Kusadasi Port to House of Virgin Mary, Ephesus Ruins, Temple of Artemis

I went on vacation this past September to Turkey with two other guys (all in our late 20’s and early 30s). We decided to make Istanbul the hub of our limited time in Turkey but we also wanted to see the ancient sites of Ephesus and Cappadocia as well. We decided it would be inefficient to try to see these sites on our own so we elected to go with a guided tour and found Tour of Istanbul Company. At first we were hesitant to use the online form on their website but quickly realized it was just a means to start email coordination with Ms. Banu Kurban. We basically laid out what we wanted: 1 day in Ephesus and 2 days in Cappadocia. Banu quickly replied, was very accommodating, and with a few email exchanges over a couple of days we had a full itinerary including hotel-airport transfer, plane tickets, meals, and sites to be visited. Highlight: the tour guides are phenomenal! If you’re going to Ephesus request Gül Demir as your guide. She is a lovely local girl, with a warm heart, and her love of Turkey shows when she describes the geography and history of Ephesus. She also taught us some Turkish phrases; it was a lot of fun. If you’re going to Cappadocia request Aykut Babadogan. He is very knowledgeable of the region and was funny; it was like hanging out with one of the guys. He was also attentive when one of the members of our group got sick. Overall, they are both wonderful human beings and when people in my country ask what Turkish people are like I will speak of them. Critique: The driver had trouble rounding up all the people that required shuttle service at the airport upon our return to Istanbul. So getting back to the hotel took longer than expected, but that sort of thing should be expected being in a busy airport with no cellphone service in a foreign country. However, the awesomeness of the trip overshadowed this issue. Tour of Istanbul is legit and reasonable priced. I highly recommend them! — Roxanne C., USA

My wife found the operator on the Internet from London, telephoned Volkan and spoke with her twice, arranged a " cancellable " without penalty , tour with them. We were celebrating our 50th Wedding Anniversary that day by taking a shore excursion from the Cunard Queen Victoria. Volkan took no deposits or credit card details, gave us a quote, we accepted and on the day, sharp at 9am ,there was Nafia on the quayside ready with her excellent airconditioned minibus. She also organised to allow two of our ship friends to accompany with a new verbal contract which us all. Nafia ,we think is not only the best Tour Guide we have ever met in the world of travel, but she should really be a Tour Guide trainer . The tour was comprehensive , in detail, in thoroughness, in non-rushed slow paced for senior citizens, yet not missing out any agreed and important points of interest with no additional charges for admissions . A delicious (meze) lunch break together with a brief visit to a non-hassled ceramic / silk carpet factory enroute our return trip. We cannot recommend more highly than say, the most trusted Volkan / TourofIstanbul & Nafia made our 50th anniversary a day to remember. Jyotish G. UK

Had a memorable trip to Ephesus( coordination of this trip was all efficiently done by Mehmet). We were pressed for time, so did just a day trip to Ephesus & Mother Mary's place where she lived her last days! We had an excellent guide, Sergen Elgi, who patiently explained us all the history behind the greco-roman ruins as our tour group of 12 people were from different countries. I highly recommend Tour of Istanbul and their services & will definitely make reservations whenever we make another trip. — Arnavaz M. USA

Our guide was Nafia and I can't say enough great things about our day. She picked us up right on time from our ship and we started our day early at Ephesus. It is trully an incredible place. We visited all the usual places there and added the Terrace Houses. If you go to Ephesus and miss the Terrace Houses it would be a shame. I can't believe how interesting it is. The reconstruction of intricate mosaics and frescos is incredible. After Ephesus we visited a local ceramic business and learned how they use quartz to make beautiful hand painted dishes, wine carafes, cups, etc. We then were treated to a delicious lunch at a local establishment. Everything was freshly made local favorites and was quite scrumptious. On the way back to the ship we visited a handwoven carpet cooperative. It employs local women to work at home weaving the carpets. They receive a salary and health benefits. They demonstrated how they get silk from the cocoons of silkworms and also how to tie the knots in making a rug. I would highly advise you to take a tour and ask for Nafia. She is very knowledgeable and we enjoyed our time with her. — Susan R. South Africa

Best tour and tour guide! Tour was everything promised. Our guide Nafia Demircan was perfect, on time, well-educated and informed, loves her profession, very engaging, informative and personable. We got an early start so Ephesus was virtually empty when we had our thorough and enlightening tour, finished quicker than expected, Nafia filled rest of time with interesting alternative stops, had great lunch and conversation. This is what a tour in a new land should be, it is not possible to provide a sufficiently high recommendation. Thanks Nafia!! — PLMESQ L. Italy

We had a great time, Ky (guide) and our driver (George?) were excellent, very easy to get along with, very knowledgeable and informative. At Ephesus Ky went out his way to ensure we got through the "terraced houses" with ease and without waiting forever in a lengthy queue. The lunch was good and adequate without being brilliant and even the "obligatory" trip to the Carpet Shop was really good, very informative and a lot of time was spent by them explaining the differences in the rugs, obviously they would have liked to make sale but there was NO high pressure stuff. We have purchased silk rugs before and I have to acknowledge that I believe their prices were pretty reasonable and there was no questioning their quality. The round trip from the ship was done in a very comfortable and clean van, all in all we have no hesitation in recommending Tourofistanbul.....Thanks for reading this. — Tony and Jan, Perth, Western Australia.

Having seen reviews of Tour Of istanbul I contacted them and gave a list of places we wanted to see. We were very impressed by a quick response by Mehmet and reserved the private tour including the terrace houses instead of the House of Mary and we also had time for the museum. We were collected at the harbour ahead of schedule in an air conditioned Mercedes mini bus. Our guide Eda was wonderful and had an exceptional knowledge of Ephesus, she was also very amiable and easy to talk to. She gave us time for photographs and private exploration. We enjoyed a good meal in a local restaurant then visited the museum. The ruins were amazing especially the library ,theatre and odeon. The terrace houses mosaics and wall paintings are well worth a visit. The site is accessible by local bus or taxi but the use of a guide was well worth it and also the flexibility to stop when we wanted to. St Johns church was also on the tour but the Temple of Artemis was a disappointment but consisted of a single pillar and rough outline on the ground. Excellent tour over all and recommend tourofistanbul.com. — Dave S. UK

There were 4 of us on our very own tour of Ephesus. What a fabulous day! Our guide, Nafia, made the day fly by, with her recounting of the history of the site and her warm humor and intelligence. She was also open to our several additions- the Terrace Houses( don't miss this, as we did the last time) and the Ephesus Museum (also wonderful). As we did this tour from Istanbul in one day, it really didn't seem like a very long day to me I should add that we spent a lot of time before booking this tour trying to figure out how to arrange this trip on our own for less money. Don't bother. Aside from the hassle of figuring out the entire trip and transportation, it would have cost us about the same. Lastly, I need to note that this time of year- late October- was perfect for Ephesus. There were no crowds, and the weather was in the low 70's. — A. Sewkap, US

We arranged a tour with Tour of Istanbul before leaving Canada and everything was smooth and easy. We were kept well informed of what to expect and they delivered as advertised and then some. We wanted a small, private tour for our group of 4 and that is just what we got. We had a very comfortable van and driver and our guide, Zeze, was just amazing. Her English was impeccable and her knowledge of the sites of Ephesus and Kusadasi was encyclopedic. She was warm, friendly and very well organized. We never felt rushed yet we saw much more than we would have thought possible in the time we had. A tour like we had is somewhat more expensive than the big bus group tours, but in our experience, it was worth every penny and was definitely the way to go. Thank you Zeze and Tourofistabul.com. You gave us a truly wonderful day. — F. Glenpin, Canada

A very informative day: This was an excellent tour!. Picked up at the pier in Kusadasi in a new clean air conditioned bus, we rode out to Ephesus to tour the ancient city. We were fortunate to have Nafia Demircan as our guide and she was great. She can speak English very well and was a wealth of knowledge of the area. We had a long enjoyable tour. Then she took us to the temple of Artemis and a leather factory and had a fun fashion show and shopped in the showroom. A great day and would highly recommend! .— Charlie T. Canada

Private Ephesus Tour 8 with il Kay: We had a great day despite the pouring rain while visiting Ephesus. Our guide il Kay was a very good guide. We loved having such a knowledgeable guide with a sense of humour. He was excellent at letting us set the pace for our day. He is very proud of his country as we are of ours and we enjoyed discussing many topics. Our fish lunch was excellent!! Would recommend this tour to others..— Nancy K. US

Private Ephesus/Sirince Tour with Sibel: A fantastic experience. Ephesus is a must see destination in Turkey. The tour booking process handled by Hakan via email was easy and efficient. We were met by our guide the fabulous Sibel as we disembarked from our cruise ship and efficiently informed of tour details and guided to our vehicle. For the rest of the tour Sibel proved to be a very informative and knowledgeable guide. She understood our requirements gave us just the right amount of information at each point of the tour. At the same time she gave us 'own time' to take pictures and explore. Thank you Tourofistanbul and in particular .— Sibel. Gordon R , Australia

Our tour of Ephesus & Area in Turkey was one of the most memorable experiences of all our vacations combined. Our guide Nafia was extremely knowledgeable and friendly; she had plenty of information about every highlight in our tour and always exceeded every expectation. She knew all about every area we visited and pursued our best interests throughout (taking us to an excellent restaurant, customizing to our needs, and showing us the best places in our time constraints etc.). Nafia also excelled in communication and could connect perfectly with the four of us. The driver during our day in Turkey was also professional and punctual. Tourofistanbul offers a good price for superb value and we wouldn’t hesitate to chose and recommend Nafia,, and the driver again! .— Juno N. USA

Sardar was very informative, easy to get along with and helped to make our short time in Turkey educational and wanting more! We were picked up at our cruise ship on time, and toured Ephesus, House if Mary, and Temple of Artemis. We also stopped at a handmade pottery shop and had a Turkish Rug Demo ( no obligations for either!) Highly recommend. .— Ruth S. USA

Booked the private trip from Kusadasi port to Ephesus having read reviews . Guide was waiting as we disembarked from the ship, vehicle was very good (large people carrier for the 2 of us). Rose was knowledgeable and enthusiastic so brought the sites to life for us. Also gave us time to ourselves which was appreciated. Got the choice of a carpet factory, but no pressure when we said no thank you. Overall, a great introduction to Ephesus. .— Mycah S. USA

Booked this tour for my in laws, husband, and I after reading several great reviews. They were skeptical going into Turkey after everything in the news, but left with a whole new knowledge, insight, and appreciation for the country and its culture. We all LOVED our experience with Nafia. It ended up being one of our favorite stops on our 2 week Mediterranean/Greek cruise! Nafia took her time with us in Ephasis. She would stop and show us several interesting points that we wouldn't have otherwise noticed, giving us fun facts, based on our interests. We had a ton of fun with her! Hearing back from other cruisers and in my research I was getting feedback that some of the other tour groups were rushing through Ephasis, Nafia was very open with us about our tour options and time frame from the beginning and was not pushy by any means. We just loved her passion, and the knowledge she had of her country and it's history! Very refreshing! I could not be happier with this experience and would highly recommend it! We had a wonderful guide, and found both the places we visited and transportation to be very safe and clean. Highly recommend this tour!!! .— Kathy L. US

Doubtful if anyone else could better this operator. My wife found the operator on the Internet from London,telephoned Volkan and spoke with him twice, arranged a " cancellable " without penalty , tour with them. We were celebrating our 50th Wedding Anniversary that day by taking a shore excursion from the Cunard Queen Victoria. Volkan took no deposits or credit card details, gave us a quote, we accepted and on the day,sharp at 9am ,there was Nafia on the quayside ready with her excellent airconditioned minibus. He also organised to allow two of our ship friends to accompany with a new verbal contract which us all. Nafia ,we think is not only the best Tour Guide we have ever met in the world of travel, but she should really be a Tour Guide trainer . The tour was comprehensive , in detail, in thoroughness, in non-rushed slow paced for senior citizens, yet not missing out any agreed and important points of interest with no additional charges for admissions . A delicious (meze) lunch break together with a brief visit to a non-hassled ceramic / silk carpet factory enroute our return trip. We cannot recommend more highly than say, the most trusted Volkan & Nafia made our 50th anniversary a day to remember. — Jyotish G, UK

There were 4 of us on our very own tour of Ephesus. What a fabulous day! Our guide, Nafia, made the day fly by, with her recounting of the history of the site and her warm humor and intelligence. She was also open to our several additions- the Terrace Houses( don't miss this, as we did the last time) and the Ephesus Museum (also wonderful). As we did this tour from Istanbul in one day, it really didn't seem like a very long day to me I should add that we spent a lot of time before booking this tour trying to figure out how to arrange this trip on our own for less money. Don't bother. Aside from the hassle of figuring out the entire trip and transportation, it would have cost us about the same. Lastly, I need to note that this time of year- late October- was perfect for Ephesus. There were no crowds, and the weather was in the low 70's. — C. Sewkap, USA

I recently went on a 6-day tour of Turkey and I have to say, it was absolutely incredible! The tour company took care of everything, from our accommodations to our transportation, and everything in between. The tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and made sure we had a great time throughout the entire trip. The itinerary was perfectly planned, with visits to some of the most stunning landmarks in Turkey such as Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and the ancient city of Ephesus. We also had the chance to experience the local culture and taste the delicious Turkish cuisine. One of the highlights of the trip was the hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, which provided breathtaking views of the stunning landscape. Overall, I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to explore the beauty and culture of Turkey. It was an unforgettable experience that I will cherish for a lifetime. Merijn DB — UAE