Ephesus Tour From Kusadasi Port For Cruisers (On-time Return)

We booked a full day private tour to Pergamon with Istanbul Guided Tours. Our tour guide was Tijen Oral and our driver was Fatih. We both had a great time in the beautiful city of Pergamon (now called Bergama). We arrived in Kusadasi by cruise ship, so we had to travel about 200 km (one way). At the best of times, it's at least a 2.5 hr drive, potentially longer if you run into traffic through the large city of Izmir. We knew this so the almost 3 hr drive each way was not a surprise to us. If you do not wish to spend the majority of your day in a vehicle, do not book this tour from Kusadasi. The better choice would be to book it from Izmir if you can. That said, we thought the long drive was worth it. They also planned appropriate rest stops to give us a chance to stretch our legs and have bathroom breaks. The stops were at Gas Stations, so if you need a sandwich, coffee or snacks, the stops have plenty of selection. They were the cleanest Gas Station bathrooms I'd ever used! Much cleaner than any in N America. We got to see the Asklepion and Acropolis of Pergamon. The theatre was impressive, it's not something that can be fully captured in a photo. Tijen had interesting commentary about the philosophers of the ancient city and the role they played in society. After visiting the ancient sites, Tijen took us to a local eatery where we tried Kofta (meatball) and Ayran (yogurt drink). It was worth the stop to try local cuisine. Overall, if you're interested in ancient history, we recommend this trip regardless if you are arriving in Izmir or Kusadasi. Just know that it is a considerable drive from Kusadasi.

A must do day featuring ancient Ephesus, the Terrace Houses, Virgin Mary House, and a great lunch. What a day! Our guide, Tijen Oral, met us at the cruise terminal, and expertly guided us for the next several hours. Her communication before we met was outstanding and her knowledge shared during the day helped to make the experience all the better. Highly recommend

Let us start by saying that our guide Huseyin was amazing. He was extremely knowledgeable and personable. He made sure that all of us were comfortable and that we saw everything we wanted to see.Ephesus was everything we hoped for and he made this one of the best stops on our trip. We would definitely use him again.

We had a fantastic tour with Tijen, she created a perfect bespoke tour for us to fit our schedule and has deep knowledge of the religious and archeological aspects of Ephesus which we really enjoyed. She also provided us with some really helpful tips for our visit to Pamukkale and Goreme, thank you Tijen !

We had a fantastic private tour of Ephesus with Tigen today, and we cannot recommend her highly enough. Her knowledge was exceptional at every stop, from the House of the Virgin Mary and the ancient ruins of Ephesus to the local mosques and the leather factory. She has an impressive understanding of both the historical facts and the theology connected to the sites, explaining everything clearly and bringing the history to life. What made Tigen particularly special was how personable and engaging she was. The tour never felt scripted or robotic. She took time to answer every question we asked and was able to provide knowledgeable, detailed answers throughout the day. She was friendly, patient and genuinely interested in making sure we had the best possible experience. Lunch at the local restaurant was another lovely part of the day and gave us the opportunity to enjoy authentic local food in a relaxed setting. If you are visiting Ephesus and looking for a guide, we would strongly recommend asking for Tigen personally. Her warmth, professionalism and outstanding knowledge made this an unforgettable day and one of the highlights of our trip.

Tij was very personable and informed about the subjects that interested us the most. In addition, she helped us to be interested in subjects we knew little about. I appreciated her professionalism as well. Our driver was very friendly and had our Mercedes van waiting nearby with air-conditioning and water readily available. I would highly recommend this company, the guide and driver to anyone wanting exceptional service.

We did a private Efes tour with Tijen Oral from İstanbul guided tours. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the architecture, history , religion and the general culture of the area and passionate about her work. She was highly professional, Personable and considerate to our needs. I would highly recommend booking a tour with her. Our driver Osman was also very professional and accommodating and drove us from Seljuk to Bodrum.

Tijan made our visit to Kusadasi so very memorable. Our ship arrived in the afternoon and in spite of the heat she was so gracious, kept us hydrated and in the shade as much as possible. Her knowledge of the ancient history of Ephesus and the House of Mary was remarkable like a natural born teacher. She paid attention to all of our questions and when I expressed an interest in Turkish ceramics, she brought us to a wonderful shop where they actually designed and made beautiful ceramics. It was an unexpected surprise and a great way to end a wonderful day in Kusadasi. Tijan made the day so very memorable and we are so grateful

We booked a whole day tour to visit Ephesus, The House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis. We were met at the port gate and taken to the Mercedes Sprinter (which was fully air conditioned). We visited Ephesus first and Pinar our guide was excellent! Although the site was quite busy, she was able to show us the main sites and explain thoroughly the key facts for each. The tour took several hours but was a MUST SEE if you go to Kusadasi on a tour. After a brief pit-stop we made our way to the House of the Virgin Mary. Pinar explained all the key facts on the journey to the house. We had time to look around the house ourselves before heading to the temple of Artemis. Ephesus was the stand-out attraction for the day, but given the locality of the other two sites, it makes sense to see them too. We were dropped back to the port entrance at the end of the day. The whole day was well planned and exceptionally delivered. We also used the same company in Istanbul

Tijen Oral tour guide and driver Aydin were awesome! Tijen was very knowledgable and went at our pace. She knew just when to give us info and when to let us take time for pictures and discussion with our group. She became part of our family! Her stories and experiences made it extra special for us and made us feel at ease. Would highly recommend her and the company to anyone looking for an amazing tour guide!

We took this tour from the cruise port and it exceeded our expectations. We booked through Guided Istanbul Tours based on the reviews and we were not disappointed. Tijen Oral was our tour guide. There was excellent communication before the tour and she helped to recommend a departure time that put us well ahead of all the big bus tours so we avoided the crowds and the heat. Tijen was very knowledgeable and balanced a good blend of history and stories that made the tour fun, informative and interesting. . She chose an excellent family run restaurant for our lunch with tasty local food. Most importantly we were a family group and she was able to modify the tour to meet our wishes and help accommodate my dad who needed to take periodic rests. We highly recommend the tour and would happily book a tour.

It was an amazing personal experience! Highly recommend! Our guide Tijan is very friendly, funny and caring guide with extensive historical knowledgeable about the area. She answered every question we had! She is like her name the crown of guides! The car also was very comfortable and the driver (Aslan) was also a careful, very good driver and generous person. If you want the inside knowledge of Ephesus, Selcuk & Kusadasi areas, Tijan is the best guide!

Ali was terrific. He was timely, very informative, and built the trip around exactly what we wanted. Highly recommend him and this tour company! Worked out perfectly.

We had a lovely time with Maria on our tour of Ephesus, Maria was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and was extremely helpful with local information. We would highly recommend Maria and Guided Istanbul Tours for anyone seeking out personal tours while in Turkey.

We flew in early from Istanbul and were met at the airport by our guide who was easy to find. A short walk to our car and we were on our way to an awesome day highlighted by the epic Ephesus complex Both our guide and driver were perfect the entire day. Thanks to our guide, Tijem and our driver, Eda for an amazing day!

Aybike, our guide, was very nice and incredibly knowledgeable! She made our trip informative and fun! She showed some highly interesting places on the grounds and was very accommodating to our questions and needs. She even made great suggestions for lunch that were simply wonderful! I would choose her again in a second!

Ceyla was our private guide for 2 days. She was knowledgeable, attentive and accommodating. She had warm and authentic demeanour and made excellent recommendations to ensure our day was tailored to meet our interests. I ended up unwell and she when over and beyond the call of duty to ensure I was better. She also shared valued advice for the next tours we were embarking on. Our driver expertly and patiently get us safely to each destination. Thank you Nancy and Edgar

We embarked from the Oceania Cruise in Izmir. Instead of booking a bus tour we booked a private tour. We had a total of 14 people in our group— and went through Guidied Istanbul Tours company. They have a great selection of tours all around Turkey ports, so we decided to go through them. Ceyla Ergon welcomed us and we had a fabulous day with her! She is knowledgeable, friendly and her English is excellent. She has a great sense of humor— which made us feel at ease. (She is a great person!) All of her shopping recommendations were also on point. (You should see the scarf I picked up. Gorgeous!) Personally, I was thrilled that we skipped the long lines. We could take our time and not have to rush… the bus was always ready for us! As we were not hurrying — I was able to take some fantastic pictures. Our vehicle was a luxury Mercedes van with good air conditioning. My team and I want to thank everyone involved with creating this trip— but we want to especially thank our wonderful guide Ceyla. She helped create an experience we will never forget: Our unforgettable Ephesus Turkey excursion! We will be requesting her again —

This was our first trip to Turkey, and we are so happy we got the chance to visit Kusadasi! We booked our private guided tour through Viator, operated by Guided Istanbul Tours and led by the lovely Ceyla. She was so extremely knowledgeable about the area, having an archeological background and true appreciation of the history. We started the tour by visiting the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, followed by a trip to Meryemana (the Virgin Mary's House), believed to be where she lived her final days. These were fairly quick stops, but Ceyla hit the major highlights and gave us plenty of historical information. We then stopped by Lotus Ceramics Garden where we met a local owner and his family who have been making Turkish pottery for generations. We learned all about the process and saw so many absolutely stunning pieces (there was zero pressure to buy anything, but they were very helpful to package and ship for free if desired). The proprietor and his family were so friendly and offered us some amazing Turkish coffee and Turkish delight during our visit. Next, we took an in-depth tour of the Ancient City of Ephesus where Ceyla again provided so many interesting historical facts and led us through key parts of the city, including the Temple of Hadrian and the astounding Library of Celsus. There are no words to describe the beauty of the city and just how vast it was, especially for its time. Afterwards, Ceyla took us to one of her favorite local restaurants where we had some of the freshest, most delicious vegetable and meat plates we've ever had...so happy we had worked up an appetite from touring Ephesus! Finally, we went by one of the local Turkish carpet schools connected to the Ministry of Education. The manager took so much time showing us the intricacies of weaving the rugs and explaining the complete process...it was so interesting! We did get caught up at the end with a bit of a sales pitch, but it's understandable considering the months (sometimes years) the ladies spend hand-weaving the carpets. It wasn't a high-pressure sales pitch, so I would still recommend taking the time to stop by and learn/see the whole process. All in all, we had an amazing time on our approx. 8-hr tour of Kusadasi and would LOVE to visit Turkey sometime in the near future for a longer stay!

This was our first trip to Turkey, and we are so happy we got the chance to visit Kusadasi! We booked our private guided tour through Viator, operated by Guided Istanbul Tours and led by the lovely Ceyla. She was so extremely knowledgeable about the area, having an archeological background and true appreciation of the history. We started the tour by visiting the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, followed by a trip to Meryemana (the Virgin Mary's House), believed to be where she lived her final days. These were fairly quick stops, but Ceyla hit the major highlights and gave us plenty of historical information. We then stopped by Lotus Ceramics Garden where we met a local owner and his family who have been making Turkish pottery for generations. We learned all about the process and saw so many absolutely stunning pieces (there was zero pressure to buy anything, but they were very helpful to package and ship for free if desired). The proprietor and his family were so friendly and offered us some amazing Turkish coffee and Turkish delight during our visit. Next, we took an in-depth tour of the Ancient City of Ephesus where Ceyla again provided so many interesting historical facts and led us through key parts of the city, including the Temple of Hadrian and the astounding Library of Celsus. There are no words to describe the beauty of the city and just how vast it was, especially for its time. Afterwards, Ceyla took us to one of her favorite local restaurants where we had some of the freshest, most delicious vegetable and meat plates we've ever had...so happy we had worked up an appetite from touring Ephesus! Finally, we went by one of the local Turkish carpet schools connected to the Ministry of Education. The manager took so much time showing us the intricacies of weaving the rugs and explaining the complete process...it was so interesting! We did get caught up at the end with a bit of a sales pitch, but it's understandable considering the months (sometimes years) the ladies spend hand-weaving the carpets. It wasn't a high-pressure sales pitch, so I would still recommend taking the time to stop by and learn/see the whole process. All in all, we had an amazing time on our approx. 8-hr tour of Kusadasi and would LOVE to visit Turkey sometime in the near future for a longer stay!

The favorite part of our twas our time spent with our guide Pinar. She was very knowledgeable, personable and sensed what our groups interests were, and responded accordingly. And of course there was the site of Ephesus itself. Just beautiful!

Our tour was outstanding! We had a private tour with a VERY knowledgeable guide named Ozlem! She arrived on time to our hotel in a clean fresh car with a great driver and a nice big map! She explained in great detail where we were and where we were going - we loved the visual! Ephesus was amazing and she made it come alive for us! We had a wonderful lunch, visited the local museum to see the precious artifacts and had a great visit to a local coffee shop for more neighborhood ruins! It was fantastic! You must request her!

Hakan was the best, absolutely the best. Special thanks for all the effort. My grand daughter and i just loved him and all placês we went. Obrigada.

We had a great day with Hatice exploring Ephesus. She met us with a driver at the airport in Izmir. She was very personable right from the start. We instantly liked her and knew it would be a fun day. She was very organized, and great knowledge of all of the historical sites and wove in great stories of the local people, the local culture and life generally in the greater Izmir area. Her English is excellent and she wrapped up the day by taking us to a local place she goes with her family for lunch, which was excellent, and going to a coffee in town.

Tolga is an excellent guide, kind, and he explained every detail of Ephesus to us

Everything very well organized. Easy meeting. Very comfortable transportation. And the highlight was the Rabia guide. Sympathetic, attentive with a lot of knowledge of history and the respective places. We were very pleased.