Ephesus Ancient City

Ephesus is the most visited ancient site in Turkey and one of the best-preserved classical cities anywhere in the Mediterranean. Once the second city of the Roman Empire after Rome itself, it was a thriving port of an estimated 250,000 people — a centre of trade, religion and politics where Saint Paul preached, and home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Today you walk the same marble-paved Curetes Street that Roman citizens used two thousand years ago, and the highlights arrive one after another: the towering two-storey facade of the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre that once seated 25,000 spectators, the elegant Temple of Hadrian, and the remarkable Terrace Houses with their original mosaics and frescoes (a separate ticket, and well worth it).

For anyone staying in Kuşadası, Ephesus is the easiest world-class sight to reach — about 20 km away, roughly 30 minutes by road. It is also the number-one shore excursion for cruise passengers docking at Kuşadası port, who can comfortably tour the site and be back on board within half a day.

The ruins are large, open and exposed, with little shade and polished marble underfoot. Visit early morning or late afternoon to avoid both the midday heat and the biggest tour groups, and bring water, a hat and comfortable shoes.

One tip makes all the difference: Ephesus is spectacular but almost entirely unlabelled, and it is the story behind the stones that brings them to life. A guided half-day tour from Kuşadası includes hotel or cruise-port pick-up, smooth fast-track entry and a licensed local guide who will show you the details most visitors walk straight past. You can book one of our Ephesus tours below.