Silver Nova spends 08:00 to 23:00 in Kuşadası on every call. Use the time for the Terrace Houses, the Ephesus Museum and a break on board before the evening.
Fifteen hours in one port is rare, and Silver Nova has that on every Kuşadası call in the port schedule we follow, from October 2026 through the 2027 season. With a day that long you do not need to squeeze anything in. The useful question is what to add, and when to stop and rest.
When Silver Nova is in Kuşadası
- Jum, 9 Okt · 08:00–23:00
- Jum, 16 Okt · 08:00–23:00
- Rab, 28 Okt · 08:00–23:00
- Kam, 20 Mei · 08:00–23:00
- Sab, 5 Jun · 08:00–23:00
- Sen, 14 Jun · 08:00–23:00
- Jum, 25 Jun · 08:00–23:00
- Sel, 6 Jul · 08:00–23:00
- Sel, 13 Jul · 08:00–23:00
- Rab, 21 Jul · 08:00–23:00
- Kam, 5 Agu · 08:00–23:00
- Jum, 10 Sep · 08:00–23:00
- Jum, 17 Sep · 08:00–23:00
These are the times in the port schedule we follow. Silversea can change them, so treat your own cruise documents as the final word. Plan to reach the port at least 60 minutes before departure, which means 22:00 at the latest, or earlier if the all-aboard time printed on board says so.
What to add when time is not the problem
Most port days force a trade-off between seeing Ephesus properly and reaching anything else. Silver Nova's hours remove it. Rather than racing through all four classic stops, you can spend longer inside Ephesus and visit two places a short visit usually has to skip.
The Terrace Houses, inside Ephesus
The Terrace Houses are a covered excavation inside Ephesus, where you see the city's homes rather than its public monuments. They need a separate ticket, bought at the site, on top of the main entrance. Because they sit under a roof, they are also one of the few places in Ephesus where you get out of the sun. On a short call people pass them by. On a Silver Nova day, they are worth the extra time.
The Ephesus Museum, in Selçuk
Selçuk is the small town next to Ephesus, only a few minutes by car. Its museum holds finds from the ancient city, including statues of Artemis, and seeing them after the site helps connect the streets you just walked with the people who used them. It is close to the Temple of Artemis, so the two fit together easily.
If you still have energy, Ayasuluk Hill above Selçuk has the Basilica of St John, with the İsa Bey Mosque just below. These are optional extras. Tell the driver on the day, and the route changes with you.
A break on board, then the evening
After the morning's sites, go back to the ship for lunch and a rest, and save the evening for Kuşadası town, which is right by the port. With a 23:00 sailing you are not watching the clock over dinner.
An unhurried clock for the day
- About 08:30 to 09:00: off the ship and out through the port exit, where the driver waits (allow 15 to 30 minutes, longer on a busy port day)
- About 09:30: dropped at the Ephesus upper gate
- Mid-morning: down Curetes Street, with the Terrace Houses on the way, then the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre
- Around 12:30: met by the driver at the lower gate
- Early afternoon: the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, then a short look at the Temple of Artemis
- About 15:00: back at the port for a rest on board
- Evening: Kuşadası town, back on board by 22:00
This plan deliberately leaves out Şirince and the House of the Virgin Mary to keep the pace slow. To add the House of the Virgin Mary, ask the driver to go there first. It sits in the hills about 15 minutes above the upper gate, and a visit takes 30 to 45 minutes. Şirince takes about an hour to an hour and a half and works as a lunch stop in place of the break on board.
Cash, tickets and your booking message
- Pay the driver in cash; there is no card machine in the taxi.
- Entrance fees, the Terrace Houses ticket, the museum, food and drinks are not included. You pay at each site, and fees and opening hours change by season, so check current opening hours.
- Tell us the ship name, the date, your party size and which extras you want, so the driver knows the day will be long.
Our Silver Nova page covers the port pickup for this ship. To keep things simple with just the port, Ephesus and back, book the Ephesus taxi from the cruise port.
The basic ride is the port to Ephesus and back. Extra stops such as the Temple of Artemis, the House of the Virgin Mary or Şirince are charged on top, and the Ephesus Museum run to Selçuk is best agreed in advance too, so list everything in your booking message.