Kusadasi

Originally a minor port, Kusadasi now serves as the gateway to Ephesus, one of the ancient world’s largest and most important archaeological and religious sites. Just a half hour drive from the port, Ephesus is where Christian preachers, including St. Paul and St. John, often visited. St. John addresses this city in his Book of Revelation and preached in the Theater of Ephesus. Even one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis, is located here.

The following Shore Excursions are available for this port on this cruise, and may be reserved beginning 180 days before the cruise begins.

Priene, Miletus and Didyma - Ancient Sites
Tour Code: KSA-004
Duration: 6 1/2 hours
Retail Value: $99.00
Price: Free

Departing by coach from the pier, your first stop will be the ancient harbor city of Priene. Priene was laid out at the foot of a spectacular cliff on Mount Mycale, and contains many famous examples of Hellenistic art and architecture. A fine example: the streets intersect at right angles.

Next, the tour will visit Miletus. As one of the largest and most important cities in Anatolia, Miletus was the most active member of the 12 cities of the Ionian Confederation. From the 7th century BC, the Persians, Romans and Seljuk Turks have controlled the city.

The last visit in the tour will be Didyma, the place where, according to Greek mythology, Zeus and Leto bore their twins Apollo and Artemis. Didyma was famed as a prophecy center dedicated to Apollo, and served a similar purpose as the Delphi of Anatolia. It was not a city, but a sanctuary linked to Miletus by Milesians by a 12-mile sacred road. A lunch consisting of simple but delicious Turkish specialties will be served at a local restaurant.

At the conclusion of the tour, guests will reboard the coach and return to Kusadasi where, time permitting, you may stop in town to explore the shops independently, or return to the ship.

Please note: Guests are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes for this tour which involves an uphill walk in Priene. Pathways are made of loose gravel and rubble, with many steps to climb in both Priene and Miletus. This tour is not recommended for guests with limited mobility or for guests who utilize a wheelchair, as the walking distance is approximately 2 miles, lasting over 2 hours. At the end of the tour, guests will be dropped off in town, as the buses are not allowed to return them to the Cruise Ship Terminal parking lot. There will be a short walk from the drop-off point in town back to the Kusadasi Terminal Building.

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Terms & Conditions:

Free Unlimited Shore Excursions are for full fare guests only, capacity controlled and subject to availability. Requested excursions may not be available at time of booking. Supplement will apply on Regent Choice excursions (indicated by the above) and excludes Private Arrangements and all Adventures Ashore programs. In order to ensure quality guides and sufficient transportation, we must provide the tour operator with passenger counts at least 36 hours in advance. Therefore no refunds will be given within 36 hours of tour departure for cancellations or no-shows. Please pay special attention to scheduling and tour lengths when booking your shore excursions. In many cases, it is not possible to participate in more than one tour per day in a given port. Tours operate rain or shine. Tours require minimum participation levels to operate so please sign up as early as possible. Tours may be cancelled if minimum participation levels are not met. Prices, Itineraries and General Information shore excursion prices are subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases or currency fluctuations. Please consult the Destination Services Desk onboard for information. During local or national holidays, access to certain facilities (such as museums or archaeological sites) may be limited or denied. In such instances, adjustments will be made to minimize inconvenience to guests. Some tours have limited availability. Tours are generally available for reserving 180 days prior to the beginning of a cruise. Please sign up early to avoid disappointment. Regent Seven Seas Cruises reserves the right to require guests to complete a liability waiver for select shore excursions. For more information, please visit the Destination Services Desk onboard.