Private Day Trip from Istanbul to Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary

Posted By : 441kirkj
Ephesus has to be seen to be believed. The ruins of the city are amazing. And the tour was exceptional. Everything went very smoothly—being picked up and returned to our hotel, the flights from Istanbul to Izmir, and the transportation from Izmir to the various sites. Our tour guide was also very good. A must-do experience.
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Posted On : 2023-07-13 11:47:23

Posted By : WellTreadShoes
Many thanks to Ozgur for very prompt assistance with the booking.

The tour started in the morning with your flight out from Istanbul at 0630HRs. Arrived at Izmir around 0800HRs--ish. Picked up by the tour driver and this would be the car being used on the tour. The tour guide was picked up on the way to the House of Mary. House of Mary was good, if a little underwhelming. Understandably so since it was the house of a very pious woman and mother of Son of God/prophet (depending on your religion). Do not forget to leave a wish on the famous wall here. Do not buy souvenirs here and wait until Ephesus for that.

Ephesus was an excellent sight. Watch out for the marble floors while walking. Ensure to visit inside of the Library of Celsius and take pics there. You will visit the site of Temple of Artemis soon after lunch.

The tour was a bit tiring on account of the long travels involved (flights in and out of Istanbul plus 45min travel both ways from Izmir to Ephesus). Also, is best to substitute the leather making/rug making/pottery sessions with a museum visit instead. The lady guide appeared to be more interested in walking you through the money-making shops in the vicinity than moving on to the next site.

The tour could have offered a free lunch and museum visit due to the large cost involved. But overall, I liked the tour.
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Posted On : 2021-07-28 01:21:22

Posted By : flatinag
We had the opportunity to take this tour with Emre as our guide and Huso as our driver and we had a great time! Emre showed us the best places and provided all the information. He really knew what he was talking about. This trip worth every penny we spent. Highly recommended!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Posted On : 2020-12-30 05:55:25

Posted By : bryces523
I had a wonderful time touring Ephesus with my guide Riza and driver Okan. Riza was extremely knowledgeable, approachable, and easy to talk to.
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Posted On : 2020-12-19 07:03:10

Posted By : Aura M
The best part of my trip! I had so much fun, learned a lot, and felt the trio surpassed my expectations. My transport from my hostel, Osque, was on time and very friendly. He also picked me up at the end of the day and was easy to locate at the airport.
Riza, my tour guide was so friendly and knowledgeable. He picked a great place to stop off for lunch and I really enjoyed the meal. He knew all about each place we stopped and allowed me as much time as I wanted to wander or move on to the next thing.
Everything was communicated well. Pickups were seamless. This was absolutely worth the expense.
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Posted On : 2020-11-15 04:01:56

Posted By : Aura_M
This was the highlight of my trip to Turkey. I am very happy with the whole experience. There was great communication from the beginning. My driver in Istanbul, Osque, picked me up on time at my hostel and was very professional. The process to catch the flight was easy and my tour guide, Riza, and driver in Izmir, Okan, were there waiting with a sign on time. Riza was an excellent guide. He was very knowledgeable and easy to get along with. He asked my opinion on which extra stops I’d like to make. The lunch recommendation was spot on. I would let Riza lead the way on selecting the food. It was delicious. Seeing Ephesus was an amazing experience beyond what I thought it would be. And being in a small, private tour is much easier to be flexible and ask questions. Definitely worth the expense.
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Posted On : 2020-11-12 02:25:55

Posted By : Jsteck87
The idea of traveling to Ephesus was very interesting to me.
So I decided to purchase this privet day tour with my girlfriend.
The two of us got top notch service and professionalism. If you are looking for souvenirs they offer you some great and unique items difficult to find in other places.
The guide was excellent, privet tours are the way to go it was just the 2 of us and our guide, full attention lots of opportunity for great photos lots of interesting facts and history.
Prepare for a long day if you are flying from Istanbul it is very long but worth it.
I think you’ll be glad you spent a the money, everything is taken care of they pick you up drop you off very nice new vehicles.
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Posted On : 2020-10-15 06:20:31

Posted By : Jonathan_B
Excellent!! Incredible! A must if you in the area at all .
Tour guide ( Riza) and driver (Burak) were amazing !!!
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Posted On : 2020-10-05 14:42:54

Posted By : Kim_M_China
Booking through Viator was simple and exactly as they stated. Transportation was coordinated for me, including purchasing plane tickets, and local transportation in Ephesus. Since I was traveling alone, and only had 1 day for the tour, I really appreciated that Viator handled all of the logistics.

My tour guide was so professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful. He knew exactly how to pace the tour and adjust for my personal interests, including the perfect spot for the best photos. His knowledge of the history of Ephesus was overwhelming at times but very helpful to learn in a real and authentic way as we walked and talked along the streets of this ancient city. It was truly an amazing experience that I couldn't have had if I tried to manage the tour alone. Thankyou Viator and to may amazing tour guide for this great experience.
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Posted On : 2019-10-30 19:05:59

Posted By : Catmaggle
Excellently organised, informative and helpful guide. Trip organisers were helpful and communicative even when I messed up the dates. Highly recommended.
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Posted On : 2019-09-27 09:22:19