Ships Calling Once at Kuşadası: A Yellow Taxi Guide

23 ships call at Kuşadası only once between October 2026 and October 2027. What each window allows by yellow taxi, plus how cash and fees work.

Most calls in the Kuşadası port schedule we follow come from ships that return again and again. This page is for everyone else: the ships that appear only once in the port schedule we follow for the twelve months from October 2026. One call means one chance, so it helps to know before the day what your window allows and how the yellow taxi works.

The list of calls on this page is drawn from that port schedule and only shows dates still ahead; once a ship's call has passed, it drops off the dated list, even if it is still named in the groups below. Lines can change times, so check your own cruise documents.

Paying the driver, and what the fare does not cover

This part is the same for every ship below, so it comes first.

Cash to the driver

You pay the driver in cash. There is no card machine in the taxi, so sort out your cash before the day rather than at the end of it, when the ship is waiting.

What the taxi includes and what it does not

• Included: the licensed yellow taxi from the port exit, the driver waiting while you visit each stop, and the ride back to the port.
• Not included: entrance fees at Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis; the separate ticket for the Terrace Houses inside Ephesus; food and drinks, including lunch or wine tasting in Şirince.

Fees are paid at the sites themselves and change by season, as do opening hours. Check current prices and opening hours shortly before your call.

Booking with one message

You can arrange the whole day in a single message. Include:

• the ship name and the date of the call
• the arrival and departure times printed in your cruise documents
• how many of you there are, plus any children or anyone who walks slowly
• the stops you want, and which one matters most

Our cruise transfer page explains how pick-up works, or you can message us on WhatsApp at +90 532 407 77 12. On the day, the driver waits at the port exit holding a sign with your name.

The one rule that does not bend

Be back at the port at least 60 minutes before departure. If the all-aboard time printed on board is earlier, that time wins. Every grouping below is worked out from it.

What each single call allows, grouped by time in port

The four classic stops are Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis and Şirince. All four take about 7.5 to 8.5 hours port to port; Ephesus alone takes about 3.5 to 4. Take off the hour before sailing and roughly half an hour to get off the ship, and you have the time that really counts. Keep in mind that the basic ride is the port to Ephesus and back: the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis and Şirince are added at an extra charge.

Seven hours, starting at dawn

Norwegian Gem is listed from 06:00 to 13:00. With a return by 12:00, this is an Ephesus morning: upper gate to lower gate, straight back, and the Temple of Artemis only as a quick photo stop if you are ahead. Ephesus may not be open yet when you could first arrive, so check current opening hours and plan the start around them.

Nine hours: three stops comfortably, four only at a brisk pace

About 7.5 hours in the taxi, the lower edge of what all four need. Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis fit easily; Şirince fits only with a short lunch.

• Spirit of Adventure (08:00-17:00)
• Seven Seas Splendor (Regent Seven Seas, 07:00-16:00)
• Island Princess (Princess Cruises, 09:00-18:00)
• Marella Voyager (Marella Cruises, 09:00-18:00)
• Marella Explorer (09:00-18:00)
• Carnival Sunshine (09:00-18:00)

Ten to eleven hours: all four with an unhurried lunch

Time for every stop, a proper sit-down lunch in Şirince or Selçuk, and a comfortable margin at the end.

• Carnival Legend and Carnival Miracle (Carnival Cruise Line, 07:00-17:00)
• Oceania Vista (07:00-17:00)
• ms Europa (Hapag-Lloyd Cruises), Artania (Phoenix Reisen) and Seven Seas Voyager (Regent Seven Seas Cruises), each 08:00-18:00
• CFC Renaissance (Ambassador Cruise Line), Celebrity Eclipse (Celebrity Cruises) and Seven Seas Grandeur (Regent Seven Seas Cruises), each 09:00-20:00

Thirteen hours or more, into the evening

Room for extras such as the Terrace Houses or the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, a break back on board, or an evening in Kuşadası town. Evening openings at Ephesus are seasonal and may not run on your date; our Ephesus evening page explains how they work.

• Volendam (08:00-21:00)
• Azamara Quest (Azamara Cruises, 08:00-22:00)
• Seabourn Quest (Seabourn Cruises, 08:00-23:00)

Times not announced

Aurora (P&O Cruises), Queen Elizabeth, Britannia and Scenic Eclipse 2 have no published times yet. Check your cruise documents and send us the arrival and departure, and we will match the plan to the window. A rough guide: under 6 hours in port, Ephesus only; 6 to 7 hours, Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary; 7 to 9 hours, add the Temple of Artemis; 9 hours or more, all four.

Every single call, by date

On the morning of your one call

• Finding the driver: walk through the terminal to the port exit, where the driver waits with your name on a sign.
• At Ephesus: very little shade and polished marble that can be slippery. Bring water, a hat and shoes with grip.
• At the House of the Virgin Mary: modest dress, quiet inside, and no photos inside the house.
• Just Ephesus? The port to Ephesus and back booking page covers the classic short day directly.