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Ultimate Ephesus

Upon reaching the once powerful city of ancient Ephesus passing by the Magnesia Gate, you'll enter the administrative section of ancient Ephesus. On your guided walking tour through one of the most magnificent excavations in the world, you'll see the Odeon, the Fountain of Trajan, the five terraces of the apartment houses, the Steam Baths of Scholastika, the Temple of Hadrian and the impressive Library of Celsius, which is adorned with columns and statues. The Grand Theater is the largest theater in antiquity and has a capacity of 24,000 seats. Mark Anthony and Cleopatra once rode in procession through the Arcadian Way, and today you'll proceed this way when you return to your bus. On the slopes of Bulbul Mountain opposite the Hadrian Temple, you'll visit Terrace Houses of Ephesus, also called 'the houses of the rich' because they were for the important and wealthy people of Ephesus. You'll be given an extra ticket to visit the inner sections of these houses where excavations still continue. The most ancient of the houses were built in the 1st century B.C. and most of the houses were restored in the 2nd century A.D. The houses seemed plain from outside, but inside were decorated with mosaics and frescoes. Following your visit of Ephesus, you'll be welcomed to enjoy a 'Roman feast' where Romans and Ephesians will be happy to greet you and share with you their goat cheese and wine. Here you'll also have a chance to enjoy the colorful panorama and the venue which has been converted to a handicrafts center. Note: This tour is the same as IZM_24 Ephesians Modus Vivandi tour but is conducted in small groups and requires a minimum number of passengers to operate. Expect crowded venues and long lines. We recommend that you dress in layers, wear sun protection and bring bottled water. There is approximately 1 3/4 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. Tour only available for Norwegian Jade.
Average:
3.6 out of 5
3.6
 out of 
5
(5 Reviews) 5
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot (5 reviews)
5 stars
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3 of 5(60%)customers would recommend this to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Ultimate Ephesus
Review 1 for Ultimate Ephesus
Overall: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Historical: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Cultural: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Entertaining: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
pjhh
Date:May 16, 2013
A fantastic tour diminished by a rug demo
Our tour consisted of 10 passengers and our guide in a mini van.We spent 2 1/2 hours touring the site and the terrace houses. The terrace houses were well worth the added expense to see the excavation work being done and the frescoed walls and mosaic floors that have survived. 3 hours in Ephesus won't allow you to see everything but I felt it was adequate to give us a feel for the place and any longer probably would have been overwhelming. At no time did we feel rushed. Our guide was good also about leading us down paths that bypassed the large groups of tourists so most of the time we were visiting our particular stop on our own. Lunch was in a 5 star hotel overlooking the ocean. The food consisted of many different Turkish dishes plus wine and water and all were excellent. However I would have been happier having a less pretentious and more casual meal in a more traditional location. The carpet "demonstration" lasted about an hour. One man on our tour tried to stay in the van but our guide wouldn't allow it. We were shown how the silk is made and dyed, and we then watched women weaving the rugs. All of this was quite interesting. Then came the catch. We were next ushered into a large room and the door was shut behind us. We were asked to sit along the wall for another demonstration. If I had known better at the time, I'd have developed a sudden urgency to use the restroom and would have spirited myself out of there, pronto. First we were served our choice of wine, raki or tea. Then, as men started to completely cover the floor with rugs, we were all told to remove our shoes and socks so we could have the "opportunity" to feel the carpets. If you ask me, it was to prevent us from making a quick escape. One woman asked the price and was whisked off to a corner. My husband then made the mistake of mentioning that we already owned a silk carpet and he got us tagged as people who buy carpets! One of the men kept trying to show us more and more carpets even after we'd said several times that we weren't interested. We finally had to put our shoes on and run for the door. At that point, our guide stopped us and tried to talk us into "at least buying a small one to hang on our wall so that we’d have an authentic Turkish souvenir!" How many times do you have to say "No?" I'm having a difficult time rating this tour. It was a fantastic five star tour with a fabulous guide for the first 3 hours. The carpet demo itself was interesting if they’d only left out the last room where they attempted to hold us all captive. The afternoon portion of this tour though made me happy to get back to the ship and really brings down the rating for me.
Review 2 for Ultimate Ephesus
Overall: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Historical: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cultural: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Entertaining: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
NYC55
Location:New York
Party size:4
I traveled with:Friends
Cruise Date Month:May
Date:May 15, 2012
Mixed bag
The Ephesus tour itself was wonderful with a knowledgeable guide. However, it felt a bit rushed as the guide said we had to be at the restaurant by a specific time. A later lunch with some added free time at Ephesus would be better. Also, after lunch we were taken to a Turkish rug factory which was a total excuse to try and hard sell rugs to us. Given the cost of this excursion, we should not have been subjected to a sales pitch and this made the afternoon a total waste of time. Look for an excursion that just focuses on Ephesus as that was magnificent.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Ultimate Ephesus
Overall: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Historical: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cultural: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Entertaining: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Norrie
Location:Scotland, Uk
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:September
Cruise Date Year:2011
Favorite activities:Educational
Favorite port:Dubrovnik, Croatia
I want to go here next:Europe
Date:October 11, 2011
Worth the extra cash
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Sept 2011 - traveled from Izmir to Ephesus in modern minibus with 6 others plus superb guide who was very enthusiastic about Turkey and the ancient history/culture we had opted to visit but was also very willing to engage in discussion about other more topical subjects. The meal of typical Turkish fare was excellent and at the short visit to the carpet co-operative, there was no pressure to purchase at all. Definitely the best shore excursion we have been on so far!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Ultimate Ephesus
Overall: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Historical: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cultural: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Entertaining: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Sandy35
Location:Italy
Party size:3
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:September
Cruise Date Year:2011
Favorite activities:Educational
Favorite port:Ephesus (Izmir), Turkey
I want to go here next:Hawaii
Date:September 20, 2011
The Best Tour Ever
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My family and I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion, and would gladly pay to spend more time in this historic area. The Ultimate Ephesus Tour is amazing. It is a small tour, and therefore the guide is able to focus on you more so than larger tours. Our guide Mahmut was amazing. He explained everything about Turkey in detail. We went inside the terrace houses of the rich, and saw how they lived in ancient times.. We saw an amazing 5 min. show after the tour, and then had lunch at a beautiful 5 star hotel overlooking the sea, and filled with fruit trees and flowers, and wonderful tasty food and wine. Aah the good life. Went to a rug factory, and the presentation was great. No pressure to buy. Just know how to say no thank you. Wear comfortable walking shoes. By far the best tour the Jade provides. May sound a bit pricy, but worth every penny. Go for it!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Ultimate Ephesus
Overall: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Historical: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Cultural: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Entertaining: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
TravlinTexan
Party size:1
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:September
Cruise Date Year:2011
Favorite activities:Educational
Favorite port:Venice, Italy
I want to go here next:Europe
Date:September 14, 2011
Too little time - avoid if you hate being rushed
Ephesus itself is wonderful. HOWEVER, this tour is not for those that want more that a brisk walk through the ancient city.
The tour gives you about 75 minutes in the ancient city, which is not nearly enough time to explore the sites. We felt rushed!
And yet, the trip to the carpet factory was slow and unhurried. (Funny how that happens)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.