New: Private The Most Detailed Ephesus Shore Excursion / With Lunch

Having a private guide makes all the difference. Spectacular views and the historical background made this tour exceptional

Mel was so much fun and so knowledgeable! She was funny and kind and made history easy to understand. The lunch we shared was great as well. She had a lot of pride in her beautiful town.

Nagi and Mehmet were the perfect team to take care of us today. We saw so many beautiful sites, historic and impressive. They were helpful with my friend who has mobility issues and went at a pace that accommodated her nicely. Nagi has a gentle, kind spirit and I thoroughly enjoyed my day with her. I cannot say enough about how wonderful this tour was. I would 1000% do it again.

This is a customizable excursion that allows you to focus on what you want to see rather than a strict itinerary. Our guide, Nora, was so knowledgeable and very familiar with Kusadasi. We had lunch at a farm where women are taught to make rugs. It was very interesting without an aggressive sales push. We also went to a pottery shop. I was so excited about seeing Ephasus, and I was not disappointed. If I could do it again, the only thing I would change is having more information from a biblical perspective.

Nagi our tour guide did an incredible job of welcoming us to Ephesus. She had a very comfortable van waiting for us when we arrived in the port. She was accompanied by Mehmet who drove us during the day. Our goal was to visit ancient Ephesus and see the ruins. Nagi filled us in on the history of Ephesus and was able to answer any questions we had. We then viewed the ruins of Artemis. Then we went to the art school where we were able to watch women skillfully weave rugs from wool and silk. We were given a demonstration of how silk was harvested from silk cocoons and then spun into threads. It was fascinating to watch. Members of our family purchased two beautiful rugs from the school. There was no tax on these and they are going to ship them directly to their home in the US. Following that we enjoyed a traditional Turkish lunch and discovered a delicious pomegranate syrup which, when combined with olive oil, made a delicious salad dressing. We were treated to several cups of Turkish tea -a surprise since we have had Turkish coffee back at home but didn’t know that tea was more of a staple throughout the day in that culture. Nagi was able to tell us many stories of life in Turkey. She loves her country and is proud of her heritage. She and Mehmet are wonderful! I highly recommend this tour and ask for both of them as your guides!

This was a great tour! Devon is extremely knowledgeable, speaks very good English, and very easy to understand. He was able to adjust our start time to avoid big crowds and afternoon heat. The Ephesus is a must see! Absolutely incredible!

With one exception, I would give this 6 stars! Selin was amazing! Clear communication for meeting up, overall a lovely experience. Selin was really easy going, let us skip a few things we didn't care to see and was so knowledgeable about Ephesus and the culture . We truly love her and felt like we made a sweet friend! The one thing we did not like, was the unexpected sales pitch at the carpet place. We really enjoyed the tour, and being shown how they make carpets in Turkey, truly amazing to learn and appreciate the art of rug making. But then we were led into a room where we were shown around 50 rugs, by probably a team of 5 or six people, rolling out rugs. They were working really hard to show us all these rugs, and we felt really bad. We felt a little trapped. I get them trying to sell their product, but none of us were in the market for a rug, nor could we afford them... they were too insistent for comfort. Selin also took us to see a leather clothing outlet and a family-owned pottery place. We enjoyed these two places and everyone we met was really lovely. They too were trying to sell us product but we didn't feel the same pressure to buy as we did with the carpet guys. Selin also took us to a market to try Turkish delight and baklava and some other products special to Turkey. The day was full of history and learning about the culture and unique gifts special to Turkey. We really enjoyed the day and would do it all over again. Just make sure to let your guide know if you want to avoid certain sale pitches.

Excellence service and brilliant guide Easy to book and everything was communicated well and on time

Our tour guide Hesna was wonderful. We did a private tour so it was just myself and 3 adult sons. We learned so much history in Ephesus it was breathtaking. The tour was at our pace which we loved.

Our guide Devrim was fantastic! As a PHD in Christian Biblical Archeology (something like that), his knowledge was endless and his English excellent. He brought the entire site alive with his extensive explanations and teaching style. Don't hesitate to ask for him!

So we had a wonderful all day experience with our Tour Guide Emma and our driver Memhet . We saw so much of Kusadasi , just the two of us in a really nice Mercedes Benz Van. Emma share so much Iminformatikn about all the sites, and was considerate and flexible with our itinerary All the places we went were very interesting and we hope to come back again. it was a great itinerary. The kick eas also a local lunch fr at was included in the price for the day which was extremely reasonable. ( Tickets to get into sites were extra) I would night Recommend this Tour and Emma as your guide!

Arzu did a fantastic job on the tour. Very knowledgeable.

Gigi was prompt and an excellent historian as we explored. We had a beautiful tour and lunch was delicious.

We had a great time on our tour to Ephesus and our guide, Selin was amazing and incredibly knowledgeable.

Our guide Selin was fantastic. One of the best tour guides we’ve ever had. The history is overwhelming and Selin really makes it special and answered our many questions. She happily adjusted the itinerary to accommodate our interests and needs. The shopping experience was interesting but we felt a little pressure by the shop employees as they hover and nag you a bit. But they are polite in the end. Highly recommend

Our tour guide Nesli was excellent! She was very knowledgeable about all of the places we visited on our private tour. If you should get a chance to request a particular tour guide, I would highly recommend Nesli!

We had a wonderful day on the small group tour that actually was more like a private tour with my family. Our guide Mehmet was very nice and knowledgeable. Our driver was definitely a safe driver and we felt safe at all times even on the later part of our tour when the Gods decided to open the heavenly water gates. The entrance fees were not included, however our guide had already purchased the entry tickets. Hence, we did not have to make any queues and at the end of our tour we settled the fees. The lunch was good and plentiful. Our guide bought local figs for us to try and as we exited the ancient city, we drank fresh squeezed pomegranate juice. All in all a great tour for all the senses.

Great Experience, with Nagi. We learned so much about this Region. My Wife unfortunately wasn't feeling well, and Nagi was very caring and did a lot to help her. We Really appreciate her knowledge and kindness

This tour from otti travel thru Viator was one of the best we have had Our guide Ahmet was simply brillant We hv met many tour guides but Ahmet was by far the most helpful courteous and friendly we hv had He was brilliant If U book this tour ask for him The van was spotless Air con fine and driver no problems We had lunch included Again a really nice lunch and re order as much as u want The visit to the Carpet weaving no big deal but the rest just great Thankyou Otti travel and Ahmet for making our visit so special

Mel, our guide was awesome. Fully of fun facts and knowledgeable. She was also very helpful and understanding with regards to my limited mobility issues which is saying a lot considering we went to Ephesus which I loved seeing despite the difficulties I had over the roads. Not to be missed.

Can was amazing. Very knowledgeable, adaptable to what we wanted to do. Very flexible with our large group. Food was delicious and tour of rug weaving was really interesting

We had a fantastic time, great guide, wonderful transportation. The Tour was everything we expected. We would recommend using them again. Great value.

Our tour of Ephesus was very interesting and memorable, and our guide was very knowledgeable! We definitely recommend.

Our tour guide Tas made the experience amazing Best tour guide we ever had. He was great for us as adults and fantastic with our two kids 13 and 7

Our guide was Asli who was very knowledgeable and made our day very memorable! The tour to Ephesus was informative and we felt like a friend was showing us around! The lunch was very good, followed by a rug making factory tour. After showing us how the rugs are made (lot of time/detailed work), They started rolling out a lot of rugs to show us and try and sell. We weren't really looking to buy and there was an interesting balance of pressure/no pressure. They are very proud of what they do (understandably) and a lot goes into each one, but they are not cheap. You can tell they would like to sell harder but are aware of not leaving a bad impression on the tour. I would definitely recommend it when going to Kudasai!

Our tour guide Can was absolutely amazing! He was very knowledgeable and very accommodating to our group's needs. The sites we visited were unbelievable! We had ana amazing time. We would definitely recommend this tour and this tour guide.

Benjamin was amazing! He was so knowledgeable, kind, and an all-around amazing guide. I would recommend him to anyone visiting Ephesus!

Great experience. Lots of explanations and introductions of the history. Great lunch. Ms. Mel is very professional. Above and beyond!

The best tour. Mel is very helpful and informative. We really enjoyed the time! Thank you so much for your help. We are happy to recommend you to our friends!

NAGI is wonderful and amazing along with his driver. She was so informative and her smile is generally wonderful to her personality too. You really enjoyed our private tour…

Devon- where to start!? Brilliant. Thoughtful. Interesting. Knowledgeable. Everything from pick up to lunch was individualized and special. He was so familiar with the landscape and provided an excellent tour of Mary’s home and the ruins. It was an exceptional day. He’s amazing!

Melike was very knowledgeable and fun tour guide we ever had. She was patiently described all the points of interest and knew all the history behind them. Highly recommend to request her for your future travel

Huray was our guide and great!! had great energy and very friendly. Gave great fun facts and answered all questions thoroughly

We visited Ephesus as a couple with only basic history knowledge, but we left truly inspired—thanks to our fantastic guide, Melike. It was obvious she was a local with deep knowledge of the archaeological site and its rich history. She brought the ruins to life with stories, facts, and insights we’d never have discovered on our own. Melike and our driver arrived early, and the vehicle was spotless, modern, and air-conditioned—very comfortable for the day ahead. I let Melike know I was pregnant, and she was incredibly thoughtful, always checking in on how I was feeling, making sure we stopped in shaded spots when possible, and keeping the pace manageable. Ephesus itself was much larger than we expected and involved a fair bit of walking. Top tip: wear comfortable shoes with non-slip soles, as some of the ancient marble paths can be quite slippery. A real highlight was the Ephesus Experience—a 360-degree immersive screen in a beautifully air-conditioned space, which helped us visualise the city as it once was. It was a wonderful mid-point break and added so much context to what we were seeing. After Ephesus, we stopped at the Temple of Artemis. Although only one pillar remains, Melike still managed to paint a vivid picture of its past and pointed out other historical buildings in the distance that represent five different eras of civilisation. It was both fascinating and a little sad to see how much had been lost, but her explanation gave the site real depth. We wrapped up the tour with a visit to a weaving farmhouse where we had a super scrummy lunch—local meze dishes, fresh salads, and grilled meats. We also got to see master weavers at work, and a teacher explained the different types of Turkish carpets, how they’re made, and how to tell the difference between handwoven and machine-made. The craftsmanship was incredible. All in all, it was a full, enriching, and really enjoyable day. Melike was knowledgeable, professional, and thoughtful from start to finish. Highly recommend this tour if you want to learn and experience the history of the area in comfort and good company!

Best tour we’ve done! Melike was very knowledgeable and could answer any questions we had. She tailored the day to what we wanted and was on time for pick up. Recommend an early tour to skip the queues. Also the aircon van was clean and tidy! Thank you for the day trip 😀

Tas did an amazing job of educating us about the history of the ruins of Ephesus. He made it interesting for all of us ages 12 to 51. He asked us about what kind of things that we were interested in doing for the day and tailored our day accordingly. We thoroughly enjoyed it!

Elif was an amazing tour guide. From the very beginning, we felt like we were with an old friend showing us her city. We felt very safe. Our accommodation was very clean and upscale. Lunch was great. Can’t wait to come back and visit turkey would highly recommend! !

Nico was a great tour guide, he was very knowledgeable and shared great information about Turkey and Ephesus. I would recommend him to all my friends.

My guide Özgür (Oscar) made this an unforgettable experience! Incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, he personalized the tour perfectly to match my interests. Ephesus was awe inspiring, and visiting the Terrace houses was worth the stairs (so many stairs). Lunch was delicious, and I’m still thinking about the olive oil and pomegranate juice salad dressing. Definitely ask for Özgür!

It was an amazing experience, a lot of walking, but we keep up. Elif is very experienced guide and provides a lot of information about the places we attended.

We were fortunate to be guided through the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ephesus by Nagehan (Nagi) Kiziltug who is an outstanding, highly knowledgeable and pleasant guide. We not only toured the ancient site but also visited the house where it is said that Mary lived out her remaining days.

We had a wonderful day with Mel on our tour of Ephesus. She was very knowledgeable about the sites and the history. She was also a fun person to spend the day with! Also, really enjoyed our lunch and our stop at a ceramics workshop. Highly recommend!

My daughter and I took an Ephesus tour from Istanbul. Moving by car was comfortable, and I could feel the wonderful historical buildings on my skin. The daughter who loves ancient history is overjoyed. The guide, Ogu, kindly explained it to us,and we deepened our understanding.

This is the best Viator tour we have ever had! Nesli was knowledgeable beyond measure and such fun to be with.

Ulas Adali was our private tour guide. He provided historical context not only about the tourist sites, but also about the country's history and background. He was very nice and friendly, and we could ask him questions throughout the trip. He explained everything very well. Overall, this trip was very worthwhile, and we would love to come back again if possible.

2 couples went to Ephesus, with Taz as the guide. The port was crazy with 6 ships, so he flipped our tour so we did not see so many crowds. It was one of our birthdays, and we did stop before the tour and he ran in a store and ran back. It is a very clean air conditioned van. At the first stop, which was a surprise, we saw silkworms and how they process the silk for weaving rugs. They served us spiced cider, and then a birthday cake, which we shared with the weavers!! That was why we had stopped. Then the Ephesus tour was amazing! Very knowledgeable. We had wanted to buy a pomegranate, but they only juiced them in the market, but our driver Moustafa took us to his own home and his own yard and cut up pomegranates from his tree!! So absolutely sweet! This was absolutely the best stop on our cruise, and definitely do this tour through the website. Felt very honored to walk in the footsteps of Paul.

Naggi met us promptly. Car was comfortable. Adjusted our trip to avoid line. Delicious local lunch was included. Naggi went over and beyond to make our day in Turkey perfect! I highly recommend this trip!

Absolutely fabulous! Nagi was fabulous and so informative A+++ we had a wonderful experience. Love Turkey Thank you so much! Jackie Cincinnati, Ohio

What a fabulous experience!! Nagi was super informative and a lovely guide...would absolutely recommend! If you take a tour in Turkey, this is the one:))