These are two ports of call for our cruise in October (party of four). (1) Are guided tours recommended to see Ephesus and Olympia, respectively? If not, what is the best way to get from the pier to these sites?
(2) If so, what tour companies are recommended? Thanks!
Posted by
Cincinnati, OH, USA
25 posts
I highly recommend a guided tour for Ephesus; prices for guides in Turkey are very reasonable. We used Ekol Travel in early September, recommended on cruisecritic.com, and we were able to tailor a 6- hour tour to our requirements (much history; no shopping). Note that groups of 10 or more or not allowed into the Terrace Houses, an Ephesus highlight which you should be sure to include when you visit there.
In Katakolon (30 minutes drive to Olympia) we rented a car because our ship arrived in the afternoon, so the train times were no good for us. We booked a car at Katakolo rentals right across the street from the dock, ahead of time because I can't drive a stick shift. We are slow in museums, and Olympia has a wonderful one, so we did not want a guided tour, and then we used photocopies of pages from Fodor's or Frommer's, I forget which, for the site itself.
Posted by
Bothell, WA, USA
11 posts
I just got back from Turkey a couple of weeks ago.... Ephesus was the HIGHLIGHT and the Terrace Houses are NOT to miss! Ephesus is 20 Turkish Lira and the Terrace Houses are an additional 15. Kusadasi is about 30-40 mins from Ephesus.... depending on how much time you have and how adventurous you are... you could take a Dolomus from Kusadasi to Ephesus and back. It will cost you all of 2 to 3 Lira ($2.00) each. I spent 3 hours wandering around the massive 'town' on my own. You can hire guides at 10Euro each person at the entry gate.