Once one of the greatest cities in the Mediterranean, ancient Ephesus, just outside the Turkish port of Kuşadasi, remains an extraordinary site by any measure. A big part of that is sheer grandeur: this is a place where entire streets, facades, and structures still stand, largely intact, in a city that reached its peak between 129 BC and 395 AD.
For travelers, a daytime visit to Ephesus is a must-do on any Eastern Mediterranean itinerary that blends Türkiye with the Greek Isles. What if, for one evening, Ephesus would be your own private corner of ancient Rome? What if you could see it when other visitors don’t have access?
You can.
Where It Started
“Evening in Ephesus,” an atmospheric candlelit dinner exclusively for Windstar guests, was the first of what the line calls its Destination Discovery Events. “Polynesian Feast & Fire” followed — a culinary event and fire-dancing performance on a private motu off Bora Bora that’s since become a signature moment on Tahiti voyages. More recently, Windstar added “Sagas & Songs” to its Iceland itineraries: a cultural evening held at Seyðisfjörður’s iconic Blue Church, blending folk music and Icelandic legend into a gripping account of the island’s heritage.
Windstar’s Destination Discovery events create a connection that changes how travelers experience other cultures, says Elliana Vera, a 25-voyage Windstar guest who’s attended all three and is already planning to return for more.
Elliana Vera, on the way to the Destination Discovery Event on Bora Bora./Jeff Vera
“You feel more like a traveler than a tourist,” Vera says. “You become part of a culture — you’re not just visiting. At that moment, it connects you to something larger than yourself. You’re not simply wandering around, observing. For a passing moment, you become part of a place, and it creates memories that outlast your trip.”
Four New Events for 2027
Destination Discovery has proven popular enough that Windstar is expanding it with four additional events in 2027:
- The Spirit of Croatia — a private, after-hours evening of song and dance in Dubrovnik
- Traditions of Tomonoura — held in a historic village in Japan, featuring a koto performance and traditional tea ceremony
- A Medici Wine Tasting — live music, cocktails, and Tuscan canapés inside a 16th-century Medici fortress in Livorno, Italy
- The Tower of London at Sunset — a limited-run, after-hours reception offering Windstar guests private access to nine centuries of history
The original Destination Discovery Events continue
Windstar’s original three Destination Discovery events — “Evening in Ephesus” in the Eastern Mediterranean, “Polynesian Feast & Fire” in French Polynesia, and “Sagas & Songs” in Iceland — remain part of the program.
“What inspires us, and what we hope travelers will come away with,” says Kelly Hubbard, Windstar’s director of product development for destinations, “is a sense of awe. To create a sense of being specially welcomed by the people who live here, of being entertained in a way that blends cultures both historic and contemporary.
Ultimately, we hope our travelers feel immersed in a way that sheds light into the cultures of the places they visit.”
