Best Of Ephesus
Best of Ephesus
Experience the best Ephesus has to offer on this comprehensive full day Ephesus guided tour. This Kusadasi shore excursion takes you to the most noteworthy and popular destinations available. Learn about Ephesus's stunning history, visit incredible landmarks, and enjoy local cuisine before visiting a popular shopping area to witness a carpet demonstration. This Kusadasi guided tour is ideal for history lovers, photographers, and anyone looking for an immersive cultural experience at a low price.
Begin your professionally Ephesus guided tour with a comfortable 30 minute drive to The House of the Virgin Mary. Learn the spectacular story behind this historic structure, discovered in the 19th century following reported visions by a Catholic nun who had never seen the building. A book was published after her death, and years later her descriptions were followed, leading to the prominent site being discovered. The building became an officially declared holy shrine of the Roman Catholic Church in 1896 and has developed into a popular place of pilgrimage, receiving visits from several popes. Check out the ""Wishing Wall,"" a noteworthy spot where pilgrims have tied their personal wishes, dreams, and goals on paper or fabric to a scenic wall.
From The House of the Virgin Mary, travel to Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with an incredible history. Built in the 10th century BC, this ancient city contains the largest collection of Roman ruins in the Eastern Mediterranean. Famed for the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, this destination has plenty of sights to offer the eager eye. Pass by the Library of Celsus, built in 125 AD, where an extravagant entrance once lead to nearly 12,000 scrolls.
Another highlight is The Baths of Scholastica, an area used by former citizens to bathe, socialize, and discuss current events and important daily topics. The most grandiose attraction in Ephesus is The Great Theater, a massive 25,000 seat venue. Sixty rows of seats spanning three sections face a striking 60 foot stage. The theater was once used for concerts and plays as well as religious, political, and philosophical discussions. Most interestingly, gladiator and animal fights were also held there. Enjoy a few other notable highlights before moving forward with your tour.
The next stop on your Kusadasi guided tour is The Basilica of St. John, a marvelous church built in the 6th century AD. It is speculated the evangelist St. John spent his last living years around Ephesus and was buried on a nearby hill. Three hundred years after his death, a small chapel was constructed over his grave. Several hundred years after that, Emperor Justinian transformed that small chapel into a marvelous Basilica. Built almost entirely of brick and stones, the structure is an extremely rare find among the architecture of its time. Six beautiful domes cover the cruciform-style building, making this a stunning photogenic landmark.
Up next on your Ephesus guided tour is the Ephesus Archaeological Museum. Two divided sections in this museum (archaeological and ethnographical) contain interesting artifacts from the Prehistoric, Mycenaean, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman time periods. Discover magnificent coins and sculptures, elegant mosaics, and numerous statues of Mother Goddess Artemis.
After the museum, head to the Ephesus Park for a savory lunch, which is included in your tour price. Enjoy a mixture of hot and cold appetizers, seasonal salads, a main course, and Turkish pastries with dessert and fresh fruit. Water, tea, and coffee are also provided. Additional snacks and beverages are available for purchase at the Ephesus Park.
Your comprehensive Kusadasi guided tour closes with a return trip to your starting point. You have the option to end your tour in a vibrant shopping area, where an interesting Turkish carpet demonstration takes place. Additionally, you can explore the variety of shops filled with jewelry, carpets, leatherwear, and copper goods. If you prefer to return to your port instead of remaining in the shopping area, advise your professional guide, and you will be returned directly to your port. Book this amazing Kusadasi shore excursion now for an unforgettable Turkish experience at an exclusively low price.
Please note: the standard of dress throughout Turkey is conservative. Modest clothing covering your shoulders and knees is required. Short shorts and sleeveless shirts (for both men and women) are not acceptable.
"About Shore Excursions Group
Shore Excursions Group was created with one goal in mind: to provide exceptional travel experiences to cruise passengers in the ports they visit around the world. To accomplish this, we have compiled an exceptional array of tours delivered by local experts with decades of experience serving travelers and delivering excellent tours. Our owners and management team are comprised of seasoned travel industry executives who leverage their considerable experience to deliver memories of a lifetime.
We are experts in providing exceptional shore excursions. We understand that in today's fast paced world, vacations have become an increasingly important way to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and experience new and interesting places. With this in mind, we provide the highest quality tours by performing extensive research, and detailed reviews. While other companies also offer excursions, we strongly believe our expertise and approach set us apart. The large cruise lines sell shore excursions - typically in very large groups visiting high traffic sites. We focus on smaller groups visiting more interesting and authentic locations using more personalized local operators. While the cruise lines are experts in delivering cruises, we are experts in delivering shore excursions.
Our Approach
We believe quality service is not only highly valued by customers, but ultimately leads to better experiences and higher satisfaction. Unlike the cruise lines and other tour companies that rely almost entirely on websites, we encourage customers to call us. We want to invest our time answering your questions, providing input, and selecting the excursions that best meet your needs.
Our Tours
Our goal is to provide customers a wide array of exciting, appealing, and enriching tours. For those customers who prefer to travel in smaller groups with more personalized service, we offer a wide variety of small group tours around the world. These tours generally range in size from 2-12 people compared to larger tours which can number up to 50 people. While exploring the destinations and ports on this website, feel free to search for these "Small Group Tours". For those customers interested in private tours, we offer many outstanding excursions that allow you to travel with your party alone and, in many cases, to fully customize your tour. Search for "Private Tours" if you are interested in this experience. Our "Scenic" tours provide up close and personal access to some of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth from majestic glaciers in Alaska to spectacular reefs in the Caribbean. Our "Cultural" tours allow customers to experience local customs, entertainment and culinary delights ranging from tribal dances in Alaska to an outstanding local meal in Santorini, Greece. Our "Active" tours offer a multitude of exciting and adventurous ways to experience our destinations. Our customers can kayak the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, hike to a spectacular waterfall in Hawaii, or bicycle through quaint villages in France. Our "City" tours allow travelers to see the highlights of great cities around the world with unique insights provided by our expert tour guides.
Our People
In our experience, exceptional travel experiences are almost always delivered by exceptional people. With that in mind, we utilize a comprehensive approach to select and employ the leading tour guides and tour providers around the globe. We hold our people to very high standards which we measure by our comprehensive Quality Control process and, most importantly, by our customer feedback, which we will actively seek from each of our customers.
Our Owners
Shore Excursions Group is owned by seasoned travel executives possessing extensive experience across many sectors within the travel industry.
Bradford J. Miller
Mr. Miller is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Abercrombie & Kent, the World's leading luxury travel company. In that role, Mr. Miller was responsible for contributing to Abercrombie & Kent's international growth through the development and acquisition of tour products and travel experiences around the world with a specific focus on cruising and land based experiences. Prior to joining Abercrombie & Kent, Mr. Miller held a variety of executive positions with Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises for more than a decade. These positions included Vice President of Guest Sales & Service, Vice President of Brand Development, and Vice President of Onboard Revenue (which included shore excursions). Mr. Miller also led Celebrity Expeditions, a collection of outstanding and unique tours around the World.
Michael Bonner
Mr. Bonner has over a decade of experience working in the cruise industry in a variety of roles for both Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Viking River Cruises. Most recently, Mr. Bonner was the Chief Operating Officer for The Scholar Ship, a Royal Caribbean program aimed at providing college students onboard educational programs in conjunction with enriching shore excursions around the world. Mr. Bonner also helped co-manage Viking River Cruises U.S. Operations, and he ran the corporate, strategic, and deployment planning functions at Royal Caribbean. While at Royal Caribbean, Mr. Bonner was responsible for forming Royal Celebrity Tours, Royal Caribbean's land-based tour operation in Alaska, which takes cruise passengers on multiple day tours through the interior of Alaska either before or after their cruises. Prior to working at Royal Caribbean, Mr. Bonner was a consultant for Booz Allen & Hamilton.
About Shore Excursions Group
Shore Excursions Group was created with one goal in mind: to provide exceptional travel experiences to cruise passengers in the ports they visit around the world. To accomplish this, we have compiled an exceptional array of tours delivered by local experts with decades of experience serving travelers and delivering excellent tours. Our owners and management team are comprised of seasoned travel industry executives who leverage their considerable experience to deliver memories of a lifetime.
We are experts in providing exceptional shore excursions. We understand that in today's fast paced world, vacations have become an increasingly important way to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and experience new and interesting places. With this in mind, we provide the highest quality tours by performing extensive research, and detailed reviews. While other companies also offer excursions, we strongly believe our expertise and approach set us apart. The large cruise lines sell shore excursions - typically in very large groups visiting high traffic sites. We focus on smaller groups visiting more interesting and authentic locations using more personalized local operators. While the cruise lines are experts in delivering cruises, we are experts in delivering shore excursions.
Our Approach
We believe quality service is not only highly valued by customers, but ultimately leads to better experiences and higher satisfaction. Unlike the cruise lines and other tour companies that rely almost entirely on websites, we encourage customers to call us. We want to invest our time answering your questions, providing input, and selecting the excursions that best meet your needs.
Our Tours
Our goal is to provide customers a wide array of exciting, appealing, and enriching tours. For those customers who prefer to travel in smaller groups with more personalized service, we offer a wide variety of small group tours around the world. These tours generally range in size from 2-12 people compared to larger tours which can number up to 50 people. While exploring the destinations and ports on this website, feel free to search for these "Small Group Tours". For those customers interested in private tours, we offer many outstanding excursions that allow you to travel with your party alone and, in many cases, to fully customize your tour. Search for "Private Tours" if you are interested in this experience. Our "Scenic" tours provide up close and personal access to some of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth from majestic glaciers in Alaska to spectacular reefs in the Caribbean. Our "Cultural" tours allow customers to experience local customs, entertainment and culinary delights ranging from tribal dances in Alaska to an outstanding local meal in Santorini, Greece. Our "Active" tours offer a multitude of exciting and adventurous ways to experience our destinations. Our customers can kayak the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, hike to a spectacular waterfall in Hawaii, or bicycle through quaint villages in France. Our "City" tours allow travelers to see the highlights of great cities around the world with unique insights provided by our expert tour guides.
Our People
In our experience, exceptional travel experiences are almost always delivered by exceptional people. With that in mind, we utilize a comprehensive approach to select and employ the leading tour guides and tour providers around the globe. We hold our people to very high standards which we measure by our comprehensive Quality Control process and, most importantly, by our customer feedback, which we will actively seek from each of our customers.
Our Owners
Shore Excursions Group is owned by seasoned travel executives possessing extensive experience across many sectors within the travel industry.
Bradford J. Miller
Mr. Miller is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Abercrombie & Kent, the World's leading luxury travel company. In that role, Mr. Miller was responsible for contributing to Abercrombie & Kent's international growth through the development and acquisition of tour products and travel experiences around the world with a specific focus on cruising and land based experiences. Prior to joining Abercrombie & Kent, Mr. Miller held a variety of executive positions with Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises for more than a decade. These positions included Vice President of Guest Sales & Service, Vice President of Brand Development, and Vice President of Onboard Revenue (which included shore excursions). Mr. Miller also led Celebrity Expeditions, a collection of outstanding and unique tours around the World.
Michael Bonner
Mr. Bonner has over a decade of experience working in the cruise industry in a variety of roles for both Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Viking River Cruises. Most recently, Mr. Bonner was the Chief Operating Officer for The Scholar Ship, a Royal Caribbean program aimed at providing college students onboard educational programs in conjunction with enriching shore excursions around the world. Mr. Bonner also helped co-manage Viking River Cruises U.S. Operations, and he ran the corporate, strategic, and deployment planning functions at Royal Caribbean. While at Royal Caribbean, Mr. Bonner was responsible for forming Royal Celebrity Tours, Royal Caribbean's land-based tour operation in Alaska, which takes cruise passengers on multiple day tours through the interior of Alaska either before or after their cruises. Prior to working at Royal Caribbean, Mr. Bonner was a consultant for Booz Allen & Hamilton.
