Ephesus from Izmir - cruise tour or private?

[NalCruiser]

Maybe this has been asked before, but itineraries I have been looking at, Izmir is a stop vs the seemingly preferable Kusadasi for Ephesus.

Just wondering, does it matter there whether to take a ship's tour vs private, especially since it is far from port? Do you get to see as much? I know in some other ports private touring offers so much more you can do in the time given, but what about in the case of a Ephesus excursion?

 

What is the difference between the excursions that focus on St Mary's house vs Ephesus in general - are they all the same?

Any advice there to the absolute best way to do it/see it?

[Kamloops50]

I was at Ephesus in 1977. I would recommend a tour of some kind.

A tour should normally supply a guide to explain the ruins and what different things are.

[NalCruiser]

I definitely would want to take a tour - just wondering whether ship tour or private makes a difference here...

[6rugrats]

If this is the cruise you want to take with friends with the baby, highly advise you book only private tours.

[Turtles06]

Maybe this has been asked before, but itineraries I have been looking at, Izmir is a stop vs the seemingly preferable Kusadasi for Ephesus.

Just wondering, does it matter there whether to take a ship's tour vs private, especially since it is far from port? Do you get to see as much? I know in some other ports private touring offers so much more you can do in the time given, but what about in the case of a Ephesus excursion?

 

What is the difference between the excursions that focus on St Mary's house vs Ephesus in general - are they all the same?

Any advice there to the absolute best way to do it/see it?

 

Izmir is about an hour's drive from Ephesus. Private tours from Izmir are definitely do-able (unless your ship is on some weird schedule); that's how we saw Ephesus in Jan. 2010. Do a search on this board for reputable private tour operators, and you'll find a good bunch of them (including Ekol, with whom we toured).

 

The Mary house is a small house where some believe Mary lived at the end of her life. It is near, but not part of, the ruins of Ephesus, which are amazing. If you go, be sure that your tour includes the Terrace Houses, which are within Ephesus but have a separate admission. Only small groups are allowed inside, which is why the big tours from the ships can't go in; and they are really missing something.

 

Again, read up on this board; there is a wealth of info on here re Ephesus. the Mary House, etc., and re private tours of Ephesus. The search engine is your friend. :)

[NalCruiser]

I keep hearing about the Terrace houses - some of the ship tours I've seen describe the terrace houses as part of the excursion - is that elusive cause you don't get to go inside?

is exploring them all about going inside of them?

[Turtles06]

I keep hearing about the Terrace houses - some of the ship tours I've seen describe the terrace houses as part of the excursion - is that elusive cause you don't get to go inside?

is exploring them all about going inside of them?

 

The Terrace Houses are excavated homes of families who lived in Ephesus. They were built into a hillside (hence "terrace") and you start inside them at the bottom and walk up sets of stairs that have been built for visitors to see these magnificent ruins, complete with mosaics, ancient plumbing, etc. (I'm not at the computer where my pics are, or I'd post some, but do a search on here and you'll find many.)

 

Re any excursion that says it includes the Terrace Houses, be sure it includes an INSIDE visit. (Nothing really to see on the outside.) Some ship's tours do -- very small groups that you pay through the nose for. IMHO, you pay less and see more with private tour operators.

 

(You must of course understand that if you are late getting back to the ship with a private tour, the ship will not wait for you. With reputable tour operators, this is not a large risk, imho, but you must still understand that it exists.)

[MeHeartCruising]

I keep hearing about the Terrace houses - some of the ship tours I've seen describe the terrace houses as part of the excursion - is that elusive cause you don't get to go inside?

is exploring them all about going inside of them?

 

People say "inside" the Terrace Houses mostly because it is covered/enclosed by a new "building" that has been set up to protect the ruins while excavation is being done. You can't see anything from the outside except the structure of the new enclosure. Inside, you walk thru and above the ruins on metal stairways, walkways, landings, etc. so you can look into and down upon the ruins. It's very cool.