Top Turkey Private Sightseeing Tours - page 6

Our cruise line cancelled our excursion at the last minute, so I was scrambling to find something for my family to do while we were in the port of Kusadasi. I’m so glad I found this tour because it ended up being a great experience and, honestly, better than what our cruise line had originally offered. Communication was great leading up to the tour, and everything was easy to coordinate. When we arrived that morning, we met our guide, Nagehan. We took a short walk outside of the port to meet our driver and then headed to our first destination, the ancient city of Ephesus. Nagehan did a great job walking us through the history of Ephesus and explaining what we were seeing along the way. She was also happy to help us take some great family photos, which was appreciated. We were able to see most of the ruins within about an hour before heading to the interactive Ephesus exhibit. The exhibit was about 20 minutes and provided a more immersive experience of what life was like in ancient Ephesus. I thought it was a nice addition to the tour. Our second stop was a Turkish rug workshop, which ended up being one of the highlights of the day. We learned about the history of Turkish rugs and got to see how they are made. It was fascinating learning about the process and the different materials used to create the rugs. We also got to see a demonstration of how raw silk is processed into thread. After that, we were taken into the showroom for another demonstration of the completed rugs. They have some really beautiful pieces. There is no pressure to purchase a rug if you don’t want one, although they will certainly show you some beautiful options. After the demonstrations, we had lunch at the onsite restaurant at the rug workshop. The food was fresh and delicious. We started with fresh salads, dips, and freshly baked bread, followed by rice, grilled chicken, and beef meatballs. Turkish tea and fresh fruit were served for dessert. It was a great meal and a nice break in the middle of the day. Our third stop was a chance to visit both a leather shop and a pottery studio. If you have to choose between the two, I would recommend the pottery studio. The family who runs it was incredibly kind, and it was really interesting to see their work and the variety of pottery they create. At the end of the day, our driver brought us back to the port, which made getting back to our cruise very easy. I can’t thank Nagehan and our driver enough for such a lovely day. We really enjoyed the variety of stops, learning about the history and culture of the area, and not having to worry about transportation while we were in port. What started as a last-minute change of plans ended up being a really memorable day for our family. I would definitely recommend this tour if you’re visiting Kusadasi.