Private House of Virgin Mary and Ancient Ephesus

Private House of Virgin Mary and Ancient Ephesus Tour from Kusadasi
From $55.00/person to $155.00/person (Select "Individuals" below) Price varies based on number of individuals in your group
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Summary
Shore Excursion Size ? Private
Shore Excursion Type Cultural, scenic
Shore Excursion Duration 4 Hours
Activity Level ? Moderate
Shore Excursion Leaves From ? Cruise Ship Pier
Food/Beverage Provided None
Recommended Dress Shoulders and knees should be covered when visiting a religious site. Comfortable, sensible walking shoes are recommended.
Restrictions The walking tour of Ephesus begins at the upper gate and ends at the lower gate. Guests must be able to walk over packed dirt, cobblestone and rock pavements. Many of these are uneven. Steps are required at various points throughout the city. Most of Ephesus is not wheelchair accessible.

Private House of Virgin Mary and Ancient Ephesus

After meeting your professional guide at the Kusadasi pier, your private Ephesus excursion will depart for the House of the Virgin Mary. It is known with certainty that the Virgin Mary went to Ephesus and lived there for some time. Whether she died in Ephesus is not confirmed, and her final resting place is still contested. In the late 1800s, a stigmatized German nun who had never been to Ephesus, Anne Catherine Emmerich, had a vision of the House of the Virgin Mary and described it in detail to German writer Clemens Brentano, who later published a book about it. In 1891 Paul, Superior of the Lazarists from Izmir, read about her vision and found a little building which corresponded with Emmerich's descriptions. Although the foundations were from the 1st Century A.D., the house itself dates only back to the 5th century A.D. The site was officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church in 1896, and since then it has become a popular place of pilgrimage. Popes visited the shrine in 1967 and again in 2006.

In the ancient site of Ephesus, the greatest port city in Asia Minor during the years of the Roman Empire, you will walk with your guide as they bring to life the many famous sites of Ephesus including the Forum, the Odeon, the Library of Celsus, and the Thermal Baths of Scolastika. You will also view the remains of the main Agora and the Great Theater, which was built in the Greek era and reconstructed in the Roman period.

Returning to the town of Kusadasi, guests will have the option to end their tour in the shopping area, where they can attend a Turkish carpet explanation and shop, explore the shops filled with jewelry, carpets, leather ware, 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 advise their guide and they will be taken directly back to the pier.

5 Stars5.0 / 5  |  2 ReviewsReview This Tour
Ephesus and House of the Virgin Mary
June 17, 2023
This was such an enjoyable tour. It was so worth it to go with the private tour. Our guide was friendly, funny and a wealth of information. Of the 3 springs, we drank from the health spring at The House of the Virgin Mary. Ephesus was stunning! You see photos but there is NO comparison to the site itself. A wonderful experience!
Reviewer: Carol L Martin
5 Stars
Wonderful & Peaceful tour!
July 07, 2015
The guide was very upbeat and cheerful She was passionate about Pompeii which was awesome for us. She shared amazing things about the place. We were very pleased!!! Thank you for making our visit so memorable.
Reviewer: Dubois' Family
5 Stars