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Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Today you'll visit Ephesus, one of the most beautiful ancient cities in the world and learn its secrets. The city was dedicated to the goddess Artemis. Her temple was once considered the Seventh Wonder of the Ancient World and attracted pilgrims worshipping the female; first Cybele, then Artemis and finally the Virgin Mary. Among the ruins lays an impressive amphitheater, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, the Scholastic Baths, the Lower Agora, State Agora, and Odeon. You'll make a stop for a shopping opportunity and refreshments before returning to your ship in Izmir.
Note: Expect crowded venues and long lines. There is approximately 1 1/4 miles of walking over uneven and cobblestone surfaces with inclines and steps. During summer months, expect crowded venues and long lines as well as temperatures that can reach extreme highs. We recommend that you drink a lot of water, use suitable sun protection and dress in layers. Guests who are planning to visit religious sites during free time or on tour, please dress appropriately; no bare shoulders or shorts are allowed. Online price is inclusive of the Pre-book and Save offer. Tour only available for Norwegian Jade.
Average:
(11 Reviews) 11
Rating Snapshot (11 reviews)
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11 of 11(100%)customers would recommend this to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Review 1 for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall:
Historical:
5
out of
5
Cultural:
5
out of
5
Entertaining:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
Kendra26
Location:Ontario, Canada
Party size:4
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:April
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite activities:Educational
Favorite port:Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy
Date:May 24, 2013
One of my favourites!
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Our tour guide was great; he used the 'whisper' headsets so everyone could hear him, had lots of interesting bits of information and stories, and went at a leisurely pace so that the other groups passed us by and we were able to view the ruins in relative quiet and get some great photos. Excellent day!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall:
Historical:
5
out of
5
Cultural:
5
out of
5
Entertaining:
4
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
BlubirdTraveler
Location:Midwest
Party size:6
I traveled with:Friends
Cruise Date Month:September
Favorite port:Nice (Villefranche), France
Date:February 5, 2013
Do not miss Ephesus
We can say we had barely heard of Ephesus before researching the excursions available for Izmir. Ephesus is one of the seven ancient wonders of the world and we can see why! It is not to be missed. At first we were going to see Ephesus on our own but at the last minute booked this trip. We would definitely recommend a guided tour. We wanted to see Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary and Church of St. John but the choices did not offer all three so we chose just to see Ephesus, and as it was we could have spent much more time there. It was mind-blowing to walk on the ancient streets and see the remains of the magnificent buildings. To learn about life in those days and imagine living there was awesome. There is an opportunity to buy turkish goods after the tour. The bus trip we actually enjoyed as the scenery was beautiful, we were very impressed with Turkey. We could have skipped stopping at the leather shop as the prices were expensive (we would recommend Spain or Italy for leather). This was a highlight of our trip and not to be forgotten.
20 of 20 people found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall:
Historical:
5
out of
5
Cultural:
5
out of
5
Entertaining:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
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5
tgsinvest
Location:Charlotte, NC
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:May
Favorite activities:Relaxing
Favorite port:Ephesus (Izmir), Turkey
I want to go here next:Caribbean
Date:December 2, 2012
Magnificent Excursion - best of our entire trip
This was the best excursion on our entire trip!! We loved everything about it, the guide was great, the experience was unlike anything else we had seen before, amazing history, stories and professionally managed. We even enjoyed the rug factory on the way back. No pressure to buy anything although they did have some beautiful rugs and one of the widest selections I had seen before. Even learned how they create/harvest the silk which I had never seen before. Also make sure you buy some leather goods on the excursion or at port in Izmir, they have the best leather and great prices. I picked up an amazing red leather jacket for my wife and she bought one for her friend too. Excursion was very well priced and worth much more than we paid.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall:
Historical:
5
out of
5
Cultural:
4
out of
5
Entertaining:
4
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
4
out of
5
LBTRLT
Location:South Carolina
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:November
Favorite port:Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
Date:November 12, 2012
Good value for shore excursion
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While my husband and I usually do private tours, we decided to try this one because of the great ratings. We really enjoyed it. Our guide was knowledgable and the pacing was not too fast or slow. I did not buy anything at the carpet shop (prices were very expensive) but I did enjoy seeing how they were made. I didn't find the salesmen pushy at all (nothing compared to Cairo or Athens). My advice is to take a snack and drink with you since there is no stop for lunch.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall:
Historical:
5
out of
5
Cultural:
4
out of
5
Entertaining:
4
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
dobby
Location:Seattle, WA
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:October
Favorite activities:Educational
Favorite port:Dubrovnik, Croatia
I want to go here next:Europe
Date:October 10, 2012
Truly Magnificent
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[October 2012 Cruise] From the port, we were assigned our bus. Upon boarding the bus, we found a bottle of water, and a gift pack on our seats, which was thoughtful and helped us learn more about Ephesus and Turkey, in general. It took about an hour to get to Ephesus from Izmir, but our guide filled the time by talking to us about Turkish history, culture, etc and then spoke to us about Ephesus and it's significance in Turkish history -- it was very educational and interesting! After arriving at Ephesus, we had a small amount of time to shop at the stalls in front of Ephesus. Once inside, our guide did a great job keeping everyone together and stopping at crucial points within the city to allow us a little time to explore on our own. We learned so much - if you like to learn about culturally significant archaeological sites, this excursion is for you! After our visit to Ephesus, there was another little bit of shopping time just outside the lower gate. Don't buy anything from people claiming to have recovered coins from the site - they're fakes. After boarding the bus, we were taken to a traditional hand-made Turkish carpet factory - we apprehensive about this stop because so many had said that the sales people were pushy and trying push for buying a carpet - we didn't think this at all, we found the stop mostly educational and enjoyed seeing how the carpets are made and how the silk threads are extracted from the silk worms. The host was very kind and offered us light snacks and beverages (the Turkish apple tea is delicious!!). There was also additional shopping time at the carpet factory as there was souvenir shop attached. We then were transferred back to the port. I would highly recommend this excursion!
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall:
Historical:
5
out of
5
Cultural:
5
out of
5
Entertaining:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
jjones
Location:Memphis
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:June
Cruise Date Year:2011
Favorite activities:Educational
Favorite port:Ephesus (Izmir), Turkey
I want to go here next:Canada and New England
Date:June 12, 2012
Wonderful excursion
I would certainly recommend this, though probably not to people with young children. There was a 12 year old girl on this excursion and her mother said she really liked it. The guide was excellent. Ephesus is breathtaking; I had no idea. The Turkish people are very friendly, and there was a "welcome to Turkey" bag for each participant, including a bottle of water, much appreciated. The visit to the carpet factory was actually VERY interesting, to see a demonstration of how carpets are made, and the sales people were not even as pushy as I had expected. We were given our choice of Turkish drinks at the carpet place: Apple tea, wine, Raki, or sodas. Note: this was June, 2012, not 2011! (website needs to be upadated)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall:
Historical:
5
out of
5
Cultural:
5
out of
5
Entertaining:
4
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
LocardsChild
Location:Everywhere, Air Force
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:May
I want to go here next:Europe
Date:May 28, 2012
A Magnificent Site, just ignore the shopping trip!
The visit to Ephesus will be crowded, so be prepared to stay close to your guide. The guides are local with a great deal of knowledge about the site and wonderful insight of where the best views and access can be found. Ours took us on the much more comfortable downhill path through the site, way better than climbing up the whole time! At the exit, take a few minutes to pick up your souvenirs at the vendors available... just don't pay the first price quoted. Welcome to the near east, now haggle! Don't be shy, they won't be and nearly all of them will at least accept Euro if not Dollars.
However, we could have done without the high-pressure shopping trip at the end. Our guide dropped us at a "carpet teaching area" which was essentially a showroom where we were presented with a half-glass of a California wine, a packaged brownie, and a sales spiel that lasted the next hour and a half... complete with a squadron of sales staff there to persuade you. Don't buy - we saw the same rug offered to three different travelers at three different prices...
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall:
Historical:
5
out of
5
Cultural:
5
out of
5
Entertaining:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
Aussies
Location:Brisbane, Australia
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:November
Cruise Date Year:2011
Favorite activities:Family oriented
Date:December 12, 2011
Great value excursion
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This tour was amazing value. We had a knowledgable guide who was also entertaining. Ephesus was amazing however I could have done without the carpet making stop on the way back. I did not realise it would be the only opportunity for souvenirs but other than that it was one of the best tours we have done.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall:
Historical:
5
out of
5
Cultural:
5
out of
5
Entertaining:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
joeM
Location:Texas
Cruise Date Month:October
Cruise Date Year:2011
Date:November 10, 2011
Must see site
Great tour. Stepping back in history to see a well perserved city was great. Lots of history, great guide and wonderful photo ops. Shopping was average, but no different than the other stops. Must see site.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall:
Historical:
5
out of
5
Cultural:
5
out of
5
Entertaining:
4
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
Anonymous
Location:Houston, Texas
Cruise Date Month:August
Cruise Date Year:2011
Favorite activities:Relaxing
Date:August 26, 2011
Ephesus, Great tour... Rug Factory, Depends...
Considering the price of this tour, it was great value. I compare the tour I took to the Acropolis in Athen to the Ephesus tour, both with NCL, I like this tour better.
The tour of Ephesus was wonderful as so many people who gave reviews before me described it. So I like to focus a bit about the scheduled visit to the rug factory at the end of this tour.
For those who are interested to know how the carpet are made, the visit carpet factory is interesting and educational. We were offered tea for refreshment. But the focus after the display of many of the best quality rugs were high pressure sales. I have visited Turkey many times. Rug sales tactic are the same every where in Turkey. They will show you the best rug in the house with the price most of us can't afford. Then they will offer "something else" to you, cheaper, hoping you will bargain and "close" the sale. If you don't plan on puchasing one, do not show any interest at all nor asking for the price (even just out of curiosity). They know most tourist will be happy to buy the rug at 50% off the asking price so the price was inflated so much to account for this and also to give you the impression that you get a good bargain... so start out low.
The entire Ephesus tour listed 5 hours and 45 minutes. The bus stopped for 1 hour 30 minutes at the carpet factory. To me a 1 hour stop is more reasonable. Be prepared to wait. I would not mind waiting too much if there were any shade outside the building. It was hot inside the showrooms and hotter outside.
The long stop at the carpet factory is the reason I gave this tour a 4 stars. One benefit though...restroom/toilet is available at the carpet factory :). We left the ship at 9 am and returned to the ship at 3 pm...
Pros: Great tour. Experienced tour guide with NCL's tours.
Cons: Lack of restroom/toilet at Ephesus. No restroom/toilet on tour bus. Summer time heat can be enduring.
Recommendation: Take this tour. Pack snacks, water. Bring hat or umbrella (summer time). All of your pictures will have the sticker with assigned number stuck on your shirt and the audio equipment around your neck... remember to take them off if you don't want them in your pictures. Don't take any rocks/stones with you from the site. It is forbidden by law.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for Magnificent Ephesus: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall:
Historical:
5
out of
5
Cultural:
5
out of
5
Entertaining:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
giraffedrd
Location:New York, NY
Party size:1
I traveled with:Friends
Cruise Date Month:June
Cruise Date Year:2011
Favorite activities:Educational
Favorite port:Dubrovnik, Croatia
I want to go here next:Europe
Date:June 28, 2011
Outstanding day...insane value for the price!
I want to do this all over again....what a great tour! Our guide's name was Elif and the driver was Vulent. Elif (or Elf as her friends call her) was so full of information. She went to college for history and wow does she know her stuff! Nice new air conditioned Mercedes bus with bottled water and a small gift in your seat...so nice!
HERE'S A TIP----USE THE BATHROOM BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE SHIP and bring a snack/water! Ephesus is about a 1 hour drive from the port of Izmir and we did make a rest stop before we arrived. However, the place you stop will have very long lines and they actually stopped the men's room line and let the women go in while the men were still at the urinals. This did not bother me at all but some of the older ladies looked embarrassed. Also, there are no toilets...it's a squat over a porcelian hole in the floor so again, be prepared if you're modest. You will not have another chance for a bathroom break till the exit of the Ephesus tour which is about 2 hours long and that is a regular bathroom that is very nice. There is a lot of walking so this tour may not be good for elderly or disabled people. The path leading down to the library of Ephesus can be smooth and slippery so wear shoes with good traction. Now....all that being said...
THIS WAS THE MOST AMAZING DAY OF MY LIFE! Ephesus is so beautiful you feel like you're dreaming. I sat in a 2400 year old stadium...I mean...amazing! Our guide knew everything about everything and if anyone asked even the most obscure question, she had the answer. The ruins of the library look like something out of a movie set...you almost cannot believe what you are seeing. I recommend bringing a tiny Totes umbrella to put in your back pocket and a sun hat. I was very grateful to have the umbrella as it can get over 100 degrees there in the basin and the shade made all the difference for me. I will look at the photos from this tour the rest of my life and it will always be the bast $59 I ever spent...I still cannot believe how inexpensive it was. Now, the merchants in the shops when you are leaving Ephesus can be very very pushy so haggle if you want to but it was a bit much for me so I walked out of a few shops where I otherwise would have been happy to spend my money. As for the carpet factory...if you do not intend to buy a carpet...keep your eyes down and do not show interest. That's what I did...it can be a pretty pushy sell and I just didn't have extra money to spend. If you do want a carpet....the silk ones are the most beautiful I have ever seen and it takes 2 women working side by side 2 years to make one. They are truly stunning.They do offer refreshments there but just a snack so I brought a few granola bars with me for the day. Take my advice and take this tour...you'll never forget it!
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.
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