Ephesus Small Group Day Tour from Selcuk
8 hours (approx.)
Hotel pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English and 1 more
Good for avoiding crowds
Overview
Explore Turkey's remarkable history on a full-day, small-group tour of Ephesus and surrounding sites from Selcuk, and follow in the footsteps of ancient Greeks, Roman republicans, Goth warriors and early Christians. See archeological excavations that uncovered bright mosaics, an ancient library, carved goddesses and private homes, and explore the remains of the Temple of Artemis. Visit the mountainside House of Virgin Mary then step into the world of the Seljuq dynasty at the 14th-century Isa Bey mosque.
- Full-day small-group tour of Ephesus from Selcuk
- Learn about the ancient history of this swath of antiquity
- Visit the Temple of Artemis, once one of the seven wonders of the ancient world
- Stop by the last residence of the Virgin Mary
- Get picked up and dropped off at your hotel in Selcuk
- Small-group tour ensures plenty of personalized attention from the guide
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Meet your small group and guide at your Selcuk hotel, then make the short trip to Ephesus in a comfortable, air-conditioned minivan. Trace a route through the ruin’s highlights and hidden gems, with plenty of time to explore sites like the Celsus Library, the Great Theater and the Temple of Hadrian, a 2nd-century structure built to honor the visiting Emperor.
Hear about daily life in the ancient city, and learn how local beliefs, politics and religion have changed through the centuries. See the ruined foundations of the Temple of Artemis, once a Wonder of the Ancient World that was damaged by earthquakes, Goths and passing time.
Take in an important Catholic pilgrimage site at Bulbul Mountain, where some believe that the Virgin Mary lived her final years in a small, stone house. Discover Isa Bay mosque, a jewel of Seljukian architecture, whose brick minarets tower above Iznik-tiled domes and 12 columns, then finish the day with return transfer to your Selcuk hotel. This tour includes lunch.
Hear about daily life in the ancient city, and learn how local beliefs, politics and religion have changed through the centuries. See the ruined foundations of the Temple of Artemis, once a Wonder of the Ancient World that was damaged by earthquakes, Goths and passing time.
Take in an important Catholic pilgrimage site at Bulbul Mountain, where some believe that the Virgin Mary lived her final years in a small, stone house. Discover Isa Bay mosque, a jewel of Seljukian architecture, whose brick minarets tower above Iznik-tiled domes and 12 columns, then finish the day with return transfer to your Selcuk hotel. This tour includes lunch.
Itinerary
The House of the Virgin Mary (or Meryem Ana Evi in Turkish) is a place where, according to the beliefs of many people Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent the last years of her life. She was supposed to arrive at Ephesus together with St. John and lived there in the years 37-45 CE until her Assumption (according to Catholic doctrine) or Dormition (according to Orthodox belief).
Duration: 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Included
Of Turkey's hundreds of ancient cities and classical ruins, Ephesus is the grandest and best preserved. Indeed, it's the best place on the Mediterranean to get a feel for what life was like in ancient times. Ancient Ephesus was a great trading city and a centre for the cult of Cybele, the Anatolian fertility goddess.
Duration: 2 hours
Admission Ticket Included
The Odeion of Ancient Ephesus is a small, semi-circular theater originally constructed in the 2nd century A.D and financed by PubliusVedius Antonius and his wife FlaviaPaiana. The building would have served as a space for political meetings, social events, concerts and theatrical performances.
Duration: 15 minutes
Admission Ticket Included
This temple dedicated to the Emperor Hadrian is considered one of the best preserved and most beautiful structures on Curetes Street. It was constructed in the beginning of the 2nd century AD by P. Quintilius to celebrate Hadrian visiting the city from Athens.
Duration: 15 minutes
Admission Ticket Included
Bibliotheque de Celsus, Selcuk, Turkey
This magnificent library dating from the early 2nd century AD, the best-known monument in Ephesus, has been extensively restored. Originally built as part of a complex, the library looks bigger than it actually is: the convex facade base heightens the central elements, while the middle columns and capitals are larger than those at the ends. Facade niches hold replica statues of the Four Virtues. From left to right, they are Sophia (Wisdom), Arete (Goodness), Ennoia (Thought) and Episteme (Knowledge).
Duration: 20 minutes
Admission Ticket Included
The great theater of Ephesus is a splendidly preserved and very impressive building. This structure, built of marble, has a width of 145 meters, and its audience once reached up to 30 meters. In its heyday, it could accommodate up to 24,000 spectators. The construction of the theater began in Hellenistic times.
Duration: 20 minutes
Admission Ticket Included
Temple of Artemis (or Artemision), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In an empty field to the west of the centre, this lone reconstructed pillar is all that remains of the massive Temple of Artemis (or Artemision) At its zenith, the temple counted 127 columns.
Duration: 15 minutes
Admission Ticket Included
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Ephesus Small Group Day Tour from Selcuk
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