Ritz-Carlton Ilma in Kusadasi: Saturday Taxi to Ephesus

Ritz-Carlton Ilma has three Kusadasi calls on the public schedule, all on Saturdays: 15 May, 31 July and 7 August 2027. No times are announced yet. Celestyal Discovery is in port on all three dates, and on 15 May and 7 August two more ships join them, so for most Ilma passengers this will be a shared, busy port day.

Good to know: our standard cruise port taxi is the round trip to Ephesus. The House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis and Şirince are not part of the Ephesus transfer; they can be added as extra stops for an additional charge. Tell us which ones you want when you book.

Who else is in port

Date	Day	Arrives	Departs	Also in port that day
15 May 2027	Sat	not announced	not announced	Celestyal Discovery, Viking Vesta, Explora II (listed as MSC Explora 2)
31 Jul 2027	Sat	not announced	not announced	Celestyal Discovery
7 Aug 2027	Sat	not announced	not announced	Celestyal Discovery, Wind Surf, Seven Seas Prestige

Source: public port schedule data, checked 4 October 2026. Cruise lines change schedules; check your own cruise documents.

With four ships in Kusadasi on 15 May and 7 August, the sites will be busier than on a quiet day. Two things help: leaving the ship as early as the ship's schedule allows, and booking your car ahead rather than looking for one at the port. A driver waiting at the exit with your name means no time lost there.

Deciding the route once times appear

Our planning estimate; traffic and queues vary. Count from the arrival time, allow about 30 minutes to get ashore, and be back at the port 60 minutes before departure (or by the all-aboard time, if earlier).

• 8+ hours: House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus, Temple of Artemis and Şirince.
• About 6.5 hours: the same without Şirince.
• About 5 hours: Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis.
• Under about 4.5 hours: no round trip to Ephesus.

You give us the times when you book, and we plan the driver's day from them.

Two summer Saturdays and one in May

15 May 2027 is a spring call and a four-ship day, so start early. With enough hours, the usual order works: House of the Virgin Mary (30-35 minutes from the port, 45-60 minutes there), then about 10 minutes to the Ephesus upper gate, where the driver drops you. Walk down for about two hours past Curetes Street, the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre; the driver collects you at the lower gate. The Temple of Artemis is 5-10 minutes away and takes 15-20 minutes. Şirince, 15-20 minutes further, can close the day if there are 8 hours or more.

31 July and 7 August 2027 are midsummer, and Ephesus is exposed with little shade. Walk it as early as you can, carry water and leave Şirince for the afternoon if the times allow. On 7 August, with four ships in port, consider going to Ephesus first (20-25 minutes from the port) and visiting the House of the Virgin Mary afterwards.

The Terrace Houses inside Ephesus add 30-45 minutes and need their own ticket. In Şirince, the car stops at the village entrance and you walk up steep cobbled lanes, so wear comfortable shoes.

The car and the driver

• Meeting point: the cruise port exit, driver holding your name.
• Private vehicle for your party only, up to 8 passengers.
• The driver waits at each stop, as long as you need.
• Entrance tickets are not included; buy them at each site. This is transport without a guide.
• Cash to the driver on the day (EUR, USD or TL), nothing in advance.
• We are a D2-licensed local transfer company.

Seasonal opening hours at Ephesus are listed on the official museums site, muze.gov.tr. Check before your cruise.

To book, send us the date, Ritz-Carlton Ilma's times (or "not announced yet"), the number of passengers and children's ages through the cruise port taxi booking page. More reading: our Ephesus round-trip taxi guide, the port to the House of the Virgin Mary transfer and one-call cruise ships at Kusadasi.