Ephesus Tour from Izmir – Virgin Mary's House & Temple of Artemis is a shared small-group day tour (full day). Prices start from €130 per person. Included: Hotel pick-up and drop-off (Izmir hotels), Air-conditioned transport and Professional licensed guide.
This Ephesus tour from Izmir is a complete small-group day: the ancient city of Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis, with a licensed guide, entrance tickets, a Turkish lunch and hotel transfers in Izmir. Departures run daily in English and Spanish, with German, French and Russian groups on set days.
Founded by Ionian Greeks and later the capital of the Roman province of Asia, Ephesus had around 200,000 inhabitants at its peak and is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2015. Few places show daily life in antiquity so clearly: paved streets with chariot ruts, public latrines, shops, fountains and a library built as a monument to a governor. Combining the city with the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis lets you follow the story of the region from the cult of the mother goddess to early Christianity.
Ephesus is about 75 km south of Izmir, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes on the motorway towards Selçuk. You leave in the morning and return in the late afternoon, which also makes the tour a good choice for cruise passengers docking at Izmir port.
| Tour type | Shared small group · day tour |
|---|---|
| Duration | Full Day |
| Price | From €130 per person |
| Departures | Every day |
| Guide | English-speaking licensed guide |
| Stops | 3 |
| Entrance fees | Included |
| Booking | Instant request online, confirmation within 24 hours · TÜRSAB-licensed operator (A-5751) |
| Last updated | October 2026 |
Your full day programme — click to see every stop.
Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary & Temple of Artemis ProgrammeYou are collected from your hotel in central Izmir in the early morning for the drive south along the motorway. Your licensed guide joins the small group and accompanies you to Ephesus, the best-preserved Roman city of the eastern Mediterranean. Entering by the upper gate, you walk downhill along Curetes Street past the Odeon, the Temple of Hadrian, Trajan's Fountain, the Roman baths and the latrines, until the two-storey facade of the Library of Celsus comes into view. The walk continues through the Agora to the Great Theatre, where up to 25,000 spectators once gathered and where, according to the Acts of the Apostles, the riot against Saint Paul broke out.A traditional Turkish lunch is served at a local restaurant. In the afternoon you drive up the wooded slopes of Mount Koressos to the House of the Virgin Mary, a small stone chapel honoured by Christians and Muslims alike as the last home of Mary, with time to visit the chapel, the wishing wall and the spring. The last stop is the site of the Temple of Artemis near Selçuk, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, where a single re-erected column marks the vast sanctuary. At the end of the day the vehicle takes you back to your hotel in Izmir.
Izmir → Ephesus → Temple of Artemis
Modern, comfortable and fully-equipped vehicles — the same fleet we use on your tour.
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My husband and I chose Inca Tour for our honeymoon and we are so glad we did. The boutique hotel selection was beautiful and the Bosphorus dinner cruise was so romantic. Thank you for making our trip special!
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