Nov 9, 2024
Highly recommend - This was an amazing opportunity for which we are so grateful we had. Our tour guide, Bill, was very organized and ver knowledgeable about the history of Turkey. He listened to our questions and needs and made sure they were fulfilled, from going to the ruins, to learning more about silk rugs, to pottery, food and herbs. This was truly an enriching day and thank Bill for making it happen!
Review provided by Viator
Oct 28, 2024
Wonderful Tour!! - This tour to Ephesus was an amazing experience. The tour company planned it all!! My husband and I had nothing to worry about. The company took care of our airport transfers, plane tickets, and even lunch. Communication was clear and all via WhatsApp, which was great. Our tour guide, Ibrahim, was fantastic. His knowledge of the culture and history of the area is admirable. He made us feel welcomed from the moment we met him. He answered all of our questions. We had enough time to enjoy every place we visited. We have experienced tours in which everything is rushed, but not this experience. This tour was laid back and enjoyable, with enough time to explore the House of Mary, Ephesus, a cute village…the food. It was a wonderful day!!
Review provided by Viator
Oct 11, 2024
Private tour and lunch - The trip was so well orchestrated- from the transportation from our Airbnb to the airport to our driver and tour guide - it was both historically informative and gave enough time to make stops and see everything we wanted throughout the day. The highlights were Mary’s house and the tour through the Ephesus ruins- both with entrance fees but well worth it- would recommend a hat.
Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Sep 16, 2024
Bilal is amazing! - Bilal was an excellent guide. We leaned so much about what makes the Turkish people so friendly and accepting. The history of Turkey goes back over 3,000 years ago and to see relics all over Ephesus was amazing. As an educator, I was especially pleased to see a public carpet weaving school where women are taught the trade of weaving and then given a loom to take home and make carpets they can sell at the school to help out the school and these women. The food served for lunch at this school was a great experience in Turkish food. I would definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Feb 10, 2024
One could imagine walking on Paul and John's shoes in Ephesus! - Ibrahim was also my guide for 2 days in Pergamon-Asklepion and in Pamukkale-Hierapolis and he didn't disappoint. When the agency told me I will have a knowledgeable guide, he was right. Not only really knowledgeable, Ibrahim made sure the information is apt and appropriate to the guest with lots of stories in between, both fiction and historical. He knows his craft so much that the information is shared to me even on the road since the destinations are quite a distance from each other.
I would recommend a detailed tour especially for those who are studying the Bible to have a tour with him to understand the significance of the place deeper and to understand and appreciate the Bible more.
His stories and information on the whole of the ancient Ephesus helped the place come alive that you really want to travel back in time to see how those things in the past happened. Ibrahim is able to answer questions and he is all the more encouraging me to ask more questions and he'd be ready to share an answer.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 20, 2023
Ephesus from istanbul - Very well organised tour. Our guide was umut and he knew many things about history. The flights and transfers was on time
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 25, 2022
Delightful and Logistically Well-Planned Day Trip to Historic Ephesus - My husband and I are history buffs and wanted to make sure we were able to see the ancient city of Ephesus during our week-long stay in Istanbul.
Firstly, this day trip was impeccably planned from a logistics point of view. About 3 days before our day trip, trip organizer Umut messaged me letting me know he would send me flight info and tour guide info the day before our trip. Ephesus is only a 1-hour flight from Istanbul (some of the bus tours take 6 or more hours to get to Ephesus from Istanbul) and so this is the best way to do the day trip from a logistics perspective. The day before our, Umut sent us our local guide's contact information, airport transfer pickup/drop off details and also assisted us with checking into our flight.
The driver was at our hotel right on time at 6am to take us to the airport and our flight was seamless, with our local guide in Istanbul, Necdet, waiting for us in the arrival terminal at Izmir Airport. Necdet was very friendly, humorous and knowledgable about the ancient city of Ephesus and also the historic site of the Virgin Mary's house.
In total we toured the historic sites for about 3 hours and then had lunch with Necdet at a local co-op (serving traditional mezes and kebabs), next to a carpet weaving center where we received a demonstration of how Turkish carpet making has historically been done.
Necdet and our driver, Yavuz, were very accommodating whenever we wanted to stop for a coffee, to purchase souvenirs or the like. We were dropped off on time at Izmir Airport and upon return to Istanbul Airport, Umut arranged for the greeter to meet us at the pickup point.
All in all, a seamless day trip to a must-see, well-preserved, grand ancient city.
Review provided by Viator
May 4, 2022
Very well organisation - All the tour from the beginning untill the end was very well organised. The tour guide Umut is very gentile guy. We recommend this tour to everyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 20, 2022
Ephesus from istanbul - We started our tour around 6 am in the morning.all the transfers arranged very well. We met with our guide Umut in İzmir airport. He is really professional about his work. Gave us lots of information. Ephesus is really impressive City.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 15, 2022
Great experience - The tour was extremely well organized. I received updates from the minute I booked to my return to Istanbul. Mercedes van used was very comfortable and had four USB plugs so I was able to charge my cell. I was the only participant and my guide patiently answered my many questions and beyond. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor