Ephesus tours with little walking

[charleysmom]

Hi everyone -

 

We're on the August 4 RCCI sailing to the eastern Med with my elderly (she'll be 87!) mom who has a fairly severe knee injury. It's painful enough that we considered canceling but she won't hear of it ("I'm going even if I have to stay on the boat the whole time!!") Naturally we don't want her to be stuck on the ship, but we don't want her stuck on a bus either. I'm guessing we'll do better on a private tour than a ship's tour, but can anyone recommend 1) a tour operator that will be especially accommodating and 2) any specific sites to either see or avoid due to her condition? For example, I'd love to see the Terrace Houses, but from what I've read, Mom would have to hang out with the driver while we visit... is there anywhere comfy and accessible where she could rest and relax? Or are we better off skipping them?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Ann

[gedam]

Hi

 

I think you are on the same sailing as us and we have got my elderly parents with us too. It will be very hot and we have booked a private tour in Turkey.

 

From the questions I asked, there maybe somewhere to rest however not in the shade.

[mountainmare]

I cannot recommend Negat Incedogan highly enough. We had him as a guide in March and I feel that he is a national treasure. In your case he would be the perfect person to talk to because Negat walks with the aid of crutches. Even if he is not available by all means get in touch with him for advice in your situation--he would have more insight than any of us--even though we have been there.

 

Negat did not go into the Terrace houses with us--and there are places for you mother to sit and rest.

 

To find out how to contact Negat you can google his name. If that doesn't work tell me. Again--it is worth talking with him about your options.

[cberge]

I hope you can find a tour,but please realize that Ephesus(and eviron's) will be very very very hot then,and even in the shade your Mom at her age will dehydrate very easily..it will not be good for her to be out and about in the heat.As well as the not very easy to walk factor of ruins I would highly suggest if she does not stay on the ship you find something very easy for her to see so that she will not be in the heat.I don't think sometimes that people realize how ill the heat can make a person. Just my thoughts on this.

[nolaAlive]

There is certainly walking over uneven surfaces at Ephesus just to get to the Terrace Houses - at least the way we went.

 

We went with Mesut Yilmaz who was a terrific guide. You can also contact him to see what options he might have to offer.

 

Meanwhile, here are some pictures from our day with Mesut:

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/free07/izmir/izp.htm

[cruisingmimi]

We did Ephesus in late November and it was a warm day then. It will be very hot in August and there is little or no shade there. There is a lot of walking on uneven cobblestones and the marble road slopes downward as you head to the Library area so it can be very difficult walking. It is not conducive to wheelchairs either. She would definitely not be able to navigate the Terrace Houses.

 

I did not visit the Terrace Houses because I had fractured my arm before I left on the cruise and was in a cast. The tour guide recommended that I not attempt to do the Terrace Houses. There was also another person in our group that was unable to visit the Terrace Houses so we sat on the steps of the Celsus Library and waited for everyone. It takes a good 1/2 hr. or more to visit there. We found a bit of shade on the side of the Library and sat there and waited. However, August will certainly have more heat and sun! Perhaps others may offer some other suggestions. I would really suggest that you try to find other options for your mother.

 

Mary

[cruisingmimi]

P.S. Here is the tour guide we used:

 

http://www.tourguidesinturkey.com/index.html

 

The guide we had was Kagan Kosagan and he was wonderful! He is a very kind and caring person. His email is on the website.

 

Mary

[fourpines]

nolaAlive: We were in Ephasus almost 20 years ago and found it amazing. Thank you for our pictures which reminded us of how truly glorious the site is. We are looking forward to our upcoming trip in June even more if that is possible.

[charleysmom]

Thanks everyone... other options are what I am looking for. From the reading I had done I didn't think the Terrace Houses were an option and you all have certainly confirmed that. What I am really looking for, from those of you who have visited, it what options might be viable. She actually tolerates heat pretty well and is good about keeping herself hydrated, I'm a lot less worried about that than I am about the uneven footing. Are there any places that a private driver can get close enough to that would only require a short bit of walking?

 

Thanks.

[trubey]

This Turkish spot was one of the highlights of our cruise. My husband had almost decided to pass because he had heard about the difficulties in walking.

 

We had not made prior private arrangement, so we were limited to the ship's tour. We spoke very honestly with the tour representatives on board. They said that in the past, ship tours started at the bottom of Ephesus and people walked up. Now, they were starting at the top and you would walk down. The incline was not particularly bad as my husband could do it at his own speed. Sometimes he was with our group and sometimes just ambling along.

 

We then spoke to the driver that morning as we boarded the bus. We needed to assure ourselves where the bus would be parked, not only when it was time to leave, but if he needed to return earlier. (Don't make assumptions on this point!)

 

Hope some of this helped.

susana.

[cruisingmimi]

Me again! I just read Trubey's post and I do not see any reason why the guide could not reverse the route and start at the bottom and towards the top. The entrance at the bottom end has rest room facilities (think we pd. $1.00 to use them!) and also some souvenir shops.

 

Here are a couple of websites that I found that might be helpful to you.

 

http://www.kusadasi.biz/ephesus/

 

http://sailturkey.com/panoramas/ephesus/

 

The 2nd one has a nice panoramic tour that really shows what it is like! Check it out.

 

I would email some of the suggested tour guides and ask them those specific questions you posed about your mother and whether it is doable for her.

 

In reversing the itinerary, you would be walking towards the top and I think it would be easier for your mother doing this. We went from the top to the bottom and I found that some of the marble was slippery in spots so you had to be careful. I am sure that you can find a workable solution. It would be a shame that your mother couldn't see the beauty of Ephesus. It was one of my favorite places.

 

We also visited the Ephesus Indoor Museum and that was so interesting to see. Lots of artifacts to see here. There is a rest room there that is fairly decent. I always tell people to bring lots of "supplies" with you, sanitizer, TP, etc.

http://www.kusadasi.biz/ephesus/indoor-museum.html

 

Hope this helps. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

 

Mary

[agabbymama]

Another idea, look at the tours offered by RCCI, look for a little walking man to see the level of difficulty. If he is on a steep incline, you know not to book that one. But it will give you an idea as to what is available for the level of difficulty you want. My friend is almost 80 and I'm 61, but neither of us can do stairs or any climbing. I tried the private tour guides and got the answer that the Terrace Houses wouldn't be a good idea, and we may or may not have any trouble walking at Ephesus (that they thought it would be mostly downhill). But I went to Princess shore excursions and they show that little man on quite an incline for almost all the tours. I think there was only one tour that was level, so that's the one I'm going to book. It's to Sirince Village and Ephesus Museum (not the actual ruins). That will have to do for us.

 

Good luck and have a great trip!

[Longin2cruise]

A friend & I (both in our 60's) were in Ephesus last year in April & it was EXTREMELY hot even then. I can't imagine how hot it would be in August. We took a ship's tour that first went to House of The Virgin Mary. Our guide rushed us terribly (basically like hearding cattle) & we didn't think there was any way we could keep up with the nearly 1 mile tour through ancient Ephesus, especially since my friend was on crutches. The bus dropped us off in the shopping area at the exit & we sat on the shaded terrace of an outdoor cafe & enjoyed cool drinks & snacks. I definitly recommend that you get a private guide if you go. Anything else would probably be a waste of time & money. I can't imagine your mother being able to make the long walk especially in the heat so she might enjoy browsing the shops & staking out a shady spot at the cafe. There's lots of people watching to do so I don't think she'd be bored.

[Sea Island Lady]

There is certainly walking over uneven surfaces at Ephesus just to get to the Terrace Houses - at least the way we went.

 

We went with Mesut Yilmaz who was a terrific guide. You can also contact him to see what options he might have to offer.

 

Meanwhile, here are some pictures from our day with Mesut:

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/free07/izmir/izp.htm

 

Glad to hear of your experience with Mesut. We have him booked for June. We will also have elderly 80+ year old parents with us. Mesut says that he will work with us to accommodate my parents. ;)