Private Ephesus Tour & Wine Tasting At Boutique Winery & Lunch

Had a great experience with our guide, Onur! Tour was well organized and very enjoyable from start to finish. Vehicle was comfortable and well equipped. Also met the owner Emre at the port who was a very warm and kind man. Would highly recommend!

We spent a wonderful day with our knowledgeable tour guide Nesrin and her skillful van driver in the Kusadasi area. It was just our group of 4 friends, and Nesrin met us at the cruise port in Kusadasi. Nesrin is an incredible tour guide and an even lovelier person. We thoroughly enjoyed our day with her-strolling through Ephesus in the footsteps of Paul, a delicious lunch at an organic farm, a rug making demonstration (such beautiful rugs, | was so tempted but didn't have any room measurements with me!), a ceramics studio in Selcuk where they have been making their own clay for generations and create such fine pieces, and wine tasting at 7 Bilgeler Winery (tried 5 delicious wines and had savory snacks). Ephesus is a lot of walking on uneven and sometimes slippery surtaces, and there are so many tourists visiting the site, but Nesrin knew the best route for our group (we are all almost 70 year olds), and found shady, quiet areas for explanations of what we were seeing. We had the best day with Nesrin. She and her driver were monitoring the time and got us back to the cruise ship in plenty of time for our sailing. My regret: that the cruise didn't include at least 2 days in Kusadasi, where we would be able to book Phoenicia Travel with Nesrin or her husband Emre for a second day of tours.

We spent a wonderful day with our knowledgeable tour guide Nesrin and her skillful van driver in the Kusadasi area. It was just our group of 4 friends, and Nesrin met us at the cruise port in Kusadasi. Nesrin is an incredible tour guide and an even lovelier person. We thoroughly enjoyed our day with her-strolling through Ephesus in the footsteps of Paul, a delicious lunch at an organic farm, a rug making demonstration (such beautiful rugs, I was so tempted but didn’t have any room measurements with me!), a ceramics studio in Selcuk where they have been making their own clay for generations and create such fine pieces, and wine tasting at 7 Bilgeler Winery (tried 5 delicious wines and had savory snacks). Ephesus is a lot of walking on uneven and sometimes slippery surfaces, and there are so many tourists visiting the site, but Nesrin knew the best route for our group (we are all almost 70 year olds), and found shady, quiet areas for explanations of what we were seeing. We had the best day with Nesrin! She and her driver were monitoring the time and got us back to the cruise ship in plenty of time for our sailing. My regret: that the cruise didn’t include at least 2 days in Kusadasi.

Emre was an absolute pleasure to lead us through this amazing part of the country. The experience was being shown by a friend an area that they deeply love and are a proud to be a part of the community. We never felt like we were being lead around by "tour guide". This made us feel so much more connected to everything we saw and experienced. The food at the winery was some of the best we had during our entire trip. The wine was wonderful as well. I am now pressuring our wine shop to carry some Turkish wine. I could not recommend Emre more highly, no matter which experience you decide to have with him.

We had the best day with Emre. He is an experienced guide with a deep knowledge and understanding of the history and culture of Ephesus and Turkey in general. He tailored the tour to our interests and was flexible with the itinerary and timing. Not only did we learn a lot about Ephesus and the surrounding area, but we had a lot of fun. After touring Ephesus, we had a wonderful visit to a farm for lunch and then off to a beautiful winery for wine tasting. Emre made us all fall in love with Turkey. We will be back to do more tours with him. I highly recommend Emre and this tour!

I can’t recommend this enough. Our guide nazim was fabulous, hugely knowledgeable and interesting. We were driven around in a very luxurious vehicle, and literally educated on all things! Ephesus was fascinating, and great to have a private guide. No need to wait around for others. We were then taken for a great lunch in an idyllic setting, and was very interested to see how the rugs are made. We also had time to pop in (at my request - wasn’t forced on us as other tours can do) to a leather factory and I got an amazing jacket and bag. A great day, good communication ahead of the tour too. We were on a cruise and in port for the day, from 7-3, pick up was prompt and we were back at the ship with plenty of time. Highly recommended

We absolutely loved our time in Ephesus, and so much of that was because of our wonderful tour guide, Emre! Traveling with three children, it was important to us that everyone enjoyed the day, and Emre did an incredible job creating an itinerary filled with interesting stops and activities that appealed to all of us. We had an unforgettable day!

Emrie was great to work with as we booked this trip. Polat, our tour guide, made this an amazing day in Turkey! We based everything on exactly what we wanted to do. He even gave us tips to help avoid crowds and heat. He was extremely knowledgeable about Ephesus. We then traveled to lunch and a wine tasting at a local farm. We had a couple hours left, so he booked us a Turkish bath and massage. Would highly recommend!!!

We booked a private tour guided by Nesrin, and it was a wonderful experience for our first time in Türkiye and a lovely way to explore Ephesus. Nesrin met us at the cruise port, and we traveled in an air-conditioned Mercedes Sprinter van, which made the logistics effortless. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the region and easy to understand, and we enjoyed seeing Türkiye through her eyes. The itinerary included the Terrace Houses at Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary, both worth the visit. We also stopped at a co-op where we watched Turkish rugs being made and had a lovely lunch with wine. Because we chose to visit the co-op, we did not get to experience the winery (though we did sip their wine!). That's my only regret. Overall, it was a well-organized and memorable day for my family and me. We'd highly recommend Nesrin to anyone visiting.

Our first trip to Turkiye, and we would come back and tour the entire country because of Emre! He was absolutely amazing!! Wonderfully knowledgeable about his history of Turkiye, Asia Minor, food and wine! He listened to what we wanted and brought us to some amazing locations to teach us about Turkish history, artistry, and most importantly, true Turkish hospitality (which is second to none in the world). We felt like "true friends" from the moment he introduced himself until we said our good byes. Travel accomodations were top of the line, the food and wine was exceptional, and we learned so much. Whenever you are coming to Turkiye, you MUST make sure to contact Emre and Phoenicia Travel, you will not be disappointed!

Our goal for this day was to visit Ephasus and learn more about the culture, food, and people of Turkey. We were blown away-this tour far exceeded our expectations! We were lucky enough to be met at our cruise port by the co-owner,Nesrin. What a delightful woman, full of knowledge and kindness. The minivan my husband and I traveled in was extremely clean and comfortable. Walking through the marble streets of Ephasus was mind blowing. The delicious lunch at the farm and being able to speak with the women making rugs there was something I will never forget! We went into another little town and shopped and then headed to the most picturesque hillside winery for wine tasting with appetizers. Batu, our driver did a fabulous job and got us back to our port as scheduled! Highly recommend this tour and this company! The communication was much appreciated

Nesrin was absolutely amazing and made our entire day unforgettable! Our tour of Ephesus was incredible — walking through such an ancient and beautiful place with someone so knowledgeable and personable made the experience even more special. The winery was stunning, peaceful, and such a perfect way to relax after exploring. The wine tasting was excellent, and the Greek lunch at the co-op was one of the best meals we had during our trip. Everything felt authentic and thoughtfully planned. One thing we really appreciated was that there was never any pressure to shop. If you’re not interested, just tell her and she completely respects that, which made the experience feel very comfortable and genuine. What truly set Nesrin apart was how much she went above and beyond for us. She actually called and arranged an amazing spa experience for us — something completely outside of the tour itself — and even organized a car to pick us up afterward. That level of care and hospitality is rare. If you’re considering this tour, book it. Nesrin made it one of the highlights of our trip to Turkey!

The highlight is the ruins. Way more than I expected and our guide was knowledgeable and gave us time to explore on our own. The activities after were adjusted by our guide to better match our interests. It was a good day. The transportation was top notch!!

We had the absolute pleasure of embarking on the tour with Emre. We were not familiar with Kusadasi and the weather was too cold for a beach day. We found the tour to visit Ephesus, with the included lunch and wine tour. What we didn’t expect was the incredible hospitality and Turkish pride we experienced with Emre! Emre made us feel like welcomed guests or family. He was able to tell us history of Ephesus, shared knowledge about Turkey, all off the top of his mind. We got to experience Ephesus (which was quite impressive) and then our journey continued with traditional Turkish coffee, visiting an art gallery, traditional Turkish lunch on a beautiful farm, visiting a Rug company (amazing to see in person) and lastly wine tasting! Every bit of the tour was interesting, relaxing, and engaging. We would definitely visit Emre’s tours again-perhaps the biking tour next time! For the cost per person, it was worth every penny! I strongly recommend this tour.

An absolute perfect day exploring Turkey and it's history with Emre! My wife and I have taken many tours across Europe and Emre was the best tour guide we've ever had, hands down! He made Ephesus come alive before arranging a delicious lunch and wine tasting. Given it was also my wife's birthday, he made every accomodation to ensure it was an amazing experience including private transportation, and the safety of our family as we were also traveling with a 7 year old and newborn baby. I wish I could give him 6 stars as we will be seeking Emre out the next time our travels bring us to Kusadasi.

Best tour I’ve taken in years. Our guide was incredible. The winery and lunch were amazing. I would highly recommend.

My group was not all that excited to take the tour to Ephesus but it seemed like the thing to do since this as a cruise stop. We could not have been more wrong and absolutely loved the entire day from start to finish. The good vibes started with the impeccable communication from the tour provider Phoenicia travel. The owners are a husband and wife team who truly care about providing a quality experience. Our guide was co-owner Nesrin. Not only was her English perfect, she was a truly lovely person who really knew her stuff and added so much to our experience. We first toured Ephesus which was truly amazing. Far more interesting than I would have thought. Nesrin's passion for the place was contagious. We did do the add-on option for the Terrace Houses which was well worth the extra 15e. We then went to a farm to eat a very tasty family-style lunch with wine. There we saw how handmade rugs are made. We were very up front we would not be buying any but they were still happy to show us how they are made. They were not pushy like I had feared. We then went to an absolutely beautiful castle looking winery for a tasting. The entire day was perfect. Nesrin even took the time to introduce my girlfriend to her friend who sells leather purses back at the port so that she could get the friends and family discount. I cannot recommend this excursion enough.

We couldn't have asked for a more better day in Ephesus and Sirince! Emry provided us with a great time around the area. His english was excellent, easy to understand and he was very informative and you could tell he loves doing what he does! Definitely worth booking him for your travels. We left Ephesus with some great memories and awesome pictures...thank you Emry for a perfect day!

Best Guide! Emre was very fun, kind and he teached us a lot. Thank you Emre. Hope to see you again. Se will remember the experience for ever. Leighton Family

Emre, our tour guide, was AMAZING!!!! Great communication before and his English was perfect! We felt like he was taking his visiting family to see sites around his hometown! The arboretum was a stunning surprise, so glad we got to see it since buses are not allowed and we got to escape the cruise ship crowds! The wineries and lunch were equally stunning! By the end of the day Emre was a good friend, one that we would travel back to Turkey specifically to see and spend time with. We look forward to doing just that and coming back!!!

This was the best tour my wife and I have taken. Emre was great from the first time we talked till the end. We had a private luxury van, very comfortable and COOL. Emre explained Ephesus in detail and took us to local shops with pieces made by locals. The lunch was delicious, plentiful and at a beautiful setting. We met Emre’s wife and felt lucky to have had this experience. Highly recommend

Our tour guide Gokce was amazing for this tour. She really gave a Special touch for our first time in turkey! Would highly recommend and hope you also get to experience her company

We had an amazing day on our visit to Ephesus. We really enjoyed the wine tasting as well and would recommend it! All-in-all, definitely worth it.

We’ve hired guides for site tours in many, many places over the years. Our private guide Nesrin was excellent. She made a tour of a crowded Ephesus seem, well, less crowded. The traditional lunch at the weaving co-op was delicious and the winery tasting capped off the day perfectly. Our driver Baris was courteous and the van was spacious. Above all, we know that the guide makes or breaks a private tour and Nesrin was a “10”. Ask for her and elevate a “great” day to “memorable”!

Our tour guide (Elias) was thorough & engaging. The tour was customized to our needs and we enjoyed it immensely. We were picked up in style & luxury in a VERY nice Mercedes van. The tour of Ephesus was incredible & informative. Our lunch was nicely prepared with generous portions & was very tasty. The last stop was the wine tasting and it included 5 wines with snacks. I highly recommend this tour. It was a really fun & immersive experience

We had an absolutely wonderful time with Nesrin! She could not have been more knowledgeable or accommodating and our trip included some delightful extra experiences that could only be possible on a private tour. The lunch and included wines were both excellent generous. Also, the van was surprisingly luxurious and our driver was always at the ready. This trip is definitely a cut above other offerings in the area and well worth the price.

Our guide was absolutely wonderful! He was so knowledgeable about Ephesus and the region. Lunch was lovely but I was a little surprised that we were expected to observe a sales pitch on Turkish rugs. . The wine tasting was ok, but the venue was very rushed and hurried us on. We ran out of bread to cleanse our palates between wines and were never given any additional as they were busy. The stray dogs were everywhere in the region. Heartbreaking 😢

Our tour guide Ahu was very friendly, fun and gracious. She was knowledgeable and well versed on the history of Ephesus. Guide and driver were flexible with stops, everything timed out perfectly with one extra unplanned fun stop. Lunch and wine tasting spots were not crowded and very beautiful. Would 100% recommend booking this tour.

Nesrin was the best guide! So knowledgable about Ephesus and great recommendations for wine and lunch. Loved the archeological museum and visiting a family pottery business! Highly recommend!

Emre’s knowledge and attention to detail helped to make our trip special. We can’t wait to come back with friends and family.

Awesome tour. It's private so it's customizable. We did the terrace houses instead of the house of Mary and added a stop to see the rug weaving. Selçuk was the best guide. He speaks great English and is very patient. Thank you Selçuk and Kemal (our very safe driver)!

This tour was fantastic! We really enjoyed this personalized tour with Nesrin. We could visit almost all of the places to go in Ephesus. Her arrangement and knowledge were perfect. We learned about turkish history and cluture so deeply. We'd highly recomemded this tour :) -------in Japanese こちらのツアーは、本当におすすめです！ネスリンさんのガイド付きのパーソナルツアー、本当に楽しみました。エフェソスで行くべきところは、ほとんど回れたと思います。彼女のアレンジメントと知識は完璧でした。トルコの歴史と文化を深く学ぶことができました。このツアーを高くお勧めします。

Gigi was the best guide. We had such a memorably wonderful day with an amazing tour and the best wine tasting. Thank you, Gigi

It was an amazing day, Emre our tour guide picked us up on time perfectly said where, afterwards he took us to Ephesus and told us everything about the history... Fantastic he had such knowledge is great to listen to him,he took us to a wonderful place for lunch where we learnthos nowadays woman still wave carpets amazing to see. And then he took us for a wine tasting.He gives us always a good feeling 5 stars for this excellent experience.It was a perfect 👍 choice and I recommend this trip highly!OUTSTANDING!

Fantastic tour! Nesrin picked me up at the port and we went in a beautiful van. My wife and I had already done Ephesus and Mary’s House previously, so I asked Nesrin that I would like to just spend two hours doing Ephesus so I could enhance my knowledge. I didn’t have any more time to do the wine tasting or lunch, but I know that would have been special. Both Nesrin and her husband Emre are true professionals. She answered all of my questions and really showed passion for her work. This company excels at customer service and enhancement! Well done! Thank you! Bryce

It was a great tour experience and the guide is very friendly and knowledgeable about Ephesus history. The food was delicious and fresh. Wine was the best and perfectly pair with cheese. The only surprise we had was about the selling of rugs . They were insisting constantly to buy and we were not interested.

A perfect professional tour in a reliable way, wonderful time with Emre. Then beautiful lunch and delicious wine at the winery. He picked us up at the cruise terminal and brought us back with a good time before the boarding time. Thank you Emre, we will come back. and recommend your company to all friends. 5 * tour, excellent service.

Emre was the best tour guide, he explained every detail. The food and wine were amazing. Was the best tour we had in our trip. I highly recommend this tour if you are going to visit Kuşadasi port.

Our tour guide was amazing , super helpful and very attentive! He was so enthusiastic and filled with knowledge of the ruins, after our lunch and wine tasting was incredible. Highly recommend!

This is the type of experience we look for when abroad.A great combination of local history and modern culture. We were ahead of the large crowds and had comfortable accommodations. Selçuk was informative and personable. We would do this again.

The private tour was memorable. Emre, the owner of the travel agency was the tour guide. He is flexible, punctual and very knowledgeable. It felt like chatting with an old friend. Emre shared about anything.

This was the absolute highlight of our 7 night cruise through the Greek islands and Turkey. Nesrin contacted us the day before to confirm our reservation and advise us to meet earlier in the day due to the heat. She met us as planned right outside of the port and let us immediately to a very nice air conditioned Mercedes van. It was luxurious. Nesrin started helping us to plan our day asking us what we were interested in in order to customize our experience We immediately went to Ephesus. Nesrin was extremely knowledgeable about the site and we spent several hours there learning about the ancient Ephesians. After that we went to the shrine/house of mother Mary. This was a beautiful site and again, Nesrin had all the information on the history. After this we went to a winery where we tasted delicious wines and had a wonderful lunch. Nesrin helped us to pick the best food and wines. This was lovely and relaxing. Next we went to the burial site of St. John. Once again Nesrin was informative and customized our experience so that we learned about all of the history. Last we went to a rug making co-op. This was a fascinating experience and it was so fun to see the beautiful artwork. There was little pressure to buy the rugs and overall this was a good experience. We were so sad to say goodbye to Nesrin at the end of our day. It was the best experience we could have asked for and we’d love to do this again

We had an amazing time. This tour was very well thought out and everything was amazing. Our tour guide arrived on time with a clean, comfortable, and air conditioned vehicle - including a driver! Her English was very good and so was her knowledge of turkey and the surrounding places. We had a great tour and learned all kinds of amazing facts. I was with my parents who walk slower and she guided us through some of the slippery / steps parts. We also stopped at a local village where we learned how some of the crafts were made. This was also a unique and welcomed experience. Thank you for such an amazing day! My dad kept saying what a nice time he had and how he was thankful we did this tour.

Phoenicia Travel provided my group with an unforgettable experience during our full day private tour of Ephesus and beyond. From the moment we set foot on the ruins of Ephesus to the delightful visit to a local farm where we witnessed the intricate process of rug making, every moment was filled with wonder and learning. Our guide, Emre, was an absolute gem - accommodating, knowledgeable, and entertaining. He made the tour come alive with his insights and stories, adding a personal touch that made the experience truly special. The farm to table lunch served in the vineyards was a culinary delight, showcasing the best of local Turkish cuisine. Visiting Mary's house and the historic ceramic studio added layers of cultural richness to our day, and the wine sampling was a perfect way to end the tour. Phoenicia Travel went above and beyond in customizing this tour, ensuring that every detail was thoughtfully planned and executed. I highly recommend them for anyone looking for a top-notch travel experience in Turkey. Thank you for a day filled with beauty, culture, and memories that will last a lifetime!

We had an excellent experience on this tour from our cruise port in Kusadasi, providing an appreciation for the rich history and culture. The tour of Ephesus was the main highlight of the day. Azime, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable about the ancient ruins, and it was fascinating to learn about the significance and purpose of each excavated area within the city. She helped us visualize the city as it existed in its prime, even demonstrating the acoustics of the theatre by playing a recording of traditional music that reverberated for all in the theatre to hear. Azime was happy to adapt the tour along the way to add anything else we might enjoy. When we mentioned an interest in learning about the local pottery, she took us to visit a shop where her family worked. The shop had beautiful, handcrafted ceramics that showcased traditional techniques. We learned about their unique clay and glazing, the heritage of ceramics in Selçuk, and the passion and dedication that goes into creating these beautiful works of art. We concluded this wonderful day with a visit to a beautiful local winery for a wine tasting. We also opted to add a delicious lunch, which gave us more time to chat with Azime about the area in which she was raised. We were more off the beaten path and truly enjoyed the serene views and an enjoyable time conversing about food, life, and Turkish hospitality all while enjoying more wine. We would highly recommend this tour or any of Azime's tour offerings. She does a fantastic job bringing history to life and sharing her passion for her home.

From enquiry to finishing our trip I cannot fault the service and professionalism we received from Phoenicia Travel. Our trip was a last minute decision but we are so glad we chose it! Our guide was Emre who was friendly, knowledgeable and generally a lovely guy. The excursion offered excellent value for money and was perfect for myself and my father to enjoy quality time together whilst embracing the culture and sights Izmir had to offer. I cannot recommend the company enough. Thanks so much for making our visit so welcoming and enjoyable. We hope to see you in the Summer! 🫶

Everything was as planned. The team was friendly and helpfull. The tour guide had necessary historical and local knowledge. The tour is planned based our needs and it met our expectations.

From the moment we met Azime, we knew we were going to have a great time. She is a very knowledgeable, fun, easy to talk to Tour Guide. One of the best we’ve ever had!!! She made our visit to Ephesus very memorable. She shared enough and interesting information throughout the day. We finished with an awesome wine tasting in a beautiful winery. I highly recommend her as your next tour guide. Thanks Azime!!

We had a wonderful private tour with Emre. He was a great resource, super friendly, well informed. It was like touring Izmir with an old friend. The ruins were surprisingly beautiful and well preserved. We loved touring the old grand villas of Ephesus. The restorations are impressive. The wine tasting was the perfect way to end a busy day of sight seeing. We enjoyed the drive through the countryside and the vineyards.