Kusdasi (and Turkey, in general) Tour Guide

[FWFrog]

Several years ago we visited Turkey on a Renaissance Cruise itinerary. We arranged a private Ephesus tour. However, upon arrival, we found that our tour guide had made alternate arrangements for us as he was injured in accident. We are returning to Turkey next summer and would love to find either one of these guides. Hoping they might read this post or someone will have contact information. Our guide for the day was a woman named Eti (correct spelling??) I believe she was an art historian involved in the restoration of Ephesus. Does this ring a bell with anyone?? Would love any inforamtion.

 

Thanks!!

 

[havcamwiltravel]

Several years ago we visited Turkey on a Renaissance Cruise itinerary. We arranged a private Ephesus tour. However, upon arrival, we found that our tour guide had made alternate arrangements for us as he was injured in accident. We are returning to Turkey next summer and would love to find either one of these guides. Hoping they might read this post or someone will have contact information. Our guide for the day was a woman named Eti (correct spelling??) I believe she was an art historian involved in the restoration of Ephesus. Does this ring a bell with anyone?? Would love any inforamtion.

 

Thanks!!

 

Sorry, I can't help you to find that specific guide but I just thought I might put in a word for a company and guide we hired for our tour of Ephesus at Kusadasi, two weeks ago. The company is E-Ephesus tours and the guide we had is a fine, young gentleman named Mehmet.

 

Even though I could not find more than one other review, which was a very positive review, I decided to hire E-Ephesus, mainly because they were so much cheaper than other companies. Now, I know that is usually not the best idea - to hire a tour company because they're less expensive - but in this case, all of my queries and requests were dealt with promptly and efficiently. They understood that I wanted no shopping stops and that a lunch stop would be a decision made on the inspiration of the moment. That impressed me.

 

Our tour was to include Ephesus, with the Terrace Houses, the House of the Virgin Mary and a photo stop at the temple of Artemis. Our tour guide, Mehmet, was waiting for us at the pier and quickly got us into the air-conditioned van so that we could get to the House of the Virgin Mary before the tour buses from the ship arrived. It was an excellent plan.

 

Our visit to the House of the Virgin Mary was a highlight simply because we arrived on a beautiful, sunny morning, there were only two other people there, the birdsong that filled the air was heavenly and the gardens were a delight. We were virtually in solitude for over a half-hour. It was a sublimely peaceful place and memorable for all the reasons one would expect it to be. The hordes began to arrive as we were leaving and the character of the gardens changed dramatically. Mehmet knew what he was doing.

 

Our tour of Ephesus and the Terrace Houses was equally memorable. Mehmet was very knowledgeable, deferential and quite charming. The tour was exhaustive and could not have been at a better pace. Perfect for us.

 

When we drove to Selcuk for the photo op at the Temple of Artemis - because there is not really much to see there - Mehmet asked if we wanted for him to take us to see the Isabey Mosque as we passed by, even though this was not on our itinerary. We were very glad he did as it was a beautiful de-sanctified mosque, with an interesting history - built in 1375 from the very stones of the Temple of Artemis and the city of Ephesus. We were very glad for his initiative.

 

When the tour was about to end, Mehmet gently offered to take us both to lunch and a carpet making factory, in case we had changed our minds. We said that we preferred to spend what little time we had left exploring the port of Kusadasi and the subject was dropped; no pressure at all.

 

All in all, it was a wonderful tour.

 

I hope you find Eti and I hope you also have a wonderful tour, but if you don't find her, you should consider E-Ephesus. They were great.

 

Happy travels!

[FWFrog]

Thank you for the suggestions. I welcome any and all. We travel extensively with our young teenagers and feel that selecting the best guides is our most important travel decision. We will be traveling throughout Turkey and likely into Greece so any and all suggestions would be helpful!

[junglejane]

We just returned from the Celebrity Equinox cruise to the Eastern Mediterranean. We were in Istanbul on June 11 & 12 and in Ephesus on June 13, and used private guides all 3 days. Our group included two families and between us we had kids/teens ages 16, 14, 13 and 10 (also a 7 year old for one of the days).

 

We used Kagan Kosagan in Istanbul, and in Ephesus we used his colleague Yelda Celik. I give both of them a very enthusiastic recommendation.

 

When we planned this trip, we considered Istanbul to be the “crown jewel” of the cruise itinerary. That’s why we decided to seek the services of a top-rated private guide and we were not disappointed. Kagan picked us up at the dock in an air conditioned mini-bus. He is a licensed guide so he accompanied us into the sites (also he can help you short circuit the line at palaces and museums). He used a separate driver so that he could give us his full attention. Kagan gave us invaluable insights into the history, politics and culture of Istanbul. I especially enjoyed the tour of the Harem at Topkapi Palace (and watching Kagan imitate the Sultan’s walk!), and the visit to the beautiful Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian side. In addition to the Topkapi Palace and Harem, we also went to the Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, Cisterns, Galata Tower. We walked by the Blue Mosque but decided the line was too long so we went to the Mosque of Suleiman the Great, which turned out to be a great alternative. We all sat in a circle on the carpet and listened to Kagan tell us about Islam in Turkey.

 

We were also very pleased with our tour in Ephesus . Kagan's colleague Yelda gave us a fantastic tour of ancient Ephesus, the Terrace Houses, the House of the Virgin Mary and St. John’s Basilica, and a photo stop at the Temple of Artemis. Like Kagan, she was everything one could ask for in a guide: professional, very knowledgeable, warm and friendly. In addition to giving us a great tour, she was very helpful with our kids’ food allergy issues when we ordered lunch. Actually, that lunch was one of the highlights of our day. I really enjoyed the pomegranate wine and later the Turkish coffee, complete with Yelda showing us how to read our fortunes in the dregs of the coffee cup. :)

 

Best wishes for a fun visit to Turkey.

[FWFrog]

Thank you for the recommendation. I've pasted into my travel book. We are planning to spend two weeks between Turkey and the Greek Islands so all suggestion are greatly appreciated.

[Hollywood Traveler]

Very helpful. Thanks. We'll follow your advise in Ephesus.

[cruisingsherry]

Sorry, I can't help you to find that specific guide but I just thought I might put in a word for a company and guide we hired for our tour of Ephesus at Kusadasi, two weeks ago. The company is E-Ephesus tours and the guide we had is a fine, young gentleman named Mehmet.

 

Even though I could not find more than one other review, which was a very positive review, I decided to hire E-Ephesus, mainly because they were so much cheaper than other companies. Now, I know that is usually not the best idea - to hire a tour company because they're less expensive - but in this case, all of my queries and requests were dealt with promptly and efficiently. They understood that I wanted no shopping stops and that a lunch stop would be a decision made on the inspiration of the moment. That impressed me.

 

Our tour was to include Ephesus, with the Terrace Houses, the House of the Virgin Mary and a photo stop at the temple of Artemis. Our tour guide, Mehmet, was waiting for us at the pier and quickly got us into the air-conditioned van so that we could get to the House of the Virgin Mary before the tour buses from the ship arrived. It was an excellent plan.

 

Our visit to the House of the Virgin Mary was a highlight simply because we arrived on a beautiful, sunny morning, there were only two other people there, the birdsong that filled the air was heavenly and the gardens were a delight. We were virtually in solitude for over a half-hour. It was a sublimely peaceful place and memorable for all the reasons one would expect it to be. The hordes began to arrive as we were leaving and the character of the gardens changed dramatically. Mehmet knew what he was doing.

 

Our tour of Ephesus and the Terrace Houses was equally memorable. Mehmet was very knowledgeable, deferential and quite charming. The tour was exhaustive and could not have been at a better pace. Perfect for us.

 

When we drove to Selcuk for the photo op at the Temple of Artemis - because there is not really much to see there - Mehmet asked if we wanted for him to take us to see the Isabey Mosque as we passed by, even though this was not on our itinerary. We were very glad he did as it was a beautiful de-sanctified mosque, with an interesting history - built in 1375 from the very stones of the Temple of Artemis and the city of Ephesus. We were very glad for his initiative.

 

When the tour was about to end, Mehmet gently offered to take us both to lunch and a carpet making factory, in case we had changed our minds. We said that we preferred to spend what little time we had left exploring the port of Kusadasi and the subject was dropped; no pressure at all.

 

All in all, it was a wonderful tour.

 

I hope you find Eti and I hope you also have a wonderful tour, but if you don't find her, you should consider E-Ephesus. They were great.

 

Happy travels!

 

We will be in Ephesus next May 2012 and I am looking into booking tours now. I sent an email to the Company you suggested for information/costs. Could you tell us what to expect for the tour rates and tipping? Another site someone suggested was $100 + entrance fee, for a 4-5 hour tour

Thanks

Sherry

[nowvoyager15]

do you have a contact for the guides in Turkey? I am interested in the guide in Istanbul.

 

Thanks

[havcamwiltravel]

We will be in Ephesus next May 2012 and I am looking into booking tours now. I sent an email to the Company you suggested for information/costs. Could you tell us what to expect for the tour rates and tipping? Another site someone suggested was $100 + entrance fee, for a 4-5 hour tour

Thanks

Sherry

Certainly. Our itinerary was, as I wrote, with E-Ephesus Tours (contact Patricia at info@**************) and it included the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus and the Terrace Houses, the Temple of Artemis. It was to be a 4-5 hour private tour for two people, all entrance fees and parking, and the cost was $68 USD, in an air-conditioned van. Our guide took us to visit the Isabey Mosque, as well, even though it was not on the itinerary. Payment was to be in cash or credit card (we paid cash) at the end of the tour. We gave our driver a $20 tip and our tour guide $50, because we enjoyed it. I read online that the 'usual' tip was $20-$30/person for the guide and $20 for the driver.

 

The original itinerary offered was: Ephesus, the Virgin Mary's house, Temple of Artemis, St. Johns Basilica, Isabey mosque and Ephesus museum, all for $58.

 

Our guide's name was Mehmet and he was an excellent tour guide, who I highly recommend.

[pearly girl]

Thanks for your recommendations of kagan and yelda. who do they work for and what website can I reach them on? thanks debbie

[TroubleT]

I tried to make a reservation for a private tour with www.ephesus-turkey.com and they required a deposit of $50. Am I contacting the right company or is there another company e-ephesus in Turkey? I am not a big fan of prepaying a deposit for a private tour.

[texancruzer]

While I understand why most people do not like putting up a deposit, you have to understand their position also.....

 

We were really surprised at how many people who book tours w/no deposit are "no shows".....leaving the guide and tour company with -0- to show for their time and effort. Our guide told us that it happens more than you would think, often with no notice or recourse. A whole day with no income.

 

To put it in perspective, try not showing up for a Dr. Or a dentist appt. And see what they charge you...... even a hotel will charge you if you no show.

[TroubleT]

While I understand why most people do not like putting up a deposit, you have to understand their position also.....

 

We were really surprised at how many people who book tours w/no deposit are "no shows".....leaving the guide and tour company with -0- to show for their time and effort. Our guide told us that it happens more than you would think, often with no notice or recourse. A whole day with no income.

 

To put it in perspective, try not showing up for a Dr. Or a dentist appt. And see what they charge you...... even a hotel will charge you if you no show.

 

texancruzer, I appreciate time and effort you put into this post. But I didn't ask to give me a lecture on "no shows" and "deposits". I asked about a specific company and/or if it was the right company to contact. BTW, do you know how many people lost their deposits paid to tour companies in Jordan, Egypt, etc. when cruise lines cancelled ports in those countries because of the massive unrest?

[Railer]

We have booked with Ephesus Deluxe for this November. Ephesus, Terrace Houses and Temple of Artemis for $55/person. Payment at end of tour with no deposit. They had good reviews but I won't know how good they are until after November. Deniz has been very good about responding to my emails.

 

Russ

[texancruzer]

texancruzer, I appreciate time and effort you put into this post. But I didn't ask to give me a lecture on "no shows" and "deposits". I asked about a specific company and/or if it was the right company to contact. BTW, do you know how many people lost their deposits paid to tour companies in Jordan, Egypt, etc. when cruise lines cancelled ports in those countries because of the massive unrest?

 

Gosh, I realized when rereading your post that you were indeed asking if you were contacting the right company. But you did say you werent a big fan of prepaying a deposit......

 

So my intent was not to lecture but to inform and justify why companies ask for a deposit. Most of those same companies have pretty liberal cancellation policies too - refunding the deposit. I, too, would prefer not to send cc info for a deposit, but I do understand why they ask for one. I know alot of people don't realize how often people just don't show up. In fact, on our last Med cruise we spoke with a couple who did just that, decided just to do something different....when I asked if they cancelled they said NO, we didnt have to put up any money.....

 

As for the cruiseline cancelling ports...... most made changes far enough ahead to cancel and I will repeat - check the cancellation policy !!!

[Cruisin'Liza]

We have booked with Ephesus Deluxe for this November. Ephesus, Terrace Houses and Temple of Artemis for $55/person. Payment at end of tour with no deposit. They had good reviews but I won't know how good they are until after November. Deniz has been very good about responding to my emails.

 

Russ

 

We just got back from our tour with Ephesus Deluxe for the same price and set up. We had a FANTASTIC day. Our tour time total pushed 8 hours for 4 of us - all for $210 can't beat that. Our tour guide's name was Ahu, and she was absolutely fantastic!! Can't say enough good things about her or the company, but especially our specific guide.

 

Our tour also included House of the Virgin Mary and lunch - so worth it!!! Both of those were highlights of the trip for us.

[OHCruisinDad]

This is a cut and paste of a post I wrote on July 24th.

 

We have been to Ephesus twice - once in the fall of 2009 and again this past June. We used Ekol Tours in 2009 and we had a guide named Nahide Sahin who was wonderful. When I contacted Ekol for this past June I asked about her and to our great pleasure, they assigned her to us but we didn't know it until we exited the ship and saw her at the passenger exit with our name on her sign. She immediately recognized my wife and I and gave our family a great welcome.

 

She has been a guide for nearly 30 years, speaks very good English, and always was flexible with the itinerary and schedule. In June we booked a 4 hour tour for ourselves, our two teenagers (15 and 18), my wife's parents, and my wife's two sisters. My MIL has some difficulty in walking great distances and Nahide arranged everything so that she could enjoy the tour of Ephesus with the rest of us. As we did in 2009, our 4 hour tour extended to nearly 7 hours at no additional cost. We tipped her very well on both ocassions.

 

Nahide works as an independent guide through Ekol. She can be contacted directly as well. Here email is her first and last name together at yahoo dot com.

 

I will also say that the Terrace Houses are not to be missed. They are a highlight of the Ephesus tour.

 

If you have any questions, please post or PM me.

[Safety Squirrel]

Hi I posted this on another thread regarding private guides in Ephesus and Istanbul.

 

Last year we used www.aboutephesus.com and were very pleased with the tour and English speaking guide. They tailored the tour to our requests. It also included lunch but not admission to the sights. They met us with a 12 passenger van with driver and guide, although there were only four of us.

 

In Istanbul, we used a private tour guide to visit the Topaki Palace, Blue Mosque, etc. I don't know if he has a van as we used him to tour the grounds and we met him there. His name is Gokhan Kaya and his e-mail is gokhanky@hotmail.com - telephone: +90 533 256 72 49.

 

I will be visiting Ephesus and istanbul again in September 2012 and will certainly be booking these individuals again.

 

Hope this helps as I am sure there are lots of touring companies and guides.

[tjcox9]

Hi. I've run onto this company that offers tours in various Turkish ports and am working with them for a tour at Dikili. Response so far has been excellent, and they also offer a discount for Cruise Critic members. For those of you interested in tours in more than one port, it may be easy to put them all together working with one company. Just a thought.

 

turkey private excursions (no spaces in the address)

 

Once we return, I'll post more information on our results. We are also using Egypt Private Excursions for a tour in Cairo on the same trip. They have also been very easy to work with.

 

Hope someone finds this helpful.

[b.lynn]

This is a cut and paste of a post I wrote on July 24th.

 

We have been to Ephesus twice - once in the fall of 2009 and again this past June. We used Ekol Tours in 2009 and we had a guide named Nahide Sahin who was wonderful. When I contacted Ekol for this past June I asked about her and to our great pleasure, they assigned her to us but we didn't know it until we exited the ship and saw her at the passenger exit with our name on her sign. She immediately recognized my wife and I and gave our family a great welcome.

 

She has been a guide for nearly 30 years, speaks very good English, and always was flexible with the itinerary and schedule. In June we booked a 4 hour tour for ourselves, our two teenagers (15 and 18), my wife's parents, and my wife's two sisters. My MIL has some difficulty in walking great distances and Nahide arranged everything so that she could enjoy the tour of Ephesus with the rest of us. As we did in 2009, our 4 hour tour extended to nearly 7 hours at no additional cost. We tipped her very well on both ocassions.

 

Nahide works as an independent guide through Ekol. She can be contacted directly as well. Here email is her first and last name together at yahoo dot com.

 

I will also say that the Terrace Houses are not to be missed. They are a highlight of the Ephesus tour.

 

If you have any questions, please post or PM me.

 

I'd be interested in contacting Nahide for our Ephesus tour in October. Would it be best to email her directly, or to go through the Ekol website?

[OHCruisinDad]

I'd be interested in contacting Nahide for our Ephesus tour in October. Would it be best to email her directly, or to go through the Ekol website?

 

Hi b.lynn - Both time we went through Ekol. The first tour was set up by another CC member we met in our Roll Call group and who we ended up sharing the tour with. When we visited earlier this year I contacted Ekol directly and advised them of our prior experience and our positive feedback with Nahide. At the time I had misplaced/lost her email address and I was trying to remember the correct spelling of her name. I guess I got it close enough for their office to identify her and that's how we got her a second time.

 

If you email her directly I would just explain that you got a referral and tell her which of the Ekol tour numbers you are interested in. I am sure she will work it out so that it works best for you. You should have a great time in October. Enjoy your cruise and welcome to CC.

 

Sorry I didn't catch this post earlier for a quicker response. I saw a notfication regarding your contact and found your questions. Glad that loop is closed. I have now subscribed to this thread so if you respond I will be notified that day.

[bagain]

I tried to make a reservation for a private tour with www.ephesus-turkey.com and they required a deposit of $50. Am I contacting the right company or is there another company e-ephesus in Turkey? I am not a big fan of prepaying a deposit for a private tour.

 

Did you use ephesus-turkey or find out any other info on them? I have been searching for reviews of them.

[havcamwiltravel]

Did you use ephesus-turkey or find out any other info on them? I have been searching for reviews of them.

 

The company I was writing about earlier in this thread is e-Ephesus. They can be found at: triple w dot e-ephesus dot com. We had a great tour.

Edited September 22, 2011 by havcamwiltravel

[bagain]

Thanks, I am checking them out also.

[nana541]

We used Ekol in Ephesus last Sept and our guide Ali was wonderful.... Ekol never asked for money up front....