Seaside Holiday in Turkey by aboutephesus

Famed for its several architectural marvels, expansive coastline with refined and unspoiled beaches and eclectic cultural existence and history, Turkey is a celebrate of heritage, beauty both natural and manmade and just the ideal destination for every traveler. The country offers grand adventure, luxury, beauty of nature and history, along with glimpses numerous religious beliefs with its monuments. Shore excursions at the Kusadasi, Izmir Port are traditionally famous with tourists all over the world. Since they offer a certain proximity to the nearby ancient sites and finish up in less than a day, they are among the most convenient means to exploring the archaeological wonders of the country.

Shore Excursion in Turkey includes the conventional locations of Istanbul, Izmir, Ephesus, Kusadasi, Bodrum, etc. Istanbul which was the ancient Constantinople is the tourism, cultural and commercial center of the country and with its Bosporus coastline connecting Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, it has become a top favorite for cruises. The one time Byzantine and Ottoman Empire capital is now adorned with numerous architectural souvenirs from the past such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Cisterns, Jewish Synagogues, Museum of Islamic Arts, Topkapi Palace, etc. You can also shop at the famed Grand Bazaar and get some of the highest quality Turkish handcrafts for jewelry, souvenirs, carpets, etc. 

Kusadasi Shore Excursion in Turkey is another sought after option by travelers as it also includes a brief journey to Ephesus and surrounding locations. A resort town at the Aegean coast, Kusadasi servers as one of the chief ports for cruises and is favored largely due to its proximity to the ancient city of Ephesus. Located 12 miles Ephesus, the resort town has a wealth of history, archeology mixed with contemporary beach gateway or the tourists. Its refined, sandy beaches along with well preserved national parks along with the Mediterranean are enough to draw anyone.

Izmir (Smyrna) is another ancient gem in the architectural and historical crown of Turkey. Over 5,000 years old, Izmir is also the third largest Turkish city with almost 3 million inhabitants. An active cruise port, Izmir is also sought by many due to its proximity to Ephesus which is situated 40 miles from it. If legends are to be believed then this ancient city is among the the seven churches that Book of Revelation mentions and is perhaps the only living church. Tour operators like About Ephesus often offer the service of private cabs from the Izmir Port for tourists travelling Ephesus, Selçuk, Sirince Village, etc. The excursion tour of the Greco-roman  city of Ephesus lasts around 4-5 hours that can be explored on foot or through car as the driver will drive you in between the important monuments.

However, Ephesus is best enjoyed through a detailed walk taken with assistance from a reliable guide who will tell you all about the rich past, heritage and way of life of those who inhabited the city centuries back during roman and Greek era. You can also personalize your trip by adding a brief visit to the rug and carpet weaving workshops to get a deeper look into how the famed craft of Turkish handmade carpets works.

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Ephesus Day Trip from Istanbul by About Ephesus Tour

Ephesus is among Turkey's best attractions with its golden and ivory structures, mosaic floored terrace houses, legendary roman theatre. The city that was once a bustling commercial and cultural center of the eastern Greek and roman civilization is now an exhilarating open air museum. Half day tours during peak season are convention as the city is fairly small and can be easily explored on foot within just 4-5 hours. And, if you are keen on saving time and would only like to cover the headlining monuments then less than 3 hours would be sufficient.

Ephesus highlights halfday tour usually takes 4-6 hours which you can book on a private basis for you, your family and friends with guide and driver or with a group through a group guide and the minibus ride. Usually, taking such group tours proves to be beneficial when you have a large group of friends, family and acquaintances but taking such a group with complete strangers may not prove so fruitful so it is recommended to look into private tours by About Ephesus.

Ephesus highlights halfday tour includes getting you acquainted with the rich history and ancient culture of the place as the city initially was found as Greek one but after some time, it came under the roman civilization regime. Legends state that it was eventually destroyed by natural reasons like malarial swamps that made the population evade for health reasons along with the destruction brought on by Goths. The most famous highlights of the city are the Terrace houses, the Celsus library, Dominitan Temple, Market or commercial Agora, Hercules Gate, the temple of Artemis, Grand Theatre, etc.

You can travel to the city-museum from Izmir, Kusadasi, Istanbul through private cabs, buses or use a cruise from the Kusadasi and Izmir harbor. You can choose to hire accommodation at Izmir or other location and take a cruise to get off at the Kusadasi or Izmir Harbor where your private cab driver will receive you and take you all the way to the ancient city. If you don't mind exploring on foot then the best would be to look for a tour in pleasant weather and wall all the way from Selçuk which is located pretty close. In fact, while you are there, it is recommended that you visit the Temple of Artemis first since is only a few meters from the Selçuk Castle.

Half day tours of the city are preferred more because they are practical since there is no accommodation facility at the ancient city so staying back becomes problematic. However, half day tours take care of complete lunch and other meals and often include nearby handmade or woven carpet or rug centers along with ceramic centers, etc. You can choose to include or remove these from the itinerary and also visit the Sirince village which is decently small but a lovely and colorful village located close by in the hills.

A beautiful and architecturally significant site, Ephesus is indeed one of the great wonders from the beginning of our worlds and sure worth a visit. 

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