terminal, and the programme is adjusted to your all-aboard time. Tell us how many hours your ship stays in port and we will confirm that the full programme fits comfortably. Send us your ship name and the date of your call in Kuşadası and we will confirm availability.

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

Holidaying on Samos or Patmos? The Sirince Village Tour is an easy day trip from the Greek islands: take the morning ferry to Kuşadası, join the tour, and sail back in the evening (from Samos the ferry takes 45 minutes; from Patmos the ferry takes about 3 hours). We meet you at the Kuşadası ferry port with your private guide and vehicle and time the programme to the ferry schedule. 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.

• Scenic mountain road – vineyards and peach orchards on the short climb from Selcuk
• The two village churches – the best-preserved buildings in the centre of Sirince
• Traces of 42 churches and monasteries – scattered in and around the village
• Anatolian Greek architecture – original white houses lining the slopes of a protected area
• Local fruit wines – the village is known for the apple wine made by its residents

Sirince sits on a plateau about 7 km from Selcuk, behind a green valley and framed by mountains. Its original inhabitants are said to have called it Cirkince, meaning "ugly", to discourage outsiders, but later visitors renamed it Sirince, "pretty". The village is a protected heritage zone, so its houses and lanes keep their authentic character. Until 1922 it was home to Anatolian Greeks; after the population exchange, Turkish families arriving from Greece settled here.

Your guide also shares the local tradition connected with the Virgin Mary. After the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD recorded that she had spent her last years nearby, a belief grew that her followers in Sirince supplied her in secret and later laid her to rest in a cave close to the village. The village has also inspired well-known novels.

This easy-paced daily excursion suits all ages. Spring, especially April and May, is the loveliest season to wander the streets. Lunch is not included, which leaves you free to choose a village restaurant.