Izmir Ephesus Excursion - Half day

We got picked up at our hotel in Selcuk by the lovely Mrs Phyliss, who took us to all the main highlights of the city such as Virgin Mary house, the ancient city of Ephesus, Terrace Houses, the Temple of Artemis and even got a bit of time to go through some local products shops. Mrs Phyliss was not only very professional but also very knowledgeable of the sites and was able to address all the questions we had along the way. We are very glad to have had such an amazing experience and will definitely call her back next time in Turkey.

We booked our own excursion to Ephesus as part of our cruise holiday because it was far cheaper than the cruise line's excursion. It was so easy to book online in advance and a quick phone call to confirm our booking. There was no deposit to pay although we did need to pay in cash at the end of the tour. We were met at the port by our guide, Hulya. The transport for 6 of us was spacious, clean and comfortable and Hulya gave an interesting talk about Turkey on the way to Ephesus. Ephesus is absolutely fascinating and we felt lucky to have Hulya for our guide as she is clearly very knowledgeable, being a volunteer archaeologist at the site. We visited the Terrace Houses and Hulya introduced us to her tutor who discovered them. We had asked to visit the Ephesus Museum and Hulya talked us through the exhibits before allowing us time to look round on our own. We then enjoyed a lovelyTurkish lunch at the inevitable craft centre, although the explanation of how the carpets are made was actually very interesting. We didn't feel too pressured into buying anything but it was slightly unnerving when the salesman appeared to lock the door! All in all, a very memorable day for both adults and teenagers and highly recommended. Hulya even posted a parcel of guide books and gift bags to us in the UK because it had been forgotten on the day. This was a very nice touch and much appreciated.