Central Anatolia: Tours & Tickets

We were picked up from our hotel in Antalya around 07:15-07:30 a.m. in an air-conditioned van! Then we picked up the other passengers and started on the approximately 3 hour long drive to Pamukkale! Our guide was this young, attractive looking girl Dilber! She was very interactive & informative! On the way we stopped at a gas station for toilet break & buying refreshments! Then we stopped for about an hour at this shop which sells stone & stone products (which was a complete waste of time and should have been avoided)! Then we had buffet lunch at a restaurant, which was good! Then we reached Pamukkale! It is a place which is good for taking pictures for social media! “The Cleopatra Pool” is very dirty and full of algae and can be completely avoided (especially considering you have to pay 50 Turkish Liras to enter it)! Then we started on the journey back to our hotel and reached around 08:00 p.m.! It was a long, tiring day!

Upon arrival we were pleasantly greeted right outside the port by Ahu, our tour guide to Ephesus. We were driven in a private vehicle to Ephesus and were given a thorough tour of Ephesus and the Terrace Houses. It was great to be able to see everything that Ephesus offered along with getting an overall descriptive narrative through Ahu. Ahu was not only a tour guide but she was very easy to speak to and made the tour fun for all of us. She even took us to a runway show which featured leather jackets. They were pricey so we didn’t buy anything but the experience was fun. I could have done without the rug shop but how the rugs were made may interest some. Overall, we had a great experience with Ahu and if we ever visit Turkey again we would be sure to look her up!

The guide is full of detailed information about the history of Ephesus and he did his best to help the group to enjoy the tour. Although the driver doesnt speak english, he was very nice with a welcoming smile on his face. The group was very friendly and nice to each other. I wish if the bus was more comfortable. I didn't have leg space, and because my wife and I were the last picked-up, the only seats avalable were the single ones, so we sat separetly.

The ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus were unbelievable. The scale of the ancient city, the amount that has been preserved and the detail of the stonework truly amazing. Our guide was very informative and his explanation of the Greek and Roman phases of the city's development enhanced the experience immeasurably. One note of caution: The pathway down from the upper gate was slippery in places and challenging for those not used to hiking on rocks.

This trip is well worth doing. We started off being picked up in a lovely air conditioned coach and given an overview by Fatima the guide who was so knowledgable. We travelled to Ephesus where we were then taken around with free time to take pictures where she explained everything. We went for a lovely local lunch and then into the house of Mary and temple of Artemis and back home for around 4.30pm. A lovely day out visiting these sites.