MSC Splendida in Kusadasi: planning an Ephesus day by private car

Published 4 October 2026

MSC Splendida does not keep a fixed weekday in Kusadasi. The published schedule (checked in October 2026) shows 16 calls between 5 May and 26 September 2027, mostly nine days apart, so the ship lands on a different day of the week almost every time. What stays constant is the company: on 13 of the 16 days at least one other cruise ship is in port, and on 10 of them there are three or more ships alongside.

Arrival and departure times have not been announced yet, so below you will find a plan for each likely length of stay and a sample day to adjust later.

The Splendida pattern in numbers

• 16 calls, May to September 2027, with 11 of them in June, July and August.
• Every weekday appears at least twice: Friday and Sunday three times each, the other days twice.
• Regular neighbours: Celestyal Discovery shares the port on four of these days, Celestyal Journey on three, Sun Princess and Celebrity Infinity on two each.
• Quiet exceptions: on Fri 16 July, Thu 12 August and Mon 30 August 2027, no other ship is listed.
• Fullest days: Tue 1 June and Tue 3 August (each with Celestyal Discovery, Celebrity Infinity and one more ship) and Fri 17 September (with Silver Nova, Sun Princess and Scarlet Lady).

Expect a crowd at Ephesus on most dates, and plan your order of stops around it.

Matching stops to the hours you get

All values below are door to door from the port, and each one leaves at least 60 minutes in hand before the ship’s departure. Remember that all-aboard is usually earlier than departure; check it in the ship’s app.

If your ship stays about 5 hours: Ephesus on its own, or Ephesus with a short photo stop at the Temple of Artemis if the queue at the gate is short. The House of the Virgin Mary does not fit comfortably, and Sirince is out of the question.

If your ship stays about 8 hours: Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis make a sensible set. Leave Sirince for another trip.

If your ship stays 9 hours or more: all four places become realistic, including an hour or so in Sirince.

A sample long day (hypothetical times: 07:00 to 16:00)

This is an illustration only, built on a 9-hour stay. Replace the clock times with your published window.

1. 07:30 Leave the port exit with your driver.
2. 08:00 to 10:15 Ephesus, dropped at the upper gate and collected at the lower gate, so the walk runs mostly downhill. Check that the site is open this early on your date.
3. 10:35 to 11:20 House of the Virgin Mary, up the winding mountain road.
4. 11:45 to 12:05 Temple of Artemis, a short stop at the edge of Selcuk.
5. 12:25 to 13:40 Sirince.
6. 14:15 Back at the port, well over an hour before a 16:00 departure.

On one of the busy days, you can flip the first two stops: Mary’s House first, then Ephesus once the first wave of groups has moved on.

What each place gives you on a summer call

Ephesus. Curetes Street drops downhill towards the Library of Celsus, and the Great Theatre sits at the far end. Almost none of it is shaded, so on a July or August call the early slot matters more than anywhere else.

House of the Virgin Mary. A small stone house among the trees on Nightingale Mountain, visited by three popes. It is quiet inside, and the shade there feels welcome after the marble streets below.

Temple of Artemis. Once one of the Seven Wonders, today a single re-erected column in a low field. Come for the story and the view towards Ayasuluk Hill, not for standing ruins.

Sirince. A former Greek hillside village with stone and timber houses, fruit wines and handmade soaps. If you buy a bottle, check your ship’s rules on bringing alcohol aboard.

Heat and crowd notes for Splendida passengers

Eleven of the sixteen calls fall in high summer, when midday in the Selcuk valley is often well above 30 °C. Carry water, a hat and shoes with grip, because the marble is smooth. Ten calls fall on days with three or more ships, and many groups head to Ephesus at a similar hour in the morning.

Booking the car

Book the Kusadasi–Ephesus private transfer. Your driver meets you at the cruise port exit, waits while you visit and brings you back to the ship. One vehicle carries up to 8 passengers. Tell us which extra stops you want when you book, and we confirm the plan with you before the day. Entrance tickets are not included; buy Ephesus and Terrace Houses tickets in advance on our museum tickets page. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.

Planning the visit? See our Ephesus walking guide and when to visit Ephesus.