looking for Wheelchair Accessible Shore Excursions Greece and Turkey

I want to book a trip to the listed ports :Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; Santorini, Greece; Istanbul, Turkey; Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey; Mykonos, Greece; Athens (Piraeus), Greece; Naples, Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

DH has MS and cant walk more then a few step... can anyone help me with who I can book tours for him on each of the stops. I so don't want to miss this trip. we want to go on the new

Celebrity Reflection

Thanks for all your help

Unfortunately, you've chosen an itinerary that's probably the least accessible in the Med. Santorini is not at all accessible, first because you have to tender, and second, because you have to ride a non-accessible funicular to the top of the mountain. Once there, Santorini is nothing but stairs/steps.

Ephesus again is really not accessible, unless you just want to stay in the town area and not visit the ruins. The ruins are extremely difficult for anyone with mobility problems.

Istanbul is doable, but some of the best sites are not accessible for wheelchairs.

Naples may not be accessible if it happens to be a tender port. If it's not a tender, it's an easy area to get around on your own.

Athens is a stop that can be difficult. I suggest a private tour in an accessible vehicle. You may have to do a lot of research to find accessible transportation.

Rome will be the easiest port, but the port is at least 90 minutes outside of Rome. You will have to book private vehicles for tours as the cruise line doesn't have accessible vehicles and tour buses are not accessible.

Good luck and I hope you can work this out.

just an FYI to everyone so far I found this company for athens

Tours of Athens: toursofathens@gmail.com

they do Private Full Day and half day tours. still looking for the other stops.

it looks like I found Istanbul and ephesus this is just and FYI for those looking also

I have booked with ekol in the past and they were great... this is the first time with a scooter.

We would like to thank you for your new request and for considering once more Ekol Travel Turkey & Greece as your possible travel planner for both Gateaways Kusadasi & Istanbul Ports / Turkey. We will be delighted if you will give us the chance to organize any private tour for your party, and it is with pleasure that I will assist you further on.

Now, based on the fact that Mr. Best is using this scooter, I would stongly recommend to be no bigger group than 10 people. This in order to be able to provide the correct vehicle to accommodate in comfort all the group and have space for the scooter, too.

We do not recommend to tour Ancient city of Ephesus (Kusadasi Port). If we include Ephesus in the itinerary, then we need to start the tour from the Lower Gate and it won’t be possible to tour all the parts. Either Mr. Best will wait everybody till they return, either all the group will stay together for all the program. You did not mention which tour you had booked with us 5 years ago. If the tour was Ephesus, then you should know that 99% of the travelers, are entering in Ephesus from the Upper Gate. This is the easiest way to walk, and involves only one way walking down the main streets of Ephesus. It is possible to hold on to the scooter for the ‘rough’ parts? If so, then we can start the tour from the Upper Gate.

I am going to present the most visited sites and possible by scooter, thogh for the correct offer I would need to know what you had visited in your previous visit to Turkey and offer you something new.

Please view below for the itineraries I recommend for both ports, the conditions and the prices, and any time we can make changes as our tours are on private basis.

Date? , 2012 – KUSADASI PORT – Cruise ? ( 00:00 – 00:00 )

TOUR 3: Private Ephesus + The Temple of Artemis + The House of Virgin Mary

Meet your Private Professional Licensed Guide at Kusadasi Port with your name sign and start for Ephesus trip. Great effort is being devoted to excavating this almost 5000 year-old site, and to uncovering the history of the ages through its ruins. Ephesus is considered one of the great outdoor museums of Turkey .Ancient City of Ephesus was built 4 times in the history, and the Ephesus we walk around today is the 3rd one! Ephesus was established as a port – had the greatest harbor in all of Asia . Its position as a center trade route made Ephesus wealthy and very great in the ancient world! With a population of ¼ million, Ephesus became the second largest city of the Roman Empire ! It has been a religious center of the early Christianity – Apostol Paul and Apostol John stayed and preached in Ephesus ! Our days, one can see the extensive ruins including the The Odeon-used as concert hall for the performances, State Agora-used not for commerce but for business administration, The Prytaneion-where religious ceremonies, official receptions and banquets were held, Domitian Square-it was the first temple to be built in the name of an emperor, Hercules Gate, The Fountain of Trajan one of the finest monuments in Ephesus, The Baths of Scholastica-used not only to bath but also to socialize and discuss the topics of the day, Themple of Hadrian-it is one of the best preserved and most beautiful structures on Curetes Street, Celsius Library-was the third largest library with the capacity of 12,000 scrolls, The Gymnasium, The Grand Theatre-most magnificent structure in Ephesus,The Arcadian Way..and much more monuments remained preserved till our days, constantly reminding us it’s great history. Today, Ephesus it’s an unique tourism center proving all its perfects to the visitors from all around the world.We also visit the House of Virgin Mary where she is believed to have spent her last years. It is recorded that St. John brought Virgin Mary to Ephesus after the death of Christ and that a small house was built for her on Bulbuldagi Mount. On July 26, 1967, Pope Paul VI visited The House of Virgin Mary - He led the Liturgy and gave a bronze candle holder as a gift. Piligrims drink from a spring under the house which is believed to have healing properties and put special wishes at the ''Wishing Wall'' strongly believe they will come true! Our last stop is at The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders on the Ancient World, a famous temple build for the goddess Artemis, known as Diana in ancient world. Today one can see only the ruins of the foundation. Once, the construction of the Hellenistic Age was entirely made of marble and full of sculptured column capitals and shafts. Opportunity for Lunch in Selcuk ( on own expenses) & Shopping time during the tour if wanted. Drive back to Port. Approximate required time for this tour is 4- 4 ½ hours.

The price, for this private tour is 70 USD per person, for 4 – 5 full paying persons.

The price, for this private tour is 65 USD per person, for 6 – 10 full paying persons.

Including: Private Professional Licensed English-speaking Guide; Transportation in comfortable A/C Vehicle; Private Professional Driver; Entrance fees to the sights mentioned above the itinerary; All parkings and taxes;

Excluding: Any gratuities for Guide & Driver; Any meals and/or drinks (unless specifically mentioned); Any kind of other personal expenses;

Date? , 2012 – KUSADASI PORT – Cruise ? ( 00:00 – 00:00 )

TOUR 3: Private Selcuk Museum + Isa Bey Mosque + The House of Virgin Mary( easy access for scooter)

Meet your Private Professional Licensed Guide at Kusadasi Port with your name sign and start for your trip. Drive to The House of Virgin Mary where she is believed to have spent her last years. It is recorded that St. John brought Virgin Mary to Ephesus after the death of Christ and that a small house was built for her on Bulbuldagi Mount. On July 26, 1967, Pope Paul VI visited The House of Virgin Mary - He led the Liturgy and gave a bronze candle holder as a gift. Piligrims drink from a spring under the house which is believed to have healing properties and put special wishes at the ''Wishing Wall'' strongly believe they will come true! Continue with SelcukMuseum founded in 1929, one of the finest museums in Turkey , holds the best of the archeological objects excavated at Ephesus . The objects on display belongs also to all periods of history starting with Mycenean. Few artifacts and finds from some of the many other significant ancient Hellenic, Hellenistic and Roman cities in the region. Near to the museum is Isa Bey Mosque. Isa Bey, a member of the rulling family in the district of Aydin, commissioned the architect Ali to built this mosque in 1375 A .D: It is one of the most delicate examples of Seljukian architecture, such as pendants of the domes with the painted tiles, the stalactites of the window moldings with arabesque mofits, coloured Stones and painted tiles, particularly the porcelain mosaics of the South dome. Some columns and architectural elements were used from Artemis Temple . Opportunity for Lunch in Selcuk ( on own expenses) & Shopping time during the tour if wanted. Drive back to Port. Approximate required time for this tour is 4 hours.

The price, for this private tour is 67 USD per person, for 4 – 5 full paying persons.

The price, for this private tour is 62 USD per person, for 6 – 10 full paying persons.

Including: Private Professional Licensed English-speaking Guide; Transportation in comfortable A/C Vehicle; Private Professional Driver; Entrance fees to the sights mentioned above the itinerary; All parkings and taxes;

Excluding: Any gratuities for Guide & Driver; Any meals and/or drinks (unless specifically mentioned); Any kind of other personal expenses;

Date? , 2012 – ISTANBUL PORT – Cruise ? ( 00:00 – 00:00 )

Tour 2: Full Day: Topkapi Palace + Santa Sphia + Blue Mosque + The Hippodrome + Grand Bazaar

08:30 Meet your Private Professional Licensed Guide at Istanbul Port with your name sign and start for Istanbul trip. Istanbul will most captivate your attention with the remains of many ancient civilizations and their culture, perfectly combined with the Turkish culture. Impressive structures we will see today: Topkapi Palace, constructed by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, has been the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans and the center of State Administration, and contains the most holy relics of the Muslim world. It is now a museum and exhibiting imperial collections. We enter the Treasury section, where one can see beautiful displays, such as the ‘’Spoonmaker’s Diamond’’ – the 7th largest diamond in the world!! Blue Mosque, the design of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is the culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque and Byzantine church development. It incorporates some Byzantine elements of the neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period. The architect has ably synthesized the ideas of his master Sinan, aiming for overwhelming size, majesty and splendor. Basilica of Haghia Sophia is regarded as one of the world’s most important architectural monuments in the world. The Museum encloses a very large space and reflects a magnificent architecture. The monument dates back to 537 AD and has faced the consequences of several wars and invasions. It was repaired several times, it was once a church, later transformed into a mosque and finally a Museum.The monument was built by Emperor Konstantinos I and is functional as a museum since 1935. The Hippodrome of Constantinopole, the center of Byzantine civic life, where horse and chariot races used to take place. The Hippodrome is also bestowed by popular monuments like the 3500 year-old Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius and the spiral bronze base of a three-headed serpent sculpture. Have a stop in Grand Bazaar ( Kapalicarsi ), an interesting and enjoyable experience in a historical shopping area. The bazaar is one of the largest covered markets in the world – the largest and oldest in Turkey , with 60 streets and 5,000 shops. This bazaar attracts daily till 400,000 visitors. It is well known for its unique carpets, leather embroideries, jewelleries of all kind, ceramics, antique, handcrafts, spices shops and of course for inexpensive souvenirs shops. It has been an important trading center since 1461 and its labyrinthine vaults feature two domed buildings. The complex houses two mosques, four fountains, two Turkish baths and several cafes and restaurants. Drive back to Port due time re-embarkation. Approximate required time for this tour is 6 hours.

Attention: Santa Sophiaclosed for the public on Monday.

Topkapi Palace closed for the public on Tuesday.

Topkapi Palace closed for the public on Tuesday.

Grand Bazaar closed for the public on Sunday.

The price, for this private tour is 99 USD per person, for 4 – 5 full paying persons.

The price, for this private tour is 95 USD per person, for 6 – 10 full paying persons.

Including: Private Professional Licensed English-speaking Guide; Transportation in comfortable A/C Vehicle; Private Professional Driver; Entrance fees to the sights mentioned above the itinerary; All parkings and taxes;

Excluding: Any gratuities for Guide & Driver; Any meals and/or drinks (unless specifically mentioned); Any kind of other personal expenses;

Please note that we are not holding any space for you at the moment. Kindly advice with all details for your definite reservation: tour dates, cruise name/ ship, staterooms if assigned, group size. Thank you very much for your understanding.

BOOKING & PAYMENT:

Booking can be made:

• By filling the reservation form, which you will find on our website: www.ekoltravel.com .Here is the short cut: http://www.ekoltravel.com/component/option,com_chronocontact/Itemid,5/chronoformname,sonrez/
  
• By confirming the booking via e-mail with Ekol's representative that you are corresponding with.
  

Payment can be made in two ways:

1st Option: Pre payment by credit cards: Please visit our website www.ekoltravel.com and fill out the reservation form, which is same section as payment form.

2nd Option. Payments on the time of the tour: For Kusadasi Port we accept cash & credit card payment in any other days except Sundays and National Holidays. Accepted only Visa & Mastercard. For Istanbul Port we accept only Cash payment.

WE DON’T APPLY ANY PENALTY FOR LAST MINUTE CANCELLATIONS EVEN IF YOU MAKE ADVANCED PAYMENT FOR THE EXCURSION BOOKINGS IN TURKEY .

GENERAL REMARKS: Ancient city of Ephesus it is an open air museum and includes 1.5 k.m. walking.

The Terrace Houses section is located inside of Ancient City of Ephesus and can be added to itinerary with additional - 15 USD per person/ Attention: full entrance for children 5+ . The section is so called as '' the houses of rich''. The oldest building dates back into the 1C BC. You will be able to see fine mosaics and frescoes and the famous heating system thru clay pipes. There are 100 + high steps. Minimum require time to visit is 30 minutes. Not recommended for people with physical disabilities, babies or small children.

The Harem section is locatedinside of Topkapı Palace and can be added to the itinerary with additional – 20 USD per person. The Hatem was consisted of everyone from the padishah's wives, daughters, and servants to his wives' servants, his concubines, and any other female who worked and lived in the palace. Virtually, the harem populations were well into the thousands. The highest position in the harem was the Valide Sultana, the mother of the sultan. Approximate required time to visit is 45 minutes.

All of our tours are on private basis, you will have a comfortable A/C vehicle with a Private Driver and a Private Professional Licensed Guide with a wealth of informations about the history, religion, area and Turkey. We have a team of professionally and courteously guides which will certanly tempt the travelers to share their knowledge and passion for History.

Program order & estimated timings

The order in which visits are mentioned might be changed and/or adjusted, according to circumstances. We purchase the entrance tickets in advance to avoid waiting in lines to enter the sights.

The given times are indicative-we quote an approximate time for the tour. Partly depending on the traffic & crowds, but also on the mobility of our quests (since a large part of the program is done on foot). Also ‘practical’ program parts like sanitary stop - always taken care of course by our guides, have to be taken into consideration. Same as the breaks for lunch or shopping if wanted. During the tour we walk in pace and enjoy the day.As this will be private tour, you may spend how much time you want in each site.

You can choose the time when we start the tour, though we recommended to start the tours:

1) For Kusadasi Port – 30 minutes later docking time

2) For Istanbul Port – 8:30 am as all the touristic sights are opening at 9 am.

This to be ahead of the cruise groups, to give you the chance to enjoy the tour and since a correct guiding of the sights needs its time!

NO additional fees will be applied for the additional time spent for shopping and/or lunch during the tour. The guide will make the shopping stops based on what you are interested to purchase – if you are interested to purchase any items.

Lunch it is not included in our price. If we include it, lunch have to be a set menu which we do not recommend to our guests when there are lots of restaurant facilities in the area. Your Guide can give you alternative restaurants based on your interest and on own expenses.

For the Port meetings: The meeting with your guide is exactly outside of the Port's Terminal Building - where the custom doors are opening. We will prepare a welcome sign under your name, or any name you may wish. From

I want to book a trip to the listed ports :Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; Santorini, Greece; Istanbul, Turkey; Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey; Mykonos, Greece; Athens (Piraeus), Greece; Naples, Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

 

DH has MS and cant walk more then a few step... can anyone help me with who I can book tours for him on each of the stops. I so don't want to miss this trip. we want to go on the new

Celebrity Reflection

Thanks for all your help

I have used a wheelchair for over 30 years and I have visited all of the above ports. Santorini was definitely the most challenging but my husband and I were able to find a way to experience all of the ports of call. You can e-mail me directly at sea_wheels@yahoo.com and I"d be happy to answer any questions that you may have. It would be helpful to know if your friend would be travelling with any kind of mobility device i.e. a manual wheelchair and if so, what the dimensions and weight of the wheelchair are.

I have used a wheelchair for over 30 years and I have visited all of the above ports. Santorini was definitely the most challenging but my husband and I were able to find a way to experience all of the ports of call. You can e-mail me directly at sea_wheels@yahoo.com and I"d be happy to answer any questions that you may have. It would be helpful to know if your friend would be travelling with any kind of mobility device i.e. a manual wheelchair and if so, what the dimensions and weight of the wheelchair are.

Sorry I should of said that he has a 3 wheel motorized pride scooter not the kind that folds down. He may have to pass on santorini mostly because it has a tender and I dont think I can wheel him around but I think we may be able to do the others stops with private tours.

We did a cruise last September that included three of the ports you mentioned (Athens, Kusadasi and Istanbul) and I was using a travel wheelchair. I could walk very short distances.

We had a private tour at Ephesus that said they could accommodate a wheelchair. In spite of my hubby's best efforts pushing me, I still had to walk through some of ruins. The main path from the upper entrance to the lower exit is slick, crumbling, uneven marble. The Terrace Houses are out of the question. We did it, but it was very challenging.

In Athens we did a private taxi tour to sights in Corinth and Athens itself. The museums we visited in both places are fantastic and pretty much accessible (Ancient Corinth museum - the site itself is not accessible except for a short path to the Temple of Apollo; National Archaeology Museum; New Acropolis Museum). We did not even try to ascend the Acropolis.

Istanbul was pretty accessible, at least the parts we saw; our tour guide took us through the handicapped entrance at the Blue Mosque (I did have to swap wheelchairs and you have to take your shoes off). The spice market was also accessible (although crowded). The Grand Bazaar was not open the day we were there but our guide told us it is accessible.

A few years ago we visited Rome and Naples with my elderly Father (I was able to walk more at the time). We did a tour to the Vatican that was challenging for someone in a wheelchair, although we did see most of the highlights. We also did a tour from Naples to Sorrento (not too bad for accessibility) and Amalfi (more challenging). Most of the sidewalks in Rome did not have curb cuts, which we found out trying to get my Dad from the bus to the Vatican museums.

It's hard but worth doing if you have reasonable expectations. You can certainly have more options doing private tours.

I am very new at using my iPad and cruise critic but need some advise on cruising the med. With my mom who uses a walker usually but will prob. Use a wheelchair at ports. My email is myclassymimi@gmail.com. I would love to get some advise that way if possible. Thanks.

I have just returned from a cruise which included Athens. My husband uses a mobility scooter which can be dismantled into 4 pieces and we booked an "Athens on your own" tour from the ship. The scooter fitted easily into the coach's luggage compartment.

We wanted to get up to the Acropolis but were not sure if this was possible. We were waved away at a small kiosk when we tried to buy tickets and told to continue up the main road to the lift (elevator). We had to ask a couple more people exactly where to go but at the main entrance, the security guys walked us round to the side of the cliff. There was a flight of steps with a stair lift which my husband was able to drive onto and this took him up to the lift which we got into. It took us vertically up the side of the cliff straigtht to the top. The terrain up there was pretty rough and the scooter was very limited in where it could go but my husband was able to take a few photos and enjoyed seeing me looking at everything. We thought it was fantastic that he could get up there and he loved just taking in the whole atmosphere. I would recommend it to anyone in a wheelchair which is maybe easier than a scooter. We did have a couple of wheel spins on some of the rocks but there was always someone coming to the rescue!

When we went to Ephesus a couple of years ago, we took a tour from the ship called "Easy Ephesus" and we just had a panoramic view of the ruins without actually going in. I think it may have been too rough for the scooter. It included a visit to the museum and that was wheelchair accessible.

Mykonos I seem to recall was a little bit difficult as the only route arter getting off the ship, was through a cafe with steps but all the waiters helped lift the scooter up them. The streets were very narrow so we had to abandon that after a while.

Rome was well worth visiting. Again we did a "Rome on your own", a ship tour which just took us into Rome and took us back later. We managed to see most things on our list although the scooter battery ran out on the way to the Colosseum so we had to grab a taxi and put the scooter in the boot. The Colosseum has a lift too so you can get up to the main level. There are steps to the higher levels so they are not accessible but you can see the main bit. We were advised not to wait in the long queues to pay and were ushered to the front and from what I recall were given free entry.

Hope you have a great trip.

Joy,

I have visited all of the ports you mentioned with my manual wheelchair. I even got engaged on Santorini :-)

Here are my detailed descriptions of them:

http://www.sagetraveling.com/accessible-cruise-ports-athens-piraeus-greece

http://www.sagetraveling.com/accessible-cruise-ports-barcelona-spain

http://www.sagetraveling.com/accessible-cruise-ports-rome-civitavecchia-italy

http://www.sagetraveling.com/accessible-cruise-ports-istanbul-turkey

http://www.sagetraveling.com/accessible-cruise-ports-mykonos-greece

http://www.sagetraveling.com/accessible-cruise-ports-naples-italy

I can assure you that it can DEFINITELY be done....just make sure you plan ahead.

John

We were on a Princess cruise and elected to do the "Easy Santorini" tour. We tendered to a different dock than the one used by the rest of the passengers. We then boarded a large bus for a scenic tour of the island. I did steps better then than I do now and I don't think this would work for me currently. However if you can manage the steps up into a bus this is an enjoyable excursion. We stopped for a snack at a winery (yummy feta and crackers), and rode through many grape vine areas. We were given the option to take the funicular back to the main dock or stay on the bus to go back to the secondary dock. We stayed on the bus. My scooter went into the luggage area under the bus. I only used it at the winery. Other than that it was a ride.

For those who have been to Santorini, how difficult was the tender. My friend has a neurological disease which affects his balance. If we can get to the island I plan to book a private tour which will not involve a lot of walking.