Ephesus - Virgin Mary's house, yes or no?

Depends on whether you actually believe that it is the Virgin Mary's home.

The scholarship about whether that was the virgin mary's house is VERY scanty IMHO. I think it ranks along with so-called relics of the true cross in so many Italian churches.

Best to take Ancient Ephesus and See if you can get the tour to let you two stay longer at the ancient site and pick you up after the shopping.... Often these tours do not give sufficient time at the sit for you to see the gorgeous amphitheatre at all! Instead, many tours take you to a rug merchant's shop where you are subjected to a non-stop pitch to buy Turkish Rugs. THen they take you to a mall full of souvenirs. More rugs, brass objects, spices (the saffron is cheap but not much good), trinkets. Not a thrill but maybe that's just me. I did not find Kusadasi particularly picturesque.

Your tour may not agree to a separate later pick-up, but it may be worth a try... if so, it's good to take along a picnic, or buy food before entering the site, so u can sit among the columns or in the amphitheatre and refresh yourself in 200 BC.

Frankly, the Virgin Mary house is in the same category as the Romeo and Juliet balcony in Verona--a tourist experience that has no real claim to authenticity.

On the other hand, Kusadasi is probably the least charming place in Turkey--all shops and bars dedicated to separating you from your money. If you enjoy trinket shopping, it's fine but if you don't, it's a waste of time, in my opinion.

Ephesus is fantastic and worth extra time. In the mid to late afternoon, the tour bus crowds have departed and you can have a less crowded visit. I would stay longer at the Ephesus site and take a cab back to your port in Kusadasi. There are a whole flock of cabs that park conveniently right at the exit area of the Ephesus site waiting to take tourists away.

Interesting, thanks for the good advice! I think we will skip the House of the Virgin (or so called as I have come to see) and use the free time. I believe that you aren't obligated to take the bus back to the port, it's just your cost to get back.

Just curious, is it a far cab ride to and from ancient Ephesus? If not, we may just skip the the excursion the ship offers all and do our own thing at the site. Sounds like it may be worth it!

It's been a few years since we did Ephesus (2004) so I don't recall what a cab back to Kusadasi port would cost. But cabs are generally pretty cheap. Make sure you negotiate the fare in advance, though, and make it clear to the cab driver that you are going to ask for several quotes. That way you aren't likely to get an inflated fare.

About the excursion -- usually you can do a lot better on your own; those excursions are not just conveniences, they are profit-making ventures too. A good idea may be to chat up two other congenial shipmates, and SHARE the cost of a taxi.

We had a package-tour deal from the island of Samos, which included a bus from the port to the site plus a (not very knowledgeable) guide. I think you could do very well on your own--IF you take the time to do a bit of advance research. There are guide-booklets at the entry to the site, but you wouldn't have time to digest the info while walking (buy them as a souvenir) -- better if you can get info and site maps online, and read on a deck chair beforehand. Here is THE absolute best website:
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/ephesus.htm
-- click to access separate pages on each highlight of the site with color photos of same, and an excellent detailed map of Ephesus to print out:
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/ephesus-site-layout.htm