Turkey

Turkey straddles two continents and feels like both at once. The country has been at the crossroads of empires for over 3,000 years: Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman. Each left buildings that are still standing.

Ephesus, near the port of Kusadasi, is the highlight for many Mediterranean cruisers. It’s one of the best-preserved classical cities in the world — you walk the marble street where Mark Antony, Cleopatra, and St. Paul once walked, past the iconic Library of Celsus and into the 25,000-seat Great Theater. It’s the kind of site that genuinely changes how you imagine the ancient world.

EWT Tours visits Kusadasi as part of our Mediterranean cruise. Our small-group shore excursion to Ephesus avoids the worst of the cruise-day crowds and includes the optional add-on to the House of the Virgin Mary above the city.