# Seeking recommendation for Turkey tour guide (Selcuk/Ephesus area)



## Conan (Apr 13, 2010)

Thanks to a TUG sighting, we're off to Istanbul for a week in October.

Since this is probably our only chance to see Turkey, I've just booked a domestic flight, Istanbul-Izmir, arriving on the Monday night and staying two nights in Selcuk (next door to Ephesus). We'll see Ephesus (on our own) on Wednesday before flying back to Istanbul.

The question is how much can we see and do in the region on the Tuesday?

If we take a standard tour, we have to choose between Pergamon (full day tour) or Priene-Miletos-Didyma (full day tour).

Any ideas how to find a private tour guide (English-speaking) with car to take us to Pergamon and also to Priene-Miletos-Didyma in one day?
If that's impossible, is Pergamon the better choice?

Thanks as always!


----------



## Passepartout (Apr 14, 2010)

We did Pergamom from a cruise-ship stop. A taxi drove us up to the Acropolis (Akripol) and waited while we stomped around the ruins and drove us back to the ship. iirc $50. A booth there will sell you a book (many languages available) to see what's there. I think one could hire a guide there, too. It's a very cool place. This was waaaay cheaper than the organized tour from the cruise company and we stayed on the mountain longer.

We've been to Turkey several times and look forward to returning. While you are in Istanbul, go to the spice market. If you are interested, vendors will take you upstairs in their stalls to taste- obviously to sell you- Russian Caviar. It reminded me as much as anything a timeshare sales room. Tasty, but beware, they know more than you do.

Jim Ricks


----------



## akp (Apr 14, 2010)

*Gosh, this takes me back!*

Back in our carefree, pre-children days, my husband and I went to Turkey. 

One place we stayed was Selcuk at a wonderful little hotel (super cheap, as all of our accommodations were back then).  The young manager or employee of the hotel, Dervish, offered to take us in his own car on a tour Prienne-Didyma-Miletos.  It worked out great.  

I wish I remembered the name of the hotel.  We ate dinner on the rooftop with a beautiful breeze and lovely view of the city.  

I know none of this is helpful in finding a tour for you, tho - really I'm just strolling down memory lane.   

More helpful might be the fact that we had no trouble at all finding English-speaking people to help wherever we went.  

Enjoy!


----------



## Conan (Apr 15, 2010)

I posted my same question at the Localyte website
http://www.localyte.com/

http://www.localyte.com/info/33871-...222&aid=3537&fid=610543&sq=&&dist=35&orderby=

and got a very helpful reply from Burak Sansal, a tour guide from Taksim, Turkey confirming that I'll need to choose between the two tours.  We've since had further correspondence by email and he's been very helpful and honest, advising me that since he's located nearer to Izmir airport and the cruise ship port than to Selcuk/Ephesus I'm better off using local services instead of his own.

Anyway I'm posting here mainly to make TUG aware of Burak and his very complete AllAboutTurkey website (which I"ll be using especially for its Istanbul information) at http://www.allaboutturkey.com/

Cheers!


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Apr 15, 2010)

Conan,

Thanks for the links on Turkey.   The allaboutTurkey link has fantastic information.


Thanks again.

Richard


----------



## Zac495 (Aug 28, 2010)

Did you end up going yet? We' were considering this vacation, too. We have so many Marriott points - we can stay in Istanbul for a week with the points, but want to see much more. We also saw Analya on the Med. Sea  - looks fabulous. How to do it all?

More likely interested in Greece for now - but Istanbul is on our list..


----------



## Bob Bishop (Nov 10, 2013)

*Recommended Tour Guide for Ephesus*

I researched a number of tour companies before I chose Ephesus Travel Guide as our tour company. It was an excellent choice. We had a private tour with a guide and driver. Our guide Mr. Denizhan Pekoz, spoke perfect english. He was very professional and knowledgeable. The cost was less than the ship tour and we got to see a lot more. Our guide met us at the ship and we had a nice Mercedes van. I would highly recommend this company for a tour of Ephesus.  Do not hesitate to use this company. You will not be disappointed.


----------



## Conan (Nov 10, 2013)

Zac495 said:


> Did you end up going yet? We' were considering this vacation, too. We have so many Marriott points - we can stay in Istanbul for a week with the points, but want to see much more. We also saw Analya on the Med. Sea  - looks fabulous. How to do it all?
> 
> More likely interested in Greece for now - but Istanbul is on our list..



Hi Ellen

I missed your post three years ago.  Just in case you or anybody else are still interested, we stayed a week at Grand Hyatt Istanbul (which was available as a timeshare week to RCI Platinum members) and as noted we flew to Izmir and made the easy connection by train from the airport to the town of Selcuk.

In Selcuk we stayed at TripAdvisor-recommended Hotel Bella
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...lcuk_Izmir_Province_Turkish_Aegean_Coast.html

Hotel Bella was kind of a mixed bag.  The big plus is the top-floor breakfast/dining room which is really lovely. Our room was adequate, but quite small and a little odd. The hotel lobby shares space with the family's rug shop, and the owners grew less interested in us when it became apparent we weren't shopping there. Also when I asked the owner for directions to the old town section of Selcuk he basically denied there was one (going there on our own, we found another rug shop that we'd read of on the Internet which I think explains his reticence). In fact we ended up buying a small-enough-to-carry rug in Selcuk and the seller there wisely suggested we leave it with him and pick it up on the way to the train out of town, rather than be seen with it at our hotel.

We toured Ephesus on our own.  It's a short taxi ride from Selcuk (actually Hotel Bella provided free transportation) and we enjoyed seeing it at leisure rather than being tied to a tour. (And there's an enclosed part of the ruins there, with a separate admission charge, that has wonderful frescoes and mosaics that the tours don't stop for.)
*Library of Celsus, Ephesus*





*Terrace House, Ephesus*






We did book a full-day group tour of Priene-Miletos-Didyma from the hotel and it was excellent. 
*Our Guide*





*Priene





Oracle at Didymus*





*Miletus*





However, returning from the tour I carelessly mentioned to the hotel owner that the guide had asked the group if we wanted to stop at a rug shop on the way back and that our group had declined. He instantly went livid, no doubt thinking of his own rug shop at the hotel. I'm afraid I cost our guide her job, which has been bothering me ever since.

Anyway, the trip was wonderful, both Istanbul and the Roman ruins around Selcuk and beyond.  We also enjoyed Istanbul very much, especially the historical churches/mosques and palaces and the wonderful food.  But that's a subject for another post!


----------

