Emerald Raiya in Kusadasi: your private Ephesus day, June to October

Published 4 October 2026

Which day of the week is your Emerald Raiya call? For this ship, the answer tells you a fair amount about who will be in port with you. The published schedule (checked in October 2026) lists eight calls from Tuesday 22 June to Friday 1 October 2027, spread over Tuesdays, Mondays, Fridays and one Wednesday. Arrival and departure times have not been announced yet.

Your weekday, your neighbours

Tuesdays (22 June, 20 July, 31 August). Celestyal Discovery is listed on all three. The June Tuesday is the fullest day of Raiya’s season, with Celebrity Infinity and World Traveller also in port, four ships in all.

Mondays (23 August, 20 September). MSC Divina is listed both times, joined by Rhapsody of the Seas in August and Celebrity Xcel in September. Both are three-ship days.

Wednesday 18 August. Shared with Odyssey of the Seas and Seabourn Ovation, so another busy one.

Fridays (10 September, 1 October). The lighter end of the season: Silver Nova on 10 September, and no other ship listed on 1 October.

In short, seven of the eight calls share the port and four count as busy days with three or more ships. The early-autumn Fridays are your best chance of an uncrowded Ephesus.

Matching the plan to the call

All of these keep you back at the port at least 60 minutes before the ship’s published departure. Check the all-aboard time too; it is usually earlier.

• Roughly 6.5 hours: Ephesus and one addition. The House of the Virgin Mary suits a hot day, because its trees give real shade; the Temple of Artemis suits a tight one, because it takes only 15 to 20 minutes.
• Roughly 8 hours: Ephesus, Mary’s House and Artemis. This is the classic trio, and it leaves Sirince for another time.
• Roughly 9.5 hours or more: add Sirince. Give it an hour to an hour and a half.

Example day with the busy-morning swap (hypothetical: 09:00 to 17:00)

This 8-hour window is invented for illustration. It assumes a Tuesday or Monday with several ships, when many groups aim for Ephesus first thing.

That is two and a half hours before a 17:00 departure. With the spare time you could add the Terrace Houses at Ephesus, which take around 45 to 60 minutes, and still keep a comfortable margin.

Places on the route

Ephesus is a large, open site of Roman streets and public buildings: the Odeon near the top, then Curetes Street, the Temple of Hadrian, the latrines, the Library of Celsus and finally the Great Theatre and Harbour Street. The paving is old marble and can be slippery.

The House of the Virgin Mary is reached by a winding road through the woods of Mount Koressos. Inside, people keep their voices low; outside, many stop at the taps and the wall of tied wishes.

The Temple of Artemis is a short pause on the road through Selcuk. What remains is one column standing in a damp field, with the Basilica of St John and the Isa Bey Mosque on the hill behind.

Sirince rewards a long call: a hill village of restored houses, the Church of St John the Baptist, fruit wines and soaps, reached up a hill road from Selcuk.

Weather across Raiya’s season

Five of Raiya’s eight calls land in June, July and August, when the ruins can be well above 30 °C by midday. On those dates, hat and water are essentials, and the cooler stop at Mary’s House earns its place in the plan. The September and October calls are generally more comfortable for walking, which makes 1 October, with no other ship listed, the easiest day of the series for a relaxed Ephesus visit.

Making the booking

Book the Kusadasi–Ephesus private transfer for your call. Your driver meets you at the cruise port exit, waits at every stop and brings you back to the ship. The car is for your group only, up to 8 passengers. Tell us your extra stops when you book, and we confirm the plan with you before the day. Entrance tickets are not included. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.

Tickets are not included; buy Ephesus and Terrace Houses tickets in advance on our museum tickets page. Planning the visit? See our Ephesus walking guide and when to visit Ephesus.