Kusadasi Shore Excursion: Private Full-Day Tour to Ephesus, Didyma and Miletus

When your cruise ship docks in Kusadasi, join up with your private guide at the port and board an air-conditioned minivan. Then, hear about Turkey’s fascinating ancient history from your guide on route to your first stop. After roughly one hour, arrive at Miletus, one of the most important of ancient Greco-Roman cities. Set on the mouth of the River Meander, it boasted four coastal harbors and only declined in the 6th century AD when the river silted up. See its Delphinium temple, bathhouses and other monuments, including the impressive Theater of Miletus, where 25,000 spectators once gathered to watch gladiatoral contests. Continue to Didyma to admire its magnificent Temple of Apollo. Regarded as second only to Delphi, this massive Greek-era temple was the seat of a revered oracle. Stroll around the remaining columns and behold the carved head of Medusa that dominates the entrance as your guide helps you visualize the beauty of the temple at its height. After a break for lunch (own expense), visit Ephesus, probably Turkey’s most spectacular archeological site. Head inside this Greco-Roman city via its Magnesia Gate and on your 2.5-hour tour, hear how it flourished as the Roman Empire's capital in Asia Minor. Walk the marble-paved streets past shops, houses and baths, and see the Odeon, Fountain of Trajan and Temple of Hadrian. Gaze at the stunning Library of Celsus and the 24,000-seater Great Theatre, where St Paul once preached. Having explored Ephesus, return to Kusadasi cruise port, where your tour concludes.