29 May 2023
Ersan gave us, two couples, a superb tour of Ephesus in 7 hours, including the ancient city, Terrace House, Virgin Mary house, St. John's Basilica, and the archeological museum, plus lunch. He weaved us expertly in and out of the tour throngs, skipping crowded parts to return later when the groups had moved on. We were on a Viking cruise and Turkey Insiders picked us up from and returned us to the ship dock exactly on schedule. Thanks to Ersan's strategic moves and timing, we were able to accomplish in one day the equivalent of what would have been three separate Viking excursions. The cost for the private tour per person was within one euro what the Viking excursions (with no meal) would have cost, if it had been possible to do all three in the shore time allotted. The Terrace House was just amazing, with few tourists entering this venue (our fee was included in the tour). The Virgin Mary House is worth the extra trip for those whose faith and belief accept the legend. Zerrin at Turkey Insiders also did a remarkable job customizing the tour to cover all the sites we designated in advance, and included the Virgin Mary House as well.