Field notes
Notes from the ground
One short, honest piece most weeks — written between tours, about the things guests actually ask us. No press releases, no “hidden gems.”
Every note, newest first
Ayasuluk Fortress is open: the climb to Selçuk’s castle and what waits on top
Yes.
Kuba Camii in Selçuk: the little mosque shaped like a tomb
It stands in a small park across the road from the bus station, and a few hundred people walk past it every day without looking up.
Selçuk market day: when the Saturday market runs and what locals buy
Saturday is market day in Selçuk, and it is where we do our own weekly shopping.
Things to do in Ephesus, Turkey, after the ruins: twelve picks from the guides who live here
The ancient city takes a morning.
Kusadasi to Ephesus without a tour: the dolmuş, the taxi and the ride back
We live in Kuşadası and drive this road most mornings of the season.
Is there an Ephesus dress code? The rules for clothes, hands and cameras
No dress code at the ruins, a real one at the House of the Virgin Mary, and a short list of rules about ropes, reliefs, bags and drones.
Do you need a guide at Ephesus? The honest answer, from the guides
You can walk Ephesus on your own, and some people should.
The olive harvest in Selçuk, from the first net to the new oil
In autumn the lanes around Selçuk fill with white nets.
Dilek Peninsula National Park, cove by cove, from the town next door
It is where Kuşadası goes when the town has had enough of itself.
Is Kuşadası worth visiting? What we tell friends who ask
We live in this town, and in February we have the seafront to ourselves.
Is Ephesus wheelchair accessible? What the marble is really like
The question arrives by email most weeks, usually from a daughter booking for her father.
Ephesus after dark: notes from inside the Night Museum
We’ve walked this street a thousand times by day.
How long to visit Ephesus, and what to skip if you can’t
This is the question we get in the car park before we’ve even said good morning.
The best time to visit Ephesus, month by month
We walk this site in every month it’s open, which is all of them.
How much should you tip a tour guide in Ephesus?
Everyone Googles this from a restaurant the night before.
ONE MESSAGE, ONE PLAN
Tell us your date.
We’ll tell you the plan.
A licensed local guide replies personally — usually the same day, from info@ephesusbylocals.com.
TÜRSAB license 15746 · Nothing paid in advance · Skip-the-line tickets held for you