Private Tour – St Johns Basilica, Ancient Ephesus, House of Mary & Artemis Temple
Photo permit included
Tour by public transport
Canal Boat tour included
Train tickets included
Suitable for little children
Wheelchair accessible tour
Museum ticket included
Light snack included
Lunch included
Transportation included
Walking Tour
As you walk the marbled streets of Ephesus, you can’t help but be struck by the sheer scale of it all. This is a place where Greeks and Romans; worshippers of Zues, Artemis and then Jesus Christ all gathered, lived and died.
What's included
Highlights
Itinerary
10:00
The history of Ephesus will be brought to stunning life by your Guide for the day. They will begin your expedition at the House of the Virgin Mary in the Aladag Mountains. Many Christians believe that this is the house that Mary spent the last years of her life in. It is said that she came to Ephesus with St John in 37AD.
The Archbishop of Izmir declared the house a place of pilgrimage in 1892; Pope Paul VI visited it in 1967 and it is considered a sacred place by many worshippers.
A few miles out of the mountains, you’ll be taken to St John’s Basilica. After John accompanied Mary to Ephesus, it is believed that he too stayed in the region. It is also thought that his body is buried in the southern slope of Ayosolug.
Then it is back to Ephesus for one of the highlights of any tour: the site of the Temple of Artemis. Sadly the Temple no longer stands – and as you’ll hear, it had a very troubled history – but this remains a site of great interest. Helped by your Guide, you’ll get a real sense of what it might have been like. This is the place where history really can come to life for you.
In amongst all of this, there will of course be time for a break for lunch if you wish. And, at the end of the tour, you’ll be returned to the Izmir port.