Ephesus Day Trip from Istanbul

The good: The tour of Ephesus itself was phenomenal. My dad is a history junkie so this was particularly fascinating for him. A couple of suggestions: if you’re visiting during hot summer days, bring an umbrella/cooling towels. The guide mentioned there are multiple ambulances called for people suffering from heat stroke. I feel that if it is that common, this should be mentioned. Nothing regarding this was mentioned before heading out for the trip. I’d suggest if you’re traveling with any elderly people with heart conditions to be extremely mindful of these weather conditions. The bad: There was some miscommunication about how the entry tickets would be purchased. The tour company suggests you bring CASH to pay THEM for ticket entries. I specifically stated that I would prefer to pay with card for the tickets at the ticket kiosks instead. (They mark up the entry tickets) All was agreed upon but at the end I was sent a link to pay via credit card instead. Just created another headache and unexpected upcharge. The ugly: I’m writing this section because I wish so badly someone warned me about this part of the tour. We were taken to this weaving center around 2pm. Mind you, we’d been walking around in the hot sun for hours. I’d suggest lunch be served before this. The Heirloom Weaving Center has extremely aggressive salesmen. While I appreciate how they supposedly support their local women in obtaining certificates in weaving, I did not like how aggressive they were with asking for my credit card and following me around until I paid. They wouldn’t accept AMEX even though they could’ve. In their contract it states that if paid in AMEX, they’d legally have to charge in Turkish Lira. They clearly wanted to only charge in USD so told me to use visa instead. It was not until after paying and reading their contract (contract is given after paying) that I learned that their items are Nonrefundable. It’s absurd that for a large company like this to charge exorbitant prices and to now allow any returns. I’m kicking myself for not just backing out. It was an extremely high pressure environment especially when they take you to other rooms with only men surrounding you. Additionally I have just now learned that selling these rugs provides commissions to the tour guides and drivers. I felt having a trusted tour guide would’ve shielded us from being fleeced, but was quite the contrary of how things are run. Unfortunate end to this tour.

We had a great time. The tour guide was wonderful and she really knew her stuff. However, didn’t really need to go to carpet factory and be pressured to make purchase. Time better spent elsewhere

Ephesus is worth a visit for its historical significance. The day visit from Istanbul was well planned and seamless. The price covered round trip airfare from Istanbul to Izmir, round trip pick up from the hotel to the airport. The tour provider communicated with clear instructions and was responsive. My pickup from the hotel was early and the driver arrived on time. Our tour guide, Ogun was on time to pick us up from the airport in Izmir and the drive to Ephesus was pleasant. I enjoyed the visit to the ruins but less so the House of Mary. The later seems overrated.

This experience was booked on the basis that it starts at 06:00. The day before the experience (after cancellation is possible) I received a text stating that the pick up time was 04:30. This took me to the domestic terminal by 05:30 for a 7am flight. So before booking consider whether you’re ok with a much earlier time than stated. We were met at Izmir and had a short wait while other people in the experience arrived. The 50 minute drive to Ephesus was uneventful. There are obviously a lot of things outside the control of the operator; queues and crowd sizes. The itinerary was followed; the ‘house’ of the Virgin Mary (long queue) the main Ephesus site (no queue, but some areas were very busy) the temple of Artemis, lunch, carpet making demonstration. Return to airport at 16:30 for 17:55 return flight. Upon return to Istanbul - delay with taxi back. So, overall as described. A tiring day, mostly due to the lack of notice as to how early the start would be.

Amazing experience with Funda. She was very knowledgeable and helped us go back in time and see life in Ephesus.