Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch
Pick your date
Highlighted days have spots open. Grey days are sold out or not running.
September 2026
Loading live availability
Who is going?
Adults
Age 13 and over
Children
Age 12 and under
Select a highlighted day to see live departure times and the exact price for your group.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Same price on Viator, Outty earns a commission.
Traveler rating
4.8/5
Based on 16 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch worth booking?
Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch is a 6-hour experience in Kusadasi, Turkey, from $93 per person. It scores 65 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Solid Choice”, based on a 4.8/5 rating across 16 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 65 / 100
- Rating
- 4.8/5 (16)
- Duration
- 6 hours
- From
- $93 per person
Private Ephesus, The House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica, Artemission temple with Lunch Private : Full Day tour of Ephesus, St. John Basilica Temple of Artemis, The House of Virgin Mary . Private Licenced tour guide
What you get
About this experience
Private Ephesus, The House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica, Artemission temple with Lunch Private : Full Day tour of Ephesus, St. John Basilica Temple of Artemis, The House of Virgin Mary . Private Licenced tour guide, A/C transportation, parking fees and lunch are included in the price. Terrace houses can be added into the program , If requested , Bible Oriented Guide can be organised without any extra. Entrance fees are not included in this program. Our guide will have pre-paid tickets to the sites.Total entrance fees can be paid to our guide at the end of the tour in cash
What's included
Included
- Lunch
- GUARANTEED On Time Return to PORT
- Transport by air-conditioned mercedes Van
- Private tour
- Professional Licenced Tour guide
- Port pickup and drop-off
Not included
- Drinks
- Gratuities
- Entrance Fees ( our guide will have pre-paid tickets to skip the lines )
What you'll see and do
Your tour guide will be ready at your hotel lobby in Kusadasi or at Kusadasi Cruise terminal at pre-arranged time. Our professional licenced tour guide will meet you at Kusadasi port with your name sign. After greetings, drive to The House of Virgin Mary for around 25 minutes.
30 minutes here
The House of the Virgin Mary
Our first stop is The House of Virgin Mary is one of the pilgrimage center of Christians where Virgin Mary passed her recently time and died. Pope Paul VI visited the shrine in 1967, and ‘unofficially’ confirmed its authenticity. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI has visited this shrine After House of Virgin Mary.
45 minutes here · Admission not included
Ephesus Ancient City
We drive to Ephesus, famous in antiquity for its Temple of Artemis during the years of the Roman Empire, the Greek port of Ephesus became the greatest city in Asia Minor. You will start your Ephesus excursion at the upper Magnesia Gate, and work your way down through the city, ending near the ancient Harbor. Along the way you will see the Forum, the Odeon, the Library of Celsus, the Thermal Baths of Scolastika and the Great Theater, built in the Greek era and reconstructed in the Roman period. It has played host to programs as varied as Paul and his sermons to the Ephesians, to concerts by Sting, in part due to its remarkable acoustics. You will walk along the Arcadian Way, where once Mark Antony and Cleopatra rode in procession. You will hear stories of Alexander the Great, the Virgin Mary, and many other famous visitors who walked the same marble streets that you are walking.
120 minutes here · Admission not included
Ephesus Terrace Houses
You can visit Terrace Houses in Ephesus if you want to add into your program
45 minutes here · Admission not included
Your private Ephesus excursion includes lunch at a nearby local restaurant. Delicious homemade Turkish lunch will be served. Either in Selcuk Köftecisi or in Bizim Ev Hanımeli Restaurant
45 minutes here · Admission included
Basilica of St. John
After Lunch, we will visit The Basilica of St. John it is believed that the evangelist St. John had spent his last years in the region around Ephesus and buried in the southern slope of Ayosolug Hill.
30 minutes here · Admission not included
The Temple of Artemis
Then Continue to visit Temple of Artemis which is one of the seven wonders of Ancient time. Returning back to your hotel / Cruise terminal in Kusadasi and the end of our tour.
15 minutes here
Pass Through Caravanserail and Arrival to Kusadasi port and drop off . Hotel guests will be dropped off to their hotel. The end of our services
Pass by without stopping
Drop-off at Kusadasi Cruise Port.
5 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers. Pickup begins about 15 minutes before departure.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Kusadasi Private Tours
Know before you go
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Full Day tour of Ephesus, St. John Basilica Temple of Artemis, The House of Virgin Mary . Private Licenced tour guide, A/C transportation, parking fees and lunch are included in the price.
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 16 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
7 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Knowledge and storytelling
7 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Food and drink
5 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Photo opportunities
2 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Value for money
2 mentionsTravelers feel they got more than they paid for.
Good for families
2 mentionsReviewers traveling with kids report it landed well with their group.
Traveler reviews
16 verified traveler reviews for Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Safe and comfortable tour
With only half a day to visit Kusadasi we wanted to visit Ephesus. Air conditioned van met us at the cruise terminal and away we went! Local history as we visited the House of Mary before the crowds. Our guide Inan navigated our stops to meet our interests in biblical history and archeology as well as leather and rugs. He even arranged for us to visit a local family who makes ceramics! Comfortable, clean and safe.
via Viator
Great flexibility and knowledge
We loved our tour and our guide! Extremely knowledgeable! Car was clean and he always had water for us! Everything was very well planned out but also very flexible based on what we wanted to do!
via Viator
Be careful with these guys
They try to sell you carpets, jewelry and hide some of the costs of the trip. Very shady operation, be careful
Response from the operator: Hello, Includes and excludes are very clear in What's Included section of the tour. I wish you could check all before you book your tour. Please review them below Included ✅ Lunch Traditional Turkish Lunch ✅ Professional Licenced Tour guide ✅ Port pickup and drop-off ✅ Private tour ✅ Transport by air-conditioned mercedes Van ✅ GUARANTEED On Time Return to PORT Excluded X Drinks X Gratuities X Entrance Fees ( our guide will have pre-paid tickets to skip the lines ) This tour is a private tour. You have a private guide and private driver with van from meeting till drop off. It is not a group tour None of our tours include any compulsory stops. None of our guests are taken anywhere they do not want to go. You have not been taken anywhere during the tour. You visited all the places in the sites. You had your lunch which was included in your tour. Then you returned back to port. You did not want to pay the entrance fees which were not included. Best Regards, Fevzi Turhan
via Viator
Definitely Aleyna is the whole package!
Aleyna was an amazing guide. Very knowledgeable about so much more than just the places we were visiting! With just the 2 of us and Aleyna plus our amazing driver, we had a fantastic experience in Ephesus. We went to House of Mary first off to beat the crowds and from there we did old town Ephesus then down to Library of Celsius. Had a phenomenal authentic Turkish lunch with her as well. I took pictures because we’d love to go back someday. It was the best day of our 12 day trip!
via Tripadvisor
Doesn’t get better than this….
Our private tour of Santorini was one of the absolute highlights of our trip! From the moment we met Christos, we felt like family. He was warm, welcoming, entertaining, and incredibly knowledgeable about Santorini, its history, culture, and beautiful villages. Christos gave us an amazing private tour that allowed us to see so much of the island. We enjoyed it so much that we extended our tour by an additional hour, and we are so glad we did! The extra time allowed us to explore even more of this spectacular destination and truly experience everything Santorini has to offer. One of our favorite stops was Santos Winery, where we relaxed with delicious local wines and a wonderful charcuterie board while taking in the breathtaking views of the caldera and sparkling water below. It was an unforgettable experience. Christos made this tour incredibly special, and his passion for Santorini was evident throughout the day. We cannot wait to return! We highly recommend booking a private tour when visiting Santorini. The extra cost is absolutely worth it—you get a much more personalized experience, your group stays together, and you can customize the day to your interests. Thank you to Kivotos of Aegean Travel for arranging such a fantastic experience and to Christos of Marryposa Royal Services for creating memories that will last a lifetime. Highly recommended!
via Viator
Good to know
- Duration
- 6 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $93 to $109
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 6
- Verdict
- Solid Choice
Why this scores 65
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Kusadasi.
How much does Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch cost?
+
Prices start at $93 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Kusadasi usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch take?
+
Plan for about 6 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Kusadasi is not rushed.
Is Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch worth it?
+
It holds an Outty Ranking of 65 out of 100, which we label "Solid Choice". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.8/5 across 16 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Kusadasi, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch?
+
Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch suitable for kids and families?
+
Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 6-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch?
+
Around 6 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Kusadasi can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
+
Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Kusadasi and add a light layer if any part of the 6-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch start and how do I get there?
+
The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Kusadasi within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Kusadasi?
+
On Outty we rank every Kusadasi experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include FOR CRUISERS: Ephesus & Virgin Mary Tour with ENTRY TICKET+LUNCH, Ephesus Temple of Artemis and House of Mary Private Half Day Tour, Ephesus and Temple of Artemis Private Tour from Kusadasi Port. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Kusadasi?
+
Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Kusadasi?
+
Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
+
Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
Ready to lock in your spot?
Pick a date, choose your group, and see the exact price for Private Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, St John Basilica & Lunch.
Pick your date
