The 11 City Highlights Shore Excursions in Turkey Worth Leaving the Ship For

1.Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 273 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $100Our pick

See Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and Grand Bazaar in one guided shore excursion from Galataport.

“Although the morning half of the tour to the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, etc. went ok and the lunch arrangement was excellent, the afternoon half to visit the Grand Bazaar was a disaster. During the Grand Bazaar tour, we were led to attend sales pitches in 5 different shops and didn't have a chance to walk around the Grand Bazaar at all. Although the shop owners were okay, we simply were not interested in their merchandise, and felt that the whole time spent at the Grand Bazaar was a waste. Our tour guide was actually okay as she was flexible and guided us through the Blue Mosque, etc. smoothly. I…”

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2.Ephesus Sightseeing Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 145 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $90

Review of Kusadasi’s Ephesus shore excursion, with ancient ruins, Turkish lunch, Mary’s house, St John’s Basilica, tips, and honest drawbacks.

“We were assigned to Neon tours. Our tour was excellent as was our guide. The included lunch was superb and an excellent representation of the country's food. This tour was a pleasant surprise because we almost skipped leaving the ship n Turkey. We are so glad we did not. A do not miss!!”

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3.Private Bodrum City Tour for Cruisers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 140 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $99Top rated

Review of Bodrum’s private cruise-port tour, covering the castle, underwater museum, ancient ruins, views, transport, price, and carpet-store warning.

“Great experience. We got to see the castle, underwater museum, theater, old city gate, got education about carpet making... the silk process is very cool, windmills. Amazing views all around. Out tour guide Zeynep was very informative and friendly. We appreciated we had a dedicated driver and an air conditioned vehicle which picked us up and dropped us off at the cruise ship port. We got to see far more than we would have in the heat and sun. Would definitely recommend.”

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4.Bodrum City Tour for Cruisers Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $75

Review of Bodrum’s small-group cruise tour, with castle, windmills, amphitheater, local lunch, carpet weaving, timing, and value.

“Everything was excelent. Guide was very informative. We visited Bodrum and also a small village where we enjoyed a lot.”

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5.Ephesus Highlights Tour for Cruisers from Kuşadası Port

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 5 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $14Best value

Review of a private Ephesus shore excursion from Kuşadası, covering ancient ruins, St. John’s Basilica, Mary’s House, timing, tickets, and value.

“Our guide was fantastic. Ephesus was incredible and should not be missed. It far exceeded our expectations.”

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6.FOR CRUISERS: Highlights of Ephesus Private Tour (GUARANTEED ON-TIME RETURN)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 4 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $29

Review of a private Ephesus shore excursion from Kusadasi, with a licensed guide, museum visits, local crafts, and on-time ship return.

“Ozgur was an AMAZING guide...from the moment we met him, he was so knowledgeable, friendly, outgoing, patient, helpful, and so much more. He never rushed us though any of the sights...offered great suggestions...I felt like we had made a new friend! I would highly recommend him for this tour...and give him a raise for his exceptional job!”

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7.FOR CRUISERS: Highlights of Ephesus Tour (Skip-the-line)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 6 hours · from $71

Explore Ephesus from Kusadasi with a private guide, visiting Mary’s House, the Library of Celsus, the Grand Theater, and Artemis.

“Our guide MehMet Kadir Sahin was amazing! The way he explained the history of the city and history of Turkey was fascinating. I learned a lot and I look forward to coming back and hopefully we will get him to lead us through our next journey in Turkey.”

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8.Private Bodrum Express Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · from $298

Review of Bodrum’s private 3-hour shore tour, covering the Mausoleum and Amphitheater, with practical advice on price, timing, and value.

“Private tour cancelled and local rep had no record of our private tours that we had already paid for”

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9.Istanbul city tour from Cruise ship terminal Galataport.

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews

Review of Istanbul’s private Galataport tour, covering Hagia Sophia, mosques, bazaars, transport, price, and practical booking tips.

“There are many options for the private tour. We wanted to see the Asia side and so our tour guide arranged for us to do a ferry over to that side. We went for an authentic Turkish lunch and then stopped by and had some amazing desserts. Read more”

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10.Small Group Cruise Shore Excursion – Old City Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $119

Review of Istanbul’s Old City shore excursion, with Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapı, Grand Bazaar, private transfers, and practical tips.

“We checked the reviews on Tripadvisor before we book the tour. We had great communication with Mustafa . He changed the starting time of tour as well. Very helpfull. Thank you Sunny Travel Turkey. Highly recommend.”

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11.Highlights of Ephesus Tour FOR CRUISERS

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $57

Review of the $57 Ephesus cruise tour from Kusadasi, with private guiding, Terrace Houses, Virgin Mary’s House, costs, and practical tips.

“This was a good tour - guide was knowledgeable. The tour company needs to advise of how much admission fees will be extra per each attraction. It was an extra 110 Euros - for 2 of us - for entry to Ephesus and house of Virgin Mary. We chRead more”

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