Oceania Sirena in Kusadasi: planning Ephesus by private car

Published 4 October 2026

Most ships in Kusadasi share the quay. Oceania Sirena has one call where it does not: on Friday 30 July 2027 the published schedule (checked in October 2026) lists no other ship that day. Its other two visits are busier, so the same ship gives you two quite different kinds of Ephesus day.

One quiet Friday, two shared days

The three calls are:

• Tuesday 18 May 2027, with Celestyal Discovery and Viking Neptune also listed.
• Friday 4 June 2027, with Sun Princess and Celebrity Equinox also listed.
• Friday 30 July 2027, with no other ship listed.

Arrival and departure times have not been announced yet for any of them. Until they are, the plans below are written as “if your ship stays this long”. Times can also change after they are published, so the ship’s daily programme and its all-aboard time have the final word.

Choosing your stops by the length of the call

Keep one fixed point in mind: be back at the port at least 60 minutes before the published departure. Then:

• About 5 hours in port: Ephesus only, perhaps with a quick look at the Temple of Artemis. Sirince does not fit; do not try.
• About 6 to 7 hours: Ephesus plus one more, either the House of the Virgin Mary or the Temple of Artemis.
• About 8 hours: Ephesus, Mary’s House and Artemis, without Sirince.
• 9 hours or more: all four, including lunch in Sirince.

Door-to-door planning values: roughly 3.5 hours for Ephesus alone, 4.5 to 5 hours with Mary’s House, about 5.5 hours with Mary’s House and Artemis.

Sample route for the 30 July call

Take a hypothetical stay of 08:00 to 14:30, six and a half hours. That points to Ephesus and one extra stop. On a day with no other ship listed, you can keep the classic order.

1. 08:30 Leave the cruise port exit with your driver.
2. 09:00 Ephesus. Ask to be dropped at the upper gate and collected at the lower one, so the walk runs mostly downhill. Plan a little over 2 hours here.
3. 11:15 Climb the winding road to the House of the Virgin Mary, roughly 15 to 20 minutes, then about 45 minutes there.
4. About 13:00 to 13:10 Back at the port, inside the 13:30 limit this example would set. The margin is thin, so keep moving.

If the real call turns out longer, add the Temple of Artemis on the way back. If it is shorter, drop Mary’s House and keep Ephesus unhurried.

The May and June calls: two ways to handle company

On 18 May and 4 June three ships are listed, so expect many groups to set off for Ephesus at similar times in the morning, and allow extra time to get out of the port. Two simple options:

• Go straight away and accept some company on Curetes Street.
• Reverse the morning: Mary’s House or the Temple of Artemis first, Ephesus later, once the first wave has moved on.

Either works; tell us which you prefer when you book.

Four places, briefly

Ephesus. The marble street, the Library of Celsus facade, the Odeon and the Temple of Hadrian form the core of the visit. The Terrace Houses inside the site add about 45 to 60 minutes and need their own ticket; on a short call, decide in advance whether they are worth it to you.

House of the Virgin Mary. A small stone house in woodland above Ephesus, where many Christians believe Mary spent her last years; Muslim visitors come here too. It is a place of prayer, so dress modestly and keep your voice down inside.

Temple of Artemis. Today a single column in a field at the edge of Selcuk. From here you can see the Isa Bey Mosque and the Basilica of St John on Ayasuluk Hill.

Sirince. A hillside village known for fruit wine, with the restored Church of St John the Baptist. It only makes sense on a long call.

Heat and walking in late spring and July

• In late July, midday is often well above 30 °C, and Ephesus has little shade. On the quiet 30 July call there is no reason to wait: start early.
• In May and early June the heat is gentler, but sun cream and a hat still earn their place.
• Good shoes matter more than anything else. The route is roughly 1.5 to 2 km on uneven, sometimes slippery marble.

Reserving your driver

Book the Kusadasi–Ephesus private transfer: a car with driver for your group only, up to 8 passengers. The driver meets you at the cruise port exit, waits for you at the sites and returns you to the ship.

Let us know the extra stops you want when booking, and we confirm the plan with you before the day. Entrance tickets are not included in the transfer, so buy Ephesus and Terrace Houses tickets in advance on our museum tickets page. Pay by cash or card; cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. For a wider view of getting from the ship to the ruins, see Kusadasi port to Ephesus: all options.

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