Combined Ephesus and Istanbul City Private Shore Excursions

Day 1: Istanbul Full-Day Tour

1. Hippodrome
   1h · Admission ticket included
   Istanbul's Byzantine Hippodrome was the heart of Constantinople's political and sporting life, and the scene of games and riots through 500 years of Ottomanhistory as well. You will be able to see the Obelisk from Egypt, Serpentine Column from Delphi and fountain of Willhelm II.
2. Blue Mosque
   1h · Admission ticket included
   Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii), also known as the Blue Mosque, is an Ottoman-era mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. A functioning mosque, it also attracts large numbers of tourist visitors. It was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. Also famous for its blue tiles and 6 minaret.
3. Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
   1h · Admission ticket included
   The Church of Holy Wisdom, undoubtedly one of the greatest architectural creations in the World. After centuries at the heart of the Muslim Ottoman empire, it was turned into a museum in 1934 . Hagia Sophia is Turkey's most popular tourist site, attracting more than 3.7 million visitors a year.
4. TopkapI Palace
   1h · Admission ticket included
   The Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi) is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years (1465-1856) of their 624-year reign.
   As well as a royal residence, the palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments. It is now a major tourist attraction and contains important holy relics of the Muslim world, including Muhammed's cloak and sword. Treasury and Harem sections in Topkapi Palace are not included in the program and are due to extra entry.
5. Grand Bazaar
   1h
   The largest and oldest covered markets in the world Grand Bazaar (Kapali Çarşı), 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops which attract between 350,000 and 600,000 visitors daily‘ should be any dedicated shopper’s first port of call in Istanbul. Crammed in among chaotic covered streets and alleys, its thousands of stalls hold all manner of items, such as carpets and kilims, leather, suede and denim clothes and accessories, ceramic tiles, bowls and vases, hand-beaten copper and brass lamps, coffee-grinders and samovars, gold and silver jewellery (beware imitations) and much more.

Day 2: Ephesus Tour

1. Ephesus Ancient City
   2h · Admission ticket included
   Ephesus was once a thriving cultural centre in the classical world with over 250,000 inhabitants.
   Enjoy a guided tour of the site’s highlights that can be customised to your interests. Don’t miss the open-air amphitheatre, Library of Celsus, and the temples, baths, and squares where the people once lived worked and worshipped.
   You can follow in their footsteps and walk the marble streets through the city, and learn about the culture and daily life in ancient Ephesus.
2. The House of the Virgin Mary
   1h · Admission ticket included
   The House of Virgin Mary is one of the pilgrimage centres of Christians where Virgin Mary passed her last days and died. After visiting the shrine in 1967, Pope Paul VI ‘unofficially’ confirmed its authenticity. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have visited this shrine after.
3. Sirince
   2h
   Şirince is a beautiful village set in the forested hillside, and was originally settled in the 15th century by Greeks when Ephesus was abandoned.
   Its traditional Ottoman houses probably date from the 19th century rather than the 15th, but are nevertheless very picturesque amid the winding lanes and overhanging vines. Despite being fairly busy during the daytime, Şirince is quiet and sleepy in the mornings and evenings, and is a lovely place to relax. (Included only to a Full-Day Ephesus Tour option).
4. The Temple of Artemis
   30m
   The Temple of Artemis one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus’ Temple of Artemis was built in honour to the goddess of the hunt, and only the foundation and only remaining of this temple is column which once measured 425 feet long. (Included only to a Full-Day Ephesus Tour option).
5. Basilica of St. John
   1h · Admission ticket included
   This church is located to the south of the fortress in the district of Selcuk. The Church of Ephesus was founded by St. Paul and carried on by St.John. According to St. John’s Gospel Christ had entrusted his mother to St. John before being crucified. Seeing their lives in danger in Jerusalem St. John came to Ephesus with the Virgin Mary. Ephesus was one of the most modern and tolerant cities of the time. In those days people of all religions could worship their cult without any difficulty. (Included only to a Full-Day Ephesus Tour option).

Pickup details

We will pick you up at Istanbul Galataport and Kusadasi Ege Port after your ship arrive.

• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels