steve_kasale

Does it take more than 2 hours? I am thinking of going to the market of Kusadasi after my Ephesus visit but I have only 4 hours at my disposal.

otherchelebi

If you start at the top gate and arrange to be picked at the bottom, walking down rather quickly will take only 45 minutes. Visiting the Terrace Houses (strongly recommended) will take another 20 minutes. Visiting the theatre may take another 15 minutes.

So, if you are not waiting for the best light conditions or the crowds to miraculously disappear to take the best shots with your camera, you can easily do it in two hours or even less. It also depend on your age and mobility.

If you hire a guide, there is no way you can shut him up. So, better buy a book or do web search before you get there and get a simple map of the area which tells you what each structure is.

ellen75005

You can certainly do it in two hours or less. As otherchelebi says, start at the upper gate and walk down. I would also strongly recommend that you visit the terraced houses, just before the library. It will add to your time, but they're worth it.

amer_can

Definitly the terrace houses..Awesome..We had a guide (Hello Ephesus) and it took about 2 hours for yje library, houses and main site.. The whole guided trip, site, theatre, agra area (??) with lunch and a really interesting side to a state run weaving school took 4 1/2 to 5 hours. Well worth the time and $. We were on a cruise so our time was controlled. Re: weaving school---just say no sales rooms as that takes up time and you don't have to buy or even look.. But the rugs are beautiful!!!

Michel_Paris

It is on the side of a hill.

We parked at the bottom, where the tour buses also park. We then took a free cab to the top, but part of being free was a stop at a carpet factory ( who knew!). At the top, I don't remember if there is parking or not, either way you need to backtrack. Also at the top is a shop selling guide books, which we did. We walked down and stopped to see the theatre (there is a strange acoustic trick you can do), saw but did not go into the terrace houses, visited library, did not visit the arena. All in all, about 4 hours.

ira

Hey sk,

It's about a 1/2 hr drive each way - 1 hr.

You will need about 15 min additional for starting the car, buying tickets, parking, etc.

If you wear your track shoes, you can start from the top and run down to the bottom in about 3/4 hr - allowing for having to slow down for tourists.

This will leave you 2 hr to visit the market.

Enjoy your visit.

Mathieu

My experience was exactly as Otherchelebi and Michel-Paris described, from noisy guides right down to the free cab ride and 30min carpet shop stop. They've really got everyone by the toplari for that cab ride, but there are few if any alternatives unfortunately.
I was happy with 2.5 hours including stops at Diana's temple and a climb to the top of the large amphitheatre near the end. I'd also recommend a visit to the very nice museum, but you might not have the time for it. Its small, but full of well displayed and signed artifacts and statues.

Michael

Count on two hours. I recommend getting there first thing in the morning and starting at the bottom unless you have ambulatory difficulties. That way you will see the amphitheater and the library before the descent of the crowds. By the time you are half way to the top, you will be deluged by tour groups coming down. Finish the outdoor viewing and on the way back down, visit the Terrace Houses which will not be crowded (there's an extra charge to see them).

This slide show represents the sequence of the tour as I experienced it (best viewed as full screen):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...th/4208578299/

sherisse_mowtchouch

I think that it took me one hour and a half to see the site and another 40-50 minutes on the road (we also went to the Grotto of Virgin Mary but it didn’t worth spending time there, in my personal opinion. It is just a pilgrims place with a pretty courtyard). Ephesus consists of a lot of museums and each of them is special and unique. You will need to take photos and undoubtedly you will stand in front of most them admiring their imposing beauty, like the Library of Celsus. Having prepared yourself with a guide (http://ephesus.ws/ ) is a great idea because this will make your visit much more interesting. We went there by taxi but if you go by bus it might be a longer driving. If you visit just Ephesus then you have some time for the market too.