Kusadasi for a first timer.

The ruins were not anything that exciting; it was the idea of the apostle buried there that got our attention.

That is the part that has my attention too!

The Basillica is not large -- they are ruins of where the church used to be. I think we spent 30 minutes there so can't understand why it adds 2.5 hours.

 

The tour time is 1 1/2 hours longer and I can't figure out why. Other than distance (if it is off by itself) and time spent at the site?

Whatever you do DON'T use the ship excursion for Ephesus - depending upon the time of the year there can be large crowds and your "tour guide" will be gone before you know it in the crowd. Our first tour was done thru the ship and we came away so disappointed. Our second time we arranged a small group tour and it was so much better. With just ten of us our guide was with us the whole way, and we got so much more out of the tour. Plus the ship normally doesn't offer Terrance House - and this should not be missed.

Just be aware some of the tour companies will offer you the "option" of stopping at a carpet factory; however, just hold firm (that is unless you don't want to go carpet shopping).

Barbara

The ship's tour isn't being considered - just Ephesus Deluxe.

The 5 1/2 tour includes:

Visit to Ephesus including the Odeon, Temple of Hadrian, Roman Baths, Celsius Library, the Theater.

The temple of Artemis.

Terrace Houses

House of the Virgin Mary

So, the only thing that it doesn't include is the Basilica which requires 7 hours according to the description.

The ship's tour isn't being considered - just Ephesus Deluxe.

 

The 5 1/2 tour includes:

Visit to Ephesus including the Odeon, Temple of Hadrian, Roman Baths, Celsius Library, the Theater.

The temple of Artemis.

Terrace Houses

House of the Virgin Mary

 

So, the only thing that it doesn't include is the Basilica which requires 7 hours according to the description.

We're also using Ephesus Deluxe in September. I believe you will find that the 7 hour includes both a lunch stop and Basilica in the extra time frame from the 5 1/2 hour tour. The lunch stop may be outside of a carpet factory-If you care about that (and the pressure to show you the carpets) I'd ask specifically where lunch will be located. We have a full day tour but opted to do lunch on our own.

Both tours include lunch so that doesn't account for the extra 1 1/2 hours.....

Just got back from this port and agree that Ephesus (and do the Terrace Houses!!!) is a must. If you are Christian, the Virgin Mary's House is really something to see. Such a peaceful location. We also found the shopping in Kusadasi to be better than almost any other port on our tour.

 

We had a private guide booked through www.ephesusshuttle.com. I would rate him a 10 out of 10! Knowledgeable, personable and able to customize the day to our needs. We also had a driver and a Mercedes van--very comfortable. Well worth the $78 per person fee.

We used Ephesus Shuttle as well with the group/shared tour rather than the private tour. We ended up being a very small group, so had lots of attention from the guide! The Mercedes van was fabulous and we were able to customize our day as we went along. After a great tour of the Terrace Houses where the guide translated questions to the head archeologist for us and we slipped around the big groups from the ship, We took a walk through the guides hometown, windowshopping rather than being pressured by salespeople and had Turkish coffee in an outdoor cafe where we were the only Westerners. Don't be scared off by the company name, this is more than just a ride to the archeological site.

Definitely tour Ephesus and see the Terrace Houses - they are a real highlight.

Drink plenty of water as there is barely any shade on the site apart from the Terrace Houses.

We also ate in Oz Urfa - it's highly rated on Tripadvisor and it doesn't look anything special but the food is great! Lots of choice and great service.

You will get some amount of hassle wherever you shop in Kusadasi, be firm but polite and remember to haggle, it's all part of the fun! We did get boxed in by 1 Turkish couple but we stood firm on a piece of jewellery and it was over priced (slightly) and I wasn't going to buy it if it remained that price, it did drop from 160 Euros to 80 Euros!

Make sure you allow plenty of time at the end of the tour for walking around and shopping in Kusadisi. The ship is docked right in town, within a very short walk of numerous shops and businesses. There are cafés and a Starbucks right by the pier that offer free wifi for customers. This is known as one of the best shopping ports in the area (.although lots of fakes!) so if you are a shopper you don't want to miss it.

Another recommendation for Ephesusshuttle.com

We booked on line, very quick response and wonderful communication and price. We were greeted at the pier by our guide, rode in comfort in an nice air conditioned Mercedes van. Driver was safe and polite. Our guide Yelda (hope I am spelling correctly) was FANTASTIC! She has a degree in tourism and was so informative at every site. We spent several hours together and felt that had we not be with her, we would have not appreciated the sites as much. Our day in Ephesus is something I will cherish forever.

We arranged a private tour of Ephesus and surrounding sights, and really enjoyed our day. Our guide was Ertunga from Turkey Private Tours, and he really made our tour a unique experience. Apart from Ertunga`s great knowledge and patience during the tour, what made our tour so great were two places that he took us to: he arranged us lunch in Sirince in villagers house (great food and wine, great people... ) and at the end of the tour he took us to the top of one hill in Kusadasi, and from there we definitely had the best view of Kusadasi and the port. So, I definitely reccommend these things as a MUST during your stay in Kusadasi to everybody who wants something different...

Hello everyone.

 

and thank you for being so kind to post in this thread.

I know you post is going to be very useful to me and others.

 

I am looking for top ten things to do and do not miss (you can include food also)

 

in Kusadasi,

 

Thank you all.

If it is your first time in Kusadasi, don´t miss Ephesus. If you have time, depending in you cruise, you can go to Pamukkale, but it takes 3 hours to get there. Wonderful place. Contact the agency I used http://www.adavegastravel.com. They are very good and their service on line is excellent. Wherever you eat will be good. You can also ask them even in ypu don´t buy atour from them. They are very kind. Sirince, in case you don´t like ancient cities is a very nice village.