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Small-Group: Ephesus and The House of Virgin Mary Day Trip from Istanbul

Name: Small-Group: Ephesus and The House of Virgin Mary Day Trip from Istanbul
Brand: Neon Tours
SKU: 3795IZM02AIR
Price: 580.00 USD
Rating: 4.0 (91 reviews)

Istanbul, Turkey

From $580.00

Select Date and Travelers

up to 7 days in advance

15 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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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

What's Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Round-trip flights from Istanbul to Izmir
Local guide
Air-conditioned vehicle

Gratuities
Food and drinks, unless specified
Lunch

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Ottoman Hotel Imperial
Sultanahmet, Cankurtaran, Caferiye Sk. No:6/1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

05:30 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

We offer pick up service for a radius of 2.5 km from Karakoy Disctrict. Other guests are welcomed at the meeting point.

What To Expect

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.

Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House)

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Ancient City of Ephesus

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

The Odeion

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Efes Antik Kenti Tiyatrosu

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

The Temple of Artemis

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 30 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Confirmation for this tour will be received at time of booking
In the event of any museum closures, an alternative similar museum will be visited
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for children aged 4 and under
Children 18 years and under must be accompanied by an adult
Passport name, number, expiry and country is required at time of booking for all participants

Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 7 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 7 full days before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 7 full days before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 7 full days before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Joel_G

Elif was absolutely amazing from start to finish. She became more of a friend than a tour guide. A wonderful, and extremely knowledgeable tour guide who was there to assist in any way possible. This is a must do tour!

Reviews

4.0

91 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 91 reviews

Must go trip

Erdenetsetseg_R, Apr 2024

We are very lucky to have Ellif as our guide. We had so many questions regarding the history of The House of Virgin Mary and ancient city of Ephesus. An addition to planned sightseeing she showed us Turkish handcrafting cultures which was real art. Very thankful that we booked this trip via Viator

Worth it

Joel_G, Oct 2022

Misleading

John_R, Oct 2019

We were picked up at our hotel at 4am and returned about 8:30pm. Throughout the entire 16 1/2 hour day, we only spent about 1 hour at Ephesus and were given no free time at all inside the city. We were taken to a rug shop so that they could show us how rugs are made but then they tried to sell you. The icing on the cake was next being brought to a leather shop to ensure a lights out fashion show with again more sales efforts to get us to buy their leather products. We signed up for a tour of Ephesus not a sales trip. Finally, the tour guide was terrible. Extremely strong accent, hard to understand and she didn’t have her facts correct about history but she passed along her superstitions and her opinions. Although the one hour in Ephesus was amazing, largely the day was a waste.

Response from Host, Oct 2019

Dear our valued guest, We're sorry to hear that you didn't have as much time as you wanted to spent at Ephesus. Did you visit Virgin Mary's House? If you can send us your travel date we'd like to hear more details about your feedback. Neon Tours

Ephesus from Istanbul made easy

cagoldenbear, Sep 2019

Our trip to Istanbul was amazing, but we really wanted to see Ephesus while in Turkey. Viator made this possible. They arranged an early morning picked up from our Istanbul hotel and put us on a Turkish Airline flight to Izmir (Turkey’s 3rd largest city). Our guide and driver met us at the Izmir airport and drove us the short distance to Ephesus. Our tour included four major stops. The first stop was the Ephesus House of Virgin Mary and Saint John (Jesus put his mother in John’s care while dying on the cross). The second stop was the ancient city of Ephesus. The ruins of this Greek city included: the Odeon (Senate), Hadrian’s Temple, Mosaic sidewalk, Library of Celsus, and the Theater. The theater has held several modern concerts including: Pavarotti, Sting, Elton John, and Ray Charles. The third stop was lunch and a short carpet making demonstration at Turkmen Carpet. The last stop was the Basilica of Saint John. Throughout our visit we were kept informed and entertained by our very knowledgeable and awesome guide Ceyla Ergon. She was great! At the end of the day, we were put on a return flight and taken back to our hotel. Everything was super professional and we highly recommend it.

Response from Host, Oct 2019

Dear our valued guest, Thank you for this kind review. We're more than happy to hear that you enjoyed our services. We hope to see you again soon, Neon Tours

this was truly a small group tour...

Jacqueline T, Feb 2018

this was truly a small group tour the guide was great and very informative. I could not have asked for anything better.

Excellent tour and guide. Very...

DouglasL_N, Jan 2018

Excellent tour and guide. Very efficient pickup at the airport and transfers to and from the hotel. Amazing opportunity to see two 2 pretty special places. Highly recommend and can be accomplished in one day/

It was an absolute privilege to walk...

Mariska_C, Jun 2017

It was an absolute privilege to walk in the same paths and alleys as were some of the political giants, gladiators and philosophers of the Roman empire had walked and to experience the Christian history of this ancient jewel. What made our visit to Ephesus so special, was that our guide Ismail majored in history, archaeology and religion as part of his bachelors degree. It was amazing to discover some of the hidden gems in Ephesus and to imagine what the city must have looked like 2000 years ago :-

My partner and I recently late March...

Bernardo C, Apr 2017

My partner and I recently late March 2017 visited Ephesus on a day trip. Our guide, Ismail was very knowledgeable and took the time to explain in detail the major highlights of Ephesus and made sure we avoided the crowds. He made sure we were checked in for our return flight. A great way to experience this part of Turkey and truly unforgettable. Thank you.

I thoroughly enjoyed the private...

Neels E, Jul 2016

I thoroughly enjoyed the private tour to Ephesus July 8, 2016 and want to commend Gokce Tascilar and the drivers for their excellent services and hospitality. Will be remembered for a long, long time - for sure!.

Excellent guide - Mr Top. Not at...

Nigel H, Jun 2016

Excellent guide - Mr Top. Not at all crowded. Wonderful weather. Flight connections and airport and hotel pick ups perfect.

I was picked up at my Istanbul Hotel...

Jonathan N, May 2016

I was picked up at my Istanbul Hotel on time and efficiently transported to the airport for the flight to Ismir, where I was met by the tour guide. The guide was knowledgeable and informative. The entire tour was well-organized and efficient. there were just 2 of us with the guide--which is not typical, according to my understanding.

This was an excellent tour in every...

Stephen M, May 2016

This was an excellent tour in every way! We were staying privately in Istanbul and so an arrangement was made for the minibus to pick us up at a nearby hotel. This would have been easier to arrange if an email address had been provided rather than a local phone number, however, we managed email contact in the end and all went well. All the staff involved with transfers were good at their jobs, prompt, efficient and welcoming. Would be a good idea to tell/remind people to bring passports official photo ID to the airport fortunately we did have ours. Similarly for those who collect frequent flyer points advance knowledge of the airline might help ours was Turkish Air - Star Alliance. The tour itself was absolutely brilliant and our tour guide was much the same. We were very fortunate to have Mr Serhat Top as our guide he was knowledgeable, insightful and enormously helpful. This was no 'follow the orange umbrella' tour! Everything was included in the tour as per the printed information, so this may be more along the lines of a means of alternate gratuity than travel advice: we found that our 5 day Museum Passes bought in Istanbul also would have worked at a number of the sites we visited. Lunch was relaxed outdoors dining.The meal was traditional, simple and very satisfying. The restaurant staff were more than helpful and obliging, especially given my garlic allergy - advised in advance. The cooperative carpet making presentation and demonstration was very informative. We had make it clear to our tour guide beforehand that we were not in the market to buy carpets or leather goods for that matter. The journey home went smoothly and we were met and transferred by the same people who had sent us off that morning. Yes, it is a long day but worth every minute of it. We'd certainly do it again if we found ourselves back in Istanbul. Thank you Viator!

An excellent tour. My tour guide...

Roy E, Apr 2016

An excellent tour. My tour guide Gotca? Was amazing as were all the staff. Deeply moving to be at the House of the Blessed Virgin and St John. Highly recommend this tour!!!

An amazing tour. Deeply moving to be...

Roy E, Apr 2016

An amazing tour. Deeply moving to be at the House of the Blessed Virgin and the Tomb of St John. My guide ? Gotca was marvellous, as were all the staff. I highly recommend this tour.

An excellent and fascinating day. I...

Roy E, Apr 2016

An excellent and fascinating day. I was deeply moved by being at the house f the Blessed Virgin and the tomb of St John. The Roman ruins were spectacular. My guide Gotcha? Was outstanding. I was greatly marvellously by all the staff. Highly recommend this tour

Wonderful tour, you get to see...

Ihab, Mar 2016

Wonderful tour, you get to see everything in the area with an experienced, knowledgeable tour guide

It was awesome. The tour guide was...

oscar.lanza, Dec 2015

It was awesome. The tour guide was phenomenal he was very knowledgeable, patient, understanding, and did not allow me to skip any of the most important components of the tour. I was very appreciative of how he made sure that I had a great experience. If you love Roman history and the evolution of Christianity, this is for you.

Although it was a very rainy day for...

D D, Dec 2015

Although it was a very rainy day for the tour, the sights themselves were a must for anyone traveling to Ephesus, Turkey! The highlight of the trip was seeing the ancient library. What an amazing site to see. One request I would like to make is for the tour company to provide a personalized itinerary for the traveler. That would have been extremely helpful. Instead of providing an itinerary or pickup time my hotel room was contacted two hours earlier than expected for a 4 AM pickup instead of a 6 AM pickup, thus causing quite a poor start to the day. Additionally those of us traveling had no idea what the schedule was for the day, so we just had to go with the flow and when the sightseeing tour concluded, we were taken to the airport only to have to wait three hours for our flight back to Istanbul. Unfortunately we had to spend 3 hours in the Izmir airport when we could have possibly been elsewhere enjoying additional sites or shops at the location. All that being said, it was a good tour and is recommended to any traveler passing through Turkey!

It was great to see the ancient city...

Franklin-5, Nov 2015

It was great to see the ancient city of Ephesus!! A must see for visitors to the area. Downside was the poor communication of the tour guide, to the people coordinating the flight bookings, to us the travellers. When the sight seeing tour finished, we were taken to the airport, only to find out that our flight time was three hours later. We spent 3 hours in the Izmir airport when we could of possibly been elsewhere...

Al was the best tour guide we have...

Daniel H, Nov 2015

Al was the best tour guide we have ever had. Very knowledgeable and presented the information with an entertaining flair.

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