Star Legend in Kusadasi: a long Ephesus day by private car

Published 4 October 2026

The published schedule (checked in October 2026) shows three calls with announced times, and all three keep the ship in port until 23:00: arrival at 10:00 on Sunday 4 October, 09:00 on Friday 16 October and 08:00 on Thursday 22 October 2026. That is 13 to 15 hours ashore: enough for all four classic stops without rushing.

How Star Legend’s calls are spread

• 11 calls between October 2026 and September 2027: three in October 2026, then April, May and September 2027.
• No summer calls. Nothing in June, July or August, so you are planning for mild-weather days.
• Every day of the week appears at least once, so there is no fixed “Star Legend day”.
• Times are announced for the October 2026 calls only. For the spring and September 2027 calls, arrival and departure have not been announced yet.
• Rarely alone. 9 of the 11 calls fall on days with three or more ships in port. On Saturday 25 September 2027, four other ships are listed. The only call with no other ship listed is Wednesday 14 April 2027.

Ship times change, so check your ship’s daily programme for the final all-aboard time before you fix anything.

What a 13-hour stay allows

With 12 hours or more in port, Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis and Sirince all fit at a relaxed pace. Door to door, that combination takes roughly 7 to 7.5 hours. Even if you leave the port late in the morning, you will be back long before the 60-minute margin we ask you to keep before departure.

One caution: the ship staying until 23:00 does not mean the sites stay open that late. Entrance tickets are not included in the transfer, so buy Ephesus and Terrace Houses tickets in advance on our museum tickets page before you go.

If a spring or September 2027 call turns out shorter, use this rule of thumb:

• 9 hours or more: all four is still realistic.
• 7 to 8.5 hours: Ephesus, Mary’s House and the Temple of Artemis; leave Sirince out.
• Under 7 hours: Ephesus plus one extra stop.

Sample day for an 08:00 arrival

Based on the Thursday 22 October 2026 window (08:00 to 23:00). On that day three other ships are listed, so allow extra time to get off the ship and out of the port.

1. About 08:45 - meet your driver at the cruise port exit.
2. About 09:15 - drop-off at the upper (south) gate of Ephesus. Walk downhill along Curetes Street, add the Terrace Houses, and be collected at the lower gate. Plan roughly 3 hours.
3. About 12:30 - drive up to the House of the Virgin Mary, roughly 15-20 minutes. Plan about 45 minutes there.
4. About 13:45 - the Temple of Artemis on the edge of Selcuk, a 15-20 minute stop.
5. About 14:30 - Sirince, roughly 15-20 minutes uphill. Give it 1 to 1.5 hours.
6. About 16:30 - back at the port, roughly 25-40 minutes away.

Prefer a slower morning? Start two hours later and you are still well inside the margin.

The four stops in spring and autumn

Ephesus. October and April are pleasant months for the marble streets, but rain makes the paving slippery. The Library of Celsus facade is the classic photo, the Great Theatre the big space.

House of the Virgin Mary. A small stone house among trees on Nightingale Mountain. Inside, people keep quiet; outside, there are water taps and a wishing wall where visitors tie notes. On a damp spring morning, bring a light layer.

Temple of Artemis. Once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, today a single re-erected column in a low field that is often marshy after rain. Come for the story and the view towards Ayasuluk Hill, the Basilica of St John and the Isa Bey Mosque.

Sirince. A Greek village until the population exchange of the 1920s, now known for fruit wines, olive oil and handmade soaps. If you buy wine, check your ship’s rules on bringing alcohol on board.

Working around the other ships

With nine busy days out of eleven, the first hours after arrival are when most groups head for Ephesus. A long stay gives you an easy way round this: visit Mary’s House and the Temple of Artemis first, then reach Ephesus once the morning wave has moved on. Tell us when you book which order you prefer.

Booking your car

Book a Kusadasi–Ephesus private transfer. Your driver meets you at the cruise port exit, waits while you visit and brings you back to the port. The vehicle is only for your group, up to 8 passengers. Tell us your extra stops when you book, or on WhatsApp, and we confirm the plan with you before the day. Entrance tickets are not included. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before, and you can pay in cash or by card.

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