Biblical Ephesus With Bible Oriented Guide & Lunch No Hidden Fees

We had a wonderful tour with our very knowledgeable guide, Altay. Altay really brought Ephesus alive for us and the small group experience was amazing! 🤩

The entire tour was amazing our tour guide ERSAN was simply wonderful. The knowledge that he had the compassion and his overall presence was truly an experience in itself. The van that picked us up was wonderful, clean comfortable, the lunch that was included was incredible and we even got to stop at a local art gallery owned by a local family where my husband and I bought some precious pieces to take back home with us. 10/10

I did not know that I had booked a private tour for the entire day but my gosh! Exceeded our expectations! Tansu was the best guide to show us around her hometown and it was so incredibly special to us to see places where Paul, John, and Mary had walked and lived. A day we will never forget!

Our favorite excursion on our cruise. Our tour guide was Tunc Ilada. He was very knowledgeable and made the ruins in Ephesus very interesting. We have friends who have done tours in Ephesus and told us how much they enjoyed it. Nothing they shared prepared us for the size of the ruins, the craftsmanship or the history. It was stunning. We ate lunch at a little restaurant and had a delicious lunch of meatballs, bulgar pilaf, chicken skewers, grilled vegetables and locally grown watermelon. It was the best meal we had on any excursion. After lunch we visited a pottery shop where we able to see actual pieces of being crafted. That was followed by a trip to a Turkish rug facility. Never have I seen such craftsmanship! The colors were bold and and rich, and the different patterns and sizes astounding. A most impressive day!

Our guide Tan was amazing - his extensive experience & knowledge of Ephesus is to be highly commended. We have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who wishes to better understand & appreciate the Christian significance of Ephesus.

Olgu was great! We couldn’t have asked for a better guide. He was very friendly, knowledgeable and easy to talk to! He showed us a great time and we will definitely be back for more….hopefully with him as a guide!

Olgu was incredible! We booked specifically for the Bible tour and he gave us such wonderful facts and stories about the sites he took us to. Lunch was amazing and Olgu made sure to tell us recommendations for where to purchase items that we wanted from reputable families or places. I will recommend this!

Our Ephesus Biblical Tour with Yavuz was a wonderful and meaningful experience. Yavuz was knowledgeable, kind, and did an excellent job bringing the history and biblical significance of Ephesus to life. We especially appreciated the biblical perspective and learning about the places connected to the Apostle Paul and the early church. Because of our limited time, we weren’t able to go as deeply into the Bible and its historical connections as we would have liked. We would have loved more time to explore and discuss the Scriptures in greater depth. Overall, it was a beautiful experience that made the Bible and its history feel even more real. We are grateful for Yavuz and would definitely recommend this tour to anyone wanting to experience Ephesus from a biblical perspective.

Overall amazing experience. Olgu was very knowledgeable explaining biblical references and also Turkish culture. We learned a lot from him enjoyed all the history and information he shared. Highly recommend booking this tour and asking for Olgu as your guide. We look forward to doing a mother tour with Olgu in the future.

Fantastic tour with Emri! Don’t know how it could have been better. He knows all about Ephesus and the surrounding area and is eager to share his knowledge. As others have said, the lunch was very good. The rugs were the most beautiful we have ever seen as were the Chini pottery pieces. Highly recommend!

We had a wonderful experience! You will not regret booking this private tour through the historical sites. You will learn a lot, have a customized experience, and sample wonderful Turkish food and cultural experiences.

Yavus was excellent. Very knowledgeable and kind.

This tour was the absolute best thing we booked on our trip. No regrets! Don't miss it!

Mileh was our guide and was very knowledgeable about Ephesus and the Basilica of St John which we appreciated as Christians. Our driver was very good and we had ample room in the clean, Mercedes van. The lunch was delicious and although we had heard about the rug demonstration, there was not a “hard sell” which we appreciated. Learning about the rugs and how they were made was interesting. We declined going to a leather place and a ceramic shop, which was not an issue. Overall we enjoyed this experience.

Excellent service. Collected and dropped directly to/from our hotel in a pristine minivan. Olgu was our tour guide who was an absolute gentleman and was so knowledgeable about anything to do with the trip. Would highly recommend Olgu and doing this historical trip.

Our family of six booked this private Biblical Ephesus Tour as an excursion from our cruise ship in July, and we had an excellent experience. Our guide, Selenay, was exceptionally knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive throughout the day. The archaeological site of Ephesus was the highlight of the tour, and we enjoyed learning about its biblical and historical significance. Lunch was another highlight, offering delicious local food and an authentic cultural experience. The tour was well organized, and they made sure we returned to our cruise ship safely and on time. When we take the tour again, we would likely spend more time exploring the archaeological site and less time at the pottery and rug demonstrations. Overall, it was a memorable and worthwhile experience for our entire family. Special thanks to Selenay and the driver, you were amazing!

The experience was great, we got an in-depth explanation of each site without it being boring or lengthy. The guide was clearly knowledgable in the field and capable of giving anyone a tour that feels both informative and entertaining.

Collection was easy, the guide friendly, knowledgeable and a lovely guy. Lunch was a nice treat and as the advert says, apart from tips and drinks at lunch, everything was included. Would highly recommend. Particularly good as we wanted biblical focus and it really did but no doubt the guide would be just as good with more generalised requirements.

From the booking, to pick up and drop off and everything in between, this tour was well organized and very professional. We had an awesome day with Ersan, who was not only well versed in all of the historical facts, but could communicate all the Biblical significance behind each site. His passion for the subject matter was clear and we thoroughly enjoyed our day.

Fantastic tour! Ersan was an extremely knowledgeable guide and also very funny. The sites were incredible to see in person and the history Ersan was able to teach us was as if he lived it himself. Highly recommend this tour.

I can't imagine a better experience with a better tour guide! Emre was the absolute best. We all loved him so much and wish we had had him to do all of our tours! We will never forget him and the amazing experience he provided to our family. We had a group of 28 -from a four year-old to several teenagers, 20-year-olds to middle-aged and the grandparents who are almost 80! We were all blown away by the knowledge, the patience, the passion, and just how well he provided exactly what we were looking for in a tour of Ephesus, the rug facility, and leather goods. We love Turkey! Ephesus is absolutely an incredible site -so much bigger than what we pictured! Reading Ephesians takes on a whole other meaning now. The transportation provided was excellent and the Turkish meal we got to have was so so good! Everything about this tour was spot on and better than we could've hoped for.

Booking this tour was one of the best decisions of our trip!! Our guide Görkem was amazing!!! We came off of a cruise ship and finding him at the port was quick and easy. We just followed the directions we were given. We had a private tour in what felt like a luxury vehicle. Görkem tailored our trip to our requests and interests. The lunch was delicious and we were dropped back off with time to spare.

Our Tour guide Ozzy is very accommodating and knowledgeable! We really learned a lot from our trip and enjoyed it very much. He is also very considerate to adjust our trip based on what we really want to do it and offers us options all the time. Great trip overall!

Our Ephesus experience with Ozzy was outstanding. We met him at 7:30 am to get a jump on the crowds and heat. We visited the House of Mary first to avoid the long lines and then went to the ruins at Ephesus. Ozzy was excellent about finding shade in uncrowded areas for his sharing of information and then gave us time to explore and take pictures. We finished our tour with lunch, the Turkish rug demonstration, and the Basilica of St John. My booking experience with Ephesus Shuttle was also excellent. They were very responsive to my inquiries/questions and provided detailed information about the pick-up location. I would definitely book with them again!

We met Selda, our tour guide, and had the best experience of our entire two‑week trip. We never encountered lines at Ephesus, the House of Mary, or St. John’s Tomb, which made the day feel smooth and relaxed. One of my favorite moments was visiting the pottery workshop—a 400‑year‑old family business where we watched the most unique freehand painting I have ever seen. It was an honor to meet the family and share in their tradition. We also enjoyed the rug demonstration, which was fascinating. Seeing how they harvest silk was amazing, and lunch at Nakkas was excellent. The flavors brought me to tears, reminding me of my father’s homeland and the food of my childhood before we lost him. I cannot say enough about this tour. In a word, it was FANTASTIC.

This tour company, and our guide Ozzy, were great to work with. First off, we were fuzzy about the exact number in our group. The company was very accommodating and had room for more at the last minute, but the others in our group didn’t show up (their loss). I appreciated their flexibility. Ozzy contacted me the day before about our excursion. We had booked it for 9am (8am docking in the port), but he urged us to come earlier if possible. I’m glad we did. We met him at 8:30 or a little later—easy to find. Then Ozzy made it clear that we could focus on whatever we wanted to do, but since we were interested in the House of the Virgin Mary, he and our driver took us there first. It was a nice place to visit, but the lines were incredibly long by the time we left. Not for us! Then on to the main sites in Ephesus. Unlike the historically inaccurate or unfounded things I overheard other guides say, Ozzy was focused on connecting several threads in our tour: local economic realities, both present and ancient; the biblical witness in relation to archeology; cultural practices; and geographical changes over millennia. He was very humble and non-dogmatic about any views he presented, desiring to connect the dots in ways that enlighten. When the facts are unclear, he stated several options: “it could be this way, or that way, or who knows?” I appreciated the honesty. I strongly desired to visit the Terrace Houses—Ozzy was sure to show me where to go, and I bought a ticket for 15 euros. Ozzy came along to present additional commentary if we desired to hear it. We enjoyed the lunch that was included—very tasty, and yet we felt that it was not especially tourist-targeted food. Exactly what we’d wanted! Drinks were extra, but they were reasonably priced. And this place was definitely not on a tourist map. Finally, near the end of our time, Ozzy asked if we wanted a carpet-weaving tour/demonstration or not. We did not, and he had already anticipated that answer. No pressure for us to do that! (Our friends who joined another tour were not so lucky!) Such a great experience overall. I’d highly recommend this company and guide.

Emre was a very friendly, knowledgeable tour guide. He shared tons of history about Ephesus, archeological finds and Christian ties to the area. Our small group turned out to be just my spouse and me. Emre let us choose to opt in or out of any extra stops. We chose to visit a family pottery shop which is an UNESCO heritage site and a wholesale leather shop. Both had very short demos with zero sales pressure. Our lunch was at a small restaurant and was wonderful. This excursion exceeded our expectations in every way.

We had an amazing day with Troy as our guide! He was polite, professional & easy to talk to. He was happy to answer any questions. Very knowledgeable. It was one of the best days of our vacation! We thoroughly enjoyed seeing & learning about the ruins, but we also made two unexpectedly entertaining stops. The first one was to a pottery shop where you’re offered a chance to try your hand at the pottery wheel (it’s harder than it looks!). The next stop was at a rug shop where you first enjoy an authentic Turkish meal served family style, then you’ll learn all about how rugs are made from one of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet! It was a day that we’ll remember for a long time!

We were lucky to get Emre as our guide. He was very personable, knowledgeable and professional. The tour was great and lunch was very good. We enjoyed the visit to his friend's pottery shop on the way back. The carpet place was interesting, especially watching the women actually making rugs. Only downside was the high pressure sales approach - we could hardly wait to move on. Definitely recommend the tour.

Amazing personal/private tour of Mary’s House, Ephesus, and St John’s. Also included was a local lunch, which was part of a visit to a Turkish rug cooperative. No pressure to buy. We also built in time for a 4-generation ceramics shop - which was amazing, from the demos to the actual pieces. Selda was our tour guide - everyone knew her and praised her. We gained a friend that day.

This was an amazing and wonderful trip with a super knowledgeable guide named Emre! We may now be a bit spoiled to how a tour should present!! We got to see so many amazing sites in Ephesus & learned so many details from Emre that I wish I could have recorded some of it to remember better! He answered ALL our questions, explained every little detail of the journey to us & kept our small group moving quickly so we didn’t miss anything & we’re still not rushed while getting great photos! Highly recommend this tour!!

Very easy. We were met by our guide Fusun at the dock when we got off the boat. She was very friendly and informative though out the tour. As it was a private tour we were able to modify it a little to suit our pleasure. Ephesus was amazing. The details that Fusun provided made our time there amazing. The lunch was great and the rug making demonstration was very interesting, but we could have done without the sales pitch. All in all excellent tour we would definitely recommend to anyone.

Between us my wife and I have over fifty years in the travel industry - I had responsibility for worldwide Quality of Service for the most well-known name in hotels, and she was training specialist for a car rental company also famous for its service. We booked a one day private tour of Ephesus (inc Terrace Houses, House of Mary and Temple of Artemis) direct by email with www.ephesusshuttle.com (part of Curio Travel). Before doing so I corresponded with three other providers and Ephesus Shuttle was by far the most responsive to our needs. Our guide (Emry), his driver and our Mercedes mini-van were very professional in appearance. Our pick-up was on time and on the drive to Ephesus it became evident that Emry had a knowledge of biblical geography and content which I think would far surpass most members of clergy. As I was a student of ancient Greek and had been an amateur archaeologist, he had no problem in gearing his presentation on location to my interests, and his knowledge of these subjects was profound. The inclusive lunch was at a restaurant chosen by Emry which served superb Turkish cuisine. Settlement of the tour cost was on the return to our hotel. The whole day was delightful and memorable. We're thinking of booking next year for the Ephesus Shuttle 5 day tour of the Churches of Asia Minor.

We booked a Bible tour of Ephesus. We were expecting to be part of a large group. But it was just four of us. Our driver, our wonderful tour guide Ersan and my husband and I. What a wonderful experience that we had. I can't thank Ersan enough for the knowledge and biblical tour he provided.

Excellent tour. Our tour guide Fusum was very friendly and informative. Visiting Ephesus was a highlight of the entire cruise. The lunch provided was excellent but carpet sales pitch was uncomfortable.

Do not do Ephesus without booking a tour with Ephesus Shuttle! Our tour guide, Nahide, met us as we disembarked the ship and took us to the van where we met our driver for the day. Nahide already booked our entrances to each location we were visiting that day! We were dropped off at the back entrance of ancient Ephesus and Nahide was able to tell us so much about what we were seeing as we walked downhill to the front gates - where our driver was already waiting! After this, we went to a local village to eat a traditional Turkish lunch before visiting the House of the Virgin Mary. Lastly, we went to St. John's Basilica, where Nahide pointed out the column from the Temple of Artemis! At the end of the tour, we were dropped back off near the port of Kusadasi and had time to walk around the Bazaar. We were able to book a private biblical tour through the Ephesus Shuttle website, which I'd highly recommend! We felt safe throughout the entire day and appreciated the thought that was put into the order that we were visiting the sites - most group tours go in the opposite order, so we were able to experience each location with fairly light crowds. Knowing that Ephesus Shuttle handles the purchasing of admission tickets and all the transportation logistics allowed me to enjoy my day so much more that I would have if I would have attempted to coordinate this all myself (which seems near impossible!). Thank you Ephesus Shuttle! and thank you Nahide for making our day in Ephesus so memorable!!

We booked a biblical and historical tour guide and were fortunate enough to spend a wonderful day with Melih, our tour guide. My husband and I love history and learning about other cultures. Our day in Ephesus was fantastic - seeing the sites, hearing about the history and learning about the culture of the time. Melih offered so many details and tied together many historical facts and religions. Ephesus was the highlight of our 12 days in Greece and largely in part to Ephesus Shuttle and our guide Melih. We are so glad that we didn't book the standard tour through our cruise ship.

We were a group of 11 ladies, we had a lot of fun and a very good guide he was very knowledgeable and us being a big group of smart mouthed African women i think he deserves a medal for the way he treated us, he was quite good and very accommodating

We had an amazing time & tour. Our guide Emre was terrific. He was very knowledgeable & patient. The sights are amazing & beautiful. We were mesmerized by God's work.

Our Tour was excellent! Our guide Emray was awesome! He went into detail about all of the areas we visited and told us lots of interesting facts that we did not know. We cant wait to return and book another trip!

This was an awesome tour! The communication was great and we were picked up directly from the port. Private transfer to all the sites. Our guide was absolutely amazing. He was very informative and stayed enthusiastic throughout the entire trip. Would highly recommend this tour and we are so glad that Our group of three were able to do this!

I wanted to experience all of Ephasus but needed a few rest stops. No problem on this tour. Ersan is an outstanding guide, but even better person. We could read Bible verses and discuss the Bible. Such an amazing experience. We loved every minute and highly recommend this tour for anyone. The vehicle was clean, comfortable and safe. Eser was a great driver. I needed assistance in and out of the vehicle and he was always there. It really helped shorten the lines to have all the entry tickets included. The lunch was enjoyable and even the rug demonstration was interesting, friendly and low pressure. If you are going to Kusadasi, take this tour! You won't regret it. Ask for Ersan and Eser for a truly amazing experience.

Great way to see / experience Ephesus! Guide was personable, exceptionally well versed in Biblical history of the area & the background on St John’s / Blessed Virgin’s house. Our tour was considerably more personal & informative than the one offered by our cruise ship. Definitely the way to go!

Outstanding guide. Very knowledgeable. The tour of Ephesus was amazing along with the site of St. John’s Cathedral. Great lunch at the rug factory.Excellent tour from silkworms to finished rugs. The best way to see Ephesus and the Roman Empire’s reach.

This tour was one of our favorites during our cruise to Greece and Turkey. Fusun was an extraordinary guide. She had so much information to impart, and did so in an easy to understand way. Having taken part herself in the unearthing of Ephesus, she could give us personal and behind-the-scenes details of that experience. Her expertise was matched only by her personable nature and vivacious personality. We highly recommend this tour, and feel that it will remain among the most memorable of all our travels.

You won’t be disappointed. Knowledge guide. She rearranged our itinerary to avoid the crowds. Very knowledgeable.

Before you waste your time reserving, know that this company ONLY picks up from the Cruise Port Pier and four other hotels. You cannot take a taxi to meet them at one of the pick up locations. Hoping to save someone else the time and frustration of not knowing this important detail.

Wonderful tour, white glove service. Our very knowledgeable guide Melih met us at the cruise terminal port. Not familiar with the area so we showed up early and quickly connected with Melih and our driver. We boarded our very clean and cool Mercedes van and proceeded to see the wonderful sites at Mary's final home, old Ephesus ruins, and St. Johns Basilica. The tour included a wonderful Turkish lunch that had numerous dishes to sample and enjoy. Note, bring sun protection!

We had the pleasure of having Tunc as our guide. To say he was amazing would be an understatement. This was, hands down, the best excursion/ day trip we have been on! Being just my husband and I, we got to our van quickly and made our way to house of Virgin Mary… we got there before any lines even started, we walked right into her house. By the time we left there was easily a line that would have taken 1-1.5 hrs. Next we made way to Ephesus. Tunc had tremendous knowledge of the history and was genuinely interested in sharing it with us. He knew where all the best photo spots were despite it being crowded. We have some amazing photos thanks to Tunc. After Ephesus, we went to lunch at a rug making coop. We weren’t expecting to stop and see Turkish rugs, but after lunch we were given an individual tour of how silk is extracted and the weaving process. We then were shown rugs with tea/ coffee/ wine/ beer/ rakki offerred. We did end up buying a few and Tunc was patient with what ended up being a longer than planned stay! Next we went to St. John’s basilica for the last part of our day. While we were driving, Tunc gave us interesting facts and was so personable and easy to talk with. We were sad to say good bye at the end of the day. Also, the tour absolutely has no hidden costs- they kept true to their word. Tunc got us through each entrance quickly and efficiently, making the most of our time. Tunc and our tour will be the highlight of our vacation for sure! Thank you Tunc!