Enchanted Princess usually calls 07:00 to 16:00 in 2026 and 2027. What to agree with your yellow taxi driver at the port so the early day runs to plan.
Enchanted Princess is an early riser. On most of its calls in the port schedule we follow, from October 2026 through the 2027 season, it is alongside in Kuşadası by 07:00 and leaves at 16:00. That is a short afternoon but a long morning, and the morning is where a good day is won. The most useful thing you can do happens in the first few minutes at the taxi, before the car even moves.
When Enchanted Princess is in port
- Sab, Okt 17 · 07:00–16:00
- Biy, Okt 30 · 08:00–17:00
- Sab, Nob 14 · 07:00–16:00
- Lun, May 17 · 07:00–17:00
- Lin, May 30 · 07:00–16:00
- Huw, Hun 3 · 09:00–19:00
- Miy, Hun 16 · 07:00–16:00
- Miy, Hun 30 · 07:00–16:00
- Miy, Hul 14 · 07:00–16:00
- Miy, Ago 11 · 07:00–16:00
- Biy, Set 3 · 07:00–17:00
The list reflects the port schedule we work from; Princess Cruises may adjust a call, and your cruise documents have the final word. Plan to be back at least 60 minutes before departure, so 15:00 is your cut-off on a 16:00 day, 16:00 on the 17:00 days and 18:00 on the one 09:00 to 19:00 call. An earlier all-aboard time printed on board replaces ours.
The short talk at the taxi that shapes your whole day
Your licensed yellow taxi waits at the port exit, and nothing is fixed until you and the driver agree it. Five minutes of plain talk at the start saves far more than five minutes later on. Cover these points, roughly in this order.
Start with the all-aboard time
Say the time out loud, from your cruise card or the daily programme, not from memory. Everything else is planned backwards from it. If it is earlier than one hour before departure, the earlier time becomes the deadline.
Name the one place you must not miss
For most people it is Ephesus. For some it is the House of the Virgin Mary, the small stone house on the hill that pilgrims come to. If something has to give later in the day, the driver needs to know what is protected and what can be dropped.
Be honest about walking
Ephesus means a couple of hours on foot over polished marble, which can be slippery, with very little shade. Şirince has steep cobbled lanes. If knees, heat or a stroller are a concern, say so now. The driver can suggest the order that keeps the walking downhill and the slopes short.
Decide on lunch before you are hungry
A sit-down lunch in Şirince takes time on a 16:00 day. A quick bite on the move frees that time for another stop. Neither is wrong, but choosing early stops the question from eating into the afternoon.
Ask for photo stops by name
The Temple of Artemis is mainly a photo stop: one column standing in a field. If you also want a pause for a view on the road, mention it. Short stops add up, and it is better to plan them than to squeeze them in.
Agree one turn-back time
This is the most important line of the conversation. Pick a clock time at which you leave your last stop, whatever is happening. On a 16:00 day, leaving Şirince by about 13:45 or the Selçuk area by about 14:15 keeps you safely ahead of 15:00.
A quick checklist to run through at the car:
- All-aboard time, read from your documents
- Must-see stop, and what can be dropped
- Walking limits in your group
- Lunch: sit down, quick, or none
- Photo stops you want
- The turn-back time, agreed by both of you
What really fits between 07:00 and 15:00
All four stops normally need about 7.5 to 8.5 hours from port to port. If you are in the taxi around 07:30 and must be back by 15:00, you have seven and a half hours, the very bottom of that range. Four stops are possible, but only as a brisk day: a short Şirince visit and a quick lunch. If you want an easier pace, keep to Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis, about 5 to 5.5 hours.
- 07:00–07:30: off the ship and out to the taxi
- 07:30–08:15: drive up to the House of the Virgin Mary (check current opening hours; on an early call you may arrive near opening time)
- 08:15–09:00: the house, the wishing wall and the spring-water taps
- 09:15–11:30: Ephesus from the upper gate down to the lower gate
- 11:40–12:00: Temple of Artemis
- 12:20–13:40: Şirince, short visit and quick lunch, if you chose four stops
- about 14:20: at the port, ahead of the 15:00 cut-off
On the 17:00 departures everything shifts one hour later, and the single 09:00 to 19:00 call leaves room for all four stops at an easy pace.
Paying, tickets and booking ahead
The fare is paid in cash to the driver, as the taxi has no card reader. Site tickets, food and drinks are separate and are paid where you buy them. Send us your ship name, date, party size and wishes on WhatsApp at +90 532 407 77 12, or book the Ephesus round trip from the port directly. Our Enchanted Princess page covers the port pickup for this ship.
One more point for the talk at the taxi: the basic ride is the port to Ephesus and back, and the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis and Şirince are added at an extra charge. Agree them when you book so there are no surprises.