Wind Star Kusadasi Taxi: 16 Hours for Ephesus and Şirince
Wind Star is in Kusadasi on Mon 5 and Mon 12 October 2026, 07:00 to 23:00. Sixteen hours in port: room for all four sites by private taxi, at an easy pace.
Windstar's Wind Star has two Kusadasi calls on the schedule, both in October 2026 and both on a Monday: 5 October and 12 October. On each day it arrives at 07:00 and leaves at 23:00. That is a very long call, so a private taxi can cover the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis and Şirince without rushing any of them.
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.
Sixteen hours: what changes
The usual question on a cruise day is what to leave out. With Wind Star, nothing has to go. Our planning model (an estimate; traffic and queues vary) says all four stops need about 8 hours in port, including around 30 minutes to get off the ship and a return to the port 60 minutes before sailing. Wind Star gives you twice that.
The latest you need to be back at the port is 22:00, or earlier if Windstar's all-aboard time in your documents says so. In practice the full loop is finished long before that, which leaves you three useful choices:
- Take the Terrace Houses at Ephesus. They add 30-45 minutes and need a separate ticket. On a short call they are the first thing to cut; on this one they fit easily.
- Give Şirince the full 90 minutes, or longer, instead of a quick look.
- Start later. There is no need to be at the port gate at 07:30. A mid-morning start still leaves plenty of time.
A relaxed order for an all-day call
- House of the Virgin Mary. From the port, 30-35 minutes by car. The chapel stands on Bülbüldağı above Ephesus; three popes have visited it, Paul VI in 1967, John Paul II in 1979 and Benedict XVI in 2006. Allow 45-60 minutes. Cover shoulders and knees.
- Ephesus, upper gate to lower gate. A 10-minute drive down to the upper gate, where your driver leaves you. The walk downhill (Curetes Street, the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre) takes about two hours, more with the Terrace Houses. The car is waiting at the lower gate.
- Temple of Artemis. Five to ten minutes away. A single re-erected column marks the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Fifteen to twenty minutes is enough.
- Şirince. Up the hill 15-20 minutes, about 8 km east of Selçuk. Old stone houses and fruit wines. Cars stop at the village entrance; from there you walk the steep cobbled lanes.
- Back to Kusadasi, 30-35 minutes from Şirince. The cruise port is in the town centre, so with a 23:00 sailing you can also spend some of the evening in town before going back on board.
The two dates side by side
| Date | Day | Arrives | Departs | Also in port that day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 2026 | Mon | 07:00 | 23:00 | MSC Divina |
| 12 Oct 2026 | Mon | 07:00 | 23:00 | Arcadia, MSC Divina |
Source: public port schedule data, checked 4 October 2026. Cruise lines change schedules; check your own cruise documents.
On 5 October one other ship, MSC Divina, is listed. On 12 October there are three ships in port in total, with Arcadia and MSC Divina, so the sites will be busier; starting early is the easiest answer, and with a 23:00 departure you could also see Şirince first and do Ephesus later in the day. Tell us which you prefer when you book.
Early October in this part of Turkey is usually still warm. Ephesus has little shade, so bring water and a hat for the walk.
Short notice for 5 October
If you are on board for 5 October, send your booking request as soon as you can, with the number of passengers and children's ages. For 12 October there is a little more time, but on a three-ship day it is better not to leave it late.
The practical side of a Wind Star taxi in Kusadasi
- You meet your driver at the cruise port exit; look for a sign with your name.
- The car is for your party alone, up to 8 people. Travelling with friends from the ship? One car takes the whole group.
- The driver waits at each stop for as long as you like, which matters on a long, unhurried day.
- Entrance tickets are not part of the service; you pay at each site. This is transport, not a guided tour.
- Payment in cash to the driver on the day: EUR, USD or TL. No prepayment.
Opening hours and ticket rules at Ephesus change with the season. Look them up on muze.gov.tr before you go.
Book on our cruise port taxi page with the date, the times (07:00-23:00, unless your documents say otherwise), the number of passengers and children's ages. Further reading: Wind Star at Kusadasi, the port to Şirince village transfer and the plan for Windstar's Star Legend, which also sails at 23:00 in October.