Super Day in Ephesus with Sisan Tours

[ddjwms]

Just got back from an Eastern Med. cruise on Costa Fortuna and wanted to share info. on our tour to Ephesus with Sisan Tours Travel Agency [sisan@sisantours.com]. We were traveling with our daughter and her family which includes four young children. We docked in Izmir rather than Kusadasi which complicated things a little as some of the tour places I contacted were substantially higher priced if picking up in Izmir.

 

We just couldn't see taking all those kids on a crowded bus with a ship excursion, but really wanted to see Ephesus, Temple of Artemis, Virgin Mary's house, etc. So we booked with Sisan although we had not seen any info. from anyone on them. What a lucky choice! We paid less than half of what the ship was charging and got the same tour + some extra stops all tailored to our wants and needs. Our guide, whose English was perfect, and our driver met us just outside the terminal with a clean, new minibus, ready to go. We beat the large ship buses to Ephesus and had our guide's personal attention, rather than being herded through in a big group, missing many spots, as we later saw happening with groups from the ship.

 

The ruins at Ephesus were really impressive--and we had just come from Rome and have been to both Ostia and Pompeii, to which they compare quite well. Our guide was so cute in giving us information about the "public house"--sanitized version for the kids! This tour was definitely one of the highlights of our cruise, and if you are making a stop in either Izmir or Kusadasi, I recommend you get in touch with Sisan Tours.

[4 cruisers]

So how many were in your group and what kind of vehicle did they use? We have a group of 13 going but probably only 11 will be touring that day. Thanks for the tip! Glad you enjoyed Ephesus! We think it's right up there with the best ruins too (we were also really amazed with Herculaneum).

[A Sixth?]

How long was your tour 4 cruisers? And how long was your ship in port? How long a drive is it from KUSADASI to Ephesus? (so many questions!!!!)

 

I'll be there late May and our ship is scheduled to be in KUSADASI only between 07:00 and noon. (seems too short!)

[ddjwms]

we had 9 in our group. The tour used a kind of minibus, new and clean. I know it would have held at least one more, maybe two. But I am sure they have other vehicles that would handle a larger group.

 

We were in port from 8-6, I think, and did an all day tour. But we were coming from Izmir which is at least an hour farther each way than Kusadai. Look on Sisan's website. I know they offer half day tours which should work for a shorter stay, especially from Kusadasi. You could easily see Ephesus and Temple of Artemis or Virgin Mary house in the time you have. Once you get to the Ephesus area, they are all very close, almost within sighht of each other.

[A Sixth?]

Thanks for the info... I'm going to email them and see what the scoop is

[4 cruisers]

Super, I will let our fellow travellers know.

 

A-sixth, it is only about a 30 minute drive from the port (if memory serves me correctly?...it IS my 50th B-day trip, so take that with a grain of salt! LOL!). I personally would opt for the Ephesus tour and then go straight back to the port because the shopping there is great fun and it is a simple walk back onto the ship from the shopping area.... much nicer than the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, actually. Just love this area of the world! So interesting!!! Do bargain, if you shop. Only pay what you feel is worth it to you and you'll come out fine. Don't be afraid to say "thank you, anyway" and move along with a smile. We love all of our treasures from Turkey!

[Hlitner]

I thought it might be fun to share one of our experiences at Ephesus. On our first visit we took a tour (from a Princess cruise ship) that took us to Ephesus, rushed us through the ruins in about 1 1/2 hours, and than took us to some awful tourist trap jewelery factory where we were "held hostage" for two boring hours (we were the only customers in this place). When we returned to Kusadasi a few years later, we decided to do Ephesus on our own so we could give it the time it deserves. We walked across the street from the pier, through the bazaar (shopping) area, and found the local bus station. The buses were actually large vans..and we managed to buy tickets (they cost $1 for round trip) to Ephesus. However, they don't actually take you to Ephesus, but rather drop you along the road about a mile from the ruins. We met some other tourists (backpackers) and we walked the mile to the ruins. We spent about 4 hours really enjoying everything and kept listening in to the many different tours (its amzaing how each tour guide has their own story). We have been all over the world and seen many ruins, but Ephesus is absolutely the best with Pompeii the runner-up. We have vowed to return to Ephesus every 7 -10 years to see the new develpoments. Remember, this is still an active "dig" with lots of work going on from day to day. One guide told us they think it will take another 100 years until they uncover all there is to find in this region.

 

Hank

[Fabulous2B50]

For ddjwms,

Thanks for posting your information on this tour company. This does look like a better tour than the one Princess has. I have already reserved their shore excursion for the 2 of us but can still cancel.

We will be docking in Kusadasi, so our transit time will be shorter than from Izmir. Are you aware of any differences in the actual tour itself between the full day and half day?

I really don't want to eat any food or drink in Turkey so a half day would be preferable for us so we can eat lunch on the ship. I have some health issues and cannot risk eating food off the ship,especially in Turkey!

[ddjwms]

Don't really know how the full day and half day tour compare, but since you are coming from Kusadasi and don't want lunch, you should be able to do most of the touristy things: Temple of Diana, Ephesus ruins, and Virgin mary's house in half a day. We drove from Izmir and still got in the first two easily before lunch, so with your shorter drive, you should be able to cover the main things thoroughly--and with out a rush.