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House of the Virgin Mary (Meryem Ana Evi) Tours
715 Tours & Activities

Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
2035 Tours & Activities
15 hours (Approx.)
Hotel pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Good for avoiding crowds
Keeping you safe during COVID-19
What you can expect during your visit
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travelers
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
More questions?
(888) 651-9785
Overview
Travel back in time nearly two millennia and discover the House of Virgin Mary and Ephesus during this guided day trip from Istanbul. With round-trip flights to Izmir included, you'll fly to the best preserved ancient city in the eastern Mediterranean for an epic trip. Stroll along roads once roamed by toga-clothed Romans; enjoy visits to the Library of Celsus, the stunning Great Theatre; gaze at temples and walk along shop-lined streets. You'll then explore the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, have lunch, and highlight your day with a tour of the stone home where it’s believed the Virgin Mary spent her final days. Numbers limited to 14 on this small-group tour.
- Full-day tour of spectacular Ephesus and the House of Virgin Mary, with round-trip flights from Istanbul
- Fly to Izmir and travel to Ephesus, the eastern Mediterranean’s best-preserved ancient city
- See the staggering Great Theatre, Library of Celsus and shops, baths and temples
- Explore the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
- Visit the House of the Virgin Mary, where she may have spent her final days
- Enjoy an included Turkish lunch at a local restaurant
- Small-group tour with numbers limited to just 14 people
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Start the day with a transfer by air-conditioned coach from your central Istanbul hotel to the airport. After a short 45-minute flight, land in Izmir and meet your guide for your day tour of Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary.
Aboard your air-conditioned coach voyage about one hour to Ephesus. Along the way break at the elegant church - St John’s Basilica. Walk his tomb and learn how he spent time atop Ayasuluk hill writing music.
Arrive in Ephesus, known as the finest preserved ancient city in the eastern Mediterranean. See an abundance of shops, temples, and lively streets as you stroll with your guide. Imagine how this early Christian Roman-Greco port once operated as you hear its in-depth history.
Stop at the Temple of Artemis and study the massive ruins of this Ancient Wonder of the world. Wind along streets through the heart of Ephesus to uncover the Great Theatre, which once held 25,000 visitors. Then, capture views of the ornate architecture of the Library of Celsus. During your exploration, observe fascinating history carved into the sidewalks like brothel signs and old chariot wheel tracks.
Take a break for lunch at a nearby place before continuing to the House of Virgin Mary. Hear the stories that indicate this was the last resting place of the Virgin Mary and why she decided to reside here in her final days. Then, delve into the small stone house and marvel at the old foundation speculated to be as old as the 1st century AD.
Afterwards, head back to Izmir airport for your return voyage to Istanbul. After being collected from the airport, cruise to your hotel where your tour ends.
Aboard your air-conditioned coach voyage about one hour to Ephesus. Along the way break at the elegant church - St John’s Basilica. Walk his tomb and learn how he spent time atop Ayasuluk hill writing music.
Arrive in Ephesus, known as the finest preserved ancient city in the eastern Mediterranean. See an abundance of shops, temples, and lively streets as you stroll with your guide. Imagine how this early Christian Roman-Greco port once operated as you hear its in-depth history.
Stop at the Temple of Artemis and study the massive ruins of this Ancient Wonder of the world. Wind along streets through the heart of Ephesus to uncover the Great Theatre, which once held 25,000 visitors. Then, capture views of the ornate architecture of the Library of Celsus. During your exploration, observe fascinating history carved into the sidewalks like brothel signs and old chariot wheel tracks.
Take a break for lunch at a nearby place before continuing to the House of Virgin Mary. Hear the stories that indicate this was the last resting place of the Virgin Mary and why she decided to reside here in her final days. Then, delve into the small stone house and marvel at the old foundation speculated to be as old as the 1st century AD.
Afterwards, head back to Izmir airport for your return voyage to Istanbul. After being collected from the airport, cruise to your hotel where your tour ends.
Itinerary
Leave Ephesus and after lunch at a local restaurant, visit the nearby House of Virgin Mary, said to be the last home of the Virgin Mary. See inside the tiny house, whose foundations may date from Mary’s time in the 1st century AD, as your guide explains why it’s believed to sit where her last residence stood.
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Included
Continue to Ephesus, the eastern Mediterranean’s best-preserved classical city. An important hub of early Christianity and thriving Greco-Roman port, this spectacular place boasts streets, shops and temples that make it easy to imagine those who lived here 2,000 years ago.
Hear the history of the city as you explore with your guide. View the remains of the nearby, immense Temple of Artemis, once an Ancient Wonder of the World, and wander the streets that formed Ephesus’s heart. Marvel at the 25,000-seater Great Theatre, ogle the façade of the Library of Celsus, and see well-preserved shops and temples. On route, see captivating details such as the chariot wheel grooves and brothel signposts carved in the sidewalks.
Duration: 3 hours
Admission Ticket Included
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Product code: 3795IZM02AIR
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