Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car
and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
You will meet your professional guide, holding a name sign, outside of the
terminal building at the port for a full day’s private sightseeing.
First, you will visit the House of Virgin Mary, where the Virgin is said to
have lived the last years of her life. The building was rediscovered in the
late 19 th Century by Lazartis from Smyrna based on the vision
of a German nun. The site is officially declared a shrine of the Roman
Catholic Church and visited by Pope Paul VI in 1967, Pope John Paul II in
1979, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.
Next, you will visit Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous
throughout the ancient world for its Temple of Artemis. You will first
visit the Odeon Theatre where state affairs used to be held. Then, view the
Hadrian Temple, it was dedicated in 118 AD to Hadrian, Artemis, and the
people of Ephesus but greatly reconstructed in the 4 th Century.
This impressive Corinthian style temple has beautiful reliefs on the porch.
According to the belief of the Ephesians, the Medusa head on the porch
would protect the city from its enemies.
The Terrace Houses (Villas) on Curetes street belonged to the rich people
of Ephesus. Many of them were three-storied and had peristyles surrounded
by rooms without windows but included frescoes and mosaics of mythological
scenes. Some of the frescoes were scenes from the comedies of Menander and
the tragedies of Euripides. They were luxuriously furnished private houses
with fountains and central heating. Between the street and houses was a
portico with a mosaic floor behind which were shops.
The Celsus Library is a Roman mausoleum and library built in the early 2
nd Century AD. The Library of Celsus was commissioned by the
Julius as a mausoleum for his father, Roman governor of the Asian
Provinces. It is one of the most beautifully reconstructed buildings in
Ephesus, it has become an icon of the ancient city.
The Great Theatre dates to the Hellenistic period. It is one of the most
impressive buildings in Ephesus, which has a capacity of 25,000 seats. The
theatre was used for concerts, plays and religious, political, and
philosophical discussions and for gladiator and animal fights. Marble Road
runs between the Library of Celsus and the theater and is a part of the
sacred walkway.
Lunch suggested at a local restaurant.
After your lunch, you will visit the Ephesus Museum. Many of the artifacts
displayed here were found in Ephesus and other ancient sites in the region.
Highlights include the fresco of Socrates, statues and heads of Eros,
crosses, coins, and the works of the 1 st Century AD. Such as
glass trays and theatrical masks, and much more.
Then, your tour will continue to the ruins of the Basilica of St John. The
Basilica had a cruciform plan with four domes along its longitudinal axis
and a pair flanking the central dome to form the arm of the cross. Under
the central dome was the grave of St John.
At the end of your tour, you can return to Kusadasi for some shopping in
town or visit one of the carpet villages along the way before embarking on
the ship. If you are not interested in shopping, please advise your guide
that you would like to return directly to the ship.
Included:
-
Private Luxury Van (Mercedes Vito) with English-Speaking guide and
driver for 8 hours
-
Entrance fees for listed sights
-
Gratuities to guide and driver*
-
Bottled water in the vehicle
Excluded:
-
Cost of meals and refreshments other than bottled water
-
Items of personal nature
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s
discretion.
The Signature Collection – A Hosted Sailing
