Exclusive Ancient Ephesus

I would fully recommend this tour. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and made our experience very enjoyable. We had a wonderful time and left feeling like we very knowledgeable ourselves. Great job! Apr 26 2023

Ephesus is SO amazing. Our guide was SO knowledgeable. We learned so much and had a wonderful time!

Great guide, who had stud8ed archaeology. Great understanding of Ephusus and able to answer all questions. Nice size group, not too large, highly recomend

Our tour guide was informative and engaging.

Tour guide and tour was good. It was great to see the old civilization and explore the area.

Wonderful guided trip with a very experienced guide. It included a stop at a rug making facility which we enjoyed very much.

Very informative

One of the highlights of our trip through Rome, Greece and Turkey. The guide we had was amazing. His knowledge not only of the area and this historic site but also of the world in general, shared with a wonderful sense of humor made this an incredible experience.

The guide to Ephesus was the best guide ever. All your tours were very special. I will not hesitate to use you again. But, all the guides were very good. The busses very nice. So, very pleased

What a treat to be the only 2 on this tour. Can (pronounced John) was an excellent guide. Can knew his history very well. His biblical understanding, mixed with his Muslim understanding brought this tour to life. It was a pleasure to hear all about the history of this amazing site. Again, the small group experience was personal, friendly, and intimate. thank you, Expedia, for presenting this tour.

Our guide, Celine, was excellent. Since we were the only persons on this tour it became a private tour. Excellent tour of Ephesus. We did not need the stop at the rug factory. Very informative but we were not in the market for a rug.

The tour was excellent. The tour guide knew a lot about history and had a lot of patience guiding our big family group. She stopped at points of interest and let our group walk at its own pace. I recommend this tour to people interested in history and specially in Biblical history.

I was not sure what to expect on this excursion, but Ephesus was amazing! To see the places that you can read about in the Bible and walk on places that Paul and others walked was simply incredible.

The ruins at Ephesus are the best ruins / archeology I've seen anywhere, and I'm well-traveled. Our Guide was both knowledgable, affable, and hillarious! Best Guide ever. The Carpet Making and Sales presentation at the end was cool too, and was no the 'hard sell' I was expecting. Great Tour!

We were quite indifferent about going on this tour and were BLOWN AWAY by it. Our guide (John) was fantastic. His knowledge was unbelievable which made our tour amazing. The ruins were not only intriguing but such a wonderful piece of history that we were able to share. Thank you for a great experience.

Our guide was wonderful, he had such great information and was animated and excited about what he was showing us. He took great care of us and made sure everyone was having a great time. Ephesus is amazing, you have to see it!

The guide knew the place very well and was professional. Even the visit to the carpet dealer was informative and without obligation on our part.

This tour exceeded our expectations!! Our bus was very prompt and comfortable. The ancient city of Ephesus was amazing!!! A definite must see!! We loved the history here and seeing the incredible amphitheater. I’m not comfortable with bartering when purchasing souvenirs, but our tour guide gave us tips on navigating this. After touring Ephesus, we had the option to see how silk rugs were made in Kusadasi. The process was amazing as they showed how silk was spun from a cocoon, and rugs were weaved. We were told that there was no pressure to purchase a rug, but some pressure was definitely felt.

we have a celebrity tour guide, he is famous, he speak good English, he is smart. We love his tour.

excellent tour. very informative

We had Can (pronounced Jon) as our tour guide today and he was the best tour guide I have ever had in my 30 years of travelling. The history came to life with his knowledge and those virtual reality glasses. When you see this tour offered you BOOK IT. It was so amazing from the Virgin Mary to watching silk being spun. The lunch was such a treat the food was so delicious and served on the lawn with a perfect breeze. Rate this trip a 12 out of 10! Thanks to the team of Can, Scotty and driver!!!

I loved the guide. He took a genuine interests in the tourists in his group. He gave a great tour of Ephesus and an excellent synopsis of life in Turkey.

Beautiful, a must see. A once in a lifetime experience. To walk in the steps of civilization long gone.

We very much enjoyed visiting Ancient Ephesus. Knowledgeable and friendly guide. Be aware that tour also visits a rug-making facility. We found it interesting to see how rugs are made; however, some might not appreciate the commercial nature of this stop.

Amazing tour.even though it was very busy and very warm. Good to hear about its history. Surprised that there is still so much that needs to be excavated. Would highly recommend this tour.

This tour was the most fabulous and informative tour as there is so much to see in Ephesus! Our tour guide was very good at explaining where we were and the history of this ancient ruin but we just wish we had more time to explore a bit on our own and take more pictures! We would highly recommend taking this tour!

He is very helpful, humor and knowledgeable person. His name is John, I forgot his last name, sorry.

Our guide normally escorts a higher level of tour. He was extremely knowledgeable, suggested best spots for photos, tried to make sure we were in the shade when he was giving us extra information, and was personable. Ephesus is a must see, and he made it worth our while.

We did the afternoon tour and it was perfect. Ephesus was not crowded, our tour guide was fantastic and the weather was lovely. A wonderful way to see a magnificent place.

One of the best surprises and best excursions of our 10-day cruise. The guide was very informative and personable. Turkey is one of the best kept secrets of the middle east!

Not knowing what to expect in Turkey given it's instability, our tour and guide exceeded expectation! His training as an archaeologist combined with his passion for sharing so much about Turkey's history and culture made our bus ride and Ephesus tour fantastic! We learned so much, our brains may have been hurting at the end of the tour, but the shop near the port our guide took us to relieved the brain pressure while we learned the intricate details of handmade beautiful silk carpets!

The trip to Ancient Ephesus was extremely interesting and fascinating. The guide was knowledgeable and professional. We had ample time to view Ephesus and take pictures. I would take the same excursion again.

We participated in several excursions through the Celebrity cruise ship, but none compared with the experience we had with George in Turkey! His pleasant and humorous personality combined with his vast knowledge of the country and the city of Ephesus made our experience even better than we had expected! When the day was over we felt like we were saying goodbye to an old friend. We would most definitely use Shore Excursions again.

Small group of 23, guide was excellent very knowledgeable, kept in the shade Asa much as possible and ahead of the throngs of people visiting. Didn't do the carpet demo but heard good reviews..

Very Good Tour, John was an excellent guide. Learned a lot about not only Ephesus but Turkey overall

One of the best shore tours we ever were on. Small group, great guide. Overall an awesome experience. Our guide was very knowledgeable, spoke perfect English and was able to show us the key Ephesuss sites while still avoiding the crowds.

John, our tour guide was engaging and very helpful in understanding the Turkish culture and the history of Ephesus.

Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and had a quick wit. Ephesus is an amazing place! It's unfortunate that recent events will limit tourism in Turkey as it was one of my favourite tours!

Very well organised tour. Excellent tour guide. Very informative.

An absolutely awesome tour and must say the same about the tour guide as well. He was so knowledgable and personable...and easy to understand...which was a hardship with some of the tour guids. He not only imparted a great deal of information on the excavation and city, but about Turkey as well. I would recommend this tour to all...especially with the same tour guide!

This was a great excursion. The guide was knowledgeable and explained the sights very well. Ephesus is a wonderful historical site to visit.

John was a gifted tour guide, being able to tell us about the history and geography and people of the area, but also to joke with us. An unforgettable experience.

Enjoyed the tour again the heat was intense but the tour guide skirted us from shade to shade. Very knowledgeable guide. Wasted time at the carpet demo as we clearly didn't go to buy a carpet and note the guide gets a kickback from the carpet co-op. Not excessively aggressive but some unnecessary pressure which we didn't like.

Ephesus is beautiful. There was microphone issues that prevented our guide from being able to speak much during our ride to Ephesus but the bus driver fixed that by the time we were headed back to the Pier area. While we didn't know this while we signed up, the tour concludes with a stop at a silk rug store. Those at the store treated you well and we enjoyed our lesson but they are VERY aggressive with getting you to buy their product. It would have been nice to get a heads up about the hard sell but overall, it was a good tour.

Everything was great except sales people from the carpet and jewelry place were insisting to buy their stuff making us uncomfortable

Enjoyed the knowledgeable guide, and the fact that the group is fairly small. Ir rained the day we were on this excursion,so we didn't get the full experience that we would have in good weather,but it was still amazing!

No words explain the awesomeness of touring Ephasis. Our tour guide was Christian and open to many questions about the current Middle East problems. Our bus took us by many sites we had no time to visit just so we had a better overview of history. It was very helpful. We ended the tour with a very wonderful silk harvesting and rug making demonstration. The dealer was very respectful of those who did not wish to buy a rug. There were horror stories back on the ship of people actually having to run away from pushy carpet sellers. Our tour guide made sure everything was perfect. There was no dining on the tour but our guide sent us to an excellent restaurant near the ship so we could experience the local fare before reboarding. A GREAT day and the most memorable of our 24-day cruise.

The guide was very experienced and spoke excellent English. He also had a very good sense of humor and mixed all things well with his insights into ancient Ephesus. I would have liked a bit more time to view more areas and to see the terrace patio homes of the wealthy, because we walked right by them.(They're actually under a permanent canopy to protect them). It was my understanding that this might be a different tour but I think it could have been combined with the main one. Very fascinating how developed a society they were in that day, although they had lots of the same problems we do! There is much more to be excavated at Ephesus and this is a tour that could be repeated easily.

The tour guide was excellent. It was pitched at just the right level and not too overwhelming

Truly enjoyed this and all the history we learned. The rugs were beautiful and still amazed how they're put together.

a little mixed up on pick up. after that,everything was great because the tour guide was fun, knowledge and speak perfect English.

N'est guide se ever had

Tour went well. guide was very good

We loved Turkey! Our group consisted of 16, and our guide, Cohn (pronounced John), was experienced and gave great historical talks. He knows Ephesus well and showed real pride in what his country is doing there. We started our tour from the upper gate and walked down, rather than doing the tour as most do from the bottom up. Seeing the theatre was a highlight, and we were given time to explore and take plenty of pictures. Back in town, we attended the carpet demonstration and found it to be wonderfully educational. The weavers' work is extraordinary! We did not feel pressured to buy, contrary to what we'd heard beforehand. Afterward, the group was free to go or stay before shopping their way back to the ship.

I love visiting ancient civilization sites, rather than modern cities. The excavated ruins of Ephesus are extensive to give present day visitors a good idea/experience of how the residents lived during the era.

We read other reviews of this excursion before booking it and hoped that we would get the tour guide Can (John) who got good reviews from others. We didn't really expect that to happen but we did get him for our tour guide and thoroughly enjoyed the day. I mentioned the online reviews to him and he was glad to hear of the good reviews. Can was educated to be an archaeologist but, after one summer spent excavating in the hot sun, decided to be a tour guide instead and has been one for the past 20+ years. He was very knowledgeable, taught us a bit about the Turkish alphabet and how to say thank you which I used a few times. My accent or mispronunciation brought a smile to a couple of people. The tour itself was very interesting and informative. Restoration of the city of Ephesus is very well done. At the forum it was interesting to think back to when St. Paul spoke there. The acoustics are still very good. Two young women were singing a little and I was up high in the seats and they sounded as good as if they were right next to me. The tour guide had an assistant who took photos along the way. The tour guide informed us of this ahead of time and said that was one of his jobs early in his career. The photos would be for sale but totally optional. The price was very reasonable, though, and we purchased one of us in front of the Library of Celsus. The only negative about the tour is the carpet sales demonstration at the end but that seems to be unavoidable. Our guide told us that there was no obligation and, true to his word, it was very low pressure and pleasant. We were served a beverage and shown many carpets after a brief demonstration of the rug making process. I don't know how many they sell but it seemed like a lot of work to toss out the carpets while explaining them and then roll them all back up to show the next group. Apparently it works for the Turks. Most of the tours we looked at had a rug demonstration.

Our guide (0z, not sure of spelling for his name) was excellent. He provided whisperer radio units for each of us so we could hear him very clearly. He was very professional, informative and entertaining as well as speaking excellent English. It was a very hot day when we were there and he was very aware of the heat making the tour more challenging. We only had a small group of about 12-14 which makes a tour like this much more pleasant. Clean bus, comfortable seats. Our guide was waiting as was indicated on the voucher. We were returned to the ship with plenty of time before sailing.

We had an excellent tour guide. Helped us ""feel"" the historical significance of Ephesus.

Don't miss it, very amazing

A Highlight of our cruise and EXCELLENT value! Our Turkish guide Can (John) was outstanding...entertaining, very knowledgeable and experienced. Perfect amount of time walking Ephesus - as compared to the over-priced and very tedious Royal/C tour (our friends'comment). We also enjoyed a wonderful ""class"" in turkish rug-making and a sampling of local ""beverages"". There was enough time alloted to walk the market/shops. Shore Excursions ROCKS!

Jon the tourguide was the best- a lifetime resident and expert guide who knows his history like no other. Who thought Turkey was such a fascinating place!

Very good value

Lack of French-speaking guide

Our Tour Guide Was Fantastic. His Name was John (not american spelling). He is highly recommended by Rick Steves also. Ask for him. He was professional, informative, accomdating and simply the best.

This is our 3rd time to Ephesus, and this seems to be the best.

The guide was excellent - very informative without giving out too much information. He took us to an excellent carpet shop and the whole experience left us wanting more!!

Loved the history and the work being done to restore the past. Breathtaking scenery

Our guide John was excellent. As there were only two of us we were able to be given a lot of information and avoid the crowds when possible. Very impressed.

This day was another great adventure. It wasn't too long or too short. The weather was really hot, but our guide took good care to keep us in the shade as much as possible. The tour operator provided a free bottle of water that we refilled often during our visit. Again, an interesting guide that was well-versed on the history of the city and able to easily answer all our questions. We purchased this tour as part of a six-day package which made this an even better value.

Excellent, excellent, excellent!!!Thank you for the enjoyable excursion of Ephesus.We loved the history that the guide provided. He was very knowledgeable and interesting.Small group, well organized.Just came back home. Polecamy ta wycieczke z pelnym zaufaniem. Bylo po prostu swietnie(to the polish tuorists)

This tour was a thrill; Pompeii used to be my favourite historical site but it has now been surpassed by Ephesus. Having an experienced guide helps with a tour in high heat and busy with other tourists. He was very informative and also flexible in what he showed us to accommodate those with religious interests. Excellent day!

This excursion was better than I expected. The ruins were just as good as in Pompeii. Our guide was Fermi (George). He was educational and fun at the same time. The best part was the photographer that followed and took a few pictures for purchase as you boarded the bus. Only 3 euros each. Much better than on the ship. The walk wasn't too bad, even though it is a little over an hour. We didn't do the carpet demonstration.