My Kusadasi / Ephesus Strategy - Advice?

[Choinski]

I'm taking my first ever cruise in May. We stop in Kusadasi for 12 hours (7 AM to 7 PM). My goals are to beat the crowds at Ephesus, not spend too much on transportation to get there, and go to a Hammam in the mid afternoon.

 

Comments, corrections or additions are welcome.

 

PS - we will be there on SATURDAY

 

1. Disembark as early as possible (7 AM?)

- Is it possible to leave the ship too early (nothing is open or running?)

- Does one need to get Lira or will Euros be sufficient for the day?

 

2. Dolmus to Ephesus: There seems to be alot of opinions here, it seems the best one is to leave from the 'main station' (looks like a parking lot on Google earth?) at the intersection of Adnan Menderes Blv and Candan Tarhan Blv (a traffic rotary). Ask for the Selcuk dolmus and drop off at Efes.

 

3. Ephesus (8 AM?)

- Euros accepted for admission?

- There appears to be a north and eastern gate - are they both entrances?

- Which gate is considered 'uphill'?

- If enters one gate and leaves from another, are there dolmus stops at both?

 

4. Hammam 2 PM - I was going to go the the Kaleici Hammam because I'm under the impression its very near the ship, and its very old and traditional.

- How late is it open?

- Being that its segregated by sex, are swimsuits needed (I'd rather not carry one around)

- Euros accepted?

 

5. Food (reasonably close to the port)

- Any dining suggestions for lunch or dinner?

- Any good place for a happy hour drink (or not, since its a Muslim country)???

 

 

Thanks!

[TLCOhio]

Since this is your first cruise and you are visiting a city/country with a little different set-up, I would suggest doing a "SEARCH" on this board for past postings for both Kusadasi and Ephesus. There is some distance involved between these two places. Kusadasi is 19 km. far away from Ephesus. In touring there, it helps to have a guide to explain what all you are seeing, its background, answer questions and/or have done decent advance research to appreciate ALL that is there. It's an amazing and very historic site.

 

YES, you can want to do it "cheap", but sometimes there are trade-offs for time wasted and other logistical factors by public transit. Some stores might take euros (at a bad exchange rate), but you should be prepared to have the local currency there for most transportation and certain purchases. In the summer, they open the site at 8 am. If your ships docks at 7 am, it does not mean everyone can get off at 7:01 am.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[NJBeaglemom]

I recall when I was researching our trip there in July of 08 that there are buses that will take you to Ephesus. We booked a private tour and it was worth the money. Our guide gave us a great history of the place. wasn't any more than a ship's tour and it was a private Mercedes van with air conditioning. It was waiting for us when we got off the ship. Don't miss the Terrace Houses. I think the cost then was 10 YTL. You could only pay with Turkish Lira or a credit card, but that was in '08. Since we had a tour, we paid in US dollars on our credit card.

 

We had lunch near the cruise terminal at a Turkish restaurant. It wasn't expensive and we paid in Euros and got Euros back in change.

[cruisemom42]

I'm taking my first ever cruise in May. We stop in Kusadasi for 12 hours (7 AM to 7 PM). My goals are to beat the crowds at Ephesus, not spend too much on transportation to get there, and go to a Hammam in the mid afternoon.

 

Comments, corrections or additions are welcome.

 

PS - we will be there on SATURDAY

 

1. Disembark as early as possible (7 AM?)

- Is it possible to leave the ship too early (nothing is open or running?) Given that Ephesus opens at 8am and you probably won't be able to leave the ship until 7:30, you'll be fine. Transit to Ephesus will take a while.

- Does one need to get Lira or will Euros be sufficient for the day? The entrance fee to Ephesus is payable only in cash, in Turkish lira. I don't know about the dolmus. If you take a taxi instead, they will be happy to take euros.

 

2. Dolmus to Ephesus: There seems to be alot of opinions here, it seems the best one is to leave from the 'main station' (looks like a parking lot on Google earth?) at the intersection of Adnan Menderes Blv and Candan Tarhan Blv (a traffic rotary). Ask for the Selcuk dolmus and drop off at Efes. Hank (Hlitner) has posted here with directions on taking the dolmus to Ephesus, I suggest you search for his post. As I recall, he says there is a bit of a walk from the drop-off point to the Ephesus site.

 

3. Ephesus (8 AM?)

- Euros accepted for admission? No, Turkish lira only

- There appears to be a north and eastern gate - are they both entrances? I don't know about "north" or "eastern" but there is definitely a top gate and I'd recommend entering there and walking downhill through the site to exit at the other gate.

- Which gate is considered 'uphill'? Don't know by name but it's clear enough once you arrive at the site.

- If enters one gate and leaves from another, are there dolmus stops at both? I think the only dolmus stop is some distance from the site, see my note above.

 

4. Hammam 2 PM - I was going to go the the Kaleici Hammam because I'm under the impression its very near the ship, and its very old and traditional.

- How late is it open?

- Being that its segregated by sex, are swimsuits needed (I'd rather not carry one around) You can wear a swimsuit, your underwear, or go "au naturale"

- Euros accepted? Dunno, but if you have to get lira for Ephesus, it's not a problem. Cost is about 35-40 lira for the basic service.

 

5. Food (reasonably close to the port)

- Any dining suggestions for lunch or dinner?

- Any good place for a happy hour drink (or not, since its a Muslim country)??? I started a thread about half a year ago on restaurants in Kusadasi. I will try to find it and post it. There are a number of good choices near the port. Seafood is extremely fresh and delicious. Efes beer is great. Turkey, although Muslim, is a secular country and no one frowns on you having a drink.

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

See my suggestions above.

 

Edited to add: Here is the thread with some suggested restaurants in Kusadasi:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=922814&highlight=kusadasi+night

[Choinski]

ATM - I'm guessing 150 lira should cover two people for Ephesus /Terrace entrance fees, dolmus ride, and Hamam. Any extra we'll spend on dinner / happy hour.

 

Dolmus vs Guide: This has been the single most difficult thing to sift through. It seems the paid guides are such a fixture in the towns economy its hard to do any research without being constantly subjected to one pitch or another, even on the internet. My conclusion is Ephesus is such a draw it wont be hard to get there by Dolmus. I've found the main stations in Kusadasi and Selcuk via Google Earth. Walking 1km isnt that bad; I'm in my 40's, its May (won't be too hot) and We will have walked 7 miles on a planned hike the previous day (Fira to Oia on Santorini's cliffs). I think I will also walk from Ephesus to Selcuk to see the temple of Artermis (depending on how we feel)

 

Ephesus: Looking at maps of Ephesus and Google Earth in topographical mode, starting 'Uphill' means starting in the southeastern corner of and exiting at the North gate

 

Temple of Artemis: Is it worth it?

 

Kelici Hamam: Prices seem to be all over the map, from 30 lira all inclusive to over 45. Easy to find, a stone's throw from the ship.

[cruisemom42]

Temple of Artemis: Is it worth it?

 

 

Well......that depends on your frame of reference. I considered it "something to see" as it is the remains of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Just as I considered Troy as "something to see" even though the ruins there are quite difficult to interpret and even my guide warned me that I might be disappointed (I wasn't :)).

 

From a purely objective standpoint, you'll basically see a lot of blocks of stone and broken columns littering the ground and one standing column. To me: thrilling. To others: boring.

 

 

If you plan to go it on your own to Ephesus, just be sure to read about the site before you go. They sell fairly decent books on site about the history of Ephesus, the site itself, and the excavations.......but you likely won't have a chance to read it until you've gone.

[TLCOhio]

From a purely objective standpoint, you'll basically see a lot of blocks of stone and broken columns littering the ground and one standing column. To me: thrilling. To others: boring.

If you plan to go it on your own to Ephesus, just be sure to read about the site before you go. They sell fairly decent books on site about the history of Ephesus, the site itself, and the excavations.......but you likely won't have a chance to read it until you've gone.

 

Strongly second a couple of Cynthia's key points above. Reading ahead is super vital. Otherwise, you won't know and fully understand what you are seeing. Ephesus has so many different levels and dimensions to it. It's "THE BIBLE!" and that related history. It's the huge Roman capital of Asia Minor. It's in a very interesting setting and you need to appreciate how it was once a port city. BUT, now you won't understand why it is so far from the water. Some will say about other historic site in this region that they have already seen these "old piles of rocks". Doing more than Ephesus is loved by some, but others will say "I've already seen and done that". Our Boston neighbor has made a good start to researching and asking the key questions. Keep it up!!! Below are some visuals as a preview for what you will see at Ephesus.

 

In looking at the detailed Google map of this site, we were dropped off at the SE entrance and then walked down hill, exiting past the various shops on the northern side.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Starting the tour at Ephesus:

 

 

 

Looking downhill towards the library and other ruins from when Ephesus was Rome's capital of Asia Minor:

 

 

 

At Ephesus, here is the famed outdoor theater that hosted Saint Paul preaching, plus rock stars, etc. At this site in the 1st century AD, the Apostle Paul spent over three years in Ephesus preaching the Gospel. This included a sermon condemning pagan worship in this theater:

 

 

 

At Ephesus, architectural details on its famed library building:

 

 

 

Another area for seeing added ruins at Ephesus:

 

 

 

Even in Roman days, the needed “latrines” with these muliple toilets:

 

[Choinski]

From a purely objective standpoint, you'll basically see a lot of blocks of stone and broken columns littering the ground and one standing column. To me: thrilling. To others: boring.

 

I told my husband - 'You know when you go to Europe and if you see one more cathedral you'll scream? Well, after this trip you'll feel the same way about amplitheaters'

 

Actually, I'm a huge history buff and once all the research on busses and timetables is over I plan to delve into the historical context. I asked because we're there for just a day, and on this trip we're getting the full Greco-Roman monty: Rome, Pompeii, Olympus, Athens, and Ephesus. I'm budgeting time for it, since the Dolmus station is nearby.

 

Thanks.

[cruisemom42]

I told my husband - 'You know when you go to Europe and if you see one more cathedral you'll scream? Well, after this trip you'll feel the same way about amplitheaters'

 

Actually, I'm a huge history buff and once all the research on busses and timetables is over I plan to delve into the historical context. I asked because we're there for just a day, and on this trip we're getting the full Greco-Roman monty: Rome, Pompeii, Olympus, Athens, and Ephesus. I'm budgeting time for it, since the Dolmus station is nearby.

 

Thanks.

 

If you love history, you'll be in heaven with the ports you mention. Good luck with your planning; feel free to post any other questions.

 

Turkey is littered with wonderful ruins and is a delightful country to visit. After stopping there on a cruise a few years ago, I came back and spent a couple of weeks there last year, mainly to visit some of the best sites (and spend some time in Istanbul).

[CintiPam]

We are DIY travelers, but the one and only place where I booked a private tour on our first ever cruise in September 2008 was for our day in Kusadasi.

 

Tour prices are very reasonable in Turkey, the sights you want to see are spread out geographically (Ephesus, St. John's Basilica, Archaelogical Museum), and we found the tour saved a lot of time, as well as provided a lot of information we did not find in our extensive research.

 

Whatever you decide, be sure to visit the Terraces Houses at Ephesus and carry Turkish Lira for all your admissions. Government-owned sites in Turkey do not accept Euros.

 

Enjoy!

[TLCOhio]

I told my husband - 'You know when you go to Europe and if you see one more cathedral you'll scream? Well, after this trip you'll feel the same way about amplitheaters' Actually, I'm a huge history buff and once all the research on busses and timetables is over I plan to delve into the historical context. I asked because we're there for just a day, and on this trip we're getting the full Greco-Roman monty: Rome, Pompeii, Olympus, Athens, and Ephesus. I'm budgeting time for it, since the Dolmus station is nearby. Thanks.

 

Your various port stops are all the "BEST OF THE BEST". So much to see and enjoy in these places. In May, the crowds and heat should not be too bad. Glad you're into the history and have to get prepared fully. Keep the questions rolling along.

 

For Athens, check out this thread for added info on Athens:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

and do searches on these various boards for Greece, Italy, etc. Lots of info and helpful backgrounds are available.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[mmt44]

Lonely Planet guidebook recommends Dolmus to Selcuk bus station (google maps shows a parking lot). Then hire a taxi to the south (uphill) entrance. You could also take the taxi to Mary's House first then to the south entrance.

After walking downhill through Ephesus you can then decide if you want to walk from the north entrance to the main road and hail the dolmus back to Kusadasi, or hire a taxi at the north entrance to take you to Kusadasi and see other tourist sights and (horror) commercial establishments that the driver will offer to let you visit on the way.

 

Our ship will only stay 5 hours at Kusadasi, so I expect to take the taxi back after Ephesus.

[BBnn]

I'm taking my first ever cruise in May. We stop in Kusadasi for 12 hours (7 AM to 7 PM). My goals are to beat the crowds at Ephesus, not spend too much on transportation to get there, and go to a Hammam in the mid afternoon.

 

 

4. Hammam 2 PM - I was going to go the the Kaleici Hammam because I'm under the impression its very near the ship, and its very old and traditional.

 

Kusadasi

Kaleici Hamam located in the old part of the town, when you are on the main street its behind the ptt or the mosque , i think you can walk through the courtyard and its directly in front of you, or even better if you know the castle restaurant its beside this, hope this helps (30 lira incl massage).

[j.a.m.]

I hope I'm not breaking any forum rules, but I visited Turkey last summer and wanted to mention that I have high praise for Kusadasi Tours, using tour guide Gonca Kizilhan. She is an extremely charming, knowledgeable young lady, and she made our entire trip. I might also add that the Terraced Houses were breathtaking, and not hard to get to. Many of the other organized tours don't go, because there are limits as to how many people can tour the site at once. It is well worth the extra price of admission. Kusadasi Tours can be easily found on a google search. Have fun, everyone. It's a magnificent part of the world!