The Terrace Houses at a glance
The Terrace Houses (Yamaç Evleri in Turkish) are peristyle houses on the slope of Bülbüldağ, beside the Curetes Street. They have mosaics, marble, frescoes, fountains and heating systems. A protective roof covers the excavated area.
Entry is not part of the main site ticket. Foreign adults pay €15 extra on top of the €40 site entry in 2026. That is €55 for both at the standard rates. Some guided Ephesus and Terrace Houses tours include a visit; check whether the tour price covers the ticket or only the guide.
Ticket and hours 2026
For foreign adult visitors. The Terrace Houses close an hour earlier than the site in winter.
| Item | Price or time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ephesus site entry | €40 | Includes the digital experience museum |
| Terrace Houses | €15 | Extra ticket, paid in addition to the site entry |
| Site in winter | 8:00 to 18:00 | Ticket office until 17:30, from 1 October 2026 to 1 April 2027 |
| Terrace Houses in winter | 9:00 to 17:00 | Ticket office until 16:30, same period |
| Turkish MüzeKart holders | TRY 200 | Reduced extra fee for eligible cardholders |
Whether a tourist MuseumPass covers the Terrace Houses or only reduces the extra fee depends on the pass. Ask at the ticket office before you pay. Check child rates at the gate. More prices and the pass options are on the tickets page.
Our pick: a tour with the Terrace Houses
This tour has the Terrace Houses on its route, so you do not miss the separate entrance.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Tours with the Terrace Houses
Guided visits to Ephesus and the Terrace Houses from Selçuk, Kuşadası and İzmir, with live prices and availability.
What you will see
These are houses of the Roman city, built on the hillside. A peristyle house is arranged around a courtyard framed by columns. The decoration you came for is in the rooms: floors, walls and fittings.
Look for the mosaics, the painted walls, the marble, the fountains and the remains of heating systems. Groups can gather at the busiest stops, so give yourself a few minutes of margin.
The roof and the visitor path
The roof is a textile membrane, reinforced with glass fibre and coated with Teflon. It is not a glass roof. The membrane covers the excavated houses and shelters them.
The way through the houses is a visitor route and does not follow the ancient layout, by design. Follow the signed path rather than the old room plan. The painted walls are the main reason to slow down.
How to fit them into your visit
Four points that save time on the day.
Where they are
The houses lie beside the Curetes Street, a side detour on the walk downhill. The public latrine is another side stop in the lower part of the street.
Self-guided route →Time it for the morning
In winter the houses close at 17:00, and the ticket office stops selling at 16:30. Plan the houses before you reach the end of the route, not as a last stop.
Library of Celsus →Check the route
The Marble Road from the library has been closed since 10 April 2025, and the end date is open. Look for the current diversion on site.
Access
Do not count on a fully step-free route or on room for a pushchair. Ask staff at the gate how the walkways run on the day.
Combine them with the Curetes Street
The Terrace Houses are one stop on a street of monuments. On the Curetes Street you also pass the Temple of Hadrian, dated to 118 to 138 AD, whose original friezes are in the museum in Selçuk. The temple front and its arch are easy to spot from the street.
You can take the Terrace Houses as a detour and rejoin the street at the library afterwards. If you have the €10 for the museum, the finds there add context to what you saw on the hillside. The site ticket includes the digital experience museum, which is a separate attraction from the museum in town.
If you travel with a group, ask the guide whether the Terrace Houses are part of the plan. A tour title that mentions the ancient city does not say so.
Ephesus Terrace Houses: frequently asked questions
Do the Terrace Houses need a separate ticket?
Yes. The site entry of €40 does not cover them. Foreign adults pay €15 extra in 2026, which is €55 for both at the standard rates.
Are the Terrace Houses open in winter?
Yes, from 9:00 to 17:00 between 1 October 2026 and 1 April 2027. The ticket office closes at 16:30, an hour earlier than the 17:30 at the site.
Is the roof made of glass?
No. It is a textile membrane with glass-fibre reinforcement and a Teflon coating.
Does a MuseumPass include the Terrace Houses?
That depends on the pass. Ask at the ticket office whether the €15 applies to your pass. Turkish MüzeKart holders pay a reduced extra fee of TRY 200.
Are the Terrace Houses included in guided tours?
Some tours include them, others do not. Look at the list of what is included in the tour description before you book.