Which tour company for Ephesus?

[zqvol]

Another vote for EKOL. They provide exceptional personalized service.

[ctorres]

Review: Ekol Tours Ephesus tour, departing from Izmir, May 2010

 

In lieu of taking the Norwegian Cruise Lines cattle car tour in their giant bus at around $60 a person, we booked a 6-person tour through Ekol tours to Ephesus, along with Mary's House and the Terrace Houses. For $117 a person, we had a driver, a guide, and our own private 20-seat bus for the day. We were in port from about 8 AM - 5 PM, and no time was wasted. Back on the ship afterwards, we overheard complaints from several guests that had taken the NCL shore excursion that their time was very limited, they didn't get to see the things they wanted, and they didn't even get a lunch break. The NCL guides apparently rushed through the good stuff so that folks would have extra time to spend in the carpet factory afterwards. After hearing these comments, I was very happy that I had chosen an outside vendor, despite the higher price.

 

Upon exiting the Izmir cruise terminal in the morning, our guide was standing there wearing wrap-around black sunglasses and sporting a neatly trimmed circle beard, holding a piece of A3 paper with my name on it. I shook his hand, made introductions, and we were on our way in Ekol's bus. Since we arrived in Turkey on a national holiday, tourist traffic was much more intense than it usually would have been. Our guide, Özgür (Oscar in English), handled the challenge perfectly. Our group saw everything that we had wanted to, we ate all the food and snacks on our to-do list, and we even did several souvenir stops as well. Despite all the activities, we didn't feel rushed at all. Özgür was an outstanding project manager, as well as a knowledgeable tour guide.

 

If you are a serious Catholic, by all means stop by Mary's House. Otherwise, I'd give it a pass and utilize the time on the port call to visit some eateries or sights in Izmir — maybe a mosque or two, perhaps stuff your face with some roast meat. Our guide had some expert tips on how to get in and out of the long lines at Mary's House in the most efficient way. Because of this, we probably saved 30 minutes of our very limited time.

 

The walking tour through Ephesus was ok and it probably doesn't differ to much from guide to guide. However, our guide paid attention to the small details as well, for example, finding a small shade tree to stand under when explaining the highlights to our group, instead of doing it in the hot sun.

 

We asked our guide to find someplace tasty, affordable, and local for lunch. This was a challenge because Ephesus is out in the countryside, mostly surrounded by restaurants for bus tours, which are typically bland, overpriced, and touristy. Our guide made a great choice, and even went so far as to pre-order set meals over the phone so that we could be in and out of the restaurant in 30 minutes. I'm sure that as part of the deal, the restaurant owner let the guide and driver eat for free, since I paid for the 6 people in our group.

 

Initially, our group of 6 was completely opposed to going on any type of carpet factory tour. Big time scam, from what we had heard. No carpets for us, thank you. I had explicitly told Ekol tours when I contacted them by email, "We don't want to see any carpets, we've done that before." They were happy to honor our request. During the course of our tour, however, a couple members of our group decided that they'd like to change their minds and go see a carpet factory. Özgür was happy adjust our schedule, and managed to pick out a place that was on the way, and delivered some nice photo opportunities.

 

To further challenge our guide, we had two more requests for him:

 

• a quick stop to purchase Turkish Delight, a well-known sweet from the region
  
• a stop by a local fast food joint to sample local döner kebap
  

Özgür planned out stops for both, and everyone in our group was very happy. Again, note that we were away from Izmir, the major city, and out in the countryside where there seemed to be little of anything, so it was impressive that our guide integrated these stops so well into our trip at the last minute.

 

Additional recommendations if you're using Ekol:

 

• Ensure you have enough cash to pay the bill. If you're coming in via Izmir, the tour company's office is a long drive away, so using a credit card at that time to pay is not an option. Either pay on site in cash, or pre-pay on their web site using a credit card. During our tour, we stopped for 5 minutes to use an ATM to get some cash, which presented no problems.
  
• A tip is not explicitly pushed for, but since you've spent a lot of money on a cruise, you'll be perceived as very wealthy, and it's expected that some type of tip will be given.
  
• Our guide could have been a little more helpful in escaping from the high intensity carpet factory sales pitch we walked ourselves into. The carpet factory owner did a full court press on our group, sitting us like a row of ducks on the far side of the room as far from the door as possible. He handed us Turkish tea and had his team roll out carpet after carpet in front of our group in the confined room. Having spent a number of years doing business in Asia, I was able to eject our group from this situation in an efficient and face-saving manner, but it would have been nicer to have had the guide do the work.
  

Overall, recommended for the price.

[NYC cruiser lady]

Another vote for EKOL. They provide exceptional personalized service.

I called Nur (Ekol) recently from my home here in New York. She helped me find a store in the Bazaar and sent me the info within 24 hours.

[deepoz]

We've just returned from our cruise and I'd like to recommend Fatma Acar (Helliantus Anadolu Tours) to you. She runs her own tour business, met us (8) at the port with her driver and an air conditioned van. We did an all day tour that included Ephesus, the terrace houses, Mary's house, Sirince village and time for shopping. She took us to a wonderful cafe for lunch and helped us order a delicious meal. Fatma was an excellent guide who knows the history of her country and fabulous stories which make the tour interesting. She has incredible energy and knowledge. Fatma also went out of her way to meet us in Istanbul prior to our cruise and spent a day taking us to all the big sights there. You can reach her at fatmaacarguide@hotmail.com.

[ldoInCanada]

We arranged a private tour for our group of 6 through Kagan Kosagan from privatetoursinturkey.com. We made all the arrangement through email and Kagan was responsive and warm in his responses. The itinerary was flexible and the price was only slightly more than the large group tour offered through the ship.

Our guide's name was Taner Kara and he was, in a word, awesome. Taner was very knowledgeable and interested in the history and archaeology of the area. He took us to the House of Virgin Mary, Ephesus - including the Terrace Houses, the Museum, and to a lovely, quiet little restaurant in the village of Sirince for an excellent lunch. We spent over 3 hours just getting through the Ephesus site and Taner never made us feel rushed. He met us at the port at 8am and delivered us back at about 5pm. He was friendly and passionate about his job.

 

Our group included two 13 year old boys with an insatiable interest in the history and mythology of the area and Taner engaged with them enthusiastically. We also had along the boys' 79 year old grandmother who couldn't move as fast as the rest of us, and Taner was nothing but patient.

 

The day we spent there was the highlight of our trip.

 

[maryann ns]

With Hello Ephesus, when we went to the rug making school for lunch and then went inside for the demo, the actual rugs were shown in a large room off the area where we saw the women working. In this large room we were seated beside the door. we did not have to go in and could have walked out at any time. All our group found it very interesting and, as I said before, there was no hard sell. In fact unless you stayed behind to ask, there was no sell at all. Most of our group just said thank you and walked out. My husband and I asked the price of one rug, just out of interest. We then said thank you and walked out.

 

My point is that if you wish to learn about Turkish carpets this is a good place to go.

[wave2me]

Like a previous poster, we used Bill Orkus at Hello Ephesus (borkus@superonline.com OR guides@helloephesus.com). He was very knowledgeable and really keep our group of 6 interested throughout a 7 hour day!

[mrs kanga]

Just came back from our Med Cruise last May and we used Ekol. Jack and Nur are so easy to deal with. All my correspondence via email were answered promptly. I even ask Nur to book our lunch at Antonin in Istanbul.

 

For Ephesus we're 9 in the group and in Istanbul, we're 12 in the group. Both Nahide and Sela are excellent and very mindful of the time. They make sure that their guest really get a feel of the place.

[Safety Squirrel]

We were on the May Equinox cruise. Ephesus - recommend www.aboutephesus.com. Excellent English speaking guide who tailored excursion to our request, including House of Virgin Mary, Terrace Houses, etc. Private van. Lunch was included.

 

Istanbul -- would not recommend www.istanbultours.com Tour was for a private van with an English speaking guide, including lunch and also the Bosphorus ferry. Van picked us up at the designated time, however, driver did not speak English - guide was not on van at this time. Driver drove around for approximately one hour. Finally picked up English speaking guide and several other tourists. Did not receive lunch. We expressed our displeasure with the English speaking guide about service delivered and tour which was supposed to be delivered.

 

Istanbul - private English speaking guide for tours of Topaki Palace and Aya Sophia - excellent knowledge of history. Very reasonable. Contact him at gokhanky@hotmail.com. We would certainly recommend this tour guide

[ScTrny1]

Has anyone ever used Online Ephesus Travel for booking tours of Ephesus?

 

Thanks for any info/thoughts you have!

 

Sherry

[barbetal]

We used Ephesus Shuttle on June 1st from Izmir, and could not be more pleased. Our guide, Yelda Celik, was the best. Perfect English, answered all our questions, not only about Ephesus, but also about Turkey, Turkish people, her life as a guide, etc. Rug stop was not even mentioned. I believe the guides are mostly freelancers, working for all the different tour companies in the area, so if you’re interested in a particular guide mentioned on the boards, it’s best to ask for them by name whichever tour company you chose. On a very, very positive note for Ephesus Shuttle, we emailed them in late March, received a price quote and confirmed details and price of tour. Prior to leaving home at the end of May, I reconfirmed by email. They promptly replied confirming arrangement and advising us of a recent price change – 25% discount from original price. How often does that happen?

[moonwalker]

we have been in kusadasi last year and we booked a full day ephesus trip with yusuf (josef) owner of bluege travel services. the day that i back to home i gave a call to my friend who recommend to thank. the car, driver, guide the restaurant we stoped for lunch were all amazing. when you check his prices yes its a bit expensive then the others but if you need something realy good it worth.

[SandG]

I would highly recommend Mesut Yilmaz. In 2010, we had a wonderful tour of Ephesus, including the Terrace Houses, Mary's house, the site of the Artemis Temple, with a wonderful stop for an authentic, delicious Turkish lunch, and then a visit to the Ephesus museum. He is well versed in the history of the sites, and everyone in our group loved him. He was also very reasonably priced.

 

Sue

[Goldygolfer]

Another vote for Bill Orkus. 10 of us had a great day with him on 12th May. See post #32 for contact details.

[tennisbets]

Just returned from the Eastern Med and had a fantastic tour with Ephesus Deluxe. Our guide, Ibraham was very knowledgable and flexible with our requests. Felt we received excellent value for the price. I had looked into Ekol and they were quite a bit more expensive. Ephesus and the terrace houses were our favorite ruins and we had a lovely lunch in the garden of the Turkmen carpet "factory". The demonstration was very interesting and the carpets were beautiful. I didn't feel pressured at all, but decided to buy a carpet because we were so impressed. All the tour companies in Turkey seem do to a good job. The port is tourist oriented and the people are very friendly. You'll have a great time no matter who you go with.

[CTBob]

Hello Ephesus provided us with a great tour. All of the places you want and more. Our guide "Bill" was great. We had a large and comfortable bus for our group of 32. We went to the museum, the basilica of St John, The house of the Virgin Mary, the terrace houses and had the stop at the carpet center with lunch. Most people felt that it was the most authentic lunch we had. We did spend too much time at the carpet shop, but many people in my group did want to buy carpets. We can't figure out how we got so much for the price. I think that the carpet company provides the lunch for tour groups. Hello Ephesus was great to work with from the first email to our arrival. Highly recommended. If no one is interested in rugs the presentation may be too long for you. I found it to be very interesting. We just returned last week from our cruise with RCCI.

[luv2cruz55]

We just got back from our trip and used Levent Solmaz for our tour. He was an excellent guide. He was waiting for us with an air conditioned bus and driver. He is very well educated, speaks excellent English, and has a passion for his country. We went to Epshesus, Terrace Houses, Sirince, etc. He took us to a great place for lunch. We are really glad we hired him and would highly recommend him for a great tour. His e-mail is info@leventsolmaz.com

[Kcjarvis]

ephesus tours dot biz??? I'm leaning towards their Ephesus Tailor Made tour.

[irishgirl1]

Another vote for Hello Ephesus. Naila was our guide -- absolutely fantastic. Yes, we stopped at the carpet demo after lunch, but it really was very interesting. We firmly indicated that we were not interested in buying and it was very easy. The sales talk lasted less than 5 minutes. Very painless.

 

Ephesus was one of our favorite days of the trip -- Naila did a great job in explaining what we were seeing and really tailored the day to our interest.

 

Don't miss this!!

[whale-watcher]

We used Ekol and were delighted with our day. We set up our tour with them on the spur of the moment when our original guide cancelled at the last minute.

 

Our Ekol guide was named Nahide, and she was fantastic...one of our favorite guides of all time!

[pier]

We just got back from a June 10 cruise and used Ekol. Our guide was excellent. Don't miss the Terrace Houses (there is an extra charge for them, but Ekol is reasonable). The only thing we didn't like about the tour was that our guide insisted that we go to a carpet showroom. We told him that we weren't interested in buying a rug, but we ended up politely sitting through it. Guides want you to go to showrooms because they get kickbacks. As we were leaving, a large group from a Princess cruise ship excursion was coming in.

[Weluv2cruise2007]

We used Ephesus Shuttle on June 1st from Izmir, and could not be more pleased. Our guide, Yelda Celik, was the best. Perfect English, answered all our questions, not only about Ephesus, but also about Turkey, Turkish people, her life as a guide, etc. Rug stop was not even mentioned. I believe the guides are mostly freelancers, working for all the different tour companies in the area, so if you’re interested in a particular guide mentioned on the boards, it’s best to ask for them by name whichever tour company you chose. On a very, very positive note for Ephesus Shuttle, we emailed them in late March, received a price quote and confirmed details and price of tour. Prior to leaving home at the end of May, I reconfirmed by email. They promptly replied confirming arrangement and advising us of a recent price change – 25% discount from original price. How often does that happen?

 

If I'm not mistaken, the guide does not accompany you to the site...correct? If so, how did you get along? Was the guide book they give you sufficient?

[Lindy49]

We just return from a cruise July 2.2010. We toured Ephesus on a private tour with Ekol Travel. The van was lovely and certainly comfortable for my husband and me. Our guide Haluk was terrific and when he realized our particular interests (an architect and former teacher), he tailored the tour accordingly, spending much more time than was originally alloted.

[vino100]

We used Ekol in January for a private tour of the Virgin Mary House, Ephesus (including the Terrace Houses, which are in Ephesus), and the Temple of Artemis. I can't say enough good things about Ekol; their guide was fantastic and they were terrific and easy to deal with to set things up.

 

There are many raves on here about Ekol. If you do a search for them, and for the other tour operators you are considering, you'll find many posts about them.

 

Whoever you use, have a great trip!

 

We have booked Ekol for our Sept. cruise.Did they push any rug demonstrations? We are only a little interested and don't want to spend a lot of time looking at rugs or leather.Thank you.

[Maxtripcare]

If I'm not mistaken, the guide does not accompany you to the site...correct? If so, how did you get along? Was the guide book they give you sufficient?

 

Hello Weluv2cruise2007,

I was looking at Ephesus Shuttle as well and could not believe the price he quoted us for 2 people with a 25% discount from Kusadasi on October 2, 2010. The reply I received from Curiotravel was that ‘You will have private guide who will be with you from arrival till departure. he will guide you in the sites. and also you will have A/C van with driver.’

I am not able to decide for now because there are not many mentioned about this company. Thanks to ‘barbetal’ and john.63 [#23] mentioning about them.

 

 

Maxtripcare