Ephesus walking tour & city guide

The ancient city

Visits usually start at the upper gate and follow Curetes Street downhill, a marble avenue lined with statues, fountains and the Temple of Hadrian. The Terrace Houses, covered by a protective roof, show the mosaics and frescoes of wealthy Roman homes and are well worth the extra ticket.

At the bottom of the street stands the Library of Celsus, its two-story facade the most photographed sight in Türkiye's ancient world. Beyond it, the Marble Road leads to the Great Theater, which held around 25,000 spectators, and the Harbor Street that once ran to the sea, now silted up several kilometers away.

Selçuk and Şirince

Selçuk is a relaxed town with an aqueduct running through its center, the Basilica of St John on Ayasuluk Hill beneath a Byzantine and Turkish castle, and the lonely single column that is all that remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Ephesus Museum holds the finest finds from the site.

Eight kilometers up a winding road, Şirince is a former Greek village of white houses on a green hillside, known for its fruit wines, olive oil and handmade soaps. Its cobbled lanes are lined with stalls and small shops.

Visiting tips

Ephesus is about an hour south of Izmir and twenty minutes from the port of Kuşadası. Arrive at opening time or late in the afternoon to avoid the heat and the cruise ship crowds, bring water and a hat, and wear sturdy shoes, as the marble paving is uneven and slippery. Walking from the upper gate to the lower gate takes around two to three hours with stops.