Private Ephesus Tour & Cooking Experience With Locals

​If you are looking for a private guide in Turkey, look no further than Emre! From start to finish, he was an absolute pleasure to work with. His communication prior to and during our trip was top-notch—clear, prompt, and thoroughly organized, which made the whole experience effortless and completely stress-free. ​Emre is incredibly warm, friendly, and knowledgeable. He put together a flawless day for our family that balanced local culture, hands-on experiences, and wonderful hospitality. The hands-on cooking class in the countryside was a absolute highlight, allowing us to learn authentic Turkish cooking techniques and enjoy an incredible meal. Visiting the traditional rug weaving cooperative and the local pottery shop added so much rich cultural context and allowed us to see incredible artisan craftsmanship up close. ​Emre went above and beyond to ensure everyone had a fantastic time. We couldn't have asked for a better guide to show us the beauty and culture of Turkey. Highly, highly recommended!

It was so great learning about the background of all the dishes. We got to enjoy the delicious dishes we prepared together, which made it even more special. This was probably our favourite activity in Turkey, and we would definitely recommend it to friends and family, as well as to others making the trip to Turkey!

We voted this our favorite tour. We had a group of 9 and visited Ephesus and then did a cooking class and had lunch at a private restaurant. Later we visited a ceramic studio and rug merchant.

Nesrin was an incredible tour guide! She brought a sweet, calm, and professional energy and had so much information and passion to share. We learned a lot about Ephesus on the tour. Her communication was timely and the van was impeccably clean. The cooking class was super fun and Nesrin was willing to cater the day to my family’s preferences. A highlight of our trip, you will not regret this experience! She shows you the true culture of Turkey.

This experience was a major highlight of my family’s trip! It was perfect from the beginning to the end. We loved the nice van that picked us up and our guide was so very friendly and informative. The experience was fun for everyone in our group from ages 25-84!! I loved the cooking experience and then eating the food together was perfect! The restaurant we were in was beautiful!! I also loved learning about Ephesus as well as the small pottery shop and the craft of rug making!

Great tour, very relaxed and Nesrin, our guide, was super knowledgeable. She allowed us to take our time with each element of the tour and even adapt it during the day. Would have no hesitation recommending this company and Nesrin as a guide. Cooking school was fabulous - off the beaten track and completely unique.

We had a wonderful day with our tour guide Nesrin Ozkara. Nesrin was so knowledgeable and passionate about Ephesus, it really made the city come alive for us. We loved the cooking class with a warm and inviting Turkish family. It was so fun with lots of hugs all around when we left. Nesrin also helped us do some shopping for beautiful textiles. The highlight of the shopping was learning about Turkish carpet making; we even got to help weave a carpet! Of course, we had to buy one of those beautiful carpets. It was very apparent that Nesrin loves her beautiful city and loves to share it with others. We would highly recommend Nesrin and this tour to anyone that would like to get a real sense of Izmir and Ephesus.

Our trip started with the warmest welcome and a pristine vehicle big enough for my entire family to ride in comfort to Ephesus. Nesrin was so knowledgeable about the local region and the history of Ephesus. We then went to an amazing workshop for carpets. We learned so much about the hand made carpets. Our last part of journey was to learn to cook some delicious Turkish dishes in a beautiful home. Our host let us tour her garden and met her amazing family. What a wonderful day this is a must do tour.

What an amazing day with Nesrin and Emre! The town, coffee and quick wine tasting was so enjoyable. But the cooking class was a highlight!! I can’t wait to try the recipes at home. Nesrin is a joy to be around! Highly recommend!!

This was a great experience. As we have been to Ephesus before, we started off with a visit to the Ephesus Museum, then to a local glass and pottery shop, and then the focus of the experience was the cooking class. My husband, 10 year-old son and I all participated. We made zucchini (courgette for Brits) fritters, stuffed peppers and a chicken stew (casserole for Brits). Everything was delicious and what we learned will be very replicable at home— which is great because we don’t have any Turkish restaurants in town but we love Turkish food. The hosts also treat you to fresh peaches, melon and plums they grow on their property. The vegetables used in the dishes are also grown on-site. There’s also a really nice pool onsite, so bring your swimsuits!

What a fantastic day we had! Azime is an incredible guide/hostess; knowledgeable, articulate and fun. She really knows the history of Ephesus we learned so much from her. If you have a chance the terrace houses are worth the extra admission. Loved cooking with the chef at a beautiful countryside location. Our meal was delicious topped off with great conversation, company and wine. Would highly recommend this tour.

We did a tour with Nesrin of Ephesus, then helped cook lunch at a local family's house and visited a pottery studio. Nesrin met us outside the port with a big smile and a sign with our name on it. She had a driver with a large comfortable van, so she sat with us and narrated the trip as we drove to Ephesus. The ancient city of Ephesus was amazing. There were archeological finds everywhere you looked in great condition. We got to see how people lived thousands of years ago. Nesrin weaved us through the ruins so we could avoid the crowds and pointed out some great spots to take pictures. She was very knowledgeable and could answer all of our questions. After that we went to Ganja and Oleaks family property which included an inn, tiny cabins, yoga spot and gardens. We cooked a traditional Turkish meal together and then ate on the deck overlooking the countryside. We enjoyed talking to our hosts and Nesrin and were sad to leave at the end of the day. After goodbye hugs we next went to a family run Turkish pottery studio. The father crafts the pottery, the mother paints it, the daughter-in-law does the tours, and the sons were busy in the backroom. Our friend got to sit at the wheel and make a pottery dish from a mound of clay. Their show room had some exquisite pieces in all price points. We each bought a souvenir. Now that we are back home every time I look at it, it reminds me of what a nice day we had. I would highly recommend this tour. We enjoyed our time in Turkey so much we want to go back.

Nesrin provides a wealth of knowledge about the history and area. She is very personable and provides A+ service. You will not be disappointed. Host family for cooking and lunch were amazing as well.

This was possibly the best day of the whole trip. The tour of Ephesus was so interesting. Our guide is such a wealth of information and he knows how to present it in a way that kept our 8, 12, 18 and 19 year old children and adults interested. After Ephesus we headed to the village to a charming b&b where the atmosphere is hard to describe. It’s the kind of place you come to and forget to leave. The staff is kind and generous. We did a cooking class here and had a blast. Then we devoured an incredibly delicious meal. Thanks for a great day!

Emre made this experience absolutely amazing for our family! The Ephesus tour was incredibly insightful as Emre thoughtfully explained the rich history of the area. He is such a charismatic guy which really enriched our overall trip to Turkey. The cooking class provided us with a very authentic experience and the fresh, local food was delicious. We have so much to thank Emre for as he made our trip to Turkey that much more special!

Our experience started when a very cheerful gentleman collected us from the airport and brought us to our hotel. The following morning our guide Azime popped in while we were breakfasting at our hotel to introduce herself and let us know that she (and our lovely driver) were ready for us outside. After finishing breakfast we loaded our belongings into the very spacious car as we were only spending the day, the driver kept our bags for us. Azime pointed out all of the landmarks and noteworthy sites as we drove, before taking us through Ephesus. Azime's knowledge and personal experience (she used to play games at Ephesus as a child!) made the entire day a complete submersion in the culture without feeling like a tourist but rather visiting a friend. This feeling continued during the cooking lesson where we cooked with Azime, and a local restaurant owner and her mother. They were extremely accommodating of my VERY unturkish dietary requirements and we managed to make traditional Turkish dishes that were absolutely delicious! We were left to enjoy our meal together and finished up with Turkish coffee and tea before being returned to the airport to continue our trip (Istanbul was next). The experience was authentic, fun, and memorable, we would 100% recommend Phoenician tours and Azime!

Very happy that we took this tour. It was fun,new information and experience and a very pleasant environment

Can't say enough about our tour of Ephesus! My husband and I were looking for opportunities to know real people and understand the real lives of people in Turkey, and this tour was exactly that! Nesrin is a fantastic tour guide! She was very personable, friendly and open about her experience growing up in a small village in Turkey, and her life now as a wife, mother and small business. owner in Izmir. She is very knowledgeable about Turkish history, archeology and the ancient city of Ephesus. She had a lot of background information for us that went above and beyond a standard tour. She helped. us understand some of the current political dynamic in Turkey, current theories about Ephesus and other ancient sites in Selcuk, the history of the silk road, the process of restoration and the lives of its inhabitants, ancient and modern. Double thumbs up!

Our tour guides from Phoenicia travel agency were excellent! They anticipated most of our needs, and demonstrated excellent knowledge of culture and history.

We have such an amazing time in Ephesus because of Emre and everyone at Phoenicia Travel. The cooking class was definitely one of our highlights, the food was delicious! We did private tours with them throughout our time in Turkey, and would highly recommend them to anyone.

Our time with Phoenicia Travels made our trip and we could not have planned such an elaborate and fun experience without them! They tended to our every request and made sure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves at every turn. Look no further for a full service experience for your vacation. I would not hesitate to book with them again when I return to Turkey!

Excellent tour and guide that exceeded our expectations. Very accommodating for my electric wheelchair and adaptable. Wonderful tour of Ephesus combined with a unique and special culinary experience at a local guesthouse. The proprietors at Baska Bir Yer were engaging and informative. The meal was fun to watch being prepared and extremely delicious. Thanks to our guide, we feel we had an in-depth experience of Turkish history and culture. Highly recommend!

This was such a great day for us. Nesrin was very knowledgeable during the historical and archeological part our tour. She provided us with such interesting details of Romans in ancient times while visiting the the sites and monuments. The culinary experience at a local guest house was a most wonderful time. The people, the foods and the venue was superb. Nesrin is an excellent tour guide …friendly, knowledgeable and down to earth kind of person. We consider her a friend now.

The highlight of our recent cruise through Greece and Turkey was our day with Phoenician Travels. From the tour of Ephesus to getting to meet multiple interesting local people throughout the coast's smaller towns and a fun home cooked meal at one of the guest houses, it was a really special day for us. Couldn't recommend high enough!

We were in for a big surprise at the local village where we had an amazing experience cooking a local Turkish meal. The hosts were very hospitable, and the chef in charge was so helpful, and forthcoming, till date this was the best experience we had of its kind! Thank you so much Empire, for making our holiday memorable with this wonderful experience