Ephesus on your own?

[Patti K]

Has anyone done Ephesus on your own? Any suggestions for tour guides?

[cruisemom42]

Here is a link to a discussion of various tour guides for Ephesus:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=375775&highlight=ephesus

[MercedMike]

I think that doing Ephesus on your own would be daunting.

 

We had a wonderful guide who also arranged a Turkish Bath (Hamam) for us! It was quite an experience.

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/holyland.html

 

and you will find a link to the guide too.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[humblecruiser]

I was just in Ehesus in October. If ever there was a port to not do on your own this is it. We did a tour with Sammy's Travel and had a graet guide Naciye Otar. She was very informative as well as plesant and spke great english. She took us to a local returant for lunch and we were treaded like royalty.

 

http://www.*****************

Yoel

[Fblack]

We were there in October. We hired EKOL. They provided a van and a driver and guide for the two of us. We were never rushed. They paid entrance fees to Mary's House and Ephesus. I recommend them.

[coop2]

Ekol was good and cheap! Don't try it on your own!!

[NAS-KARR]

You DON'T do EPHESUS on your own. We used EKOL also, five stars for them.

 

 

 

CIAO, :D

[LisaV6]

I agree, do not do Ephesus on your own. There is political unrest and we saw many armed police everywhere we went.

[Ourhoneymooncruise]

If you wish to go to Ephesus from the port, then I would not suggest going it on your own. Ephesus, depending on your port is quite a distance away.

I did not feel unsafe in Turkey at all, it was actually our favorite ports. We actually did Istanbul on our own and had a fantastic time, but the Istanbul port is within walking distance to the city, so you don't need a guide.

 

Hope this helps.

[eh2zed]

Definitely use EKOL or other agency. Will be cheaper and more inclusive and totally private. You can choose Mary's House Temple ao Artemis and St.John Basilica to see enroute all in the same area about 30 minutes from town.Make sure you do Terrace Houses at Ephesus. Well worth the extra $$.

[Sweet Dreamer]

I cruised that area in 2006 and arranged a really great deal with them that included Ephesus and it was soooo cheap.:)

It really appealed that they would tailor the day to our specific requirements. I like a certain amount of culture, but we wanted to strike a balance (particularly as we had younsters with us and had another 3 days in Venice afterward), so I set them the difficult challenge of combining fun and culture. They offered a range of options, one of them being the perfect solution. A private Jeep safari in the mountains before Ephesus with a licensed guide, followed by a barbecue, beach and swimming. It was probably the best excursion we've ever had.

I hope this info gives you food for thought.

[Patti K]

Thank you for all of your comments. We have booked Ekol Travel for our day in Kusadasi.

[NAS-KARR]

We used EKOL in both ISTANBUL & EPHESUS, 100% satisfied, although you have to be firm in what you want. (that's true using any tour guide group) ;)

 

 

CIAO,