Private Ephesus Tour From Bodrum

Great private tour. No waiting around. Everything went smoothly. The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. I’d definitely recommend this tour.

Overall, while I enjoyed visiting Ephesus, and I would recommend seeing it, I would not recommend this tour provider, based on several disappointing aspects of the experience. This includes the guide’s limited English and historical knowledge, a lack of warmth and engagement, a tendency to do only the bare minimum throughout the day, and an unexpected and time-consuming carpet sales stop that was not disclosed in advance. If you’d like more detail on each of these negative points, and the positives, please read on below. If you’d prefer to skip straight to what I would recommend instead of doing this tour, feel free to jump to the end. Negatives Limited English - The guide's English wasn't the best, so he often didn't understand questions or he misinterpreted them - this made the tour less interactive than we would've liked. He also talked a bit fast and was hard to understand at times. Limited historical knowledge - The guide's historical knowledge was lacking. For example, he was telling us that Trajan was one of the five good Roman emperors according to historians, which is correct, but he didn't know who the others were. Anyone with a rudimentary passion for history would be curious enough to know, and in his position where such a question may be asked - he should know. He also was telling us about Hadrian's temple, but he didn't know who Marcus Aurelius is. To be talking about Roman history and not know Marcus Aurelius, is quite astounding. He also made incorrect statements, such as referring to Stonehenge as a settlement, and saying it dates to 7000BC, when it actually dates to 3000BC. Lack of warmth and engagement - A good tour guide loves social interaction, our guide seemed to be labouring through it. Also, he had a slightly aggressive disagreement style. For example, I asked him how come Turkish football teams can be in the UEFA Champions League even though only 3% of Turkey is in Europe, he swiftly cut me off saying "It doesn't matter!" with the sound of frustration in his voice. There was another instance like this, and it made me feel awkward having to ask him questions. The guide did the bare minimum - The guide seemed to only be doing the bare minimum. In the van en route to Ephesus, he slept for about half the journey. We passed Lake Bafa, the Euromos ancient city ruins, and other things that looked interesting, and he made no mention of any of them. At Ephesus, he took us to the top of the city, gave his descriptions along the way, then left us and went to sit in the car and wait while we walked back down. We found it a bit strange that a tour guide wouldn't hang around to chat, answer questions, and even help us take photos. Before he left us he asked me how long we were going to take, which made me feel like we had to rush - I didn't end up spending as much time in Ephesus as I would've liked. All in all, he came across as someone who had little enthusiasm for his job and just wanted to do the bare minimum and go home. The unexpected carpet upsell - On the trip, we were taken to a place for a lunch that he stated was included in the tour. Right next to the lunch restaurant was a carpet store, where we had to waste over 30 minutes of our valuable tour time listening to an elaborate carpet sales pitch - this stop was not mentioned on the itinerary! When I firmly stated we wouldn't be purchasing any rugs, we were offered jewellery! On the way back from Ephesus the upselling continued when the guide asked us if we want to visit a pottery place or leather store, we politely declined. Additional Negatives - I called the tour company the day before the tour to make sure it was going ahead, and on the call I was asked by the guide if an Australian couple could be included on our tour... we paid for private! - At the end of the tour, the guide asked us to leave a review, then asked for a 5 star review. I hope this is taken as feedback, but if you have the audacity to ask for a 5 star review, you should be delivering a 5 star experience. Positives While the negatives are overwhelming, I think it's important to be fair and highlight the positives, of which there were some: - The driver and guide arrived on time - The vehicle was well air conditioned and comfortable - The driver drove very responsibly, which was a concern of mine beforehand, due to the reckless driving we'd been experiencing with Bodrum taxi drivers - On the way to Ephesus, we were given a break at a petrol station with very clean toilets - The guide was constantly showing great concern for my pregnant partner Conclusion and recommendations Ephesus is amazing. I would recommend seeing it if you're into Roman or Greek history like I am. The House of Virgin Mary is important only if you're Christian or religious. If you're not religious, it can be a nice box to tick, especially as it's so close to Ephesus and takes only 20-30 minutes to see, but otherwise, it can be passed on in my opinion. If you want to see Ephesus and you want to maximise your time on the site, to explore, read, and take pictures, I would not recommend booking a tour. Tours give you about 2 hours on the site, and it goes quickly. Instead, hire only a driver to take you there, wait for you while you explore, and then take you home. Or, rent a car and drive there yourself. Watch some YouTube videos beforehand to know what you're going to see. This way, you won't have to deal with any wasted time listening to carpet sales pitches, you can explore and take pictures at your own pace, and it will be cheaper. Our hotel told us you need a guide to see the House of Virgin Mary, this is not true - you can enter both Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary without a guide. If you want a more interactive experience, do a tour, preferably a group (not-private) tour. That way, if the tour guide is sub-par, at least interactivity can potentially come from the fellow travellers that you meet on the tour. And finally, in any case, do not do this tour.

Necet was a fantastic tour guide, very knowledgable without being too overbearing. He gave us free time and listened to our needs which made our experience fantastic. His driver was also lovely and very accommodating - well worth the money!