Daily Ephesus and Virgin Mary House Tour with Lunch Included

Enjoy a memorable day seeing the historical sights in the ancient city of Ephesus and the Virgin Mary House on this day trip. Be picked up from your centrally located hotel in Kusadasi or Kusadasi Cruise Port drive to Selcuk for about 30 minutes. Meet with the participants joining the tour from Selcuk and start exploring the Virgin Mary House and Ephesus around 10.00 am.

The first stop of the tour is the House of Virgin Mary where she might spent the last days of her life. Indeed, she may have come in the area with Saint John, who spent several years in the area to spread Christianity. Paul VI was the first pope to visit this place in the 1960's. Later, in the 1980's, during his visit Pope John-Paul II declared the Shrine of Virgin Mary as a pilgrimage place for Christians.

Next start exploring Ephesus which was once one of the majör powers of the ancient world.Take a journey to the past walking on the marble streets, visitng the upper Agora.Then continue to the Odeon theater.Head to Domitian Square and view the gorgeous columns at the Temple of Domitian. Pass by the Fountain of Pollio.See the Hercules Gate before moving to the temple and fountain of Trajan. Marvel the Temple of Hadrian. Stroll by the Roman baths,latrines,market place and the ancient brothel house.See the stunning remains of the 3rd largest library in the Roman world at the Library of Celsus.See The Great Theater and imagine how it might be like watching a play at ancient times. . After Ephesus have a look at the one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient world at the Temple of Artemis. Return to your hotel with unforgettable memories.

Artemis, the Greek goddess, daoghter of Zeus & Leto and twin of Apollo was the goddess of wild animals, the hunt and child birth. She was widely worshipped in the Greek wolrd but her most famous cult site was the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple was destroyed on July 21 356 BC in an act of arson committed by Herostratus. According to the story that very same night, Alexander the Great was born. A noble Ephesian remarked that Artemis was too busy with Alexander's delivery to save her burning temple. Alexander later offered to pay for the Temple's rebuilding, but the Ephesians refused. Eventually, the temple was restored after Alexander's death in 323 BC. This reconstruction was itself destroyed during a raid by the Goths Then it was rebuilt but after thousands of years today not much left to see from the Artemision. Will pay a visit to imagine how magnificent the temple was once.

After all the visits lunch will be provided in a restaurant in Selcuk.

During the tour, you will have a chance to explore local handicrafts of the Turkish tradition and at the end of the day around 16:00 - 16:30 you will be dropped off to your pick up location.