This post discusses a day trip that I took to Ephesus from Izmir last summer on our vacation to Türkiye. I have seen a lot of Roman ruins in the past, so Ephesus was never big on my “must see” list until two totally separate people on separate trips told me that the Ephesus ruins were the “best Roman ruins they had ever seen”!  I made a day trip to Ephesus a priority when visiting Izmir.

Was that description accurate after visiting? Is Ephesus the best Roman ruins? Maaaaybe, maybe not. Certainly, Ephesus is an extremely well preserved historical site that is interesting to visit. I think whether it is “the best” may depend on your personal interests and the quality of your visit. In brief, I would absolutely set aside a half-day to visit Ephesus if in the area, but I would not suggest a big bus tour or any “add ons” that many companies offer (like lunch, product demonstrations, etc.).

EPHESUS, TÜRKIYE – A BIT OF BACKGROUND

As a [very, very, very] brief background, Ephesus was an historical city in Ancient Greece that was quite advanced for its time. Located about an hour inland from present-day city Izmir, Türkiye, Ephesus was famous for many things, including the Temple of Artemis, a Wonder of the Ancient World, the Library of Celsus, a very cool site to see, and an open air theatre that could hold 24,000 people! Ephesus also important in the Christian religion, being mentioned in the Book of Revelation and entertaining rumors that the Gospel of John (from the Bible) was written in Ephesus. It’s also located very close to the House of the Virgin Mary a/k/a the alleged home with the Virgin Mary (i.e. Jesus’s mom) lived out her days…

I am certainly no historian, so here is the very long Ephesus wikipedia page if you want a deep drive on Ephesus. In any case, the ancient city of Ephesus is no longer a living city, but it is incredibly well preserved. It has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a very popular tourist destination in Türkiye. And by popular, I am talking big bus loads of people visit every day (especially from cruise ships).

HOW TO GET TO ANCIENT EPHESUS

Ancient Ephesus is located around 80 kilometers inland from Izmir, but the closest modern town to Ephesus is the small town of Selcuk. Buses run rather frequently between Izmir and Selcuk, and a minibus runs betwen Selcuk and Ephesus’ entrance.

Driving to Ephesus is also a popular option. The road between Izmir and Ephesus is a modern highway, and there is a large parking lot right outside the main entrance to ancient Ephesus.

Taking a guided tour with transportation from Izmir or another town is probably the most popular option for visiting Ephesus. Numerous companies offer day tours to Ephesus of varying quality and prices. I suggest shopping around. We opted for a private tour to Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary with transportation to and from Izmir for $130 per person. This worked out great for us!

HOW LONG TO SPEND AT EPHESUS AND DO I NEED A GUIDE

Unless you have a real interest in Ephesus, I think a couple hours is plenty, particularly with a guide.  It also gets very hot in the Summer, as you are in direct sunlight with minimal cover, if any, so you won’t last too long before tiring out. On that note, bring sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses!

In terms of a guide, I found our guide to be incredibly helpful. First, she ensured that we went the opposite way of the big buses and beat some of the crowds (though not all will do this). Second, there are not a lot of explanations at Ephesus so a guide is really helpful in bringing the city to life. It is still cool to see on your own, but a guide will make a trip more memorable IMO.

OUR ITINERARY TO EPHESUS

As I mentioned, we took a private day trip that we booked on GetYourGuide, but I understand that many tours operate the same route. The cost was $130 USD per person.  Since the tour was just the two of us, we were picked up from our hotel around 7:00 AM, at our request, as we wanted to arrive as early as possible to try to beat the crowds and heat, and because we wanted to use the pool facilities at our hotel in the afternoon. A driver drove the hour to Ephesus without issue.

STOP 1: House Of The Virgin Mary

We first visited the House of the Virgin Mary based on our guide’s recommendation – she said the lines here get long sooner than at Ephesus. This made sense, as the site is much smaller than Ephesus. And, for those unfamiliar, this is the house where the Virgin Mary was said to live the last years of her life after being brought there by St. John the Baptist (this is not confirmed by the Catholic church).

To visit the House of the Virgin Mary, we purchased tickets on arrival and then walked up a small hill to reach the actual house, which by itself, was pretty unimpressive. We entered the house without a wait at 9:00 AM! There are no photos allowed inside the house, but it is currently decorated as a small Christian temple, with lots of art work and ornate things, as one may expect.

We spent about two minutes inside before exiting the opposite side. Note – guests go in one entrance and exit the other with a constant flow of people. You cannot just stop and spend a lot of time here. Once out, there were some candles to light and a walk back down hill to where we began, where we were met with a cafe and small shop. All in, uneventful and, in my opinion, skippable unless you are very religious.

And on the shop note, if you want to carry something inside the house with you, like a rosary or cross, buy it before walking up hill. There is nothing to buy at the actual house or on the way.

STOP 2: Ancient Ephesus

Around 9:30 AM, we drove about 10 minutes from the House of the Virgin Mary to ancient Ephesus, where we hopped out at the “back entrance,” meaning not near the big parking lot where all the buses park. Once inside Ephesus, we walked from the back entrance to the main parking lot, seeing all of the sites en route. The entire tour took about 2 hours – we weren’t moving quick but we also were not lolly gagging. We were hot and tired after 2 hours and ready for the drive back to Izmir! Here are some of my favorite pictures from ancient Ephesus.

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR VISITING ANCIENT EPHESUS

1. There are not many explanations, especially in English, of what you are seeing in Ancient Ephesus. An in person guide is helpful.  Alternatively, you can rent a headset hitting the highlights of Ancient Ephesus.
2. Try to go to Ancient Ephesus as early as possible to beat both the large our buses and the sun/heat (in the Summer).
3. Wear sturdy non-slip shoes. Hiking shoes, for example, would be good. The stone walkways in Ephesus are quite slippery – we both slipped a few times. We were wearing Teva sandals and Toms shoes for reference. There are also lots of steps, uneven terrain, etc.
4. Wear (and bring) sunscreen and bring sunglasses, a hat, an umbrella, etc. to protect from the sun, especially in the Summer. There is almost no shade once inside Ephesus.
5. Most tours walk through Ephesus from one entrance to the other. As such, there is not much backtracking – so get your pics in when you see something nice!
6. Most of the gift shops are at the main tourist entrance near the Ancient Theatre. Prices are certainly higher at Ephesus than in Izmir but this is really the only option for buying souvenirs at Ancient Ephesus.
7. Bring cash if you plan to buy souvenirs.
8. Bring bottled water!! I did not see any for sale inside Ancient Ephesus. Bottled water is sold outside the site.
9. Ephesus does not have a dress code, and it is not a religious site. The Virgin Mary’s House claims to require shoulders to be covered, but I saw many breaking this “rule.” I would bring a scarf just in case (I wore one).
10. Reading up on Ephesus history prior to visiting will make your visit more memorable in light of the amount of history and the lack of explanations.

STEAL OUR TRIP

Ephesus: Atatürk, Efes Harabeleri, 35920 Selçuk/İzmir, Türkiye. Open daily at 8:00 AM according to UNESCO (the linked website).

House of the Virgin Mary: Open daily 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM.

Our Tour: We took this private 5 hour tour with Get Your Guide at the cost of approximately $130 USD per person. Entrance fees, transportation and guided tour included, food extra. The tour visited the House of the Virgin Mary and Ephesus. We skipped lunch, which was not included in the price. We left at 7 AM and returned around 2 PM, so this tour is a bit longer than 5 hours. I recommend this tour.