Ephesus & Terrace Houses

[sixfoot]

I will be in Ephesus in May and noticed my cruise ship offered an Ephesus tour for $49 for 3 hrs. They have another tour that only has the difference of adding the Terrace Houses and 1.5 hours (so 4.5 total) and increase the price to $99.

 

My question is how close the Terrace Houses are to the rest of the main Ephesus attractions? I'm trying to figure out why the doubling of price for just adding the Terrace Houses.

 

If I did just the $49 tour and got returned to the ship, would I be able to go do the Terrace Houses on my own cheaper than $50?

 

Thanks in advance.

[cruisemom42]

The Terrace Houses are actually a part of (i.e., inside) the Ephesus site. So no, you couldn't go back and do it on your own.....not without getting transportation to Ephesus and paying for admission to the site and paying for the separate admission to the Terrace Houses.

 

Last I heard, the ticket for the Terrace Houses is about $15 US. Plus, at a guess, I bet the tour offered by your ship is smaller than the normal-sized 40-passenger bus tour. Why do I say that? Because usually only smaller groups are allowed in the Terrace Houses.

 

So....you are paying for the basic Ephesus tour ($49) plus the $15 ticket to the Terrace Houses, plus a premium for having a smaller group tour.

[Grannycb]

Cynthia is correct. I just wanted to add that the Terrace Houses are a must see, and worth the extra cost.

[sixfoot]

Thanks for your input

[texancruzer]

Gosh, for not much more than that same $99.00 you are paying for a ship tour to Ephesus and Terrace Houses - we did a whole day tour with a private guide and driver. Just the two of us, a driver and a guide.

 

Went off roading in the mountains, then to Sirince, then to lunch and carpet factory and finally a couple of hours at Ephesus with the Terrace houses. All one price (lunch included) Just checked and it is now $130. pp for 8 hour tour (from Kusadasi). They also have a Ephesus and Sirince tour for $105. pp. This is a private tour - no group.

 

Just another option to consider.

[sixfoot]

Gosh, for not much more than that same $99.00 you are paying for a ship tour to Ephesus and Terrace Houses - we did a whole day tour with a private guide and driver. Just the two of us, a driver and a guide.

 

Went off roading in the mountains, then to Sirince, then to lunch and carpet factory and finally a couple of hours at Ephesus with the Terrace houses. All one price (lunch included) Just checked and it is now $130. pp for 8 hour tour (from Kusadasi). They also have a Ephesus and Sirince tour for $105. pp. This is a private tour - no group.

 

Just another option to consider.

Cool, what tour company did you use?

[Turtles06]

Let me second the advice that the Terrace Houses are "a must see" if you are in Ephesus, and also that you look into private tours. If you do a search here, you'll find several recommendations for excellent tour operators, including Ekol Tours, the folks we used in January for a full tour of Ephesus, including the Terrace Houses, from Izmir. There were four of us, and we paid $92 USD each. We had a fantastic guide and a great day.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[Hlitner]

As others have said (and I have also posted this ad nauseam) going to Ephesus without seeing the Terrace Houses is a crime! In fact, the cruise lines should be "strung-up" for even offering tours to Ephesus that do not include the Terrace Houses. Kusadasi has become a huge cruise ship destination (more than 1000 cruise ship calls per year) which has spawned many excellent tour companies and independent guides. We cannot think of a single good reason why anyone would want to book an overpriced cruise ship excursion in this port when there are many private options at comparable or lower prices....not to mention avoiding the cattle-call problems inherent with large bus groups. This port is also very tourist-friendly with many local speaking decent English (and other languages) and the local bazaar (shopping area) right across the street from the port.

 

Hank

[sixfoot]

Thanks for the feedback. I will see the Terrace Houses and have looked into Ekol, but none of their tours of Ephesus include seeing the Fountain of Trajan. My ship tour does. Is that a big deal?

[Grannycb]

We took a Princess tour to Ephesus and the Terrace Houses. There were times when we felt a little rushed, nothing major. The tour was one of the highlights of the Greek Isles cruise. Others from our roll call raved about their private tours. It seemed as though they saw more or saw the same things at a slower pace.

 

Save some time to stroll through the shopping area at the port. We had a blast bargaining for items.

 

Also, we were in Ephesus in mid April. It was hot. We needed hats, sunglasses and sun block.

[Turtles06]

Thanks for the feedback. I will see the Terrace Houses and have looked into Ekol, but none of their tours of Ephesus include seeing the Fountain of Trajan. My ship tour does. Is that a big deal?

 

Sixfoot, if you are referring to something that is within the ruins of Ephesus itself, you should be able see it with Ekol. (Some of the statues that surrounded the Fountain of Trajan are now in a museum.)

 

More important though, just shoot Ekol an email and ask them. I found that Ms. Nur Koray at Ekol responded quickly (and in perfect English) to any questions I had (and from what I've read on CC, others had the same experience). The great thing about a private tour is that YOU get to set the itinerary. :)

[texancruzer]

Cool, what tour company did you use?

 

Now that you asked - I can say what company it was...... we used Ekol and our guide was Emre (Em-ray)

 

We had a stupendous day. One I will not soon forget. If you don't like heights - don't do the offroading. It wasnt much more than a goat trail :D

 

And yes - if there is something specific you want to do or see - ask Nur with Ekol. They will customize any tour to your liking.

[sixfoot]

Thanks again all! I have contacted them and got it rolling.

 

They do mention eating at a choice of restaurants/vendors since lunch is not provided in the tour. Is it safe to eat/drink in Turkey and the places Ekol offers as suggestions?

[texancruzer]

Lunch was included in our private jeep tour. We had a wonderful picnic style (white tablecloths and big umbrellas) in a grassy lawn area of the rug factory. Was nice breeze and sunny blue sky. Good food.

 

We ate in many restaurants in Turkey (YUM!) as we were in Istanbul 2 days and Kusadasi from sunup to midnight. Once we returned to Kusadasi from our tour, we showered and changed and went back ashore for dinner. We found a wonderful place (Kings Place) right on the main harbor road and enjoyed a delightful Turkish dinner while the sunset over the harbor and our ship. The food is safe and soooo good. They use spices like no other place.

[Hlitner]

Thanks again all! I have contacted them and got it rolling.

 

They do mention eating at a choice of restaurants/vendors since lunch is not provided in the tour. Is it safe to eat/drink in Turkey and the places Ekol offers as suggestions?

 

We have also used EKOL on one of our 4 visits to Kusadasi and were very impressed with our guide, driver, van, and service (and we booked this for only 2). However, using EKOL or any tour company to take you to lunch is a waste of time and money. There are plenty of places to eat in Kusadasi with many within easy walking distance of the port. Do your tour and have them drop you back at the port. Than cross the street, walk into the shopping area (bazaar) and you will find many cafes and restaurants. As to eating and drinking in Turkey, we have never had a problem with food or drink in this country, and we have even been known to eat street food. Tour companies love to recommend restaurants since they get a kick-back from these establishments (just like they do from the so-called factories).

 

Hank

[texancruzer]

We have also used EKOL on one of our 4 visits to Kusadasi and were very impressed with our guide, driver, van, and service (and we booked this for only 2). However, using EKOL or any tour company to take you to lunch is a waste of time and money. There are plenty of places to eat in Kusadasi with many within easy walking distance of the port. Do your tour and have them drop you back at the port. Than cross the street, walk into the shopping area (bazaar) and you will find many cafes and restaurants. As to eating and drinking in Turkey, we have never had a problem with food or drink in this country, and we have even been known to eat street food. Tour companies love to recommend restaurants since they get a kick-back from these establishments (just like they do from the so-called factories).

 

Hank

 

Hank, just a note that it is not a waste of time and money if the tour is an 8 hour tour and lunch is INCLUDED in your tour price. It doesnt make sense to go all the way back to the port area to eat on your own when you are not in Kusadasi for the whole day. Our tour began at 9 am when they picked us up and we didnt get back to the ship until after 5 pm (closer to 6 I think)...... then showered and went back ashore for dinner (on our own).

 

So it would really make a difference what time your tour is over as to what works best for lunch.

 

All in all, I think what we got for what we paid was a super bargain ! Best deal of the whole trip actually.

[cruisemom42]

The only issue I have with the lunch is when it becomes part of the "forced shopping" scheme -- e.g., one of the favorites seems to be the tour company saying lunch is included, but lunch turns out to be at the rug factory. IF I'm going to have a lunch, I'd prefer it to be somewhere traditional. (I'm not a big fan of these kinds of stops, having done the rug factory, the leather factory, the ceramic factory, the papyrus factory.......ad nauseum).

 

However, if someone has no problem sitting through the "how rugs are made" demo and the obligatory "unfurling of the rugs" for your consideration, then go for it!

[anniversay/grad trip]

We have booked a private day tour for Turkey to see Ephesus and the Terrace houses (which I have read are a must see). Can anyone tell me exactly what the Terraces Houses are? Everyone raves about them, but I have no idea what this attraction is all about????

[cruisemom42]

We have booked a private day tour for Turkey to see Ephesus and the Terrace houses (which I have read are a must see). Can anyone tell me exactly what the Terraces Houses are? Everyone raves about them, but I have no idea what this attraction is all about????

 

 

(Well, there is always Google or a guide book....:D)

 

The so-called Terrace Houses are recently excavated houses of the wealthy Romans who lived in Ephesus. They are sited on a hill and "terraced" in levels, hence the name.

 

The site has a plexiglas walkway that allows you to walk more or less above these houses. You can see various features including mosaic floors, delicate wall murals, and even the piping that brought indoor plumbing to the houses.

 

Because they are still in the process of being excavated, the colors are still very fresh. It's really an amazing site. If I were at home, I'd post some images. As it is, you can search Google images and I'll bet you'll find plenty.

[texancruzer]

Cynthia, I too would not want to "have" to eat or shop when or where I did not want to. The thing with a private tour is you do what you want to - we were given the option to eat somewhere else and skip the factory altogether. I, for one, had never experienced it and was eagerly looking forward to it. I thought the demo part was interesting and watching the girls make the rugs right before us was too. We almost bought a rug too - well dh almost bought one :rolleyes: He is still talking about how he should have bought it.

 

SO -- to those looking at booking a private tour - remember you can change things up if you want to. It's your $$$ and your time - do what you want to do. This is also the main reason that private is better than ship tour. Try asking a ship tour to change it around :eek:

 

Anniversary/Grad: The terrace houses are part of Ephesus (which is only 13% uncovered at this point) It is off to one side and is some of the houses of the wealthier people that lived there. They have built clear walkways all above it so you can see down into the homes/rooms. They have also covered the entire hill of houses with a roof and walls to protect it. There are wonderful mosiacs and frescoes still on the walls and it allows you to see how they lived in their homes. Bear in mind they are still working on these too - as well as the rest of the city. Our guide told us it would be quite sometime before they uncovered and restored it all..... but I for one would love to see that !

[cruisemom42]

Cynthia, I too would not want to "have" to eat or shop when or where I did not want to. The thing with a private tour is you do what you want to - we were given the option to eat somewhere else and skip the factory altogether. I, for one, had never experienced it and was eagerly looking forward to it. I thought the demo part was interesting and watching the girls make the rugs right before us was too. We almost bought a rug too - well dh almost bought one :rolleyes: He is still talking about how he should have bought it.

 

SO -- to those looking at booking a private tour - remember you can change things up if you want to. It's your $$$ and your time - do what you want to do. This is also the main reason that private is better than ship tour. Try asking a ship tour to change it around :eek:

 

 

Good point -- a lot of people don't realize that when you book a private tour, it is certainly your prerogative to decide how you want to spend the time. I think a lot of people who haven't done private tours think that they have a "set" tour and can't make changes. Not so! You can definitely customize a private tour -- within reason, of course (in other words, if the agency says that adding a site may compromise getting you back to the ship on time, you should believe them!).

 

The best thing to do is to put a schedule together with the agency before your cruise via email. That way, when you arrive, the guide should already be prepared for what you want to do and can arrange the day in the best possible way to avoid traffic, crowds, etc. That's not to say that you can't change things midstream if you want to spend more time somewhere. Just realize that the extra time may mean that you have to cut something else out later in the day....

 

Also, some guides are more than happy to gently "mislead" you by saying that lunch is included but without mentioning where lunch is. If your group does not want the carpet demo (and again -- no problem if you do!), it behooves you to make that very clear from the outset.

 

I was talking to one poster recently who was on a private tour with a CC group that stopped at one of these carpet demos. One woman in the group wasted quite a bit of the others' time shopping for a rug and then bargaining the price down. The others in the group were not so happy as they really didn't want to be there for a couple of hours.

 

If you're sharing a tour with others, I guess it pays to make sure you're all on the same page when it comes to how the time is spent. ;)

[Denverite]

A few years ago we did a tour with EKOL to Ephesus and the Terrace Houses. We included a stop at the carpet factory and did enjoy it. The other couple bought a small rug while we were there. The entire demonstration from drinking the apple tea to the presentation of carpets was very entertaining--having said that I can see where not everyone wants to look at carpets. But the funny story--my husband loves to talk so he and the salesman almost came to terms on a carpet but we said we would think about it. We took a photo of the carpet and my husband gave the salesman his business card. They later called us in Denver and we told them we had decided not to purchase the carpet. About a year later we get a phone call at our home in Denver--it is the salesman and he "happens" to be in Denver and has a load of carpets and would like to stop by! Apparently this carpet place comes to the U.S. every so often with carpets to deliver to various places and has "extras" they try to sell along the way. They came to our house bearing gifts (a scarf for me and a sort of mini tiny rug thing connected to the evil eye--or whatever you call those eyes in Turkey--have no clue what you do with this 'thing'). We thought it was funny but we enjoyed talking to the salesman and catching up. Needless to say, we still have not purchased a carpet! Whatever you do--enjoy Ephesus--it was great fun!

[romrai]

You didn't say if you were coming into Turkey by Kusadasi or Izmir. If it is Kusadasi, there is a line of taxi's right outside the ship. You can negotiate and take your "own" tour. We did this on our first time there. Its only about 15/20 minutes away. I believe it is around 35 turkish lira for entrance fee. You can ask the CD, what the average taxi fare is. If you are coming into Izmir, it is an hour away. I would recommend a set tour. We are doing that this time. We have negotiated a tour of 8 people, Ephesus and Terrace house, with no shopping stops, since we've been there before. It is for 5 hours. We still wanted some time to explore a bit of Izmir (or shop where we want). Found an agency that does tours from kusadasi and izmir. Look on this site, double check on tripadvisor before booking with anyone. We are paying $56 pp.

[texancruzer]

I was talking to one poster recently who was on a private tour with a CC group that stopped at one of these carpet demos. One woman in the group wasted quite a bit of the others' time shopping for a rug and then bargaining the price down. The others in the group were not so happy as they really didn't want to be there for a couple of hours.

 

If you're sharing a tour with others, I guess it pays to make sure you're all on the same page when it comes to how the time is spent. ;)

 

All of this post was well-said and spot on. This is the comment lament of group tours - ship or private. Some people just don't have the courtesy to be back at the meeting point at the right time or realize they are "hogging" the tour time....... just rude.

[Hlitner]

All of this post was well-said and spot on. This is the comment lament of group tours - ship or private. Some people just don't have the courtesy to be back at the meeting point at the right time or realize they are "hogging" the tour time....... just rude.

 

This post brings back an awful memory of our first visit to Turkey on the old Star Princess which docked in Ismir (probably 20 years ago). We booked the cruise line excursion to Ephesus (we were naive and did not know of the evils of cruise line excursions) and went to Ephesus on a 50 passenger bus. Our guide rushed us through the ruins in less than 1 1/2 hours so she could take us to a jewelry factory. This was a large warehouse building which opened its doors just for our bus (bug surprise). They would not allow us to leave that building for more than 2 hours even though everyone but one couple was getting very angry. The tour company either owns these so-called factories of they get a big kick-back on sales, which is why they are included in tours. When we returned to the Star Princess folks from our bus queued-up at the tour office to complain how we barely had time to see Ephesus because of this silly factory tour. A few days later Princess decided to refund all of our money from that tour and gave us written appologies.

 

Hank