Private Ephesus Tour
The full classic day: ancient city, Terrace Houses, Virgin Mary’s house and St John — private, unhurried, yours.
Ruins, then wine
Ephesus & Şirince Village Tour
Marble streets in the morning; a hillside Greek village of stone houses, fruit wine and long lunches in the afternoon. The most contented day we sell.
Tour overview
What makes this day different
Şirince is what happens when a village gets everything right: whitewashed Greek houses stacked on a green hillside twenty minutes from Ephesus, stone lanes full of lace and olive oil, and a cheerful local industry of fruit wines — peach, blackberry, quince — that ask to be tasted slowly on a shaded terrace.
Paired with a morning in the ancient city, it makes the best-balanced day this coast offers: monumental first, human-scaled after. Cruise guests love it because it fits a port call; couples love it for obvious reasons; even ruins-skeptical teenagers concede the ice cream is excellent.
Highlights
- The full classic Ephesus route in the cool of the morning
- Şirince’s stone lanes, courtyard cafés and hillside churches
- Fruit-wine tasting for the willing — quince converts the doubters
- A long, unhurried village lunch with an artisan visit
- The easiest afternoon in Aegean Türkiye — no schedule, no queue
Step by step
Your day, stop by stop
Ephesus first
The marble city before the heat: Curetes Street, the Library, the Theatre, told properly by your guide.
The twenty-minute climb
A short, pretty drive through orchards and pine to the village the Greeks called "ugly" to keep it to themselves.
Lanes and lace
A gentle wander: the old church, the lace-makers, the olive-oil presses, the viewpoints between rooftops.
Lunch that refuses to hurry
A terrace table, village dishes, and an artisan visit — with wine tasting alongside for those who like the idea.
Home the long, pretty way
Back to your port or hotel, probably planning a return visit.
The day in pictures
What this day looks like
Cruise guests welcome
We serve all of these cruise companies
Whichever ship brings you to the Aegean, our guides meet you at the gangway with your name on a sign.
No surprises
What is and isn't included
Included
- Private licensed tour guide (English, Spanish, French, German or Russian)
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver
- Pickup and drop-off at your Cappadocia hotel
- Lunch and a local artisan visit
- Parking, fuel and road fees
- All taxes, official expenses and required insurance
Not included
- Museum and site entrance fees
- Hot air balloon flight (arranged separately on request)
- Personal drinks and expenses
- Gratuities — always optional, always appreciated
Good to know
Ephesus & Şirince Village Tour — your questions answered
Is Şirince touristy?
Honestly: yes, pleasantly so, in season and at midday. It is also genuinely beautiful and genuinely old — and our timing (lunch after the day-trip wave) keeps the lanes agreeable.
What is Şirince wine like?
Fruit wines, made in the village — sweet, light-hearted and better cold. Nobody claims Bordeaux; everybody has a second glass of the quince.
Does this fit a cruise port call?
Yes — with about seven hours ashore it fits comfortably, and we track your all-aboard time as always.
Ready for the Ephesus & Şirince Village Tour?
Every tour is private and paced around you. Send us your date and a local guide replies within 24 hours.
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Ephesus Tour from Kuşadası
From your Kuşadası hotel to the marble streets in 25 minutes — the region’s easiest unmissable day.
Ephesus Shore Excursion from Kuşadası Port
Gangway to the Library of Celsus in 25 minutes — a private port day timed around your ship’s clock.