I wouldn't typically go through this much trouble to add a business to yelp, but this company gave great customer service. Found this company through tripadvisor last minute the night before my cruise ship docked at Kusadasi. By last minute, I mean super last minute, I probably sent in a reservation request in at around midnight for a 9am tour. I half expected them to not even reply like some other private tour companies I had tried to contact. Unfortunately, the internet on the boat was inconsistent so I didn't get the message that the tour guide and driver had been waiting for us in the morning. By the time I emailed them they were back at the office and came back out to the port to pick us up and didn't charge a late fee.
My original plan was to take a taxi or bus to Ephesus and try to DIY everything on our own since all the tour books highlighted the Terrace Houses as a "must see" but the cruise tours did not include them in any of their tour options and it has an extra admission fee. Then around 10pm the night before our day at port my brother asked me if it would be safe to travel on our own and I proceeded to spend an hour reading Istanbul taxi horror stories. Around 11pm I scrambled to find last minute tour options.
Since we only had 4 people in our group, the price wasn't that much cheaper than the cruise tour BUT it was 100 times better.
1) You get your own private car. We had a large black Mercedes van instead of being packed like sardines in a bus with 50 other people.
2) You get your own private guide. Serkan was incredibly knowledgeable and patient with us.
3) Guide doubles as photographer. As an example of his patience, Serkan helped up take endless pictures for my Asian photo-happy family and suggested good photo spots.
4) You can ask questions. Licensed tour guides require a 4-year university degree and need to pass a license exam so they are incredibly knowledgeable. With a private tour you don't have to stand on your tiptoes or lean your ear over 10 people to hear what is going on nor wait in a line to ask a single question.
5) Tour is catered to you. We chose to see the Temple of Artemis and Ephesus, including the Terrace Houses. Apparently, going a little later was a good move because the place was practically empty. If you go on a large tour they tend to skip over this site since it is difficult to squeeze large groups into this smaller protected area with narrow staircases. It was definitely worth it.
After Ephesus and the Temple (or single column plus rocks) of Artemis, our tour guide asked if we'd like to see some local crafts and try turkish coffee. This reminded me of some of the horror stories from the night before where patrons were taken to local vendors before their requested destination and required to buy things before they could continue on.... but someone in our group was interested in seeing a ceramics factory so we went and there was no pressure to buy anything. Our tour guide was present and made sure we did not feel pressured. I think this part is optional, whereas larger tours require you to stop at a rug shop for half an hour.
You can pay cash or credit. If you pay credit, you need to stop by the office. They collect payment at the end of the trip.
We had a great time. Thanks! read more
