Ephesus Tour from Izmir: Temple of Artemis & Sirince Village

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/8

Duration8h–9h

GroupUp to 45

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

One day, four ancient sites: Mary's house, a marble city, a wonder of the world, and a village that tastes like wine.

This full-day guided tour from Izmir covers the House of the Virgin Mary, the ruins of Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), and the traditional village of Şirince, with hotel pickup, an air-conditioned bus, a guide, buffet lunch and all entrance fees included. The tour runs 8 to 9 hours and suits all fitness levels; a multi-lingual guide may lead the group, and vegetarian meals are available on request.

8h–9h

Step-by-step itinerary

Ephesus, Temple, and Sirince Village Tour

Pick up from Izmir or Kusadasi
Visit House of the Virgin Mary
Drive to Temple of Artemis
Explore Temple of Artemis and take photos
Tour ancient city of Ephesus with guide
Free time and wine tasting in Sirince village

The Experience

The day starts with pickup from your Izmir hotel or Kuşadası accommodation at 7:30 am, then moves to the House of the Virgin Mary in Selçuk—a site where Mary is believed to have spent her final years after traveling with Saint John. The visit takes about 45 minutes, and the Pope visited in 1967, making it a formal shrine of the Roman Catholic Church since 1986. A short drive follows to Ephesus itself.

Ephesus is where you spend two hours walking the marble streets with your guide, moving through the Odeon, the Temple of Hadrian, the Bouleterion, the Bath of Scholastica, and the Library of Celsus—one of the largest buildings in the ancient world. The Great Theater comes next, where Paul likely preached during his time in the city. If you want to see the Terrace Houses (the so-called brothel), that's an optional add-on you arrange with your guide beforehand. Between the sites, you'll pass the Curetes Street and the Marble Road, both lined with the remains of shops and homes. Lunch is a buffet served partway through the day.

After Ephesus, the tour moves to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of antiquity—now mostly foundation and a single standing column, but the angle lets you photograph the Church of St. John and the Mosque of Isa Bey nearby. The final stop is Şirince, a hillside village 7 km away that was home to Byzantine Greeks until the 1920s population exchange. You'll have free time to walk the narrow streets, see the traditional stone houses, and taste the local fruit-flavored wines the village is known for. The bus returns you to Izmir by late afternoon.

What’s included

Hotel or airport pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned bus.
entrance fees to the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, and Şirince.
a live English-speaking guide.
buffet lunch.
and parking fees.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Apasas travel

Is this one for you?Choose the shared tour if you're comfortable in a group and want the full day at a set pace with a guide handling all the stops and timing. Pick the private option if you travel with family or friends and want flexibility to linger at any site or adjust the schedule—both versions follow the same route and include the same sites, so the difference is group size and how much control you have over the day.