Best Shore Excursions

Shore excursions differ from all our other tours in one way: a fixed deadline, which is your ship's departure time. Every excursion on this page is planned backwards from it. Because they are private, your van is parked at the terminal waiting for you, your guide re-orders the sights around the day's crowds, and no other passenger's delay can hold up your return.

Pick by time in port, not by distance

Start by checking how long your ship is in port. Our excursions last 6 to 11 hours. The right choice depends on the time between disembarkation and all-aboard, minus a margin of one hour or more.

• In port 6 to 8 hours: keep it close. In Kusadasi, our private Ephesus tour costs $300 per person and takes in the House of the Virgin Mary as well as Ephesus. In Bodrum, the cruisers' tour of ancient Bodrum costs $550 per person, without leaving town: St Peter's Castle, the ancient theatre and the Mausoleum.
• 9 to 10 hours: add another stop. The Ephesus and Sirince tour, $300 per person, heads up to Sirince, a village in the hills, after the ruins.
• 10 hours or longer: only now are the long drives worth considering. The Pamukkale and Hierapolis tour, $600 per person, takes 10 to 11 hours, much of that time driving.

Ships in Istanbul mostly dock at Galataport, staying one or two days. Our private shore excursion in Istanbul costs from $400 per person for roughly seven hours a day, booked as one day or split across two.

Why one site has different prices

You will see Ephesus listed three times here, at three prices; the port is the reason. Kusadasi is a 20-minute drive away; from Bodrum it takes a long day, so the Ephesus and Virgin Mary day from Bodrum costs $750 per person. If your ship stops at both ports, visit Ephesus from Kusadasi and spend the Bodrum day on the peninsula or at the ancient sites closer to town.

Every price is per person, for a private tour in which only your party rides in the van. Most tour pages list drinks, meals and museum tickets separately.

Beyond the ruins

Some cruise passengers have seen enough ancient sites. Our private wine-tasting tour from the Kusadasi shore, $300 per person, stops at ancient Teos and then at two wineries (Ayda and MMG), with a lunch paired with wine included. A private tour of the Bodrum Peninsula, $650 per person, passes the windmills on the way to Gumusluk and Turkbuku and stops in Etrim village.

Port-day tips

• Carry your ship card and a note of the all-aboard time; do not leave them in your cabin.
• Terminal exits are busiest in the first hour after docking. Your guide will be holding a name sign, so look for them instead of queuing for a taxi.
• Ephesus is outdoors, with little shade from the upper gate down to the Library of Celsus. Between June and September, bring water and a hat.
• At tender ports, allow between 30 and 60 extra minutes each way, and let us know if your ship anchors offshore rather than docking.

Adding other tours

If your cruise begins or ends in Istanbul, spending a day or two ashore before you sail is simpler than a port call. Our half-day options fit an embarkation afternoon, and our longer trips of several days include Cappadocia once you leave the ship. For port-by-port detail, see Galataport shore excursions in Istanbul, shore excursions from Kusadasi and our Ephesus guide.