Type: Antiquities
Length: 5 Hours
Walking: Difficult - uneven surfaces
Mobility: NO wheelchairs
Guide: Licensed Guide
Language: English

Izmir Shore Excursion - This tour explores one of the best preserved ancient cities in the world, Ephesus, known for its multi story library and 24,000 seat theater. Included is a visit to the Terrace Houses.

Your licensed guide will meet you at the pier in Izmir and you immediately depart for the magnificent site of Ephesus. On the way you'll see the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

The highlight of your tour is your walk through the streets of ancient Ephesus, one of the best preserved ancient cities in the world. Your licensed guide will bring the past to life as you stroll streets lined with columns and paved with marble. You will see the Odeon, where the advisory council held its meetings, the Temple of Hadrian, Roman Baths, and many other monuments and ruins. The most impressive sight is the much photographed Celsus Library towering at the end of the main street.

Equally impressive is the ancient theater which can seat 24,000 people. Historians once believed that Ephesus was founded by the Amazons, but current research shows that it was originally the Hittite city of Apasa.

Your visit also includes the Terrace Houses, also known as the "houses of the rich". Most tours do not include this section of Ephesus but for those people who have seen them, it is one of the highlights. There are six residential units on three terraces on the lower slope of the Bulbul Mountain. Of the six, two are open for tours. The oldest of the buildings date back to the 1st century BC. The houses are well known for their floor mosaics and the frescoes on the walls. Seeing the houses gives you a better glimpse of life in ancient Roman times.

At the end of the tour in Ephesus, you return to Izmir.