Viking Star at Kusadasi: a late-autumn Ephesus trip by private car

Published 4 October 2026

Viking Star is a late-autumn visitor. The published schedule (checked in October 2026) shows five Kusadasi calls, all packed into six weeks: four in November and one in December, then nothing more in the following months. If your cruise is one of these, you will see Ephesus in the cool, quiet part of the year.

A six-day rhythm in November

The November calls follow a neat pattern, exactly six days apart:

• Thursday 5 November 2026
• Wednesday 11 November 2026
• Tuesday 17 November 2026 (Celestyal Discovery also in port)
• Monday 23 November 2026 (Seven Seas Voyager also in port)

The last call is on Thursday 17 December 2026. On three of the five dates Viking Star is the only ship listed, and on the other two there is just one neighbour. None of its calls falls on a day with three or more ships. In practice that means the gates at Ephesus should feel calmer than they do in spring or summer.

Arrival and departure times have not been announced yet for any of the five calls.

Short days change the plan

What limits you in November and December is not crowds but light and weather. Days are short and rain is possible; entrance tickets are not included, so buy Ephesus and Terrace Houses tickets in advance on our museum tickets page. Two practical consequences:

1. See Ephesus first. It is the open-air site that needs daylight and dry footing most. Leave the House of the Virgin Mary, which is small and partly indoors, for later.
2. Do not over-pack the day. A plan that would be relaxed in June can run into closing time in December.

How long is your ship in port?

Until the times appear, use these three cases:

• About 6.5 hours: Ephesus plus one extra. In this season, the House of the Virgin Mary is usually the better choice over the Temple of Artemis, because a single column in a wet field is less rewarding in the rain.
• About 8 hours: Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis. Skip Sirince.
• About 9.5 hours: all four, including Sirince, are realistic, provided the sites are still open when you get there.

Whatever you choose, the return leg is not negotiable: back at the port with at least an hour in hand before departure, and earlier if the all-aboard time in the daily programme says so.

Sample route for a Viking Star call (hypothetical 09:00 to 17:00)

The hours below are made up for illustration:

• 09:30 Meet your driver at the cruise port exit.
• 10:00 Enter Ephesus at the upper gate. Plan about 2 to 2.5 hours walking down past the Odeon and the Temple of Hadrian to the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre.
• 12:15 The car waits at the lower gate. Drive up the mountain road, roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
• 12:35 House of the Virgin Mary, about 45 minutes.
• 13:40 Temple of Artemis on the edge of Selcuk, 15 to 20 minutes.
• about 15:00 Back at the port, two hours before a 17:00 departure.

That leaves enough slack to add the Terrace Houses, roughly 45 to 60 minutes, on a dry day.

The places in late autumn

Ephesus. Very little shade, which in November is no hardship. The marble paving is the issue: it can be slippery, especially after rain.

Terrace Houses. A covered excavation inside the site with wall paintings and mosaics, so a useful part of the visit if the weather turns. Separate ticket.

House of the Virgin Mary. Up in the woods on Nightingale Mountain, so expect it to be cooler and possibly damp underfoot. Outside are water taps and the wishing wall where visitors tie notes.

Temple of Artemis. Expect a single re-erected column, not ruins. From here you look across to Ayasuluk Hill, the Basilica of St John and the Isa Bey Mosque.

Sirince. Steep cobbled lanes and old stone and timber houses. Only go if your call is long and the day is dry.

What to bring

• Shoes with good grip for wet marble and cobbles
• A light waterproof layer
• Water, even in winter: the Ephesus route is roughly 1.5 to 2 km on uneven stone
• Entrance tickets, which are not included in the transfer (buy Ephesus and Terrace Houses tickets in advance on our museum tickets page)

Booking the transfer

Reserve the Kusadasi–Ephesus private transfer for your date. The driver meets you at the cruise port exit, waits while you visit and takes you back to the port; the car is only for your group, up to 8 passengers. Tell us which stops you want when you book and we confirm the plan with you before the day. You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before, and pay by cash or card.

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