Map of Ancient Ephesus (Efes), Turkey

Visit one of the best preserved Roman sites in the world



The country formerly known as Turkey is now officially called Türkiye. We'll continue to use the older designation until the country's rebranding takes hold.

Ephesus is located 3km east of Selçuk along the western coast of Turkey. The ancient city is found south of the Selcuk-Efes airport and the D515 Highway.

Many visitors, however, make the day trip from the resort town of Kusidasi, on the (current) coast, often through a round-trip tour. The Ephesus ruins will take most visitors about 2-4 hours to walk through, as the walkable grounds are about a mile and a half long.

On this map you can see the marshy land to the east of the site, evidence of the silted up harbor of Ephesus that led to its demize. Zoom in the map to see more of the ancient Ephesus structures, including the famous theater on the east site of the hill that separates the site from modern Selçuk.

Map of Ancient Ephesus

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Ephesus Travel Toolbox

Ephesus is one of the best preserved Roman sites in the world, and a very popular destination for tourists in Turkey.

It was at one time a port city. Silt did it in. The theatre dominates the view down Harbor Street, shown as Arkadiane on the map, which leads to the silted-up harbor you see on the map and in the picture below.

ephesus theater and road to port

The city was famed for the nearby Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Among many other monumental buildings you'll see fairly well preserved are the Library of Celsus and a theatre capable of holding 25,000 spectators.

The area surrounding Ephesus was already inhabited during the Neolithic Age (about 6000 BC).

Planetware gives us the sketch map below so that we can see some of the outlying monuments as well as the museum in Selçuk

Guidebooks, audio tours and personal guides are available at both Ephesus entrances, but you may wish to purchase a guide in advance to read a bit about the history of Ephesus and Turkey.

selcuk and effes map

Cost of a vacation in Ephesus

The recent drop in the New Turkish Lira makes the country a budget destaination. To see how much you'll spend per day and per hotel, see How much does it cost to travel to Ephesus?

Weather and Climate

In summer, Ephesus is quite hot. Bring a water bottle with you. To plan your trip around the expected climate, see Ephesus Weather and Climate.

Where to Stay

Selcuk has many hotels that cater to visitors who want to see the ruins at Ephesus. The helpful staff and amazing views make the Rebetika Hotel our value choice. The highly-rated Livia Hotel Ephesus is right in the center of town, a five minutes walk to ancient Ephesus.

For other options check out the booking box below.

Is It Safe to Travel to Turkey Now?

Travel to Turkey near its border with Syria isn't recommended. In the last few years, the US has revised the travel warning for Turkey by dropping it down to a 2 For the discussion on travel safety to western Turkey, I turn the discussion over to Tom Brosnahan and his excellent Turkey Travel Planner: Should I Go to Turkey Now?

Recommended Guidebook

Around Ephesus and Kusadasi: TAN Travel Guide Kindle Edition


Map of Turkey

See the best cities and sites to visit in Turkey.

Booking.com

Ephesus Tours

Yes, you can wander the site yourself, or you can get trained guides to explain it all.

Check out the tours

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Page modified: March 29 2023.