Private Biblical Ephesus
Private Biblical Ephesus
On the Kusadasi pier, you will meet your professionally qualified guide and begin your private shore tour to Ephesus. Ephesus is the only ancient city that finds reference in both the New Testament and the Book of Revelation, that St. Paul visited. Skip-the-line tickets are included for sites to ensure a seamless experience.
Just before we journey to ancient Ephesus, you will ascend a gorgeous seaside route. Upon arriving at Ephesus, proceed through the Magnesia Gate as instructed by your guide to enter the historic site. Explore many landmarks such as the Great Theatre, which was rebuilt in the Roman era after being created in the Greek era and is still renowned for its exceptional acoustics, the Odeon, the Library of Celsius, the Thermal Baths of Scholastica.
The Tomb of St. Luke is located close to the north gate. It's believed to be the base of an old temple that was subsequently transformed into a church. There is a theory this was the tomb of St. Luke because of a bull's head carved in the doorjamb, which was an old sign for the saint. He may not have physically visited Ephesus, but his influence undoubtedly did. You will go to the former harbor area before departing the city. You can view the ruins of the old Christian cathedral known as The Church of Mary, which was devoted to the Virgin Mary.
Following your exploration of all the intriguing Biblical monuments, your private shore trip to Ephesus includes lunch at a local restaurant where you may savor a variety of local specialties. The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, stood from 550 B.C. to 401 A.D., and all that is left of it is a single pillar that you will pass after lunch.
After lunch, you will pass the one lone pillar that is all that remains of The Temple of Artemis (550 B. C. - 401 A. D.), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The final stop is at the Basilica of St. John. It is generally agreed that he died in the area of Ephesus of natural causes around 100 A.D. and was buried on Ayasuluk hill under a simple marker. In the 4th century, a modest Christian church was built over the grave. In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian had an impressive domed basilica built to replace the earlier church. The church, known as the Church of St. John the Theologian, was one of the most sacred sites in the Middle Ages, and thousands made the pilgrimage here. With the decline in the importance of Ephesus and the destruction from Arab raids in the 11th century, the basilica fell into ruins and was even converted into a mosque around 1330 A. D. After further destruction, the building became a source of building materials until restoration began in the last century. If the cathedral could be rebuilt, it would be the seventh-largest in the world.
The Basilica of St. John serves as the last destination. He was buried atop Ayasuluk hill beneath a plain monument, and it is generally agreed that he passed away in the Ephesus region about 100 A.D. from natural causes. Over the tomb, a small Christian church was constructed in the fourth century. Emperor Justinian ordered the construction of an imposing basilica with a dome in the sixth century to replace the previous church. Thousands of people came to this church, also known as the Church of St. John the Theologian, since it was one of the most revered locations throughout the Middle Ages.
You will pass what appears to be the hillside prison where Paul may have been imprisoned during the theater riots as you make the journey back to town. When the group returns to the town of Kusadasi, if time permits, they can choose to conclude their trip in the shopping district, where they can either attend a shopping and explanation about Turkish carpets, or they can browse the stores that sell jewelry, carpets, leather products, and copper items, or both. Turkish retailers anticipate haggling, and you can frequently negotiate a 10%-15% price reduction. If guests decide not to partake in the optional carpet shopping, they will be returned straight to the dock upon informing their guide.
- Religious and Spiritual
About Shore Excursions Group
About Us
Shore Excursions Group is the market leading and world's largest shore excursion company. Since 2008, we've provided cruise passengers with higher-quality, lower-priced, and smaller group shore excursions from a portfolio of nearly 4,000 tours in over 300 ports. Over the last 16 years, we've delivered more than 4.6M excursions with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating from more than 47k reviews.
Exceptional travel experiences are created by exceptional people. Our incredible team of cruise and travel experts has more than 100 years of combined industry experience, and we work in close collaboration with a network of exceptional tour operator partners dedicated to providing personalized and immersive excursions to cruise passengers in the ports they visit around the world.
Our excursions are higher quality, lower priced, and travel in smaller groups averaging just 12 guests per departure, allowing our guests to truly connect with the local culture and enjoy a more enriching travel experience. Our website provides a personalized shopping experience highlighting the top-rated and most popular excursions in each port of call with authentic photos, videos, and reviews from other guests.
Our proprietary itinerary search technology makes booking easy by displaying the excursions guaranteed to work for your ship's scheduled arrival and departure into each port of call. We also feature hand-curated multi-port packages with the top-rated excursion for each port bundled together at an additional discount.
Our Unique Approach
While the cruise lines and other companies also offer excursions, we are the experts and our experience and approach set us apart. Our exceptional excursions travel in smaller groups and visit more interesting and authentic locations, using more personalized tour guides.
Our team uses a comprehensive approach to select the leading guides and best tour providers around the world. Every excursion is carefully curated and closely monitored through quality control and customer feedback.
In today's fast paced world, vacations are an important way to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and discover new and interesting places - and our portfolio of the highest quality tours was created to provide authentic and rewarding travel experiences on your next trip.
High quality service is very important to travelers and leads to better experiences with higher satisfaction. We encourage you to call us, so our experts can answer your questions and help you select the best excursions for your cruise.
Our Exceptional Tours
Our priority is providing cruise guests with exciting and enriching tours with personalized service and smaller groups.
Our small group tours range from 2-12 people - far less than other tour companies with larger tours up to 50 people. We also offer outstanding private excursions - exclusive experiences for only you and your group with options to fully customize your tour.
Our "Scenic" tours provide up close and personal access to some of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth from majestic glaciers in Alaska to spectacular reefs in the Caribbean.
Our "Cultural" tours allow customers to experience local customs, entertainment and culinary delights ranging from tribal dances in Alaska to an outstanding local meal in Santorini, Greece.
Our "Active" tours offer a multitude of exciting and adventurous ways to experience our destinations. Kayak the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, hike to a spectacular waterfall in Hawaii, or bicycle through quaint villages in France.
Our "City" tours allow travelers to see the highlights of great cities around the world with unique insights provided by our expert tour guides.
Our Guarantee
We stand by our excursions, and we're committed to meeting your expectations. Our team and our guides are dedicated to delivering exceptional experiences, which we've achieved consistently over many years and millions of tours. To the extent you are in any way dissatisfied with the experience we deliver, we will work to resolve your concerns - up to and including a full refund of your tour price. For more information visit the Shore Excursions Group website.
About Shore Excursions Group
About Us
Shore Excursions Group is the market leading and world's largest shore excursion company. Since 2008, we've provided cruise passengers with higher-quality, lower-priced, and smaller group shore excursions from a portfolio of nearly 4,000 tours in over 300 ports. Over the last 16 years, we've delivered more than 4.6M excursions with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating from more than 47k reviews.
Exceptional travel experiences are created by exceptional people. Our incredible team of cruise and travel experts has more than 100 years of combined industry experience, and we work in close collaboration with a network of exceptional tour operator partners dedicated to providing personalized and immersive excursions to cruise passengers in the ports they visit around the world.
Our excursions are higher quality, lower priced, and travel in smaller groups averaging just 12 guests per departure, allowing our guests to truly connect with the local culture and enjoy a more enriching travel experience. Our website provides a personalized shopping experience highlighting the top-rated and most popular excursions in each port of call with authentic photos, videos, and reviews from other guests.
Our proprietary itinerary search technology makes booking easy by displaying the excursions guaranteed to work for your ship's scheduled arrival and departure into each port of call. We also feature hand-curated multi-port packages with the top-rated excursion for each port bundled together at an additional discount.
Our Unique Approach
While the cruise lines and other companies also offer excursions, we are the experts and our experience and approach set us apart. Our exceptional excursions travel in smaller groups and visit more interesting and authentic locations, using more personalized tour guides.
Our team uses a comprehensive approach to select the leading guides and best tour providers around the world. Every excursion is carefully curated and closely monitored through quality control and customer feedback.
In today's fast paced world, vacations are an important way to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and discover new and interesting places - and our portfolio of the highest quality tours was created to provide authentic and rewarding travel experiences on your next trip.
High quality service is very important to travelers and leads to better experiences with higher satisfaction. We encourage you to call us, so our experts can answer your questions and help you select the best excursions for your cruise.
Our Exceptional Tours
Our priority is providing cruise guests with exciting and enriching tours with personalized service and smaller groups.
Our small group tours range from 2-12 people - far less than other tour companies with larger tours up to 50 people. We also offer outstanding private excursions - exclusive experiences for only you and your group with options to fully customize your tour.
Our "Scenic" tours provide up close and personal access to some of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth from majestic glaciers in Alaska to spectacular reefs in the Caribbean.
Our "Cultural" tours allow customers to experience local customs, entertainment and culinary delights ranging from tribal dances in Alaska to an outstanding local meal in Santorini, Greece.
Our "Active" tours offer a multitude of exciting and adventurous ways to experience our destinations. Kayak the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, hike to a spectacular waterfall in Hawaii, or bicycle through quaint villages in France.
Our "City" tours allow travelers to see the highlights of great cities around the world with unique insights provided by our expert tour guides.
Our Guarantee
We stand by our excursions, and we're committed to meeting your expectations. Our team and our guides are dedicated to delivering exceptional experiences, which we've achieved consistently over many years and millions of tours. To the extent you are in any way dissatisfied with the experience we deliver, we will work to resolve your concerns - up to and including a full refund of your tour price. For more information visit the Shore Excursions Group website.
