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A cruise ship moored below a pastel hillside town on the Mediterranean coast

Greek Isles & Aegean · Cruise port guide

Kusadasi, for Ephesus

A Turkish resort town whose reason for being on an itinerary is Ephesus — among the most complete classical cities anywhere.

  • Ships dock
  • Ephesus
  • Library of Celsus
  • Bazaar at the gate

Port basics

These are the patterns Kusadasi normally operates on. Berth assignments, tender arrangements and time in port vary by ship, line and day, and we confirm the specifics for your sailing once we know the dates.

Planning a group cruise that calls at Kusadasi?

About Kusadasi

Kusadasi exists on cruise itineraries because of Ephesus, 20 km inland. The city was one of the largest in the Roman empire, with a population that may have reached 200,000, and it was abandoned gradually as its harbour silted up — which is why so much survives and why it now sits several kilometres from the sea.

The Library of Celsus is the image everyone knows, but the site is far bigger than that facade: a marble main street, the Great Theatre seating 25,000, public latrines, and the terrace houses — the excavated homes of wealthy residents, under a modern roof, with mosaics and frescoes intact. The terrace houses cost extra and are consistently the best part.

Go early. Most ship excursions arrive mid-morning and the site becomes both crowded and extremely hot. A group that gets there for opening has a materially better visit.

Kusadasi town itself is a straightforward resort with a large bazaar at the port gate, where haggling is expected and the approach is persistent. It is safe and good-humoured, but a group that dislikes being solicited should be told what to expect before walking out.

Going ashore in Kusadasi

Within reach on foot

  • The bazaar immediately outside the terminal gate
  • Pigeon Island and its fortress, joined to the shore by a causeway
  • The seafront promenade and the caravanserai in the old town

What the port is known for

  • Ephesus — the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre and the terrace houses
  • The House of the Virgin Mary, on a hill above Ephesus
  • The Ephesus Archaeological Museum at Selçuk
  • Sirince, a hill village known for fruit wines

How ships berth here

Ships berth at a terminal in the middle of the town, with a bazaar immediately outside the gate. It is a straightforward walk-off berth.

Access and mobility

The berth and the town are flat. Ephesus has a marked route that is walkable for most, but the surface is original marble and stone, worn smooth and uneven, on a continuous gentle slope. The terrace houses are reached by many steps.

Weather and when ships call

Hot and dry, 30–35°C in July and August. Ephesus is a marble site in an open valley with very little shade, and it is considerably hotter underfoot than the air temperature suggests.

Cruise season

Calls April to November

Typical itinerary length

Kusadasi usually appears on 7 nights Greek Isles & Aegean itineraries. April – October, busiest June to September.

Ports often paired with Kusadasi

Itineraries that call here usually call at these too, so it is worth reading them together when you are comparing weeks.

Explore further

Bringing a group to Kusadasi?

We hold five cabins or more together as a single block, quote it once, and let each household book and pay separately. Tell us roughly when and how many.

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