The sites Up in the hills
Sirince: The Hill Village Above Ephesus
Sirince is the village people remember after a long day of marble and ruins: whitewashed houses stacked up a green hillside, lanes of old stone, and small shops selling fruit wines and olive-oil soaps. It sits in the hills just east of Selcuk, within reach of a Kusadasi port day.
The short answer
Sirince (Şirince) is a hill village about 8 km east of Selcuk, about 35 to 45 minutes’ drive from the Kusadasi cruise terminal. Greek-speaking until 1923, it is known for stone houses, a restored church, fruit wines and olive-oil soaps, and it has no entrance ticket. Paired with Ephesus, it suits calls of about 9 hours or more on our Your Ship, Your Day tour.
- Drive from the port
- about 35-45 minutes, through Selcuk and up about 8 km of hill road
- Time in the village
- about 1 to 1.5 hours
- Tickets
- none for the village itself
- History
- Greek-speaking until 1923; renamed Şirince in 1926
- Which tour
- Your Ship, Your Day (custom); with Ephesus, calls of about 9 hours or more
What is Sirince?
Sirince is a small hill village of whitewashed stone-and-timber houses about 8 km east of Selcuk, folded into a valley of olive groves and woods. The houses climb the slope in rows, with tiled roofs, painted shutters and little balconies, and the lanes between them are paved with old, uneven stone.
It is a living village, not a museum. People keep homes, gardens, guesthouses and shops here, and the pace is gentle: coffee on a terrace, a look into the church, a slow walk downhill with a bag of soap or a bottle of wine. After the crowds and the open sun at Ephesus, that change of mood is the whole point.
How far is Sirince from Kusadasi cruise port?
About 35 to 45 minutes by road. The first part is the same drive that takes you to Ephesus and Selcuk, about 20 to 25 minutes; from Selcuk a winding road climbs about 8 km into the hills. Times grow on mornings when several ships are in port.
Your guide meets you right outside the cruise terminal exit, about a minute once you are out, and your private vehicle waits close by. The drive up is part of the pleasure: the road leaves the plain behind and the olive terraces start almost at once.
Planning the day? Match a tour to your hours ashore
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Time in port: Under 5 hours ashore
The Open-Air Circle
No tickets and almost no walking: Artemis, Selcuk and a drive past the ruins.
Tour length: 3-4 hours
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Time in port: 5 to 8 hours
Just Ephesus
Ephesus from the Upper Gate down to the Lower Gate, and back with time to spare.
Tour length: 3-3.5 hours
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Time in port: 8 to 9 hours
Marble, Mosaics and Artemis
All of Ephesus, the Terrace Houses and the Temple of Artemis.
Tour length: 5.5-6.5 hours
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Time in port: 9 hours or more
The Road of Paul and John
Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, St. John and Artemis.
Tour length: 6-7 hours
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Time in port: Late arrival, tender or tight call
All-Aboard Ephesus
We plan backward from all-aboard and fit in only what fits.
Tour length: Fits your call
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Time in port: You have your own list
Your Ship, Your Day
Tell us your ship and your wishes; we build the day around both.
Tour length: Fits your call
Every tour is private and priced from €33 per person for groups of 8 or more; smaller groups get a private quote. Any group size: 1 to 52 people per coach, and more coaches for larger groups. Entrance tickets are extra, at the official price.
Why does Sirince look like a Greek village?
Because it was one. Sirince was a Greek-speaking village until the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey, when its Greek families left and families from northern Greece came to live in the houses they had left behind. Many of the old houses you see today come from those Greek-speaking years.
The name changed too. The village used to be called Çirkince, and in 1926 it was renamed Şirince, which means "pleasant". Locals like to say the old name was given to keep strangers away, which is a nice story to hear over coffee. In December 2012 the village even made the news, when crowds came up the hill believing it would survive the so-called Maya end of the world.
What is there to see in Sirince?
The village itself is the sight, with one building worth stepping into. The church of St. John the Baptist, a nineteenth-century Greek church at the top of the lanes, has been restored and still shows traces of its painted niches and a Greek inscription in marble. When its doors are open, the cool, quiet interior with its stone columns is a lovely few minutes.
The rest is wandering: stairs and lanes between the houses, views back across the rooftops to the wooded hills. Allow about 1 to 1.5 hours to stroll the lanes, look into the church and stop for a tasting or a coffee.
What can you taste and buy in Sirince?
Fruit wines and olive-oil soaps are what Sirince is known for, and browsing the shops is one of the real joys of the visit. Family shops line the lanes with bottles of wine made from local fruit, handmade olive-oil soaps and other local goods, and many of the wine shops are happy to pour a small taste before you choose. It is a warm, easygoing place to shop, and a bottle or a bar of soap makes a lovely souvenir of the day.
One practical note for cruise guests: every cruise line sets its own rules on bringing wine aboard, so check yours before you buy bottles to carry back to the ship.
Can you see Ephesus and Sirince on one cruise call?
Yes, on a long call. Paired with Ephesus, we suggest Sirince on calls of about 9 hours or more, because the hill road and the village deserve unhurried time. A typical shape is Ephesus in the morning, walked from the Upper Gate to the Lower Gate, then lunch or a coffee up in Sirince, then the drive back to the pier with a good margin before all-aboard. Our back-to-your-ship planning sets that margin from your ship's own times.
On a shorter call, or on a repeat visit when you have already walked Ephesus, a quieter day works well too: Sirince with Selcuk, the Basilica of St. John or the Temple of Artemis. Our Your Ship, Your Day tour is built from your list and your hours, and this guide to hours ashore shows what fits. Send us your ship and date and we will tell you plainly whether Sirince fits your call.
Is Sirince easy to walk with limited mobility?
It is harder than it looks in photos. The lanes are steep and cobbled, with steps in places, so a wheelchair user or anyone unsteady on their feet will find most of the village difficult. We bring the vehicle as close as the road allows and plan the visit around what you can comfortably manage.
If walking is the main concern of your day, read our limited-mobility guide first, and tell us when you write. We would rather plan an honest, easy day than promise a village you cannot enjoy.
Questions cruise guests ask us
Is Sirince worth visiting from a cruise ship?
Yes, if your call is long enough or you have seen Ephesus before. It is a calm hill village of stone houses, fruit wines and olive-oil soaps, a lovely change after the ruins, about 35 to 45 minutes' drive from the Kusadasi terminal.
How far is Sirince from Kusadasi?
About 35 to 45 minutes by road: about 20 to 25 minutes to Selcuk, then about 8 km of winding hill road up to the village. Times grow on busy multi-ship mornings.
Can I do Ephesus and Sirince in one day from my ship?
Yes, on a call of about 9 hours or more. We build the day around your ship's times, usually Ephesus first and Sirince after, with a safe margin before all-aboard.
Do I need a ticket for Sirince?
No. Sirince is a village, so there is no entrance ticket. You only spend what you choose on coffee, lunch, wine or soap.
Can I take Sirince wine back to my cruise ship?
That depends on your cruise line, since each line sets its own rules on bringing wine aboard. Check your line's policy before you buy bottles to carry back.
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Port-day guide
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