Kusadasi Shore Excursion : Ephesus Private Tour ONLY FOR CRUISE GUESTS

It is hard to believe that it has been almost ten months since we toured Ephesus. I have been meaning to write this review for a long time now (however, the last year has been a whirlwind, and I never got around to sitting down and writing this review), and I would not forgive myself if I did not share our experience with others. Our family cruised the Greek Islands on the Norwegian cruise ship the Jade. Instead of opting for the cruise ship excursion, I contacted Elif from Kudadasi Private Ephesus Tours. Elif arranged a private tour guide, driver, and Mercedes A/C van for our tour. When we arrived at the port of Izmir, our tour guide Ozge ("OZ" for short) met us at the terminal. She had our name on a sign, awaited us, and walked us to our van. Once at the van, we met our driver. Unfortunately, I cannot recall his name, but he was an excellent, knowledgeable, and safe driver. The drive was beautiful, as we could see rural Turkey, farms, and olive groves – with OZ providing commentary the whole time. OZ took care of securing all the site passes, and we reimbursed her for that. It made things much more manageable. The drive from Izmir to Ephesus was about an hour long. During the drive, OZ got to know our family, and we got to know her. She briefed us on all we would do that day. Our first stop was to visit the Blessed Mother's home; from there, we would go to Ephesus. We indicated we would like to see how Turkish carpets are made and if there was time for a local pottery store. OZ made it all happen. OZ is a walking encyclopedia – knowledgeable beyond belief regarding each location's history. She weaved history and bible stories in such a way that things we had heard all our lives took on new meaning. OZ was also very experienced in navigating the sites and the crowds. We spent about 40 minutes at this site and then off to Ephesus. Truth be told, none of us knew much about Turkey or Ephesus, but OZ changed everything. We arrived at Ephesus, and she described the site as a book with chapters, and we were about to see the introduction. We did not fully understand what she was saying until we began visiting the entire site. As you start the tour, you crest a hill, and the ancient city of Ephesus reveals itself. OZ was able to speak knowledgeably about everything, and I mean everything. As luck would have it, OZ grew up in the modern-day Ephesus and was exposed to the ancient city throughout her life. Her high school class was one of the last classes to have their graduation at one of the arena sites in ancient Ephesus. OZ described how St. John preached there, the library's history, the marketplaces, and how Mark Anthony and Cleopatra visited from Alexandria. OZ knew when to step aside and let us explore on our own and when to engage and lead us. She had a good sense of how to make the day work. She was always in good contact with the driver, who was always nearby and ready to take us to the next adventure. After Ephesus, it was off to see how carpets are made. When we arrived, OZ said the place was crowded and suggested we break to grab something to eat and then see the carpets. The eatery was attached to the carpet building, we sat at outside picnic tables, and OZ ordered for us all—six of us in total. I was thinking –what will all this food cost us, plus our water and drinks? First, I have to say the food was beyond amazing. I noted some dishes and have been making them at home ever since. When the bill came, I almost fell over. $36. That's it. $36 – Amazing value – excellent service – I left an equivalent tip – had to – what a great experience. Then, into the carpet place. which was very educational. I would have loved to buy one of the carpets, they were beautiful and the prices were reasonable, but alas we had nowhere to put them at home. However, if you are in the market for carpets, you can negotiate prices, and they mail them to your home. Trust me; they tell you all about carpet making from the Mulberry trees farms where they raise the silkworms to how silk is harvested… Great experience. Then off to the pottery place, which was again excellent. OZ and the driver knew exactly what time we had to get back. They knew where the cruise ship bus was, and all we needed to do was get to the ship at the same time or earlier. They had us back with time to spare; we never felt rushed – only grateful and lucky to have OZ and our driver. We left Turkey knowing we would be back – what a wonderful country. The people are friendly. The prices are fantastic. We had such a great experience because of Elif, OZ, and our driver. We hope to return and see other areas of Turkey – and if we are lucky, OZ and our driver will be our guides. Thank you, Elif, OZ, and our driver, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You guys were all so great. I highly recommend this team to anyone considering a tour of Ephesus. BTW… The private tour cost for 5 was substantially less than the group tour offered on the cruise ship for five people.

I booked this tour of Ephesus, for four of us, instead of taking one of the shore excursions offered by our Viking cruise ship. We wanted a much more "personal" tour to such a fascinating and important site, rather than a large impersonal "group" visit, and this tour was sensational! Our guide, Isik, was truly exceptional: very personable, knowledgeable, and creative in arranging our visits to various sites. She took us to the House of the Virgin Mary before any of the crowds arrived, which made for a very nice experience. We saw all the the main sites, including the amazing Library of Celsus, and wondered around the Great Theater to see it in depth (which not all Viking shore excursions did). All accompanied by excellent explanations and insights offered by Isik. We had a very nice lunch at a local restaurant, followed by a visit to the Artemis Temple. We were all very pleased with the tour and would give it the highest recommendation! (It was actually cheaper for the four of us than the "paid" Viking shore excursions, and we got close-up personal insights from an outstanding guide.)

Really great. Our tour guide Metin Yoruk was wonderful. Very personable and accommodating. He knew everyone! And arranged a few extra side trips for us as we requested. I would highly recommend this private tour. And for the money it is well worth it. One thing to keep in mind, the price doesn’t include entrances. We spent an additional $100 for entrance fees and tips so be sure to account for that. We ate lunch at a great restaurant, dined with Metin and had a wonderful Turkish meal ($10 per person, GREAT FOOD AND A LOT OF IT). Make sure you include the terrace houses in your tour. It is located inside Ephesus. Costs a few euros more but amazing! We will definitely be using Metin again. Great time!

We had a wonderful, full day in Kusadasi and Ephesus, filled with many interesting and exciting experiences. Our guide, Banu, was exceptional and extremely knowledgeable, and although we packed a lot in (including my personal favorite, a fashion show), we were never rushed and had plenty of time to enjoy each experience fully. I would highly recommend this tour. We learned so much and were able to experience so much more than we ever could have arranged on our own.

My wife and I were on a WindStar cruise to the Greek Islands and were so fortunate that it also included a visit to the port of Kusadasi a short distance from Ephesus. We wanted to experience Ephesus uniquely with a private tour. After reviewing many possibilities and price points we chose this one. Our visit was without any doubt, the most unforgettable of any we have taken in our many travels over the years. Elif was our first contact via email in making the arrangements and provided us with all the details and variations we might enjoy. Our guide was Senyen Hakan a true gem of a man whose love of Türkiye, it’s people and remarkable history was contagious. He had broad knowledge of Ephesus’ spirituality as well as archaeological splendor and wanted us to very much enjoy every moment. Since returning home, we have thought of our day in Ephesus as the highlight of our trip and thank our friends Senyen Hakan and Elif who made it possible.