Ekol guide & tour recommendations, mobility questions

[Infi]

We are planning to book with Ekol for both Ephesus and Istanbul on our upcoming cruise. Can anyone recommend a specific guide that they enjoyed while using Ekol (both Istanbul and Ephesus)? Looking to request someone who's both knowledgeable and fun who can give us a great tour.

 

Second: I'm deciding between Ephesus/Virgin Mary house/Temple of Artemis and the other itinerary, which is identical but includes St. John's Basilica and is 5 hours instead of 4. Is St. John's worth it? Will that be an extremely busy day? We are in port from 7am to 1pm, so know it will be rushed regardless, but don't want to rush at the expense of any of the sites.

 

Also, I have a bad knee and have issues walking up stairs. What, if any, areas would be the hardest or impossible to do? I know the Terrace Houses have steps, but how many are there? How many hills and how much walking can I expect? If someone could describe the layout of the sites, that would be really helpful. I'm specifically wondering about Ephesus, but if there's any issues in Istanbul, I'd appreciate hearing about them too. Thanks so much.

[cruisemom42]

Sorry I can't recommend a guide. I've done Istanbul on my own and the guide I had in Kusadasi I wouldn't recommend that highly....

 

My own preference would be for St Johns basilica over the Virgin Mary House, but if I recall correctly, there is a bit of a hill to walk up in order to access the ruins of the basilica.

 

At Ephesus, the walking is mostly downhill from where your bus or van drops you off. That's the good news. However, the footing is sometimes uneven, so it pays to always watch your step and be careful. A twisted ankle or fall would be all too easy.

 

The Terrace Houses would be the most difficult with a bad knee. There are numerous steps on the inside (the steps and landings are made of a clear plexiglass that enables you to see the houses beneath you); basically you are climbing up the terraced hill. If I recall correctly, you may have short flights of 6-8 steps (and some longer flights), interspersed with level "viewing areas". There are rails. I do not recall places to sit inside, but I may be wrong.

 

The toughest part, I would think, is the descent outside the Terrace Houses. You finish inside at the top of the terraced hill. Then you must exit the building and walk down the fairly steep slope of the hill outside. My mom (73 at the time, with some knee issues) had a difficult time making it down. She did not have any significant problems on the way up.

 

If you do a Google search for images of the Terrace Houses, you may get a better idea of what they are like.

 

As for Istanbul, there is a lot of walking in the central area. In order to see the upper floor of Haghia Sophia, you have to ascend about 2 flights of stairs. I believe either the way up or the way down is a ramp; can't remember which. The upper floor is well worth seeing -- beautiful mosaics. The Basilica Cistern has a long flight of steps down in order to reach the Cistern area (and of course back up when you're done). The Hippodrome itself is relatively flat, but in and around Sultanahmet area it is a little hilly. The Blue Mosque has no stairs that I recall.

[Fblack]

We did the Ephesus/Virgin Mary house/Temple of Artemis tour with EKOL. Our guide did a great job. I too have a bad knee. The Temple of Artemis is about a 10 minute stop in a parking lot looking at nothing but ruins. Mary's house is well paved, with mostly ramps, and is easy to get around. Ephesus is another story. While the entire site is relatively flat, there are many places where the sidewalks are broken, rocky, and slightly slick. Since you are only in port a short time I would save the hour at St. Johns and use it to explore the area outside the pier.

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Also, I have a bad knee and have issues walking up stairs. What, if any, areas would be the hardest or impossible to do? I know the Terrace Houses have steps, but how many are there? How many hills and how much walking can I expect? If someone could describe the layout of the sites, that would be really helpful. I'm specifically wondering about Ephesus, but if there's any issues in Istanbul, I'd appreciate hearing about them too. Thanks so much.

__________________

I am concerned for you about the climbing. The Terrace Houses are inside an enclosed "building, with a network of stairs and platforms, which weave back and forth across the ruins. They are covered with plexiglass at strategic points so you can see the excavations below. The flights of stairs are very sturdy, metal, with good/strong handrails. But, there are many flights and many steps. On the day we were there it was uncrowded in the Terrace Houses and if you encounter the same, you will be able to make your way slowly. It is well worth seeing if you feel you can manage it.

 

All of the ruins we went in our Ephesus tour seemed to have steps of some sort. I took a bad fall in Rome and had a knee that was swollen, and I was able to get up and down, but not without a little difficulty and hanging onto my husband a lot of the time for support. Some of the steps are pretty steep and have nothing to hold onto. The guide takes you through and up and down as he/she maneuvers from one area to another. I was often able to walk sideways to a more level spot....but some places are rocky and steep.

[zqvol]

We are planning to book with Ekol for both Ephesus and Istanbul on our upcoming cruise. Can anyone recommend a specific guide that they enjoyed while using Ekol (both Istanbul and Ephesus)? Looking to request someone who's both knowledgeable and fun who can give us a great tour.

 

Second: I'm deciding between Ephesus/Virgin Mary house/Temple of Artemis and the other itinerary, which is identical but includes St. John's Basilica and is 5 hours instead of 4. Is St. John's worth it? Will that be an extremely busy day? We are in port from 7am to 1pm, so know it will be rushed regardless, but don't want to rush at the expense of any of the sites.

 

Also, I have a bad knee and have issues walking up stairs. What, if any, areas would be the hardest or impossible to do? I know the Terrace Houses have steps, but how many are there? How many hills and how much walking can I expect? If someone could describe the layout of the sites, that would be really helpful. I'm specifically wondering about Ephesus, but if there's any issues in Istanbul, I'd appreciate hearing about them too. Thanks so much.

 

Let me suggest that Nur at EKOL will assign you a wonderful guide. If you want one that we enjoyed in Ephesus as for Inan.

 

Second, no matter where you go in the region, and in spite of what any one will suggest there are a lot of hills, both up and down and uneven terrain at all the sites. The terrace houses raise approximately the modern equivalent of 6 or 7 stories above the ground. It is 100% steps up and down.

 

The house of the Virgin Mary is on a hill but is all ramps and an easy walk.

 

The Temple of Artimes is a 10 minute stop at most, on a gravel parking lot.

 

St. John's Basicila is up a hill with quiet a few uneven steps.

 

You are going to spend about 30 minutes at the house of the Virgin Mary, about 90 minutes at Ephesus, 20 minutes at the Basilica and 10 minutes at the Temple of Artemis. Ekol will also take you to a stop for lunch and a carpet co-op. Be open minded a bout the carpet stop it is a wonderful experience.

[chipmaster]

Guide in Kusadasi for Ephesus: Ali, A+

 

My 82 year dad was able to walk the the whole route but slowely and with me holding him. Forget the terrace houses as there is climbing there, just the walk is amazing, but it is a long walk but all downhill with uneven pavement.

 

Good luck

[Roadtripster]

Ditto to everything mentioned above.

 

We had a wonderful, knowledgable guide. Her name is Rabia. I was asking her how she knew so much history and I couldn't believe how many years of schooling she had.

 

Ephesus was one of our top 3 destinations. But definitely the top one for historical and the one stop that we didn't expect to be so intriqued with and really, really enjoyed.

 

We just told our guide we did not want to stop for lunch or at any souvenir places or the carpet school. Instead, when we were finished, we headed straight back to the ship.

[Infi]

Wow, thank you so much to everyone for your replies - I was not expecting such great response. Thanks for the tour guide suggestions, I really appreciate them. If anyone has any Ekol guide suggestions for Istanbul, I'd love to hear those too. And a special thanks to Cruisemom - I always appreciate your knowledgeable replies, and the suggestion to google the Terrace Houses was so smart - now I know what to expect.

 

I'm a little unsure of what to do now. Based on everything here, I know I will not be able to do the Terrace Houses. My DD, however, would probably enjoy it so I think we will add it on anyway. I can just wait on the side or in the car, I guess.

 

As for the rest of our schedule, I'm thinking Ephesus, Temple of Artemis, and Virgin Mary's house. I'm just really concerned about the timing: we are only in port from 7am - 1pm, which is 5 hours at best for touring. I could stand to skip the carpet salespitch and probably lunch too, if it makes the rest of our touring less stressful. If I nixed those two stops, would Ephesus/Temple/Mary's house/Terrace houses be more relaxed and doable? Could I add in St. John's as well (and is it that much of must-see)? I'd like to see it, but I feel like adding St. John's is pushing my luck, and the uphill part worries me. Thanks again for any insight.

[cruisemom42]

I'm a little unsure of what to do now. Based on everything here, I know I will not be able to do the Terrace Houses. My DD, however, would probably enjoy it so I think we will add it on anyway. I can just wait on the side or in the car, I guess.

 

As for the rest of our schedule, I'm thinking Ephesus, Temple of Artemis, and Virgin Mary's house. I'm just really concerned about the timing: we are only in port from 7am - 1pm, which is 5 hours at best for touring. I could stand to skip the carpet salespitch and probably lunch too, if it makes the rest of our touring less stressful. If I nixed those two stops, would Ephesus/Temple/Mary's house/Terrace houses be more relaxed and doable? Could I add in St. John's as well (and is it that much of must-see)? I'd like to see it, but I feel like adding St. John's is pushing my luck, and the uphill part worries me. Thanks again for any insight.

 

Your daughter can do the Terrace Houses -- they are located right in the middle of Ephesus itself, so your guide can perhaps find a place for you to sit down (there are a few spots just opposite the library, so you can enjoy the beautiful view there) while she sees them.

 

I would not even contemplate lunch or rug shopping with only 5 hours to tour. I would recommend doing Ephesus (with the Terrace Houses), a brief stop to see the Temple of Artemis, and possibly the Virgin Mary house if it is important to you. Anything else would be at risk of limiting your time in Ephesus -- and that is really the showstopper of the tour.

[Turtles06]

We used Ekol for a private tour of the Virgin Mary House/Ephesus (including the Terrace Houses)/Temple of Artemis earlier this year, and our guide (Yelda) was fantastic. It was the single most enjoyable day of our entire Med cruise.

 

Nur at Ekol is terrific to deal with for setting up your tour, and via email she can help you determine how much you really have time to see, given your ship's schedule. Also, whether you include a shopping stop is totally up to you -- it's YOUR tour!

 

There are lots of steps in the Terrace Houses, but in different flights, with landings in between as you walk through the various levels. The web site below has some photos, whick should give you a bit of the sense of scale.

 

http://www.travellinkturkey.com/ephesus-terrace-houses.html

 

Ephesus, even without going inside the Terrace Houses, is a good bit of walking, on stone surfaces. Also, please be prepared for the fact that it is likely to be VERY hot when you are there, and there's no real shade; you are walking around in the sun, which is also reflecting off all the stone around you. Hat, sunscreen, plenty of water!

 

It's an extraodinary place, I hope you enjoy it!

[LouL]

Can anyone recommend a tour company for Istanbul. We are there

overnight. Arriving FRiday 11 a.m. and leaving Sat. 2 p.m.

We would want a half day tour for each day.

[Roadtripster]

Can anyone recommend a tour company for Istanbul. We are there

overnight. Arriving FRiday 11 a.m. and leaving Sat. 2 p.m.

We would want a half day tour for each day.

 

Ekol does Istanbul too. Our guide for Ephesus was mentioning her next group she was with was going to do Ephesus with her and then go to Istanbul too. She was going to be their guide in both places.

[D4]

DH and I had a private tour of Ephesus in November.

 

DH has very bad knees and I tried to find out many times on this board how difficult it would be for him. I realized I never got an accurate description. People without mobility issues don't notice the things that make it difficult for those that do.

 

We would have been better off not touring Ephesus. It was beautiful, but I wasn't able to enjoy it or take many pictures because I was focused on helping him get through it safely. He was just trying not to fall.

 

Although it is a downward slope, that makes it more treacherous. The pavement was mainly separate pieces of marble which was damp from the overnight dew and it was VERY slippery.

 

Since it was late November, we didn't have the heat to contend with.

[zqvol]

DH and I had a private tour of Ephesus in November.

 

DH has very bad knees and I tried to find out many times on this board how difficult it would be for him. I realized I never got an accurate description. People without mobility issues don't notice the things that make it difficult for those that do.

 

We would have been better off not touring Ephesus. It was beautiful, but I wasn't able to enjoy it or take many pictures because I was focused on helping him get through it safely. He was just trying not to fall.

 

Although it is a downward slope, that makes it more treacherous. The pavement was mainly separate pieces of marble which was damp from the overnight dew and it was VERY slippery.

 

Since it was late November, we didn't have the heat to contend with.

 

I have to agree with you. Almost all of the historical sites involve a lot of walking over very uneven terrain. Many are on inclines ranging from gentle slopes to outright hills.

 

If you have mobility issues take some extra time and carefully research your tours to avoid disappointment.

[mrs kanga]

We too used EKOL in our tour of Ephesus and Istanbul last May. We had Nahide for Ephesus and Sela for Istanbul and they're both great. I love it that both guides were mindful of the time and traffic. Ephesus involves a lot of walking, steps to climb and some downhill walking. I enjoyed Ephesus. There's really nothing much to see at the Temple of Artemis. Since we didn't have much time as well, we didn't go the Virgin Mary's house or St John. IN Istanbul, we got to see Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque and the Sultan's Palace, and the Grand Bazaar. But traffic was really bad that day so we opted not to spend so much time at the Bazaar since it's so huge. Lots of things to buy if you have the time to browse. Hope that helps.