Sun Princess is in Kuşadası mostly 07:00 to 18:00 in 2026 and 2027. Why your yellow taxi drops you at the upper gate of Ephesus and waits at the lower gate.
Sun Princess calls at Kuşadası once in October 2026 and then from April to September 2027 in the port schedule we follow, most often on a Friday. The usual window is 07:00 to 18:00; a few calls run 09:00 to 19:00 and two end at 16:00. An early arrival and an evening departure give you eleven hours in port, which is plenty for Ephesus and everything around it. The early start also lets you walk the ancient city before the midday heat, if you set the route up the right way.
When Sun Princess is in Kuşadası
- Thu, Oct 22 · 07:00–18:00
- Fri, Apr 23 · 07:00–18:00
- Fri, May 14 · 07:00–18:00
- Fri, Jun 4 · 07:00–18:00
- Fri, Jul 2 · 07:00–16:00
- Tue, Jul 6 · 09:00–19:00
- Fri, Jul 23 · 09:00–19:00
- Mon, Aug 2 · 07:00–16:00
- Fri, Aug 6 · 09:00–19:00
- Fri, Aug 27 · 07:00–18:00
- Fri, Sep 17 · 07:00–18:00
These dates come from the port schedule we follow. Princess Cruises can still change a call, so match them against your own cruise papers. We plan for you to reach the port 60 minutes or more before sailing: 17:00 on the 18:00 days, 15:00 on the two 16:00 days and 18:00 on the 19:00 days. If the ship prints an earlier all-aboard time, that one takes priority.
Why you start at the top of Ephesus and finish at the bottom
Ephesus has two entrances. The upper gate lies by the State Agora on the Magnesian side, and the lower gate is on the old harbour side. Between them, the main street runs downhill for most of the way. That simple fact decides how a taxi day here should work.
Drop-off at the upper gate
Your driver brings you from the port to the upper gate, a drive of about 25 to 30 minutes. You buy your tickets there (they are not included and are paid at the gate) and walk in at the high end of the city. From this point, gravity is on your side.
Down Curetes Street
Curetes Street slopes gently down through the heart of Ephesus. Along the way you pass the Temple of Hadrian, and if you want to add the Terrace Houses, a covered excavation inside the site, they need their own ticket. The polished marble paving can be slippery, so take your time and wear soles with grip.
The Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre
At the lower end of the street, the facade of the Library of Celsus appears, and a little beyond it the Great Theatre. These are the two sights most people come for, and with this route you reach them at the end, when you can linger without anything left to climb.
The car is already waiting at the lower gate
While you walk, the driver moves the taxi round to the lower gate. You come out of the site and step straight into the car. Nobody has to walk back uphill to where they started, and nobody waits in a car park for a group. With very little shade inside the site, that saving matters on a warm day. A good visit takes about two to two and a half hours.
An eleven-hour day, planned around the early start
Because the ship is in so early, we suggest doing Ephesus first, in the cooler morning, and the House of the Virgin Mary afterwards. Check current opening hours for your date; on a 07:00 call you may reach the upper gate close to opening time. Times below are approximate and depend on traffic.
- 07:00–07:30: off the ship and through the port exit to the taxi
- 07:30–08:00: drive to the upper gate of Ephesus
- 08:00–10:30: Ephesus, top to bottom, with the driver waiting at the lower gate
- 10:30–11:00: back up into the hills of Bülbüldağı
- 11:00–11:45: House of the Virgin Mary; modest dress, no photos inside, notes on the wishing wall below
- 12:05–12:25: Temple of Artemis, a single re-erected column on the edge of Selçuk
- 12:45–14:15: Şirince, the hillside village above Selçuk, for lunch and a walk
- about 14:55: back at the port, with ample margin before 17:00
That leaves spare time. You could use it for the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, the Basilica of St John on Ayasuluk Hill, or simply a slower lunch. If you prefer a shorter day, Ephesus alone is about 3.5 to 4 hours from port to port.
Notes for the morning you go ashore
- Have cash ready for the driver; cards are not accepted in the taxi.
- Site entrance fees, meals and drinks are not part of the fare.
- Bring a hat and water for Ephesus, and shoes that grip on smooth stone.
- Tell us the ship, the date, how many are travelling and what matters most to you.
The Sun Princess page covers the port pickup for this ship, and you can book the port to Ephesus round trip on our cruise Ephesus route. On arrival, look for your driver with a name sign at the port exit.
On the two 07:00 to 16:00 calls, keep to Ephesus plus one extra stop. Note that the basic ride is the port to Ephesus and back; the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis and Şirince cost extra.