Kusadasi Shore Excursion : Ephesus Private Tour Only For Cruise Guests

Absolutely the best excursion in Ephesus. Highly highly highly recommend Volcan as your tour guide. Knowledgeable and so personable. He made our day magical. Book this excursion. ASAP.

FANTASTIC! Our guide (Seda I believe) was so knowledgeable. She tailored our tour to what we wanted, contacting us in advance to get to know us before we started. We loved every bit of our day, From the Virgin Mary’s home, to the carpet weaving factory (you are under NO obligation to buy a rug, just let your eyes feast.) We always tour thru Trip Advisor and read the reviews before hand. This one was one of the best we have ever had.

I highly recommend this tour. My husband said that of all the tours we went on while on this cruise, this was his very favorite. Our group of 3 couples went on a trip from Izmir port to Ephesus on a van with about 6 or 7 others from our cruise. The van ride was under an hour, broken up along the way with a short stop at the rug factory (with clean bathrooms, "free" Turkish coffee and pastries, and salesman who are determined to sell you the rug of your dreams). Our tour guide was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She had a very good command of the English language and was able to entertain us with her dialogue and give relevant and knowledgeable answers to our questions. The bus driver was professional and got us back with plenty of time for an on-time departure.

It is hard to believe that it has been almost ten months since we toured Ephesus. I have been meaning to write this review for a long time now (however, the last year has been a whirlwind, and I never got around to sitting down and writing this review), and I would not forgive myself if I did not share our experience with others. Our family cruised the Greek Islands on the Norwegian cruise ship the Jade. Instead of opting for the cruise ship excursion, I contacted Elif from Kudadasi Private Ephesus Tours. Elif arranged a private tour guide, driver, and Mercedes A/C van for our tour. When we arrived at the port of Izmir, our tour guide Ozge ("OZ" for short) met us at the terminal. She had our name on a sign, awaited us, and walked us to our van. Once at the van, we met our driver. Unfortunately, I cannot recall his name, but he was an excellent, knowledgeable, and safe driver. The drive was beautiful, as we could see rural Turkey, farms, and olive groves – with OZ providing commentary the whole time. OZ took care of securing all the site passes, and we reimbursed her for that. It made things much more manageable. The drive from Izmir to Ephesus was about an hour long. During the drive, OZ got to know our family, and we got to know her. She briefed us on all we would do that day. Our first stop was to visit the Blessed Mother's home; from there, we would go to Ephesus. We indicated we would like to see how Turkish carpets are made and if there was time for a local pottery store. OZ made it all happen. OZ is a walking encyclopedia – knowledgeable beyond belief regarding each location's history. She weaved history and bible stories in such a way that things we had heard all our lives took on new meaning. OZ was also very experienced in navigating the sites and the crowds. We spent about 40 minutes at this site and then off to Ephesus. Truth be told, none of us knew much about Turkey or Ephesus, but OZ changed everything. We arrived at Ephesus, and she described the site as a book with chapters, and we were about to see the introduction. We did not fully understand what she was saying until we began visiting the entire site. As you start the tour, you crest a hill, and the ancient city of Ephesus reveals itself. OZ was able to speak knowledgeably about everything, and I mean everything. As luck would have it, OZ grew up in the modern-day Ephesus and was exposed to the ancient city throughout her life. Her high school class was one of the last classes to have their graduation at one of the arena sites in ancient Ephesus. OZ described how St. John preached there, the library's history, the marketplaces, and how Mark Anthony and Cleopatra visited from Alexandria. OZ knew when to step aside and let us explore on our own and when to engage and lead us. She had a good sense of how to make the day work. She was always in good contact with the driver, who was always nearby and ready to take us to the next adventure. After Ephesus, it was off to see how carpets are made. When we arrived, OZ said the place was crowded and suggested we break to grab something to eat and then see the carpets. The eatery was attached to the carpet building, we sat at outside picnic tables, and OZ ordered for us all—six of us in total. I was thinking –what will all this food cost us, plus our water and drinks? First, I have to say the food was beyond amazing. I noted some dishes and have been making them at home ever since. When the bill came, I almost fell over. $36. That's it. $36 – Amazing value – excellent service – I left an equivalent tip – had to – what a great experience. Then, into the carpet place. which was very educational. I would have loved to buy one of the carpets, they were beautiful and the prices were reasonable, but alas we had nowhere to put them at home. However, if you are in the market for carpets, you can negotiate prices, and they mail them to your home. Trust me; they tell you all about carpet making from the Mulberry trees farms where they raise the silkworms to how silk is harvested… Great experience. Then off to the pottery place, which was again excellent. OZ and the driver knew exactly what time we had to get back. They knew where the cruise ship bus was, and all we needed to do was get to the ship at the same time or earlier. They had us back with time to spare; we never felt rushed – only grateful and lucky to have OZ and our driver. We left Turkey knowing we would be back – what a wonderful country. The people are friendly. The prices are fantastic. We had such a great experience because of Elif, OZ, and our driver. We hope to return and see other areas of Turkey – and if we are lucky, OZ and our driver will be our guides. Thank you, Elif, OZ, and our driver, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You guys were all so great. I highly recommend this team to anyone considering a tour of Ephesus. BTW… The private tour cost for 5 was substantially less than the group tour offered on the cruise ship for five people.

I booked this tour of Ephesus, for four of us, instead of taking one of the shore excursions offered by our Viking cruise ship. We wanted a much more "personal" tour to such a fascinating and important site, rather than a large impersonal "group" visit, and this tour was sensational! Our guide, Isik, was truly exceptional: very personable, knowledgeable, and creative in arranging our visits to various sites. She took us to the House of the Virgin Mary before any of the crowds arrived, which made for a very nice experience. We saw all the the main sites, including the amazing Library of Celsus, and wondered around the Great Theater to see it in depth (which not all Viking shore excursions did). All accompanied by excellent explanations and insights offered by Isik. We had a very nice lunch at a local restaurant, followed by a visit to the Artemis Temple. We were all very pleased with the tour and would give it the highest recommendation! (It was actually cheaper for the four of us than the "paid" Viking shore excursions, and we got close-up personal insights from an outstanding guide.)

Really great. Our tour guide Metin Yoruk was wonderful. Very personable and accommodating. He knew everyone! And arranged a few extra side trips for us as we requested. I would highly recommend this private tour. And for the money it is well worth it. One thing to keep in mind, the price doesn’t include entrances. We spent an additional $100 for entrance fees and tips so be sure to account for that. We ate lunch at a great restaurant, dined with Metin and had a wonderful Turkish meal ($10 per person, GREAT FOOD AND A LOT OF IT). Make sure you include the terrace houses in your tour. It is located inside Ephesus. Costs a few euros more but amazing! We will definitely be using Metin again. Great time!

We had a wonderful, full day in Kusadasi and Ephesus, filled with many interesting and exciting experiences. Our guide, Banu, was exceptional and extremely knowledgeable, and although we packed a lot in (including my personal favorite, a fashion show), we were never rushed and had plenty of time to enjoy each experience fully. I would highly recommend this tour. We learned so much and were able to experience so much more than we ever could have arranged on our own.

My wife and I were on a WindStar cruise to the Greek Islands and were so fortunate that it also included a visit to the port of Kusadasi a short distance from Ephesus. We wanted to experience Ephesus uniquely with a private tour. After reviewing many possibilities and price points we chose this one. Our visit was without any doubt, the most unforgettable of any we have taken in our many travels over the years. Elif was our first contact via email in making the arrangements and provided us with all the details and variations we might enjoy. Our guide was Senyen Hakan a true gem of a man whose love of Türkiye, it’s people and remarkable history was contagious. He had broad knowledge of Ephesus’ spirituality as well as archaeological splendor and wanted us to very much enjoy every moment. Since returning home, we have thought of our day in Ephesus as the highlight of our trip and thank our friends Senyen Hakan and Elif who made it possible.

TLDR - This tour was fantastic. I highly recommend booking this private tour for a small group, especially if you're tight on time. I booked this tour in November 2022 for the 6 hours that my cruise ship was going to be docking at Kusadasi, with the intention to be able to see Ephesus. I was traveling with a group of 7 adults, 6 of whom were over the age of 65, so I wanted a private tour where we could go at our own speed. Isik was our tour guide, and she was ready and waiting as soon as we got to the dock. The private mini bus was large and comfortable; more than enough to accommodate my group. We started the day quite early, so many of the sites weren't open yet, but Isik asked if we were interested in seeing the traditional Turkish carpet making. We detoured there and learned how the beautiful carpets were hand woven, then taken to the site of the home of the Virgin Mary, followed by the highlight of the day--Ephesus. Isik was not only super knowledgable, she was also very accommodating for my family, going at our pace and going into more depth/detail for religious commentary, which my family was most interested in. On the way back to the cruise terminal, we stopped by a leather factory and even with my family dawdling over buying souvenirs, Isik kept her cool and got us back to the ship on time. My family had a great time and I would absolutely recommend this tour!

EVERYTHING! We could write pages detailing our satisfaction with our tour guide, MUTLU. However, due to space constraints, I will try to make this brief...not easy, but I'll try. MUTLU should be listed in the "Master Class" of Tour Guides! There were four of us traveling together, and we felt like we were touring with another friend and not just our guide. MUTLU was professional, courteous, intelligent, kind, extremely knowledgeable, a great listener, and friendly. If he ever visits the United States, he is more than welcome to stay in our home. An absolutely perfect tour guide. Again, he should teach other guides how to do this the right way!!! After traveling for over four decades, he is one of the top two. Thank you MUTLU for the most wonderful visit to your country. You are an excellent representative for the people of Turkey!

Great service !! My mom and I flew there from Istanbul for a full day tour. They picked us from the airport on time and took to all places as described in the tour. They are very friendly and respectful. They give you very important history information. We strongly recommend them. -Carlos.

Boz gave a very informative tour of ancient Ephesus, including taking us through the ruins that were being studied by archaeologists. The restaurant selected for our outdoor lunch offered local Turkish foods which we really enjoyed. We highly recommend this tour; Boz was an exceptional tour guide.

I can't understate how much I enjoyed our tour - the amount of knowledge and insight that Erkan was able to share with us was really impressive. She was very friendly and made the whole day really fun. Communication was really clear and engaging, she was able to tie together the different places we visited and gave a fantastic overview of the history and stories behind each place. Not only that but she was really considerate - the weather was very hot so she made sure we found shade for when she was describing things so that we didnt overheat throughout the day. She was also mindful of the pace our group wanted to go at. Overall the whole experience was brilliant, our whole group loved it and we especially loved spending the day with Erkan. Definitely a highlight of our whole cruise.

We did Best of Ephesus Private Tour from Kusadasi with Erkan and were blown away by her knowledge of the area and its history. The tour was exceptional. She is a "5-star" guide in every way. Her personality, her energy and enthusiasm, her attentiveness to our wishes and willingness to tailor the tour exactly to our preferences, her suggestions made this tour as one of the highlights of our trip.

Fortunately the shore excursions on our ship were all booked up, so I found this excursion on Trip Advisor. My husband and I were given an excellent personal tour of all the places we wanted to see and more. The highlight of the tour was when our tour guide sang, “We Will Rock You” to demonstrate the acoustics of the amphitheater. Lunch at the ladies weaving collective is also a recommendation I would pass on; freshly made, super tasty and very good value.

Excellent tour. Our own private minibus and personal guide. Ulas was extremely knowledgeable. Great value for money. Highly recommended.

We learned so much and had a great time together! Plan for Ephesus but so much more—museums, pottery and carpet artisans, and more!

Meeting Erkan and entrusting her for our day in and around Ephesus was simply amazing. Her knowledge of the history of the area was incredible. She allowed us to walk and travel at our own speed for the day. Transport with a driver in an air conditioned vehicle gave us the opportunity to not only visit the historical sites but to have lunch at a local farm and to see a pottery and carpet making centre. It could not have been better and her charge for the day less than many of her competitors. We would strongly recommend all visitors to use her services when visiting Kusadasi.

Dilek is an amazing guide -- very knowledgeable and super friendly. We had a great time in Ephesus. I highly recommend utilizing their services if you want to get real feel of the city and the culture.

We had a great trip with Burak. He was wonderful, friendly, and knew how to beat the crowds. Easy meet up from the cruise ship. Ephesus exceeded our expectations! Burak also took us to a local pottery shop, beautiful and authentic. Very knowledgeable about Turkish history and culture.

We had a great time Tour guide was fantastic!! Couldn't be better thanks! We had a great time in Ephesus

Sergen was a wonderful guide, he was so knowledgeable about everything to do with Ephesus and any questions we had We had a wonderful day catered day just for us. He even helped us take some great pictures and he knew how to best avoid crowds. All in in all a wonderful day.

I booked for a private trip very last minute but they managed to deliver a very satisfactory experience. Our tour guide, marziye is very nice, energetic and fun. Our driver also very helpful. The car is clean and with unlimited water bottles (you are going to need it in Ephesus). In all, a recommended tour.

A friend and I spent 3 days in Istanbul and had a wonderful time. I would highly recommend Kusadasi. Our guide was wonderful and made our trip easy and perfect

We were in Ephesus in early October. We were on a cruise with another couple which stopped in the nearest port to Ephesus. We decided to hire a private tour guide. It was very reasonably priced. Our tour guide, Deger, was excellent and also spoke very good English. He was very knowledgeable, particularly about the ruins, which were just amazing. I hd no idea what to expect about a day in Ephesus but clearly without our experience would not have been nearly as good without Deger's knowledge. I would love to return to Turkey and explore more of the region.

We had just 6 hours in port but Kusadasi Tours made use of every minute. Not much is open at 7 am, but our tour guide took us to a pottery factory where we were served tea and learned how they made their beautiful plates, vases, and glow-in-the-dark pottery. Then we went to a weaving school where we were treated to a complete demonstration on how the rugs were made, from the silkworms to the final product. This was my favorite part. No pressure at either place to buy. Then we headed to the Ephesus ruins which were just opening. Awesome ruins, I never would have guessed. Then to St. John's place. We didn't make it to Mary's House as we had to be back at our cruise ship at 12:30 and we were. We saw much more than we would have on any of the cruise excursions. An excellent tour!

Our guide in Ephesus was excellent. Biz was exceptionally knowledgeable on the history, culture and traditions of all the sights. We were also treated to his personal connections and received an incredible dining experience as well as personalized access to the arts and crafts of the city. All and all one of our favorite travel experiences

The entire day was special. We took a private day excursion to Ephesus and to the Virgin Mary's home. We were met at the cruise port by our guide and drove in a comfortable SUV. Our guide was very pleasant and knowledgeable about the history of her country and about the sites that we were visiting that day. Our driver was very pleasant and welcoming too and was a very good driver. Ephesus was incredible. It was much larger than I expected. Our guide was respectful and guided us through slowly and carefully (we're seniors in our 70's and walk much slower these days !!). Our guide was very informative about Ephesus and the Virgin Mary's home. On our way back to the ship we stopped to see how carpets are made which was amazing. We went in mid-October and the day that we toured Turkey was perfect walking weather. I highly recommend a private tour with this company. We had a wonderful day experience in Turkey.

Ulas was a walking/singing book of knowledge! We learned so much history of the region and thought Ephesus (Turkey) was the highlight of ALL our excursions on our Greek island cruise. Very easy to make contact with him once off the ship. Just the 4 of us in a beautiful van. He worked the tour around our requests and schedule. Loved the whole experience.

We highly recommend this private tour with Banu! It was such a pleasure having an expert guide explain the archeological and historical sites and museums to us and give us the flexibility to prioritize based on our interests. We were spoiled with her express pass entrance and ability to customize our tour and lunch stop according to our preferences. We packed in everything we wanted to see and returned to the ship right on time. Plus, the cost of this tour was less than the tour options offered by the cruise line. It’s the best way to go!

Very accommodating tour guide. I would have skipped the pottery stop, but others in the group enjoyed it. Ephesus was a great experience and our tour guide was most informative.

Our small group had a fantastic day on this tour. Easy pick up from the cruise port in a nice roomy van and we were able to customize our trip to our liking. The highlight of course was Ephesus which we were able to spend lots of time wandering around and our guide Burak was quite informative. A must see for sure if you’re interested in ancient history. Another nice surprise was our lunch stop at a Turkish cooperative. The food was excellent and well worth the stop. We had a quick stop at a pottery shop which was very informative. All hand painted and very beautiful work and also had time for a museum stop to finish off. Our first stop was at the house of the Virgin Mary but for me it wasn’t worth it. It was crowded and touristy and it was a small reconstructed house on a hill. The drive there was gorgeous though. Overall it was well worth booking this tour. Added bonus was staying ahead of the cruise buses. Thx Burak for making our day in turkey special

everything was great, beautiful country. Our guide Ayse was very good and so new so musch of all the history .We then went to the rug factory and the hand made pottery shop , very interesting . We would highly recommend .

The guide was very personable and knowledgeable made the tour fun as well as informative. I would recommend both the tour and the guide.

We had a wonderful day in Turkey on our private guided tour. There were 4 of us and our guide Sergei. He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He arranged our schedule so that we could get ahead of the crowds as much as possible. It was great to be able to see the sights at our own pace. Sergei recommended a great place for lunch. We decided against shopping but I’m sure he could have helped us with that too. Very easy to book the tour and great communication about our reservation. Would definitely recommend.

Very nice and instructive excursion, private, we are own of our time, we couldn't choose better, we covered the best of Kusadasi in one day with an excellent guide and driver. I recommend it over the cruise deals.

I had an incredible prviate tour with Marziye in November 2022. I was picked up in a comfortable van and we went to Ephesus around 8 am. Marziye was a local to Ephesus and very knowledgeable about the area, country and obviously the ancient sites. First we hit Ephesus, then house of virgin mary, had a great local lunch, and then visited tomb of John. I picked the specific sites I wanted to visit but you can create your own trip. The company was super easy to work with and I thought the value was excellent as well. Can't go wrong booking with this team. - Ryan

Thank you Elif for a memorable tour! Your customer service skills, knowledge and personality were fantastic! You made sure that we were able to experience the sites we had hoped to see, while you provided your knowledge of the history and fun facts about them and shared inside information about Ephesus and the people that we would never had known without your tour. We are truly happy that we booked the private tour and had you as our guide for an educational and enjoyable time. We recommend that others traveling in the area use your service….they won’t be disappointed!!!

The tour was excellent and the tour guy was very knowledgeable. We had a great experience. Thank you.

We had a fantastic tour with the most knowledgeable guide who assisted us in every way. Our guide, Azer, was friendly, professional and gave us a picture of current life in turkey as well as the historical facts about Ephesus. Our tour was private with guide and safe driver. Azer was able to customize our day to fit our interests with plenty of time to get back to ship. Do not worry. We had a beautiful lunch sampling incredibly delicious food, a tour of Ephesus, as well as educational observation of rug making (hand made rugs). If you are interested in purchasing a beautiful hand made rug Turkey is one of the countries where culture and high quality craftsmanship remain. It was the best tour ever. Do not book with another company and ask for Azer. She is wonderful!

We had a private tour in Ephesus given by Banu. From picking us up early at our ship, to being flexible about when and where we went, Banu was wonderful. She was super knowledgeable and such a pleasure to tour with. The vehicle was great and the driver very professional and courteous. It was a unforgettable experience and one I am recommending to friends who will be visiting Ephesus this June.

Our guide was Dilek and she was outstanding! She escorted my wife and me to Ephesus and was very knowledgeable and personable. She knew the ins and outs of what to see, why it was important and where to watch our steps on some of the beaten pathways. Upon leaving Ephesus, Dilek had our driver take us to Selcuk where we had lunch at a local restaurant. Upon arriving, there were no available tables outside. She spoke with the owner and almost immediately a table was set up outside for the four of us. A great lunch at a local spot right on a town square! My wife and I agree that this was one the Best days of our cruise!

We absolutely LOVED our tour! Our guide, Marziye, was phenomenal. We had a great time seeing Ephesus with her; she was so informative and kind. We could not recommend this tour more because of the knowledge we gained, the sites we saw, the comfortability of the van, and the great food we ate. Definitely book this tour :)

Our guide was absolutely amazing and he was so knowledgeable, and he took us to some very local places. We loved our time in Ephesus.

Our guide Zeynep was very professional & friendly. She was also very knowledgeable. She listened to our wants & was very accommodating. It was a beautiful day & we were in & out before it got too busy. The earlier you go, the better. We would definitely recommend this tour to anyone.

Sergen was an excellent tour guide! My parents and I didn't feel rushed. He is very knowledgeable, and took great care of us. My wife and I are in our 40s and my parents in their 70s. If you want a nice paced, walkable, well-rounded tour, please book with this company. Much more personal than touring with 20+ individuals from the cruise ship.

A simply beautiful spring day opened this informative and well paced private tour of the ruins of Ephesus. Our guide Dogukan was excellent in identifying sites that ordinary travellers could easily miss. Thoroughly recommend.

We had a very good tour to Ephesus. The guide was very informative and made it a very interesting tour. Lunch was good. Trips to leather factory and jewellery were not really suited to our group but overall it was a very good tour.

Fabulous private tour and highly recommended! Our guide along with our driver picked us up at the port in a comfortable van and we visited the House of the Virgin Mary, the Ephesus ruins, and then a rug factory, where we were treated like royalty as we were served Turkish tea along with a private showing of the most amazing rugs. However, the best part is when we visited a leather factory and had a private runway show with live models displaying leather coats and jackets of the finest quality. Then as we were escorted into a huge leather showroom, and needless to say, we purchased the finest leather jackets. We had an early embarkation and we made it back on time. It was one of the most memorable days of our cruise.