Oosterdam in Kuşadası: Four Call Windows, One Yellow Taxi

Oosterdam calls in Kuşadası on four different windows in 2026 and 2027. See what each allows by yellow taxi: Ephesus, Virgin Mary, Artemis, Şirince.

Oosterdam, from Holland America Line, does not keep one fixed timetable in Kuşadası. In the port schedule we follow, its calls in October 2026 and from May to September 2027 come in four shapes: 07:00 to 18:00 on most dates, 07:00 to 19:00, 08:00 to 17:00 and 07:00 to 16:00. The right plan for your yellow taxi day depends on which one you are on, so start by finding your date. Whichever it is, you meet a licensed yellow taxi at the port exit, set the stop order with the driver, and the car waits for you at each place.

Find your Oosterdam date first

We list these from the port schedule we follow. Holland America Line can revise times, so your own cruise documents settle the matter. In each case we count back from a return to the port no later than one hour before departure; when the all-aboard time shown on board is earlier still, we use that instead.

Four windows, three kinds of day

The four stops we drive to are Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis and the village of Şirince. Seeing all four comfortably takes about 7.5 to 8.5 hours from port to port. Here is how each Oosterdam call measures up, assuming about half an hour to get off the ship and reach the taxi.

07:00 to 16:00

You are in the car around 07:30 and need to be back by 15:00, which gives roughly seven and a half hours. That is the bottom edge for all four stops. We would plan Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis, about 5 to 5.5 hours, and keep Şirince as a short add-on only if the morning runs smoothly. Starting this early, check current opening hours, as you may reach the first stop close to opening time.

08:00 to 17:00

Same length of stay, one hour later. Leaving the port about 08:30 with a 16:00 cut-off again gives about seven and a half hours. The three-stop day fits with room to spare; Şirince fits only as a quick visit with a fast lunch. If walking is slow in your group, three stops is the honest choice.

07:00 to 18:00 and 07:00 to 19:00

These are the generous ones, and most Oosterdam calls look like this. From about 07:30 until a 17:00 or 18:00 cut-off you have around nine and a half to ten and a half hours, enough for all four stops, a proper lunch, and on the 19:00 days an extra such as the Ephesus Museum or the Basilica of St John in Selçuk.

Side by side:

• 07:00-16:00: about 7.5 hours ashore; three stops relaxed, four only brisk
• 08:00-17:00: about 7.5 hours ashore, starting later; three stops relaxed, four only brisk
• 07:00-18:00: about 9.5 hours ashore; all four with lunch
• 07:00-19:00: about 10.5 hours ashore; all four with lunch and time left over

Sample timings for each Oosterdam window

For the two shorter windows, this three-stop plan works; shift it by an hour for an 08:00 arrival. Drive times are approximate.

• 07:30: leave the port by taxi
• 08:15–09:00: House of the Virgin Mary, the stone house on Bülbüldağı that three popes have visited
• 09:15–11:30: Ephesus, dropped at the upper gate and collected at the lower gate after the walk down Curetes Street
• 11:40–12:00: Temple of Artemis, one surviving column of an ancient wonder
• about 12:30: back at the port, or on to Şirince for about an hour if time and energy allow, returning by about 14:20

For the 07:00 to 18:00 and 07:00 to 19:00 calls, stretch it out:

• 07:30–09:00: drive up and visit the House of the Virgin Mary
• 09:15–11:45: Ephesus, top gate to bottom gate
• 11:55–13:15: Temple of Artemis, then lunch or the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk
• 13:35–15:05: Şirince, with its stone houses, fruit-wine tasting shops and steep lanes
• about 15:45: back at the port, well ahead of a 17:00 or 18:00 cut-off

Before your Oosterdam port day

Payment goes to the driver in cash, since the taxi has no card terminal. Tickets, meals and drinks are not included, and seasonal opening hours and fees should be checked shortly before you sail. When you contact us, include the ship, your date, the number of travellers and your must-sees; WhatsApp +90 532 407 77 12 is the quickest route. More on the meeting point and return is on our cruise transfer page, and pickup for this ship is on the Oosterdam ship page.

The basic booking 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, so include the stops you want when you write.