Hire Private guide in advance or getting off the ship?

[HRH SR]

Hi - For Istanbul and Kusadasi, a friend is wanting to get off the ship and find a driver/guide to take us around to the sites. There are three of us, and two or us are of the thinking that we should book the guide/tour in advance, whether it's through the ship or something we book with a tour company ourselves. We want to get the most of our experience there and are thinking that is the way to go.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[texancruzer]

Book ahead for Kusadasi.

This is a port that you don't want to miss the ship at (not that you want to ever miss the ship)

The more well known companies know they must get cruisers back to the ship on time or suffer the consequences of losing business.

For Istanbul: take the tram into the historic district and DIY. It is sooo easy, cheap, safe, faster and fun. We have done this a few times. There will be lots of other cruisers doing the same thing so just follow them

[Chloe1500]

From Kusadasi most people go to Ephesus, which is about 30 or 40 minutes away, and for that, it would probably be best to book a private touring service in advance or take the ship's tour. (Check your roll call for private tours to share.)

Ephesus is a large, complex site and deserves a guide, in my opinion, but not all will agree. For DIY though, there are taxis and dolmus, public minivans, for getting there on your own, if you choose, and then either hire a guide outside the entrance or self-tour.

Istanbul, on the other hand, is easy to do on your own. There are taxis, a public tram stop near the port, or you can walk to the Sultanamet, the old town which contains most of the sights you will want to visit. Do some reading about the area and decide if you want a guide or tour. Local guides for hire hang out in front of some sights.

[John Bull]

Istanbul
You can explore independently very easily with a little research, using the excellent tram between the port and the old city part, called Sultanahmet, where most of the city's sights are easy to walk. Tram cost a flat 2TL.

Or you can pre-book a guide - might be a guide & driver, or a walking tour. Don't dismiss a walking tour, which may also start with a tram ride - its the best way to get to the sights. Best to agree some sort of itinerary.
Sorry, no experience of hiring a guide.

But planning to just find someone at the pier, which works well enough in some places, is about the worst thing you can do in Istanbul
I very much doubt you'd find a guide, qualified or not, available on spec at the pier. What you will find are taxi drivers. At the pier they're a cross between sharks & vultures, their sole aim will be to relieve you of as much money as possible. They do not use their meters, whether for an airport or hotel transfer or for a taxi tour. And a taxi tour of the old city is pointless. A taxi is slower than the tram, which has a dedicated traffic lane. The driver cannot simply park-up & accompany you into the various places, & in any case I doubt he'd be knowledgeable enough to be any sort of "guide". On foot, one sight leads to naturally to another, and at some places - the Grand Bazaar for instance - its most convenient to go in one end & out the other, so a car is a hindrance.

Taxi drivers in the city are OK, and a metered taxi can be a convenient way to get from A to B. But at the port, use the tram or a pre-booked guide.

Kusadasi
For Ephesus (about 20 - 25 mins away) it's easy enough to barter a taxi for around 45 - 50 euros, or a little more if you also want to include to the House of the Virgin Mary, a few miles beyond up in the hills. The driver drops you at the entrance to Ephesus, you can buy guide books here or hire a guide. The driver waits for you at the other end of the complex. Agree a price before you board, pay when you get back - its the norm.
Or there's a wide choice of pre-booked guided tours, private or shared. Again, sorry, no personal experience. In Kusadasi it's possible you might be able to fix up a guided tour on the spot, others might be able to comment.
There's even a bus service of sorts, but it involves a long & shadeless walk.

I mentioned TL in Istanbul & euros in Kusadasi.
Yes, I know they're both in Turkey
Euros are widely accepted in Kusadasi (you can pay Ephesus entrance fee by card).
But not so widely accepted in Istanbul, & where goods are priced in TL (eg cafes & bars) you'll get a poor exchange rate. Official sites, trams & ferries only accept TL, and the trams, regular ferries & even some official sites don't accept cards.

Just MHO

JB

[maryann ns]

I agree it is extremely easy to go on your own in Istanbul. Check Rick Steve's guide. Google for toms port guides. Do a search here for Virtual Rain's post on how they toured Istanbul.

For Ephesus, you should consider a private tour. Go to the Roll Call for your cruise and see if you can join one that someone has organized. I organized one for 15 people and we had a great day. This was with Hello Ephesus. You really want to guidance about what you are looking at. Be sure to specify that you want to see the Terrace Houses.

[HRH SR]

Thanks to everyone for your great advice! I shall go away and ponder our options!

[chipmaster]

Comes down do you like turnkey no worries with a bit of upfront planning or daring and wing it in port.

I did pre-reserved for Istanbul and Kusadasi as I had 3 generations and a large group. The experience was great with private vendors, but I have to admit Ephesus was doable with Taxi from port and pick up another taxi from the exit. As another poster said Istanbul is easy to DIY.

The dollar exchange is good so having a guide and bus isn't too expensive either.

[sandyfitz]

We were there last July and booked our tour few months before with a local guide. Ertunga was simply great! Born and raised the area, he is very knowledgeable of the history of Ephesus and Kusadasi and his English is great. We started our tour with Ephesus and he gave us many choices of sites to see next. After Ephesus, we visited the house of the Virgin Mary (which is a must see). Ertunga took us to a local restaurant for lunch which is located next to a carpet factory. He gave us the option of seeing the carpet factory without any pressure. We then visited the tomb of Saint John and he also took us to a neat overlook of the entire city of Kusadasi. I would highly recommend visiting Kusadasi/Ephesus and I would also highly recommend Ertunga!
www.ertungaecir.com
Visited July 2012

[1josh777]

Originally Posted by sandyfitz

We were there last July and booked our tour few months before with a local guide. Ertunga was simply great! Born and raised the area, he is very knowledgeable of the history of Ephesus and Kusadasi and his English is great. We started our tour with Ephesus and he gave us many choices of sites to see next. After Ephesus, we visited the house of the Virgin Mary (which is a must see). Ertunga took us to a local restaurant for lunch which is located next to a carpet factory. He gave us the option of seeing the carpet factory without any pressure. We then visited the tomb of Saint John and he also took us to a neat overlook of the entire city of Kusadasi. I would highly recommend visiting Kusadasi/Ephesus and I would also highly recommend Ertunga!
www.ertungaecir.com
Visited July 2012

Do you remember what the cost of this tour was.