Priene Didyma and Miletus Private Full-Day Shore Excursion from Kusadasi

Priene Didyma and Miletus Private Full-Day Shore Excursion from Kusadasi

You will be picked up at the pier in Kusadasi in a luxurious, climate-controlled van for the ride along the Turkish Riviera. In this tour you will get all the insights of the the Hellenic culture by admiring the ancient temples and historic remains.

Your guide will bring the old cities and places visited to life as he explains the significance of the many structures you will see. 

First you will visit Priene with its fine examples of Hellenic art and architecture. The King Mausoleum laid out the city in rectangular blocks is one of the first examples of urban planning ever recorded. You will tour the Theater of Priene, one of the most beautiful theaters of the Hellenic world. You will walk through the Temple of Athena, the Gymnasium, Byzantine church and the agora.

You then depart for Miletus settled by the Ionians in the 11th century BC. This ancient city was once one of the biggest cities in Anatolia. Miletus is famous for its genius philosophers and architects.

On arrival at the ruins, the magnificent theater appears first. This theater once held 24,000 spectators. Next are the well preserved Faustian baths built for the wife of Marcus Aurelius. These exceptional ruins include the Temple of Serapis, the agora, a ceremonial road, Senate building and the Temple of Asklepios.

After leaving Miletus, stop for lunch at a local restaurant. You will continue on to Didyma, originally a cult center for the city of Miletus. In ancient times, it was connected to its mother city by a sacred road, parts of which can be seen today. It was home to a large temple dedicated to Apollo, called the Didymaion. This temple was second only to Delphi in Greece in importance. You will have ample time to stroll through these ruins which include the famous Medusa head and a colonnade of the temple, erected in the 3rd century BC.