Private Ephesus Tour & Cooking Experience with locals

​If you are looking for a private guide in Turkey, look no further than Emre! From start to finish, he was an absolute pleasure to work with. His communication prior to and during our trip was top-notch—clear, prompt, and thoroughly organized, which made the whole experience effortless and completely stress-free. ​Emre is incredibly warm, friendly, and knowledgeable. He put together a flawless day for our family that balanced local culture, hands-on experiences, and wonderful hospitality. The hands-on cooking class in the countryside was a absolute highlight, allowing us to learn authentic Turkish cooking techniques and enjoy an incredible meal. Visiting the traditional rug weaving cooperative and the local pottery shop added so much rich cultural context and allowed us to see incredible artisan craftsmanship up close. ​Emre went above and beyond to ensure everyone had a fantastic time. We couldn't have asked for a better guide to show us the beauty and culture of Turkey. Highly, highly recommended!

It was so great learning about the background of all the dishes. We got to enjoy the delicious dishes we prepared together, which made it even more special. This was probably our favourite activity in Turkey, and we would definitely recommend it to friends and family, as well as to others making the trip to Turkey!

We voted this our favorite tour. We had a group of 9 and visited Ephesus and then did a cooking class and had lunch at a private restaurant. Later we visited a ceramic studio and rug merchant.

+2

Nesrin was an incredible tour guide! She brought a sweet, calm, and professional energy and had so much information and passion to share. We learned a lot about Ephesus on the tour. Her communication was timely and the van was impeccably clean. The cooking class was super fun and Nesrin was willing to cater the day to my family’s preferences. A highlight of our trip, you will not regret this experience! She shows you the true culture of Turkey.

This experience was a major highlight of my family’s trip! It was perfect from the beginning to the end. We loved the nice van that picked us up and our guide was so very friendly and informative. The experience was fun for everyone in our group from ages 25-84!! I loved the cooking experience and then eating the food together was perfect! The restaurant we were in was beautiful!! I also loved learning about Ephesus as well as the small pottery shop and the craft of rug making!

+13

Great tour, very relaxed and Nesrin, our guide, was super knowledgeable. She allowed us to take our time with each element of the tour and even adapt it during the day. Would have no hesitation recommending this company and Nesrin as a guide. Cooking school was fabulous - off the beaten track and completely unique.

We had a wonderful day with our tour guide Nesrin Ozkara. Nesrin was so knowledgeable and passionate about Ephesus, it really made the city come alive for us. We loved the cooking class with a warm and inviting Turkish family. It was so fun with lots of hugs all around when we left. Nesrin also helped us do some shopping for beautiful textiles. The highlight of the shopping was learning about Turkish carpet making; we even got to help weave a carpet! Of course, we had to buy one of those beautiful carpets. It was very apparent that Nesrin loves her beautiful city and loves to share it with others. We would highly recommend Nesrin and this tour to anyone that would like to get a real sense of Izmir and Ephesus.

Our trip started with the warmest welcome and a pristine vehicle big enough for my entire family to ride in comfort to Ephesus. Nesrin was so knowledgeable about the local region and the history of Ephesus. We then went to an amazing workshop for carpets. We learned so much about the hand made carpets. Our last part of journey was to learn to cook some delicious Turkish dishes in a beautiful home. Our host let us tour her garden and met her amazing family. What a wonderful day this is a must do tour.

What an amazing day with Nesrin and Emre! The town, coffee and quick wine tasting was so enjoyable. But the cooking class was a highlight!! I can’t wait to try the recipes at home. Nesrin is a joy to be around! Highly recommend!!

This was a great experience. As we have been to Ephesus before, we started off with a visit to the Ephesus Museum, then to a local glass and pottery shop, and then the focus of the experience was the cooking class. My husband, 10 year-old son and I all participated. We made zucchini (courgette for Brits) fritters, stuffed peppers and a chicken stew (casserole for Brits). Everything was delicious and what we learned will be very replicable at home— which is great because we don’t have any Turkish restaurants in town but we love Turkish food. The hosts also treat you to fresh peaches, melon and plums they grow on their property. The vegetables used in the dishes are also grown on-site. There’s also a really nice pool onsite, so bring your swimsuits!