Sieben Kirchen der Offenbarung 3 Tage

This is a DO NOT BOOK! This operator did not show up or bother calling to cancel. The night before they reached out asking about my flight, I told them we were already in town and drove in and needed the exact location at the airport to meet them. NO ANSWER. The day of the tour, we show up at the airport at the listed time on the booking of 8:30am. The tour operator would NOT answer calls (10+) or texts from me or Viator. After nearly 2 hours waiting and working with Viator, the tour was finally cancelled and I was refunded. And would you believe that’s when the operator contacted me. First they said it was my fault because I didn’t give them my flight info, I explained, again, that I had driven to Izmir and did not fly. Then they said there was a communication problem. I said the only communication problem was them not answering any calls or texts from me or Viator. This operator ruined my holiday. I spent thousands just getting to Izmir and they no call no show me. I will be filing a complaint with Turkish authorities this operator should be put out of business. Buyer beware of this scam, they should not be allowed on Viator, before shelling out money for plane tickets and hotels, think again. I’m out thousands! Gizem Direnc was the contact who ghosted me, until Viator gave me the refund.

Pros: The most flexible Seven Churches Tour from Izmir, starting on any day of the week, unlike other providers on Viator, who only run tours at the headline price on a fixed day each week. The operator did not cancel the tour, even though we were the only party booked (my mum and I), effectively making it a private tour. We had an excellent guide (Mehmet). As a Biblically focused tour, the relevant verses in the Book of Revelations was reviewed after each site. Mehmet managed to relate each site to references within the Book of Revelations. With an early start on Day 1, we managed to cover four of the churches on the first day (Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyateira and Sardis). Mehmet offered us the option of doing Sardis at the end of Day 1 or as the first location on the following day. Day 2 began with Philadelphia, followed by Laodecia, then a stop at the white terraces of Pamukkale (UNESCO World Heritage site), finishing with a long drive to Kusadasi, in time for a lovely sunset. Unfortunately, Mehmet took ill after the second day, needing to go to hospital. We prayed for his speedy recovery and he was well enough to go home the following day. The tour company found us a replacement guide at short notice - Halik, who was equally excellent. Day 3 was Ephesus focused (including The House of Virgin Mary and Basilica of St John the Theologian). Halik covered not just the Ephesus in the Revelations, but covered the likely life and events of the Apostle Paul in the city, from the likely location of the riot to where he would have set up his tentage business. The tour itinerary finished in the late afternoon for those having a late evening flight from Izmir. We stayed in Izmir for an extra night just to be safe. Lunch was generally later in the afternoon (after 1400 hours), which suited us after a hotel breakfast. It is also much hotter later in the afternoon, so lunch is a good way to escape the heat. Cons: The tour operator did not use the chat function on Viator, so my earlier questions went unanswered. Eventually, on the day before the tour, Viator customer service asked for permission to pass on my mobile number to the tour operator and guide, who both contacted me on WhatsApp and responded to all questions promptly. Entrance fees to each site is not included in the tour price - this makes some sense as the price is different for Turkish citizens/ residents and foreign visitors. Entry fees are an additional EUR 125 per person (foreigner). Prices are advertised in Euros but charged at the prevailing Turkish Lira rate. One location only took Turkish Lira cash - we reimbursed Mehmet in Euros; other sites accepted VISA/MasterCard.

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