Shore excursions program for below cruises

A great chance to team culture with a spot of shopping, the excursion begins with a visit to the fascinating Izmir Museum of History and Art, which is located in the city’s Kültürpark and was established in the year 2004. The museum is split over three separate buildings, each of which is dedicated to showcasing a different kind of artefact found in Izmir or in the immediate vicinity, including treasures made of stone and ceramics from the 2^nd century A.D.. After time to explore the museum, the tour continues by coach to Izmir’s fashionable district of Karşiyaka, the ideal spot to relax on one of the benches along the gorgeous waterfront. A boat will finally return you to Izmir port and your ship.

The ancient and once vibrant city of Ephesus, which had a population of more than 250,000 in its heyday, is now a gargantuan archaeological site that is situated an approx. 1-hour drive inland from Izmir. Ephesus was originally founded by the Ionians c. 1,000 B.C. and even then boasted features that modern society still appreciates to this day, for instance a huge theatre with absolutely perfect acoustics and a capacity to seat 25,000 people. Your guided tour around the complex will take you past the ancient baths, Hadrian’s Temple, the Library of Celsus, which was built by Tiberius Julius Aquila to commemorate his father, and the marble street where many of the shops were situated. The site provides a fascinating insight into a highly developed and sophisticated ancient civilisation. The tour also foresees some time visiting a handicraft shop and/or a leather shop before returning to the port.