Kusadasi
Kusadasi is a resort town on the Aegean coast of Turkey, and most people come here for one thing: Ephesus, the great Roman city a short drive inland. Kusadasi is good for ancient sites first, with the beaches, the harbor old town and the offshore Pigeon Island as easy additions. The town center is close to the harbor.
The most reviewed first. Prices are per person, booked with our partner, Shore Excursions Group.
Exclusive Ancient Ephesus, Travel Through Time
Guided Ephesus, Selcuk City Stroll, and Street Food
Ancient Ephesus, Terrace Houses, and House of Virgin Mary with Lunch
Ephesus Ancient City
Most people come for the ruins and the long walk through them.
Pigeon Island
Pigeon Island, known locally as Güvercinada, is a small island joined to the mainland by a pier and crowned by a 16th-century castle.
Dilek Peninsula National Park
Dilek Peninsula National Park is a wild stretch of mountains, forest and coast a short drive from Kuşadası. Visitors hike its trails, swim in its bays and explore canyons and the Zeus Cave.
Doğanbey
Doğanbey is a Greek-style Aegean town inside Dilek Peninsula National Park, with old Greek houses, Şorlak Waterfall and a Fauna Museum. It makes a slower half day than the big sites near Kuşadası.
Şirince
Şirince is a hillside village inland from Kuşadası, known for its handcraft streets, olive oil sellers and a restored Orthodox church. It is a common half-day add-on to a visit to Ephesus.
Kuşadası
Kuşadası is a beach resort town with sand close to the center. Ladies Beach sits close to town, and Long Beach runs south along the coast as a sandy strip with a beach bar.
Scala Nuova Village
Scala Nuova Village is a small modern shopping mall inside the port of Kuşadası. Visitors come for souvenirs, Turkish delight, jewelry, ceramics, leather and rugs, and a few food and drink stops.
Kusadasi Turkish Bath
A traditional Turkish bath, also called a hammam, where you sweat in steam, get a kese scrub on a hot marble slab, and finish with an olive oil soap massage. It sits inside the Kusadasi port area.
Adabanko Reef
Adabanko Reef is a dive site off Kusadasi on the Aegean, where divers descend a wall past an ancient wreck. It is reached by boat and suits divers at every level.
Kusadasi waters
Kusadasi waters are the open sea around the town, where boats take divers and snorkelers to reefs off the Aegean coast. The water is clear and the sea life is varied, with sea turtles among the animals found here.
Magnesia on the Maeander
Magnesia on the Maeander is an ancient Greco-Roman city in Aydın Province, with a large stadium and excavations still going on. It is one of the quieter ancient sites near Kuşadası.
House of the Virgin Mary
A small house near Ephesus that Christians believe was the last home of the Virgin Mary. It is a quiet pilgrimage site, not a ruin to walk through.
Cave of the Seven Sleepers
A cave stop on a walk near the Ephesus site, outside the ticketed area. Visitors come to see the cave and its story while passing between the Ephesus gates.
Good to know
Ancient sites
Ephesus is the main draw, about 25 minutes from Kusadasi by taxi. Its grounds are walked on foot and take 90 minutes to 2.5 hours, plus about 30 minutes for the Terrace Houses. The Library of Celsus and the remains of the Temple of Artemis are among the sights. Priene and Miletus lie farther south and are reached by taxi.
Highlights and island tours
Most day tours from Kusadasi combine Ephesus with the House of the Virgin Mary and the village of Sirince, over four to seven hours. The House of the Virgin Mary is about 35 minutes from Kusadasi. Dilek Peninsula boat trips are another option. Some cheap coach tours end in long souvenir-shop stops.
When to go
Kusadasi is most pleasant from April to October. Summer is hot and dry, and at Ephesus noon temperatures reach 36-37°C with little shade, so start early and carry water. May, June and September are more relaxed.
Good to know
- Wear a wide hat, sunscreen and sunglasses at Ephesus, even on cloudy days, and bring non-slip sandals or tennis shoes for the uneven paths.
- Bargaining is customary in the shops, and it takes more time than fixed-price buying.
- Keep an eye on belongings at the beaches, since pickpockets operate there.
- Dolmus and taxis are both easy in town. Confirm the pick-up point and time before you set off.
Coming by ship
Ships usually stay about 10 hours in Kusadasi, and most arrive between 7 and 9 am.
Getting ashore and around
Most visitors head straight for Ephesus. Taxis wait by the bus station, and the driver can drop you at the south gate and collect you at the north gate. Dolmus minibuses also run to the lower gate from Selcuk. From Kusadasi, a taxi day trip can be negotiated with the driver waiting at the lower gate. Allow most of a morning for the site.
Getting around town is simple. Dolmus minibuses run the long coast strip, and you flag one down heading your way. Taxis are available throughout the town, and their number plates should start with "09 T" to avoid fake cars. Pigeon Island is reached across a 200 m causeway, and the old town and harbor alleys are close by. Dilek Peninsula is about 35 minutes from Kusadasi by car.
Questions people ask
How far is Ephesus from Kusadasi?
Ephesus is about 25 minutes from Kusadasi by taxi. The grounds take 90 minutes to 2.5 hours on foot, plus about 30 minutes for the Terrace Houses. Start early in summer, when noon temperatures reach 36-37°C with little shade.
These places share what it's known for.
.jpg){kind=link}