Top Izmir Day Trips
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Theresa_B, Oct 2026
EPHESUS “Ancient City & House of Virgin Mary” day tour
Our guide Mr. Ekim Ates, was awesome. Very polite, knowledgeable, easy to communicate with and provided a full day of insights and valued information. I would suggest strongly with the tour company “ Gezenthi Travel Agency” that they consider providing a microphone headset and earphones for the tour, as this would ease the guide from talking over the many different tour groups, gathering within the same are.
Imad_A, Oct 2026
We had a wonderful time...
We had a wonderful time on the Alaçatı & Çeşme Chill Tour: Vibes, Streets & Snapshots. It was the perfect way to experience the charm, beauty, and relaxed atmosphere of this beautiful part of the Turkish coast.
Our tour guide, Faruk, was exceptional. He was friendly, knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely made us feel welcome throughout the day. He knew all the best places to visit, shared interesting stories and local insights, and made sure we had plenty of time to enjoy the sights and take memorable photos without feeling rushed.
Sheila_B, Oct 2026
Epheseus private tour
This private tour was exactly that...a private tour for just myself and my husband with a driver and a guide. Zik was so knowledgeable with history and was able to guide us away from the busload of tours so that our visit to the sites went seamlessly. Stopped for a quick lunch, spent time at a rug factory as well. He also took great photos for us! We were traveling by cruise ship but booked this on our own. Got us back in a comfortable amount of time for reboarding the ship. Definitely recommend!!
Laurie_P, Oct 2026
Don’t be afraid to book this tour!
Gigi did a wonderful job on explaining the areas we visited we loved having a private tour and although areas were crowded she seemed to time the day out perfectly. The lunch location and carpet demo was nice. They are just not my style. Gigi and driver did a great job my family loved it! We loved Turkey!
Tanya_B, Oct 2026
Wonderful Experience with Melahat ( private tour guide)and Murat( private driver) !!
What an absolute pleasure spending the day with Melahat! She was incredibly down to earth, personable, patient, and VERY knowledgeable.
What we appreciated most was how effortlessly she tailored the entire tour around us, picking up on what sparked our curiosity and taking the time to explore those interests. Nothing felt rushed, and she truly went above and beyond to make our experience special.
Our driver, Murat, was equally wonderful! Professional, kind, and attentive throughout the day.
Beyond the history, we genuinely enjoyed getting to know Melahat. Turns out she’s quite the travel bug herself, just like us! We had such wonderful conversations, and we sincerely hope to stay connected and cross paths again somewhere in the world.
We’ve had some fantastic guides throughout Turkey, and Melahat is certainly among the best.
Thank you both for such a memorable day!
Cameron_L, Oct 2026
Great guided tour of an amazing site
Ephesus is an amazing archaeological site and well worth the visit.
I would highly recommend a guided tour. You can walk through the site yourself and you will see a lot, but a good guide will fill in the “story” of the city and the people who lived there. It brings the place to life and I much prefer a live guide even over the recorded audio tours often available.
Our guides for the day were Erman and Alpi. Both were excellent. Clearly spoken, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. They made the day interesting and enjoyable.
The tour was well organised. We were picked up right on time, transport was comfortable, driver was good, lunch was good. Nothing to complain about.
Tour did include the obligatory stop at a handicraft site with demonstrations and souvenirs available for purchase.
Bao_M, Oct 2026
Informative tour with plenty of time to explore
A really enjoyable tour of Pamukkale. Our guide gave clear, interesting explanations of the area, and we were given sufficient time to explore and appreciate the sights without feeling rushed. The pace worked really well and made for a great day.
One tip for other travellers: make sure to bring your swimwear!
Karl_B, Sep 2026
Great Tour of Ephesus
Wonderful full day tour from Kusadasi to Ephesus. Our tour guide Mel and driver Mehmet were very flexible in terms of our pickup, and allowed us to get the most out of the time we had. Melike was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about her town, and we understand far more about the entire area and history than we did after our first time there. Thanks Mel….we really enjoyed the day
trifocal, Jun 2026
Perfect Pergamum Tour
I really enjoyed it. It was a group tour but I was the only one signed up for this day and they still went ahead with the tour. I had my own driver and guide on a 15 passenger van! I was able to converse with the guide about random questions I had about Turkey. Pergamum is beautiful and way less crowded than other ancient cities. The included lunch was a fabulous home cooked meal at a hidden away complex in the country side. Of course there is a carpet presentation. I went on quite a few 1 and 2 day tours in Turkey and I felt this carpet thing was the most educational and personable out of all I listened to.
trifocal, Jun 2026
Hot springs delight
It's fabulous but there just isn’t enough time to do everything considering the long drive from Izmir. The guide was knowledgeable and personable. I did enjoy seeing the countryside on the drive. The travertine pools are treacherously slippery. Cleopatra's pool was the highlight for me. It was a busy day so had to wait in line before and after swimming to use one of the limited changing rooms. I chose to pay for a golf cart ride to the theatre instead of walking. It was well worth paying for in order to have more swimming time. I got a round trip ticket and when we got to the top the driver said I had 15 minutes to take pictures. I hadn't noticed any signage informing me of this detail. Unless you are really into museums I would say skip it. The Buffet lunch was good. Be aware that there is always a "shopping experience " included with a tour.
Gregory_K, May 2026
The Gold Standard of Private Tours in Ephesus
We had a truly flawless day exploring Ephesus and its surroundings, thanks to the impeccable coordination by Selin at OTTI Travel. The day began perfectly with a prompt pickup right at our ship in Izmir. Our driver, Ahmed, was fantastic—he navigated the roads with total professionalism in a large, impressively comfortable van that made the commute a breeze.
Selin is a world-class guide whose deep knowledge of Ephesus brought the history to life, from the iconic Library of Celsus to the fascinating Terrace Houses. The ancient site was undoubtedly the highlight of our day; seeing the towering ruins against the backdrop of glorious weather and piercing blue skies was an unforgettable experience. Selin’s storytelling and insights ensured we saw the best of the city while truly appreciating its monumental scale.
Beyond the ruins, the itinerary Selin curated was exceptional and well-paced. We enjoyed a delicious, authentic lunch in the serene garden of the Turkmen Carpet Weaving Center, which provided a wonderful opportunity to relax and appreciate local hospitality in a beautiful setting. It was the perfect midday break between our historical explorations and our afternoon visits to local artisans.
Before departing for Izmir, we explored several local highlights that rounded out the day perfectly. We stopped at a local leather shop and a ceramics studio to see incredible artistry, as well as a shop specializing in Turkish delights and other delicious food items. If you are looking for a seamless, high-end, and deeply informative tour while in port, I cannot recommend Selin, Ahmed, and the OTTI Travel team highly enough.
Aditi_B, Apr 2026
Our tour was great -...
Our tour was great - Ephesus is amazing.
Our pickup was on time and the ride was very comfortable. Our tour guide gave us great information. But we wished he would have given us enough time to take pictures. It felt a little rushed, starting at the very first spot which is a beautiful Amphitheater and that carried throughout the tour - If you are planning to take the tour, please talk to the guide as soon as you can to ensure you get time to take pictures with your family.
We made a stop at the carpet place which was not really needed. We would have preferred to use that time at Ephesus instead. We were also taken to a glass blowing/mosaic place. But instead of visiting
It, half of our tour folks (and including us) decided to visit the ruins that are close by - they were so worth it.
If you are taking this tour, carry bug spray. There were a lot of mosquitoes at the House of Mother Mary and at Ephesus.
Despite challenges with respect to feeling rushed, I am giving it a 5-star review since Ephesus is absolutely amazing.
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