ITINERARY

• We meet you at the Cruise Port! Our team will be waiting next to Information Desk at the Exit Gate of Cruise Port by holding a sign which is your name written on it. After booking this tour, please contact our team to agree on your meeting time. There are several Cruise Ships with different timings. So, you might decide about the best meeting time which is fitting your schedule.
• UNESCO listed place; The ancient city of Ephesus (Ephesos) takes you on an unforgettable journey through history; etched on minds as the home of the Blessed Virgin Mary, stretching back to the Neolithic period and inhabited in the greatest period of the Roman Empire. This ancient city was valued for a long time as a harbour town, and due to the excavations which have uncovered new sections and artefacts every year, the city continues to surprise its visitors and to maintain its historical value. Many famous classical philosophers, who are still read today, such as Heraclitus, lived in the scientific, artistic and cultural city of Ephesus.
• The House of Virgin Mary is one of the pilgrimage centres of Christians where the Mary came to Ephesus with John the Apostle and lived her last 10 years. Pope Paul VI visited the shrine in 1967, and 'unofficially' confirmed its authenticity. Pope John Paul II also visited the shrine in 1979. Pope Benedict XVI visited this shrine in 2006. Whether or not she died in Ephesus was not known until Anne Catherine Emmerich’s vision. A disabled German nun who had never been to Ephesus, had a vision of the House of the Virgin Mary and described it in detail to the German writer Clemens Brentano who later published a book about it. Catherine Emmerich died in 1884. In 1891 Paul, Superior of the Lazarists from Izmir read about her visions and found a little building which corresponded with Emmerich’s descriptions. Then, the archeological works started which allows us to visit Mary's House and see the result today!
• It is believed that the Evangelist St. John had spent his last years in the region around Ephesus and buried in the southern slope of Ayosolug Hill. The tomb of St John was under the central dome of the basilica.
• Artemis was the Greek goddess, the virginal huntress and twin of Apollo, who replaced the Titan Selene as Goddess of the Moon. The ancient temple was built around 650 BC to the cult of Artemis, was constructed on a site already sacred to the Anatolian Mother Goddess, Cybele. The temple was financed by the wealthy king of Lydia and the marshy ground was selected for the building site as a precaution against future earthquakes. During the time, it has been destroyed and collapsed many times due to the natural disasters.
• We will drive through the Kusadasi Town and will have a panoramic view while listening the key informations from our Local Tour Guide.
• You are able to see local handicrafts and experience local shopping if preferred. You will be also able to collect informations from your Local Tour Guide аbout: best traditional handicrafts, best places to go, things to be carrefull, and best tips for hassle free experience...
• Also called Pigeon Island! One of the earliest settlements of modern Kusadasi. We will pass by and have an opportunity of seeing it in a distance. It is located very close to the Port, you might be able to have time after your tour if you are interested.
• At the end of our tour, we will return to the Cruise Port. PLEASE NOTE THAT: There are several Ships with different arrival and departure times. We carefully check all the timings, confirm with the passengers, and coordinate the return time. OUR TOURS ARE WITH GUARANTEED ON-TIME RETURN TO THE BOAT!