Ephesus Tour Reviews

We were very pleased with the service we got from About Ephesus. Knowledgeable guide, great lunch included, and we really enjoyed the Turkish Rug lesson/stop. We had no real expectation for this trip, it was a day on our cruise, and we were very pleased with how the day went. Great value, great trip. Would highly recommend this company.

10 of us just returned from our Mediterranean cruise with a stop in Kusadasi, Turkey and had a fantastic time. All arrangements for our tour were made by emails with Istemihan Teleri of Osman Tourism. Arrived at the Port and were met by our tour guide Hulya (Julia) Acar and driver Aashraf. For 5 hours we saw everything we wanted and more. Julia was very knowledgeable, courteous, patient and professional during our time with her. Our visit to Ephesus was the highlight our cruise. We plan to visit Turkey again and will have no problem using or recommending them to anyone.Ricky KSC, USA

We had a family reunion holiday cruise and stopped in Ephesus for a day. We couldn't have spent our day better than a tour with Arzu! We had 8 adults and 16 kids, ranging in ages of 8 to 19. Arzu was able to keep us all engaged. Thanks Arzu!

Great place, one of the largest ancient cities. I learned a lot of new and interesting about the ancient world

We just returned from a Mediterranean cruise out of Venice with a stop in Kusadasi, Turkey. We booked a full day private tour with this company for our visit to Ephesus. It was our best tour on the cruise and satisfying in every way. Our guide, Gurkan Nakipoglu, met us at 7:30 at the pier and we went easily to the House of the Virgin Mary first before the crowds arrived. Gurkan is a charming young man who grew up in the area and speaks English well. He has in-depth knowledge about the history of Ephesus and interesting insight about his country. We had a spacious mini-van with a driver, so Gurkan was able to sit in the back with us during the tour. He made everything easy for us, pacing the trip perfectly for two older adults through the ancient city and the Terrace Houses. While it was a warm day and the terrain was challenging at times, the discomfort was minimal. It is a spectacular site, not to be missed. While some reviewers here were uncomfortable with the stops at the carpet, leather, and pottery shops, we were impressed with the way Gurkan handled it, explaining the relationship between the local crafts and the government's desire to preserve these ancient and important arts. While the carpet shop was part of the lunch stop, he gave us a choice as to whether we stopped at the leather and pottery shops, and we chose to do the latter only. We frankly loved the carpet shop, which included a traditional Turkish lunch outside under a tent with lovely vegetation surrounding us. Gurkan sat with us and it was like having a young friend take us to lunch. We told the salespeople that we were not in the market for a carpet and the pitch was low keyed. We did enjoy seeing the whole process of making carpets, from silkworms, to the weaving, to the dying. The pottery shop was also interesting with fine products created by local artisans. We bought nothing there, either, and did not feel at all pressured to do so. When we returned to the ship, we realized our experience was far more satisfactory than that of those who took the cruise ship tours. They felt rushed and had trouble hearing the guides. This was a perfect day for us, due not only to the remarkable historic place we visited, but to the personal attention provided and the expertise of the guide.

Our guide was excellent and very informative. Her concern for our comfort in the heat was very welcome. A wonderful place to visit and followed by an excellent complimentary meal. She even allowed us to by-pass the usually obligatory carpet making demo and shop. A good informative half-day.

My wife and I had a full day private tour at Ephesus and ending at the village of Sirince. We were lucky to have as our guide Yesim Kulak through Ephesus Travel. Yesim was very pleasant, knowledgeable, and spoke very good english. I highly recommend Yesim. The cost for the private tour (through Ephesus Travel) was very reasonable, and we were so happy to do it this way instead of a large tour. Stephen & Cher Colby from Minnesota, USA

Turkey has many ruins reminiscent of the Roman Empire in a treasure trove of ruins. Among them, Ezemirs' Ephesus has outdoor theaters and the like as well as Rome. Also nearby is the birthplace of the Virgin Mary on the mountain and explained by the language of each country. Please enjoy your precious memories. In Turkey there are plenty of famous beaches and there are plenty of guests from Russia and Europe.

We were so pleased with the two days that we spent with About Ephesus and our tour guide, Arzu. We were interested in seeing both Ephesus and Pamukkale from Izmir, Turkey and About Ephesus was able to arrange single day trips for both tours, even when Pamukkale was 3 hours from Izmir. We had a comfortable, clean, air conditioned van but it was really our tour guide, Arzu, who made each day trip educational and meaningful She is so knowledgeable about both. Ephesus and Izmir, easily understandable and personable. The meals we had on both days were so incredibly delicious. Overall, these two days were clearly highlights of our trip. If you're interested in booking a tour with About Epheus, ask for Arzu. She was wonderful and made each day trip an incredible experience for all of us.

BUT......hate when brought to places that you feel you must buy.. a bit hassled. this should be optional to go in but feel like you HAVE to buy something