Customer reviews page:47

This is for all you cruisers who take the cruise ship excursion packages knowing you are paying a premium but a bit timid about what you will end up with if you do it on your own. For about the same money you can get a private tour from this company that will exceed the ship's group tour. First a word about our guide-Gonca (pronounced Gonja-yes like that stuff you used to smoke)-she was terrific-young, knowledgable, and extremely personable. If you use this company ask for her by name. Ephesus is one of those bucket list trips if you have any interest in history. It can be some serious walking in hot weather on uneven ground so bring some good walking shoes and a hat. The Terrace houses are not to be missed. The great thing about this type of trip is the guide can adjust the intensity and time you spend at each site depending on your interest and abilities. As part of a larger group its one size fits all. The arrangement is made by email and the company will send you a very thorough explanation of your tour. A small refundable deposit is required and you pay the rest to the guide. You are met as you leave the ship and taken in a Mercedes van that holds 6. The company does not help you hook up with others to help reduce the cost but it is so reasonable that I would recommend doing it on your own. After touring Ephesus and some other sites you will end up at a rug weaving demonstration-more interesting than you would think. Naturally they will try to sell you a rug but it is pretty low pressure-much less than in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. If you have any interest in buying a rug this is the place to do it rather than in the 'cruise recommended' shops where as much as half the price you pay for the rug gets kicked back to the cruise company. After this a very nice lunch is included. We had a half day tour but we were with Gonca from 8:30-4. We used the same company for a full day tour of Istanbul which was equally as well done. If you are spending an extended time in either Kusadasi or Istanbul About Ephesus can provide as much guide service as you want. All in all a terrific, well-organized experience. Remember to ask for Gonca-she will make your tour memorable.

My husband and I had a private day tour to Ephesus from our hotel in Kusadasi and couldn't have been more pleased. The tour was easy to arrange from the UK and went exactly as planned. Our tour guide Canan Tunckanet was absolutely lovely. Her English was perfect and she was able to answer our questions at Ephesus very knowledgeably. It wasn't awkward just us and her, and we had a really good day out. Lunch was fresh local produce followed by the inevitable trip to the Turkish carpet craft centre. However, we didn't feel under any pressure to buy anything and had no problems. I have no hesitation in recommending this company and especially our guide. I should also mention that we had a private air-conditioned mini-van for the trip which was clean, comfortable and well driven.

Even the rain could not dampen this wonderful day! Our tour guide was Felic, a wonderful young woman with many years experience taking tours. We started at the Virgin Mary's House, then went to the ancient city of Ephesus. The highlight here were the Terrace houses - not to be missed!. A traditional Turkish lunch was included at a school for carpet making where we were given a rug making demonstration, but fortunately there was no hard sell! An excellent and educational day!

There is no doubt this area of the world has some significant ancient historical sites and this s one of the best. Tour guide was excellent and a visit not to be missed.

Gonca was an excellent guide to the ruins of Ephesus. Her command of the English language, her indomitable spirit and her vast knowledge of the history of religions made our day with her enjoyable and vastly informative. Her company, About Ephesus Tours, made it easy to set up the tour ahead of time and to navigate the day to the one place we decided we really needed a guide.

We are an helder couple, and recently we made a tour in Ephesus with Osman Tourism [ https://ephesusbreeze.com ]. Everything was great specially because of our guide, Hulya. She was very sympathetic, and demonstrated to have a great knowledge of all facts related to the sites visited. The one day tour really exceeded our expectations. It´s a must!

We toured Ephesus with 11 other people off of a cruise ship. We were picked up right outside the port in an air conditioned van and had a nice drive to the ruins. He also purchased no line tickets, so we got to go right in. It was a mob scene getting through the gates, but after that people spread out and it wasn't so bad. The ruins are magnificent, he is very knowledgable and we had a great time. Be sure to include the Terrace Houses in your tour. He was carrying around a jug of cat food which made me quite curious, but there is a group of guides that take care of the strays! We also went up the mountain to Mary's house. We elected to skip the carpet demostration as our time was limited. this was the best tour of the cruise and not pricy at all. On the way home he gave all the woman a little gift bag. Wonderful man, wonderful tour.

Look for Selda. She was very informative, helpful and reliable. She made the tour interesting and fun. My only warning is the sidetrips to leather and carpet factory. They take time away from attractions but still very informative and no selling pressure at all. It was cheaper than the ship excursion so is good value for money. We covered more places than the ship excursion and even had lunch. Highly recommended.

First of all, I am 77, a retired professor with a history of two heart attacks. I was worried about walking in hot weather. I told this to Efren when he met me at the pier, and then led me to my new, air-conditioned van. We got to Ephesus and went through the gate. Efren was clearly well informed and his English was excellent. After a few minutes of walking around and seeing the incredible site, he asked me to sit on a column. We then discussed what was around us in every direction. We walked further. He sat me down again, made certain that I drank some water, and we talked about where we were. He repeated this, taking good care of me to ensure that I did not get tired or dehydrated. Where do you find such people? Pleasant and personable, he walked me slowly down the main street in Ephesus, into this and that ruin, and shared the history with me. Again, as a historian, I already knew some details, but he filled me in and we walked the entire length of the planned tour. What a spectacular tour. While other passengers on my ship were in groups of 50 with overworked tour guides trying to find Mr and Mrs Smith or Mr and Mrs Jones who had wandered off, I had my private guide pacing his tour with me and my needs. We covered everything BETTER than and MUCH BETTER than the ship's excursion. We went through the city and then went to the house of the Virgin Mary, where he insisted that I have a glass of Turkish tea and rested before going up to the house itself. We drove to see the rest of the sites on the tour and to have a really good lunch (included in tour price) under shade trees in a roadside restaurant. I didn't buy a carpet at the carpet store because I live in Arizona, and my house is western style, so Turkish carpets did not fit in, but I watched the silkworm demonstration and the weaving demonstration. There was no pressure to buy. After the final stop, we headed back to the pier and Kusadasi and parted company. He was the best, the most careful, the friendliest, among the most informed, the most pleasant, and most helpful tour guide I have had EVER. If you don't ask for him, you miss something. What a wonderful, reliable company! The entrance fee, by the way, is included in the price of the tour. Do NOT take the ship excursion tour. You will miss something. Go with this company and Efren or his colleagues. If you miss Ephesus, that would be a mistake. It was a large city, and St. Paul was there. The ruins are remarkable, and I say that without hesitation. Furthermore, this is a MUCH better way to go than any other. The guide was informed, intelligent, and it was a pleasure talking with him. From the bottom of what is left of my heart, I thank him and this company for taking such good care of me.

We started our day meeting Atilla Demir (I am sure he gets a lot of comments about Atilla the Hun, but it should be Atilla the Hon!). We traveled to Ephesus in a large van that allowed him to sit in the back facing us as he shared information about the area. Yes, his English was fine. We made one stop to watch skilled ceramic craftsman. Atilla was very knowledgeable about Ephesus and all the sights. The Terrace Houses were amazing. You could picture how the hill side were likely dotted with such homes at it peak. When I mentioned to him that I love to take coffee back as a souvenir, he took a very slight detour to a shop where I could purchase true Turkish coffee. Of course I had to buy some of those awesome peanuts coated in sesame seeds too. From Ephesus, we stopped briefly at Artemis just to see where it was...not much left unfortunately. L:ast was on to lunch and carpet demo. Lunch included Turkish style meatballs that were so good that I wanted the recipe. Atilla cooks and took the time to get the translation for spices in the meat...touch of cumin makes the difference. As far as carpets go, we have an extensive collection already from many Middle East countries. Watching the slow methodical method used to hand make the carpets was interesting as was how the silk fibers are harvested. Since we love carpets we could not resist going into the sop. Needless to say we bought two. I will add that Atilla stressed several times that we should not feel obligated or pressure to buy anything. Having the right person showing you their country truly makes the difference between a good tour and a great tour.