Day Trip To Ephesus From Or To Istanbul With Flight And Lunch

The trip was organized in a very well structured and coordinated manner. From the start to the end everything was perfectly executed. The pickups, domestic flights, tours all were great. Ozz the tour guide also did his best in explaining the history behind the trip and taking care of the all twelve members of the group in every way. Very much impressed.

The good: The tour of Ephesus itself was phenomenal. My dad is a history junkie so this was particularly fascinating for him. A couple of suggestions: if you’re visiting during hot summer days, bring an umbrella/cooling towels. The guide mentioned there are multiple ambulances called for people suffering from heat stroke. I feel that if it is that common, this should be mentioned. Nothing regarding this was mentioned before heading out for the trip. I’d suggest if you’re traveling with any elderly people with heart conditions to be extremely mindful of these weather conditions. The bad: There was some miscommunication about how the entry tickets would be purchased. The tour company suggests you bring CASH to pay THEM for ticket entries. I specifically stated that I would prefer to pay with card for the tickets at the ticket kiosks instead. (They mark up the entry tickets) All was agreed upon but at the end I was sent a link to pay via credit card instead. Just created another headache and unexpected upcharge. The ugly: I’m writing this section because I wish so badly someone warned me about this part of the tour. We were taken to this weaving center around 2pm. Mind you, we’d been walking around in the hot sun for hours. I’d suggest lunch be served before this. The Heirloom Weaving Center has extremely aggressive salesmen. While I appreciate how they supposedly support their local women in obtaining certificates in weaving, I did not like how aggressive they were with asking for my credit card and following me around until I paid. They wouldn’t accept AMEX even though they could’ve. In their contract it states that if paid in AMEX, they’d legally have to charge in Turkish Lira. They clearly wanted to only charge in USD so told me to use visa instead. It was not until after paying and reading their contract (contract is given after paying) that I learned that their items are Nonrefundable. It’s absurd that for a large company like this to charge exorbitant prices and to now allow any returns. I’m kicking myself for not just backing out. It was an extremely high pressure environment especially when they take you to other rooms with only men surrounding you. Additionally I have just now learned that selling these rugs provides commissions to the tour guides and drivers. I felt having a trusted tour guide would’ve shielded us from being fleeced, but was quite the contrary of how things are run. Unfortunate end to this tour.

We had a great time. The tour guide was wonderful and she really knew her stuff. However, didn’t really need to go to carpet factory and be pressured to make purchase. Time better spent elsewhere

Ephesus is worth a visit for its historical significance. The day visit from Istanbul was well planned and seamless. The price covered round trip airfare from Istanbul to Izmir, round trip pick up from the hotel to the airport. The tour provider communicated with clear instructions and was responsive. My pickup from the hotel was early and the driver arrived on time. Our tour guide, Ogun was on time to pick us up from the airport in Izmir and the drive to Ephesus was pleasant. I enjoyed the visit to the ruins but less so the House of Mary. The later seems overrated.

This experience was booked on the basis that it starts at 06:00. The day before the experience (after cancellation is possible) I received a text stating that the pick up time was 04:30. This took me to the domestic terminal by 05:30 for a 7am flight. So before booking consider whether you’re ok with a much earlier time than stated. We were met at Izmir and had a short wait while other people in the experience arrived. The 50 minute drive to Ephesus was uneventful. There are obviously a lot of things outside the control of the operator; queues and crowd sizes. The itinerary was followed; the ‘house’ of the Virgin Mary (long queue) the main Ephesus site (no queue, but some areas were very busy) the temple of Artemis, lunch, carpet making demonstration. Return to airport at 16:30 for 17:55 return flight. Upon return to Istanbul - delay with taxi back. So, overall as described. A tiring day, mostly due to the lack of notice as to how early the start would be.

Amazing experience with Funda. She was very knowledgeable and helped us go back in time and see life in Ephesus.

To see Ephesus is amazing as the site is pretty well preserved and they are working to restore more. This tour requires very early pickup in Istanbul. It is very well organized and we had a guide for just the two of us. Her name was Isik and she was very good. The amount of time we spent at the ruins was about 2 hours or maybe a bit longer. That is the highlight of the trip. There are other filler stops such as the Virgin Mary shrine and a local carpet store. It is along day for the amount of time at Ephesus. If you have time constraints then this is good trip to get you to Ephesus and back. I rated this 4/5 mostly because of the ratio of time at Ephesus vs the duration of the tour.

All aspects of a complicated day went seamlessly. Our guide was lively and well-informed and we had a fun day.

While the day was a bit rushed by necessity, and the cruise traffic and torrents of tourists in early May were nearly overwhelming -- still the site is remarkable enough to overlook all that -- add in an impressive 18 minute a visual presentation at the visitor center, two other area locations like the amazing remnants of the St. John Basilica and the Artemis site , and I would still do it again despite the cost -- the company was reliable and thorough with all of the logistics and I was impressed. Recommend.

The tour operator was very knowledgeable about the main tour stops. She explained the history of the house of Mary, the temple of Artemis, and ancient Ephesus. She was very friendly and pleasant. If we had kept to only the originally planned itinerary, it would have been great. Unfortunately, the other stops added outside the itinerary were not very appropriate to the historical tone of the tour. Our guide took us to two extra stops, a rug factory and a couture fashion house. Our tour guide didn’t fully explain what those activities would be like. The rug factory was all hand made and the examples and education in how to make rugs were cool. They were beautiful local rugs. However, there was extreme pressure to purchase a rug and poor attitude when we declined. Next there was a formal fancy fashion show of non-local expensive designer clothing. She did ask us if we wanted to go but didn’t fully explain what it would be like. The show felt very random and inappropriate. There was pressure to buy and it had nothing to do with local history. The history stops were great but the overall tour needs some adjustment. If there was going to be extra time outside of the tour, we should have spent the time on local interests or local cultural activities that didn’t pressure you to buy. Learning about the local history was great and the tour guide as excellent on that aspect of the tour.

Our guide, Medi, was informative and pleasant, though she certainly has a challenging task convincing guests to undertake the grueling 16-hour trek from Istanbul to Izmir. The Itinerary: Be prepared for an early start; my day began with a 4:00 AM wake-up call. The first stop at the House of the Virgin Mary felt like the weakest link—it seemed more like a tourist trap than a historical site, and I personally found it unimpressive. Ephesus: The ancient city itself was the highlight. While it was frustrating to find that an additional admission fee for the tour's centerpiece was bizarre, the history and ongoing restoration are genuinely exciting to witness. Our group opted out of the digital film, which allowed for a more undesired free time before our return flight. The "Sales Pitch": Prospective travelers should be aware of the "forced" shopping stops for rugs and leather. Given the sleep deprivation from such a long day, I found the high-pressure sales environment more frustrating than inviting. A Note on the Istanbul Airport: As an African American traveling with Asian counterparts, I was appalled by the behavior of several airport employees in Istanbul. The smirking and visible insensitivity toward my fellow travelers were unprofessional and offensive. In an international hub, diversity training should be mandatory.

Ephesus was a huge surprise and wasn't what I had expected. I thought after seeing Pompei it would be a let down. It wasn't! Our guide knew much about all the stops we made. Since we came from Istanbul, still suffering jet lag from our US flight, the detailed planning with early AM hotel pickup was awesome. The lunch was outstanding and food was tasty. The stop at the rug factory was informative, but a little high pressure to buy something. But, if you are in the market for a Turkish rug it's very cost effective. A person in our group got them down from $3600 USD to $1900 USD with free shipping to the US. She felt the same type rug in the US would be $7,000 USD.

Waste of time and money. The first half of the day was spent being rushed through the listed attractions that we also had to pay extra for. I would like to add here that I appreciate Medihas historical insight and do not hold her personally responsible for the rest of the day. The second half of the day was spent being hounded relentlessly by carpet and leather salesmen. It became very clear early on that we were just along for the ride and had to sit out the awful experience. Every guest on the tour was clearly put off by the experience. My advice to any employees reading this would be to take more pride in your country by having respect for those visiting as we are not all the stupid piggybanks you may take us as. I feel for these people as they seem to be put on by the government to carry out this embarrassing task in order to receive benefits. May you rise up.

An amazing historical experience and a fantastic guide named Ugur, but it is a long day. From pick up to return to our hotel, our day lasted 17 hours. We spent only about 3 1/2 hours of that at the actual historic sites.

Our Tour Guide, was professional and well knowledge. with College Education, Local from area he is showing you the site he was raise, Barborous Halil Toparkak is the guide everybody dream to have, he anwer every question that is being ask politely to him. Patience, reliable and well knowlege is our personal description of his tour. I think the price is worth for what you will get back form his Tour . Transportation includes 3 different drivers that you will achieve from starting point to your trip to your way back to your Hotel. Entances fees were $60.00 per person extra for Ephesus and Virgin Mary House where the Assumption is said took place. We love it and is one expirience we will take to the rest of our lives.

We were very excited about this experience to begin. However, it did not turn out the way we had imagined. We were flying from Istanbul to Izmir on the day of our tour. Our flight was at 7 in the morning and we reached airport at 5am. Our flight was canceled due to weather and we were put on 10 am flight. We called the tour operator and said that we could not do the full tour and they said we had to choose between the touring the ancient city OR the House of Virgin Mary and Temple of Artemis, which seemed reasonable. We chose House of Virgin Mary and temple of Artemis. We even asked if we could do the pit stop at Ephesus for a few minutes and the tour operator said it was not possible as it was far. We landed in Izmir at 11 and a driver picked us up and drove for an hour to the House of Virgin Mary. We were only there for 30 min. On the way a tour guide joined us who explained some things about this place. As we returned from the Virgin Mary house we saw that the ancient city was indeed on the way and we could have stopped for some time to walk around. But instead, they tour operator said there wasn't time and we drove to Temple of Artmeis which had nothing to see except a pillar, only spending about 15 minutes over there. We were then picked by the transfer bus which dropped us at the airport at 2:30. What was frustrating was that our flight was at 6:30 PM and we spent 4 hours at the airport when we could have also explored the ancient city easily. Overall, we spent only about an hour on the tour sites and spent 4+ hours at the airport. They didn't provide lunch and the tour guide provided was simply filling in for someone and didn't explain much. We also did not get back any credit for our money, whatsoever. Obviously they can't control the flight cancelation but they could have easily adapted the tour to our timeframe. You will end up spending a large part of your day at the airport regardless of the time you get there. Overall, not a good experience.

Ata was a fabulous guide for our trip to Ephesus. He was personable and extremely knowledgeable. We had a great lunch and a side shopping trip. Would highly recommend Ata and our excellent driver.

Highly recommend this tour if you are in Ephesus for a day! Thank you Riza and Erdogan for their kind hospitality. The group of 4 of us enjoyed the trip very much!

Excellent tour and a wonderful guide, Gorki. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely would do another tour. Local knowledge was extremely helpful to make the most of our trip

Another incredible tour and made perfect by our tour guide Efe. Highly recommend taking this. You won’t regret it.

We would recommend this trip without hesitation. It is expensive but worth it. You have to pay that bit extra for quality. I think the key to this is two-fold: 1. Kerem the manager at Tour Altinkum. He promptly answered every question I asked by WhatsApp in the days before our trip and at the end when we arrived back in Istanbul Airport and our driver was delayed owing to traffic congestion he was monitoring closely and did not rest until soon afterwards everything was sorted. 2. Barboros or Barb for short, our local tour guide in Ephesus who picked us up with the driver Salim in Izmir Airport and who was just brilliant with his knowledge and attention to our specific interests. We had a very early start 4.30 am pick up from hotel. The driver was there at 4.20 am and was very friendly and spoke good English. From Izmir whisked to Ephesus . Pleasantly surprised it was just my wife and myself. So this was as private and as personal as you get. Barb has excellent English and an encyclopediac knowledge of Ephesus and the region's culture. He got it just right curating the sites and giving us private time to absorb it all. Highlights the vastness of the thoroughfare of this incredible ancient metropolis and the House of the Virgin Mary. Also, Barb arranged an incredibly tasty genuinely local lunch which was a pleaant surprise. And we welcomed his offer to visit a family run ceramic craft shop which showcased beautiful works of local art and we were plased to buy a couple of things we will treasure. Also we took up the offer to visit an elite leather shop where my wife bought a lovely jacket. We did not feel under any pressure to visit those places but they were authentic representations of the local economy and we were pleased to have the opportunity to see and avail. All in all a quality day out. A very long day. With traffic congestion not back in hotel until around 9.15 pm to catch a late dinner. But very much worth every minute. And I must say arrangements at both Istanbul and Izmir airports were very smooth. No problem carrying 150 ml. sunscreen in my bag that would not be allowed at home in UK or Ireland. A final word. A beautiful sunny mid April day, not too hot. The perfect time of the year to absorb the wonder of the world that is Ephesus. Thank you especially Karem and Barb.

Our tourguide Mitten was awesome! It was only 3 people so it was pretty intimate and doesn’t feel passive. We took our time going through the sights

There wasn’t much to see in house of Virgin Mary. In my opinion that could have been skipped. Ephesus is a must visit for anyone visiting Turkey. Overall we had a wonderful experience. Our guide: Metin was friendly and highly knowledgeable.

This was an amazing day for us. Hotel pickup, transfers and drop off were all on time and very easy. Our guide, Riza, was so knowledgeable about the area, agriculture, local products. He had lots of stories about ancient Ephesus and made the tour very interesting. We learned about the local culture and people who live here. The lunch was huge and very good. Our driver, Okan, was very careful and had a sense of humor. We stopped at two local businesses and requested a third stop so we could buy some local olive oil and pomegranate sauce. It was a long day but so worth it to see this truly fascinating site. Thanks Riza and Okan!

Truly a dream come true everything was so amazing and beautiful. Our guide lady Conchita was incredible very knowledgeable and informative, always attentive to my questions just like a dream come true to be able to visit and enter the Virgin Mary house.

It was a great tour, but we were the only ones on the short tour from Istanbul. We were combined with a group of other folks that were on a more extended tour of the area. Thus, we saw some things that were not on the agenda, including going to a fascinating leather factory.

Seeing the ruins of Ephesus was truly amazing! Our guide was so knowledgeable of the history and made it come alive for us. This was the highlight of our whole trip to Turkey. I do wish we had more time to explore on our own. My only complaint is that the tour bus stopped at 2 different places to make sales pitches for local products. That's not what I came for.

It was such an amazing experience! Very educational and fun at the same time. Our tour guide Riza is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. He’s very patient. I would highly recommend this tour!

Superb! Awesome! Thank you Mr Kerem & Gökcem! Mr Kerem you are the best! Solve our missed flight prob really fast & we did enjoy the trip so much :)

I really appreciated the tour from Istanbul to Izmir for the one day trip.. The tour package was very organized and professional. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you especially to Kareem, who arranged my tour from the beginning which I was purchased the tour package online up the end.. and also thank you to Riza, he was our Tour guide in this trip…

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour. The entire tour was well planned and executed. We flew into Izmir from Istanbul and back. All transfers were seamless. The guide was exceptional with a professional fun style. He spoke fluent perfect English. He was well versed in all of the history and civilization of the area. The driver was excellent. Both were accommodating to the people on the tour. Would highly recommend.

While an early start from Istanbul, this trip was managed seamlessly from the company's clear and responsive communications, guidance on travel (COVID), the hotel pick-up/drop-off, arranging the flight tickets to of course the guide and driver who were excellent. Riza was professional, knowledgeable and proud of his local region, culture and it's produce (pomegranates in Oct). Not only did we receive a good brief and clearer understanding of the sites seen on the tour but also about the region's arts and crafts scene and agriculture of which is absolutely delicious (lunch was great!). The driver Okan was respectful and flexible in allowing us to see a little bit more of the region with the time available at the end of the day.....this was very much appreciated! And of course Ephesus, The Temple of Artemis and Mary's House.....fantastic jewels in Turkey's crown. Completely worth morning wake up call :-)

It was a great tour and thw guide is informative and friendly. It was a last minute bookinv but manages to find a spot for me. They went an extra mile for me especially with my transport to airport. Highly recommended. Very hospitable and welcoming!

It was amazing!!! Our tour guide Rosy(Ganca) is very knowledgeable and hospitable. She is very enthusiastic and we had so much fun.

Extremely professional! Will go above and beyond to make certain your stay in Turkey is amazing. All of the guides provided were splendid, with an extra shout out to Emre in Kuşadası for his passion and friendliness!

In november we booked the ephesus tour from istanbul. Everything was arranged very well. The transfer timing was perfect, we didn't have to wait. Our tour guide was Riza who did a perfect job. Good knowledge and experienced, fluent talking. We advice everyone to visit ephesus. A wonderfull place, also perfect to visit in winterseason. We would definitly book a new trip with Tour Altinkum. Perfect organisation, friendly people!

Met by our Tour Guide Emre at airport and went from there. Emre was so easy to be with and so well informed it made the tour really great! Highly recommend for a fab day out.The site itself is amazing.

I had toured Ephesus last year with a group of friends, but that did not compare to this year! From the pickup at our hotel in Istanbul, to the flight transfers, the tour itself, lunch, and the return to our hotel, everything was wonderful and professional. We did not run into any issues at all. The tour itself was amazing, and our tour guide, Emre, was fantastic! He was so knowledgeable and friendly, and was more than able to answer any questions we had. He was very professional and made sure we were taken care of. I would not hesitate to book through this company again, and have already recommended it to friends!

We did the one day Ephesus tour from Istanbul and had a wonderful experience. We were picked up from our hotel at the agreed time and had plenty of time at the airport not to feel hassled. On arrival at Izmar we were met by our guide for the day, Gonca. It turned out that as a group of four we had her all to ourselves. Gonca was very knowledgeable and extremely personable and was able to answer all our questions. We visited the amazing city of Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, the House of the Virgin Mary and even managed to fit in a quick, informative visit to a local pottery and carpet shop. The price included a great local restaurant for lunch which was excellent. Our driver (whose name I forget) was also great and took us safely back to Izmar airport. On arrival back at Istanbul another driver returned us to our hotel. A long day but thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it . Thank you to Gonca and the driver. Highly recommend it.

Excellent guide. About equal time touring attractions and lunch plus driving to tourist shops. Very hot after May.

This tour was well organized. The tour guide was waiting for us at the airport and very attentive from the beginning to the end. She was very knowledgeable and the tour was great!

I like the city. It is so nice to explore, walk in the city and visit the carpet factory where we ended up buying a carpet for personal use at home. The weather did not cooperate though because it was raining so hard while we were in a tour. We went up to a nice seafood restaurant and we live the food served to us. Awesome. The driver and the tourist guide were so nice to all of us. Thank you.

Had a great tour. Our guide Gonca was fantastic and extremely knowledgeable. The pick up from Istanbul was seamless. Highly recommended.

Przewodnik oraz oganizacja wycieczki perfekcyjna. Gorąco polecam wszystkim zainteresowanym światem antycznym i nie tylko.

We took the day tour from Istanbul to Efeso Tou. We had an amazing time. We were picked up at our hotel at the agreed time, we were already at the airport for a while, but it was not annoying at all. Upon arriving in Izmar we met Gonca who was to be our guide this day. Gonca is amazing, she is very professional, she has a great knowledge of the places, she is friendly, very funny, she is a very open person and makes you feel confident you barely know her, because she makes you feel so confident we could ask her without regret everything we wanted about the places, she always answered us kindly and patiently. On our tour we visited the impressive city of Ephesus, went to the temple of Artemis, the house of the virgin Mary, even had time to go to the carpet shop. At the end of our tour, our driver (who was also very attentive to us) took us to Izmar airport safely. Once in Istanbul another driver returned us to our hotel. It was a very exciting day, we enjoyed every minute. Thank you very much to Gonca and our driver. We had a great time. We recommend them with closed eyes!!

A tour that will take you back thousands of years and marvel at how man was able to build these structures and marble columns, statues, mosaics. Guide Riza, impressed during the tour with his deep knowledge and ability to express his thoughts. I had a very early and long journey ahead of me, but every minute was worth it. I highly recommend you visit this unique ancient city ✌️

3 days ago we visited Ephesus from Istanbul. The organization was at the top. Airport transfers were on time and we didn't have to wait. Our guide Riza was very knowledgeable about the place and answered any questions we might have. Since the restaurants were closed, we had to eat doner, which was a little simple, but delicious. Speaking of the ancient city of Ephesus; I recommend that everyone visit and see this place. It's really big, with a lot of architectural monuments to see. The fact that there were only 4 of us on the tour made it more comfortable. It was like an individual tour. It is also worth visiting the carpet store, where we learned from local craftsmen how to make carpets, and if you want to buy a gift, be sure to bargain like us. If I'm going to rate the whole tour, I'll put 10/8, this tour was worth its money, especially since it's the lowest price we found for such a beautiful service!!