Private Tour
Private Ephesus Tour & Cooking Class in Village
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Discover Ephesus with a cooking experience.
Walk along the colonnaded streets in Ephesus to get the feeling of what life was like in Roman times, and then drive to a village around Ephesus to take a cooking class with locals!
Travel back in time to explore the remarkable ancient city of Ephesus, the glory of an old civilization, and the interesting everyday life of the ancient people.
Take a deep dive into Mediterranean traditional cuisine with this Turkish cooking class. Connect with a local host and learn how to prepare a number of classic Turkish dishes in the kitchen, based on recipes passed down through the generations. Roll up your sleeves! Don't miss the chance to learn the secrets of our cuisine by preparing your own meal.
Learn it from a local,
Cook it with a local,
Enjoy it like a local.
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Kusadasi
Drive through the town of Kusadasi.
Ephesus Ancient City
The Odeon Hadrian Temple Latrina Ancient Stores Avenues The impressive Library of Celcus The Grand Theater Discover the delicacy of Romans in ancient times, their diet, and wines. Learn about the daily life of a family living in Ephesus 2000 years ago. Live a unique experience, and learn about Aegean gastronomy!
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Local and experienced tour guide with fluent English
Lunch
Hands-on cooking class in a boutique local guesthouse
Fuel and parking fees
Ancient City of Ephesus
Terrace Houses
Options
Departs from Izmir
Private
Duration: 7 hours
You'll eat what you cook
Izmir-Ephesus-Kirazli-Izmir
VIP Minivan
Pickup included
Departs from Kusadasi
Private cooking experience
Duration: 6 hours
Lunch
Kusadasi-Kirazli-Kusadasi
Minivan: Mercedes Benz Vito minivan with air condition and 14 seats.
Pickup included
Reviews
24 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
We loved our guide. She was excellent and gave a good overview of the biblical history of this area.
Kim S,,Nov 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We 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.
Incredible Tour - informative and fun!
T7595LLisabeller,,Nov 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Nesrin 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.
The Highlight of our trip!
608kelleyr,,Nov 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This 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!
Ephesus trip and cooking school
mattluckley,,Jul 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great 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.
A Lovely Day We Will Always Remember
lindaeG566WZ,,Jul 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We 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.
A vacation of Turkish delight
carolwV9399YU,,Jun 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our 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.
Authentic Experience in Turkey
JodiDH503,,Jun 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What 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!!
Great family experience
LizM007,,Jul 25, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This 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!
Amazing day touring Ephesus and dining with a knowledgeable and personable local.
V6859KJkathrynw,,Mar 25, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a fantastic day we had! Azime is an incredible guide/hostess; knowledgeable, articulate and fun. She really knows the history of Ephesus we learned so much from her. If you have a chance the terrace houses are worth the extra admission. Loved cooking with the chef at a beautiful countryside location. Our meal was delicious topped off with great conversation, company and wine. Would highly recommend this tour.
Wonderful Day in Turkey
M1971RRloris,,Oct 14, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did a tour with Nesrin of Ephesus, then helped cook lunch at a local family's house and visited a pottery studio. Nesrin met us outside the port with a big smile and a sign with our name on it. She had a driver with a large comfortable van, so she sat with us and narrated the trip as we drove to Ephesus. The ancient city of Ephesus was amazing. There were archeological finds everywhere you looked in great condition. We got to see how people lived thousands of years ago. Nesrin weaved us through the ruins so we could avoid the crowds and pointed out some great spots to take pictures. She was very knowledgeable and could answer all of our questions. After that we went to Ganja and Oleaks family property which included an inn, tiny cabins, yoga spot and gardens. We cooked a traditional Turkish meal together and then ate on the deck overlooking the countryside. We enjoyed talking to our hosts and Nesrin and were sad to leave at the end of the day. After goodbye hugs we next went to a family run Turkish pottery studio. The father crafts the pottery, the mother paints it, the daughter-in-law does the tours, and the sons were busy in the backroom. Our friend got to sit at the wheel and make a pottery dish from a mound of clay. Their show room had some exquisite pieces in all price points. We each bought a souvenir. Now that we are back home every time I look at it, it reminds me of what a nice day we had. I would highly recommend this tour. We enjoyed our time in Turkey so much we want to go back.
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Operated by Phoenicia Travel