Published on Oct, 2024

Lutfi had guided me for 3 days in Istanbul at the front end of a 9-day trip around Turkey before a 9-day Turkey/Greece cruise. I had made arrangements for a cruise-line tour in Kusadasi/Ephesus but I canceled it to do a private tour instead. Lutfi's communication about the tour, on WhatsApp of course, was perfect. We met before the cruise ship busses left and got to Mary's House before most of the mob. Mary's house is not worth the wait but that was my fault, not Lutfi's. We then went to Ephesus and saw everything. It was so nice to not have to wait with large groups. Instead, we moved at our own pace and saw everything. Lutfi did a great job explaining everything I was seeing. Make sure that you see the Terrace Houses. Sope people on the cruise did not have time to see them. We had enough time, since we had cut through most of the crowds in Ephesus, to go to the Basilica of St. John and the anthropology museum too. Almost no crowds at these two. The museum has lots of cool stuff. We even had extra time to drive to the small swimming area off the pier (bring a towel but it is not the best place for swimming) and to drive up the hill for a nice view overlooking the pier. I highly recommend Lutfi and his company. And for tours of Istanbul, Cappadocia and Izmir too.

Published on Sep, 2024

If you want to experience a day with a personable, knowledgeable guide at Ephesus, Lutfi Baydar checks those boxes and more. He is organized, on time, provided a spacious van that gave our party of six all the room we needed, hired a competent, safe and friendly driver, made sure we saw ALL the sites there are to see and even had cold bottles of water available for us. We learned so much as he shared the history of the area. Lufti took us to a great Turkish restaurant for lunch and no one went away hungry. He sat with us during the meal ready to field more of our questions. He was engaged the entire seven hours we spent with him. It was a learning feast and Lutfi is like reading a good book. You will not be disappointed, and that’s a promise.

Published on Aug, 2024

Lutfi with Best Ephesus Tours was amazing. Every detail was thought out and considered. The tour ran on time and was very well organized. Our guides were knowledgeable and kind. It’s easy to recommend them!

Published on Jul, 2024

What a great day we had in Ephesus - thank you Lufti! So glad we booked with this company! Great/spacious van and driver that picked us up in the most convenient spots. Best part was our wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly guide Lufti. The lunch at the family owned spot was a great way to end our day. Highly recommended booking your day in Ephesus with this company.

Published on Jun, 2024

Our tour of Ephesus was great. Our guide Gokhan was super friendly and extremely knowledgeable. He was so proud of his country and the amazing history. Having a private tour is definitely the way to see the sights when visiting Turkey.