Exclusive Ancient Ephesus

Meet your professionally trained guide and drive to Ephesus, approximately 30 minutes from Kusadasi. Famous in antiquity for its Temple of Artemus during the years of the Roman Empire, the Greek port of Ephesus became the greatest city in Asia Minor. You will start your 90 minute Ephesus tour 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, Temple of Artemis, the Thermal Baths of Scolastika, and the Great Theater, built in the Greek era and reconstructed in the Roman period. With your skip-the-line access, you can fully enjoy these sites, which have played host to events as varied as Paul and his sermons to the Ephesians, to concerts by Sting, in part due to their 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. As you depart the Ephesus site, you will be able to view the hilltop ruins of the Basilica of St. John in the distance, which was erected over his grave in the 6th century A.D. by Emperor Justinian.

Returning to the town of Kusadasi, guests will have the option to end their Ephesus tour in the shopping area, where they can attend a Turkish carpet explanation and explore the shops filled with jewelry, carpets, leatherware, and copper goods, or both. Turkish salespeople expect you to haggle and quite often you can get 10-15% off the listed price. Treat it as an adventure. The cruise pier is a 5-10 minute walk from the main shopping area.

Guests not wishing to attend the optional carpet shopping should stay on the bus and they will be taken directly back to the pier.

Panoramic Trieste and Miramare Castle

Set off for a half-day of discovery in one of the most beautiful places in Europe. Embrace Trieste and see for yourself a place which enchants visitors with history, architecture and annual events as you make your way to visit the extraordinary Miramare Castle.

Trieste is a city at the crossroads and was only returned to Italy in 1954. An important port town that has been passed through the possession of the Romans, Venetians, the powerful Hapsburg monarchy (who lavished it with money), and the Germans during WWII. Between land and sea, war and peace, this special place has carved out a unique and vibrant culture that sits somewhere between Austrian, Italian, and Slovenian influences. The Austrian architecture, cafe culture, and seaside views have attracted writers and artists for decades, including luminaries like Italo Svevo, James Joyce and Sigmund Freud. Today, Trieste is the capital of the region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, one of the richest in all of Italy, and continues to enchant travelers looking for an off-the-grid destination filled with history, art, and unique cuisine.

After a walking tour of central Trieste, you will next drive through the city and the surrounds to make your way to Miramare Castle. Located on the tip of a promontory perched between cliffs and overlooking the sea, the Castello Miramare is only 5km outside of the city. The Castle provides beautiful views from its wrap-around balcony and is surrounded by a beautiful park with 54 acres of gardens that contain valuable botanical species. This noble residence was commissioned by Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Habsburg and his wife Charlotte and was built between 1855 and 1860. The restless Archduke was known for his vanity and wealth and inside you'll find testaments to this with portraits hung in nearly every room, different dining rooms for winter and summer and a throne room that was never used. The Archduke was executed in Mexico after trying to establish himself as its monarch during one of the more outlandish empire-building adventures of the 19th century. Ironically, he was well-liked by almost everyone who knew him. Your tour of the castle includes entrance fee and an audio-guide.