January 2020
​01 - 31 January

February 2020
01,02.03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,14,15
16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28

​​March 2020
01 - 31 March

​April 2020
01-30 April

​May 2020
​01 - 31 May

​June 2020
01,02.03,04,05,06,07,08,09,11,12,13,14,15
16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30

We have just completed 2 Days Custom Tour of Western Turkey for Oeler Family from Dubai. They had wonderful time with our tour guide Yesim Kulak. 

We offer private tours of Western Turkey. These tours can start from Izmir airport, Denizli airport, Izmir hotels, Kusadasi hotels, Pamukkale hotels or any other desired location nearby.

Suggested tour program is as follows:
​
Day 1 - Fullday Tour of Ephesus
Meet with your guide in front of  your hotel in Kusadasi. Drive  to the country. Your first stop on this fascinating tour is at the HOUSE OF VIRGIN MARY. Then, you will continue on to visit ancient EPHESUS, one of the most magnificent and best-preserved ancient sites in the world. See the Odeion, the Market Basilica, Curetes Street, Bath,Celsus Library, Marble Street and the Great Theater with a seating capacity of 25,000 people. Afterwards visit the  BASILICA OF ST. JOHN and see the TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS, one of the wonders of the  ancient world. En-route to Kusadasi enjoy the scenery or shopping opportunity. Overnight in Kusadasi.

Day 2 - Fullday Tour of Pamukkale and Aphrodisias
After departing from Kusadasi, drive east approx. 3 hours. Visit Aphrodisias, see the finest works of marble from Roman Period and the 30.000 spectator capacity gigantic roman stadium. Continue to Hierapolis (Pamukkale) Enter the site from North Gate and walk through the Ancient Necropolis (Cemetery). So far Italian archaeologists excavated over 1200 tombs in the area. The total number is expected to exceed 3000.  No where in the world you can see such a gigantic ancient cemetery. Afterwards see the Roman Bath,  walk through Domitian Gate, Frantinus Avenue to see the other remains. View the huge Roman theater having a capacity of 10000.  Walk on the calcium deposit terraces of Pamukkale. Enjoy the stunning views. The water temperature is 32 degrees.  At the end of the tour we can drop you at a hotel in Pamukkale or drive you back to Kusadasi.


Cost: 385 Euro (Total to be paid for your party of 1-6 people)


Rates Cover:

• Services of an excellent English speaking tour Guide 
• A/C Mercedes MPV
• All transportation costs.
• Tax, service charges.
• Pick up and drop off from/to Hotel in Kusadasi or Selcuk
• Lunches

Rates Do Not Cover:

• Entrance & Parking fees to the sites.
• Drinks during lunches.

There is no prepayment required for the reservation. To avoid disappointment, we recommend to make your private tour reservation at earliest possible.

Payment Terms:
Payment can be made in Euro or US Dollar cash at the end of the tour. There is no prepayment required.

We recommend you to overnight in Kusadasi.
Recommended hotels to stay in Kusadasi:

• Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel - 4 Stars
• LaVista Boutique Hotel
• Charisma Deluxe Hotel - 5 Stars
• Double Tree by Hilton Hotel - 4 Stars
• Korumar Deluxe Hotel - 5 Stars

• Hotel Ilayda - 3 Stars

We offer custom private tours of Western Turkey such as above.
For more information, please contact us.

1. Entrance Fee - Ephesus - where else does this sites covers? 
As mentioned, You will see the beautiful Celsus Library, restored and  reconstructed according to its original form by the architect  Friedmund Hueber  in the 1970's. The most spectacular building of Ephesus is the Grand Theater

> These are the sites you will be visiting during the visit to the ancient city of Ephesus:

• Magnesia Gate
• East Gymnasium
• State Agora
• Basilica, Odeion
• Prythaneion
• Memmius Monument
• Domitian Temple
• Hercules Gate
• Curetes Street
• Hadrian Temple
• Scholastica Baths
• Latrines 
• Celcus Library
• The Brothel
• Commercial Agora
• Marble Road 
• Theater 
• Harbour Street

2. Entrance Ticket - is your guide will assist me to purchase? Does your guide need a ticket?
> Yes, the tour guide will assist you to purchase tickets.
We will assign you a licensed tour guide.
There is no admission for licensed tour guides.

3. Once Confirmed - do I need to fill up all as mentioned below:
> Yes, please. We need the following information:

For private tour booking, 
Kindly advise us the following:

1. Full names of the members of your group and their passport numbers.
2. Number of people in your group.
3. Date of Arrival 
4. Name of the Cruise Ship/Hotel/Flight number
5. Time to start the tour 
6. Tour code or name or name of the sites you would like to visit.

4. Cancellation Policy - as mentioned, Once you are within the 24 hour tour departure window,  the tour becomes non-refundable. May I know, what method of transaction?
> In this case we will ask your credit card details.

5. Hotel  Pick Up & Drop Off  -  at Hotel in Izmir
> No problem, we can meet you at a Hotel in Izmir.

6. Entrance Fee - if requested for early purchase, any extra charges incurred? Kindly advise and give quotes.
Approximate cost of entrance fees:
Ephesus: 10 euro per person (60 Turkish Lira)
House of Mary: 5.5 Euro per person (35 Turkish Lira)
Temple of Artemis: Free of Charge
Sirince Village: Free of charge
Isa Bey Mosque: Free of Charge
Terrace Houses: 5 Euro per person (30 Turkish Lira)
Basilica of St. John: 2.5 Euro per person (15 TL)
Museum of Ephesus: 2.5 Euro per person (15 TL)
> There is no need to prepurchase the tickets. There are never long lines at the sites. You can make the decision where to go with  the recommendation of your tour guide. 

7. Lunch - if requested, where and what is provided? Estimation of cost if a Turkish set meal? Kindly advise and give quotes.
> We will take you to a place where you can Enjoy home made meal. Lunch will be provided at the premises öf a weaving center. Lunch cost is included in the price.

9. Shopping - please recommend some shops and handicraft places.
> Turkish pottery , çini
> Turkish Carpets 
> Turkish Delight and sweets 
> Leather outlet för Leather jackets 

10. Mode of Payment - can be paid in TL?
Yes, Payment can be made in Turkish Liras.  

11. Transport - Vehicle Merc MPV deluxe Sedan EURO 160 is for 4 pax?
> We will assign you a Mercedes Vito which has 6 passenger seats + guide + driver

12. Is it a private tour? We are party of 4.
> We only offer private tours. You will be the only ones in the vehicle besides your personal tour guide and driver. 

13. We can pick & choose sites, not all? Entrance priced mentioned.
> yes, you can choose the sites to be visited. 

14. Tickets purchases by whom? No delay.
> our tour guide will assist you to buy the tickets. You will not wait in the lines.

15. Will there be any shopping or handicraft shop visit? Like to visit some.
> if requested yes. You are the one who is going to decide where to go.

Selcuk is the modern name of Ephesus. A small agricultural town, having a population of 35000 people. Due to the close proximity to the ancient city of Ephesus, some travellers prefer to stay in Selcuk town. Selcuk has many small hotels. For travelers who will overnight in Selcuk town, we recommend to visit farmers market on saturdays.

Selcuk is accesible by trains from Izmir or Denizli (Pamukkale). Modern trains are operating between İzmir – Izmir Airport – Selcuk – Denizli. Its a comfortable and cheap way to travel on this route. For more information about the trains schedules to Selcuk, please visit the following link: 
Izmir, Izmir Airport - Selcuk Town (Ephesus) Train Schedules

For travelers who stay in Selcuk town or travel to Selcuk by train, we offer private airport transfers from Izmir airport and private Ephesus tours. For travelers who travel with rent a car, we also provide tour guide only services where our tour guide meets you in your hotel in Selcuk or in front of Basilica of St. John or Selcuk Bus Station or Selcuk Train Station. Cost of tour guide only services is  80 Euros (whatever your group size is)

Suggested Tour Programs from Selcuk are as follows:

SELCUK - No:1
HalfDay (4 hours) Temple of Artemis + Ephesus  + House of Mary
After meeting your guide drive through the fertile lands. Your first stop will be the Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Afterwards proceed to the mountain where Virgin Mary is believed to spent her 9 years. The house is approximately 1000 feet above sea level and running as an active chapel. Roman Catholics believe that Virgin Mary came to Ephesus with Saint. John 5 years after the crucification. At the age of 63 she is assumed to heaven. Altough there is no fact that Virgin Mary lived here approximately 1.5 million people visit the site each year. After 30 minutes visit to the House of Mary, drive to ancient city of Ephesus. You will be dropped at the upper gate of Ephesus with your tour guide. Start exploring the city. You will be walking down the hill approximately 1.5hrs. You will see the Odeon, the basilica, domitian square, fountain of Trajan, Celcus library, Terrace Houses (optional), Marble street, the Grand Theater of Ephesus and the Harbour Street. You will be endng your tour at the bottom gate. Your tour guide will take you to another site or drop you at the desired location.

SELCUK - No:2
Fullday (6 hours) Tour of Ephesus - Christian Ephesus 
Meet with your guide in Selcuk. Drive  to the country. Your first stop on this fascinating tour is at the HOUSE OF VIRGIN MARY. Then, you will continue on to visit ancient EPHESUS, one of the most magnificent and best-preserved ancient sites in the world. See the Odeion, the Market Basilica, Curetes Street, Bath,Celsus Library, Marble Street and the Great Theater with a seating capacity of 25,000 people. Afterwards visit the  BASILICA OF ST. JOHNand see the TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS, one of the wonders of the  ancient world. 

SELCUK - No:3
Fullday (7 hours) Ephesus & Villages 
Meet with your guide in Selcuk. Drive to one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world:TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS. After seeing Temple of Artemis drive to the magnificent ancient site of  EPHESUS. Ephesus is the best preserved of the Greek/Roman cities in Anatolia  and  while you are visiting the ancient ruins of this magnificent site, your tour guide  will bring them alive. You will see the beautiful Celsus Library, restored and reconstructed according to its original form by the architect Friedmund Hueber  in the 1970's. The most spectacular building of Ephesus is the Grand Theater,  built during the Hellenistic age to hold 25,000 spectators. It is there that St.  Paul preached. Opposite theTemple of Hadrian are the Terrace Houses, homes of  Ephesus' wealthy citizens. The city was also the hometown of great philosopher  Heraclitus. After a visit to Ephesus Antique Site, you will arrive at SIRINCE VILLAGE. This old Orthodox Village, 10 km from Selcuk, was once "Cirkince"(ugly). Indeed its inhabitants gave this name on the purpose as they  did not want to be bothered by foreigners nor to share the beauty of their village. Still after years, visitors understood that the village was not ugly and called it "Sirince" (pretty). Today the village is a perfect synthesis of Turkish-Greek culture as of the 1920's; after the Turkish Independence War, people exchange between Greek and Turks has occurred and all those typical Greek  houses, though they kept their original outside characteristics, have received  the local layout inside. At Sirince Village you will have chance of seeing the  local life at a village and purchasing some small local souvenirs and  handicrafts. The village is also famous for its local grape and other fruit wines. Your last stop will be the visit to the ISA BEY MOSQUE, a delicate masterpiece of Turkish architecture from the fourteenth century.

Marella Discovery of Marella Cruises will call to cruise port of Kusadasi in 2019. 

We had a group of 5 who booked a private tour of Ephesus. We offer private tours of Ephesus for Marella Cruises passengers. Our licensed tour guide meet the passengers outside the passenger terminal of Kusadasi Cruise Port. 

Marella Discovery 2 will have 2 more port of calls to Kusadasi Cruise Port in 2018 during 7 Night Aegean Meze cruise and Marella Discovery will have 3 port of calls to Kusadasi in 2019

​​For cruise ship passengers calling to Kusadasi and Izmir Ports, we organize private tours of Ephesus. For more information please visit: Private Tours of Ephesus or contact us.

Celestyal Olympia and Celestyal Crystal of Greek Celestyal Cruises will be calling back to the cruise port of Kusadasi on March 16 2019. . Celestyal Olympia will be the first cruise ship which will be calling to Kusadasi Cruise Port for 2019. Celestyal Olympia and Celestyal Crystal will call to the Port of Kusadasi every saturday during 4 Days Greek Islands And Turkey Weekend Cruise and every tuesday during 5 Days Greek Islands and Turkey Cruise. At both days the ships will stay at the Port of Kusadasi from 7am till 1pm.

Due to limited time that Celestyal Ships stay at the port of Kusadasi, we offer private half day tours of Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary for Celestyal Cruises Passengers. In these private tours guests can save money compared to Celestyal Ship Tours and maximize the sightseeing during their limited time at the port of Kusadasi.

Suggested Tour Itinerary is as follows:
KUSADASI - No:1
Halfday (4hours) Tour of Ephesus & Temple of Artemis
Meet with your guide in front of the Kusadasi port passenger Terminal. Drive to the country. See the TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS, one of  the  wonders of the ancient world. Then a visit to EPHESUS is a visit to one of  the  best preserved ancient cities in the world. Ancient  historians believed that   Ephesus was founded by the Amazons, but now, it is believed to have been the   Hittite city of Apasa. With your Ephesus tour guide, you will see the Odeion, where the advisory council held its meetings and the Baths, as well as many other columns,  monuments and ruins, including the Celsus Library. En-route to Kusadasi enjoy  the scenery or shopping opportunity.

Applicable Costs:
Sedan + Tour Guide for 2 people: 120 Euro
Mercedes Van + Tour Guide for 5 people: 130 Euro
Mercedes Minibus + Tour Guide for 10 people: 140 Euro
Mercedes Minibus +  Tour Guide for 14 people: 150 Euro
25 seater Bus + Tour Guide for 24 people: 190 Euro

Rates Cover:
- Services of an excellent English speaking tour Guide
-  A/C vehicle.
- All transportation costs.
- Tax, service charges

Rates Do Not Cover:
- Entrance &  Parking fees to the sites.
​
​* In addition to private tours with English speaking tour guides, we also provide private tours with Spanish, German, 
Portuguese, Russian, French and ​Italian speaking licensed tour guides. There is a surcharge for non-English speaking tours. For costs please contact us.

* For Celestyal Cruises passengers who will be disembarking from the ship in Kusadasi. After the private tour of Ephesus and surroundings, we can take them to Izmir airport. Get in touch with us for a personal quote.

We provide custom made tours to Ephesus, Temple of Artemis, House of Virgin Mary, Basilica of St. John, Sirince Village, Kirazli Village and Isa Bey Mosque from Kusadasi Cruise Port.

Our team of licensed tour guides offer exclusive private tours to Ephesus for cruise passengers travelling to Kusadasi Cruise Port. These private tours of Ephesus are conducted in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French and Russian languages.

Driving from Izmir and Izmir Airport to Ephesus (Selcuk)
Western region of Turkey is a easy place to drive a rental car. If you are planning to rent a car at İzmir Airport, make sure that your rental car has a toll sticker or a toll transponder to pay the highway tolls. You cannot pay the tolls any other way  Note that you can not pay tolls with cash!  As you exit from Izmir airport, follow the green signs for Aydın (not İzmir). Green sign is for toll road. The toll for the drive from the Izmir airport to Selcuk (Ephesus) is about 3 Turkish Liras. In the toll road there are no signs here for Selcuk or Ephesus, so follow the signs for Aydın. After 30 minutes drive from Izmir airport is the Selcuk turn, Leave the toll road by this exit, following signs to Selcuk and Efes (Ephesus). After passing the toll gates in 10 minutes you will reach Selcuk (Ephesus). If you are going to use our tour guide only service, you will meet your tour guide in front of Basilica of St. John, therefore look for a brown sign as ''Basilica of St. John''

Day 1
Pamukkale (Hierapolis)
After departing from your hotel, drive east approx. 3 hours. Enter the site from North Gate and walk through the Ancient Necropolis (Cemetery). So far Italian archaeologists excavated over 1200 tombs in the area. The total number is expected to exceed 3000.  No where in the world you can see such a gigantic ancient cemetery. Afterwards see the Roman Bath,  walk through Domitian Gate, Frantinus Avenue to see the other remains. View the huge Roman theater having a capacity of 10000. Walk on the calcium deposit terraces of Pamukkale. Enjoy the stunning views. The water temperature is 32 degrees.  For the ones interested there is an opportunity to swim at the ancient pools of Cleopatra.  Kindly note there is an extra entrance fee approximately 15 Euros per person. 
(If requested Aphrodisias or Laodicea ancient cities can also be added to private tours of Pamukkale.)

Day 2
Priene, Miletus, Didyma
Following the departure from your hotel, the first stop will be PRIENE. The ancient harbor city of Priene probably changed its location when the silt of the Meander River threatened to bury it. Now it is nearly 16km away from the sea. The original place of the city has never been found but it was probably a peninsula with two harbors. Priene was laid out on a Hippodamian system of grid plan at the foot of a spectacular cliff on mount Mycale and contained many famous examples of Hellenistic art and architecture. All the streets intersect at right angles. Next visit MILETUS, an ancient city located near the mouth of the Meandros River. Miletus owed its importance to its position on the trade routes. It was one of the largest cities in Anatolia. Highly prosperous, it founded many colonies and was the home of the ancient philosophers Anaximander, Anaximenes and Thales, the town planner Hippodamus and architect Isidorus. Having a prominent position, Miletus became the most important port in this area and it was the most active member of the twelve cities of the Ionian Confederation. From the 7th century B.C. the city has been controlled in turn by the Persians, Roman and Seljuk Turks. The last visit in the tour will be DIDYMA. The world Didyma meant "twins" and it was associated by some as being the meeting place of Zeus and Leto to have their twins Apollo and Artemis. Didyma was famed as a prophecy center dedicated to Apollo, which served a similar purpose as the Delphi of Anatolia. It was not a city but a sanctuary linked to Miletus by Milesians with a 12 mile sacred road.

Day 3
Ancient City of Ephesus, Haouse of Virgin Mary, Basilica of St. John 
Meet with your guide in front of the Kusadasi port passenger terminal. Drive  to the country. Your first stop on this fascinating tour is at theHOUSE OF VIRGIN MARY. Then, you will continue on to visit ancient EPHESUS, one of the most magnificent and best-preserved ancient sites in the world. See the Odeion, the Market Basilica, Curetes Street, Bath,Celsus Library, Marble Street and the Great Theater with a seating capacity of 25,000 people. Afterwards visit the  BASILICA OF ST. JOHNand see the TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS, one of the wonders of the  ancient world. En-route to Kusadasi enjoy the scenery or shopping opportunity

We provide private Ephesus Tours for Russian speaking travelers. These tours are conducted by Russian speaking local tour guides. 
Since we only provide private tours,  you will be the only ones in the car besides your personal tour guide and driver.

The tours can be modified depending on guests interest, needs and timings. All our Russian speaking tour guides are licensed by the Ministry of Tourism.

For more information, about Private Ephesus Tours with Russian speaking tour guides please visit:
Частные Эфес туры с русским Гиды

Take an Ephesus tour with a local guide whose passion for Turkey's history will make these magnificent Roman ruins come alive for you.

Wander the magnificent ruins at Ephesus with a knowledgeable guide. Experience Ephesus through the eyes of a local private guide. Browse our tour suggestions, each can be customized just for you.

Stroll through the marble streets and along mosaic-paved sidewalks to the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  See the stunning façade of the Celsus Library, one of Ephesus' finest buildings and the Ephesus Terrace Houses. Be sure to pay a visit to the House of Virgin Mary, believed to be the Virgin Mary's House during the last years of her life.

Your private tour guide will happily customize your private Ephesus tour to reflect your unique travel interests in this fascinating part of Turkey.

Tour Guide Legal Requirements:
In Turkey, tour guides must are have a valid license issued by the Ministry of Tourism. Obtaining the license requires
training and passing a set of exams. Licenses must be renewed on an annual basis. Licenses are often reviewed at control points in front of museums or archeological sites.

If you visit Ephesus by cruise make sure to book a Ephesus Shore Excursion in advance. Our Private Ephesus Tours are led by local licensed Ephesus tour guides. We are one of the leading Ephesus Travel Agency that provide Ephesus Tours and Ephesus Shore Excursions. Ephesus Travel Guide offers exclusive Ephesus Tours.
​
If you are travelling on land and need some advice like Ephesus Hotels or Ephesus shopping, please do not hesitate to contact us. Please click here to read Ephesus Reviews about us. Ephesus Travel Guide provides you Ephesus History and an online Ephesus Map which would be useful during your visit. Cities near Ephesus also offer many ancient highlights, recommended to be visited. Ruins of Ephesus or currently known as Ephesus Archaeological Site is a must travel destination. You can also click here to see the ruins of Ephesus pictures. Mary`s tomb has not been excavated yet. Archaeologists still searching for that. Modern day Ephesus is known as Selcuk.

In our web site you can find information about: Ephesus Tour Reviews, Ephesus Tour from Izmir, Ephesus Tour from Kusadasi. From Kusadasi private tours and Ephesus trips is organized by Ephesus private guide Denizhan Pekoz.  From port of Kusadasi to Ephesus takes 20 minutes. The distance from Izmir Port to Ephesus is 1 hour 15 minutes drive.

For more information please contact us.

PRIVATE EPHESUS TOURS FROM KUSADASI, IZMIR, SIRINCE, SELCUK, ISTANBUL...

Denizhan Pekoz, is licensed tour guide, providing guided tours of Ephesus from Port of Kusadasi, Port of Izmir, Kusadasi Hotels, Izmir Hotels and Izmir Airport. Has been guiding for over 11 years and working at it with great enthusiasm.
For more information and availability please contact us.

“Kusadasi Private tour”
Reviewed August 18, 2016
​We decided to go with a private tour of Kusadasi instead of the very expensive cruise tours, I researched on tripadvisor and decided to go with Denizhan after reading all the great reviews.
Our experience with him was fantastic, he replied to my email right away and confirmed the tour, he was waiting for us at the port although we were about 20 minutes late getting out of the ship. He first took us to the temple of Armetis, his knowledge of the area was amazing, he also took us to the House of Mary and then we had a fabulous lunch since my kids were hungry, he was very flexible on the tour and he accomodated all our requests, Ephesus was mindblowing and the time and patience he had with us was really appreciated. I recommend Denizhans tour with a 5 star. A very enjoyable and unforgettable port call.

“A comprehensive day in Ephesus”
Reviewed 3 weeks ago
Denizkhan was the best tour guide I have come across, and I do travel quite a bit. He was well ahead of time waiting for us at our hotel. He clearly has a lot of passion and knowledge in the area around Ephesus and was full of historical facts but also helping us gain a broader understanding of modern day history. On request he also took us to some of the best local pottery and leather handicraft stores. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. He also dropped us off at the Izmir airport at the end of the day. Have made a connection for life, would visit again in a heartbeat.

“So knowledgeable and helpful!”
Reviewed 4 weeks agoDenizhan knows it all! His comprehensive knowledge of Ephesus painted for us a most vivid picture of what life was like in a thriving metropolis and trade center 2000 years ago. And he was extremely helpful in addressing some personal matters for us. We could not recommend more highly!

“Great Tour of Ephesus with Denizhan”
Reviewed 4 weeks ago
We loved spending the day in Ephesus with Denizhan. He and his driver were waiting with a friendly smile when we arrived at the cruise terminal. We were a group of four. We all love history and wanted to learn all we could about the Biblical history of the area. Denizhan was perfect for us. He knew more than we could ever know about the history of the area but was able to explain it in an interesting way. He knew and understood the Biblical text and explained it in a way that made the area come to life. He was also honest and realistic when authorities had different opinions or when they were not sure about what happened at a site. He kept us moving and ahead of the crowds---but not rushed. The lunch of typical Turkish food out under big trees was a highlight of our whole trip. We enjoyed visiting with Denizhan during lunch about the food and his life in Turkey with his family. He truly loved this country and passed this on to us. We were sad when the tour was over but left with an appreciation of Ephesus and Turkey. People were warm and kind. We hope to visit again some day. If we are anywhere near this area we will get in touch with Denizhan to continue with our tour of Turkey. My husband said this was the best tour he ever took and the rest of us agreed. Thanks for a great day, Denizhan!

“Simply wonderful!!!!”
Reviewed 4 weeks ago
I am someone who doesn't care much about old stones I never had a history teacher I liked. Now that's sad! But I am learning.!
This tour of Ephesus was amazing. Denizhan Pekoz was our guide and he made it all make sense without being over bearing. The old stones seemed to come alive and I could see how this was once a thriving city. We were not rushed and we did not dilly dally around but went smoothly through the ruins. It seemed as if real people could have e lived there. It was also clear how much work was still to be done and how different it would be if we came back in even 5 years! 
I will never tour again without a private guide. 
It took us about 4 hours including a stop at a wonderful ceramic store and a stop at a magnificent state run school for rug makers. The rugs were shown to us with the greatest care. We would dearly have loved to have bought one but there was no pressure. Traveling as we were we could not do it. The rugs were simply wonderful and we learned a lot about rug making. 
We would like to go back to both places ! and to Ephesus with Denizhan!!

“Private Tour of Ephesus by Trans Balkan tours”
Reviewed October 10, 2016We were a group of 7. We wanted a tour of Ephesus from a Christian perspective. We were picked up at the Cruise Ship dock by Dennis and transported in a brand new looking Mercedes van. Dennis was very knowledgeable of the Biblical text and was careful to differentiate historical truth from speculation or tradition.
We started our tour at St. John's Basilica. Dennis share with us information about the area as well as Christian history. We stopped at a pottery shop on the way to the ruins of Ephesus. While in Ephesus we were wowed by the stories of St. Paul who lived there for 2 1/2 years. Dennis truly knows the Biblical Text. Even for the benefit of non-believers, the ruins are a sight to behold. We also went to the possible home of Mary, mother of Jesus. A somber experience. Then we had a traditional Turkish lunch and a tour of a Turkish carpet facility. The food was wonderful and all part of our tour package price. You will pay for St John's, Ephesus, and Mary's home on your own. Also you will pay for parking. The price for seven of us was around $170 total. Not including tip and admission fees.
Far less than one of those Cruise Ship Excursions would cost. We did far more for far less money than the Cruise ship charges. And we rode in comfort with just our small group and were treated quite well.
One small complaint I would have is that when you stop at the pottery shop and carpet shop, there is a little pressure to purchase something from the shop. Dennis told us not to feel pressured, but I felt pressured. It's just something other travelers should be aware of.
For the record, we felt totally safe on this tour.