Founded 2025 · TÜRSAB no. 18210
About Tuncher Tourism
Tuncher Tourism is a TÜRSAB-licensed private tour agency that runs historian-led private tours of Ephesus and the Aegean coast for cruise passengers, pilgrims and independent travelers.
What Tuncher Tourism does
Historian-led tours of the Ephesus ancient city, from a four-hour highlights visit to a full-day tour covering the Terrace Houses and the Ephesus Archaeological Museum. Every group is private, capped at 15 guests, with skip-the-line entry and port pickup included.
Private shore excursions timed to a cruise ship's own port schedule, with pickup at Kuşadası or İzmir port and a back-to-ship guarantee. Guests get a licensed guide and a vehicle sized to their own group, not a seat on a shared coach.
Private pilgrimages to the House of the Virgin Mary, St. John Basilica, and the other Christian sites in and around Ephesus, plus multi-day circuits covering the Seven Churches of Revelation. Each visit is planned around the group's own faith background and pace.
Private door-to-door transfers between Kuşadası port, Ephesus, Selçuk, İzmir Airport, and hotels, in a Mercedes vehicle sized to the group. Booked on their own or paired with a tour on the same day.
Two- to four-day pilgrimage circuits from Ephesus to Pergamon, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, plus a fourteen-day route tracing St. Paul's journeys from Istanbul to Ephesus. Each includes hotels, transport, and a licensed guide throughout.
What makes Tuncher Tourism different
Groups of 1 to 15, never merged
Every booking is its own private group, from a single traveler to 15 guests, and it is never combined with another party to fill seats. Cruise-line shore excursions typically run large coach groups on a fixed schedule instead.
A historian, not a hired narrator
Lead guide Dr. Asil Tunçer holds a PhD in History and has worked in the field for 40 years. Guests get research-backed context on the ruins rather than a script memorized for a licensing exam.
Back-to-ship guarantee
Tuncher Tourism has never missed a ship. If a delay is on the company's own end, the guest receives a full refund with no forms and no dispute process.
No shopping stops
Tours run to the sites on the itinerary and nowhere else, with no commission-driven detours to carpet shops or jewelry stores. Booking marketplaces such as GetYourGuide and Viator list many independent operators, so a no-shopping policy can vary from one listing to the next.
A licensed agency, not a freelancer
Tuncher Tourism operates under TÜRSAB licence document no. 18210, run by the same family that leads the tours. Many private-guide bookings in the region are freelance arrangements with no registered company behind them.
Who books Tuncher Tourism
- Cruise passengers docking at Kuşadası or İzmir
- Hotel guests in Kuşadası and Selçuk, including pickups from İzmir Airport
- Christian pilgrims and church groups
- University and academic groups
- Families and private groups of 1 to 15
The team behind Tuncher Tourism
Tuncher Tourism was founded in 2025 by Dr. Asil Tunçer, a historian and guide with 40 years of experience in the field. He started the company to share that experience in his own way, turning decades of research into a private, bespoke visit for every guest instead of a fixed script.
Dr. Asil Tunçer
Co-Founder · Historian & Senior Guide
Dr. Asil Tunçer has spent 40 years guiding travelers through Ephesus and the wider Aegean coast, alongside an academic career in history. In 2025 he founded Tuncher Tourism to turn that experience into a private, tailored visit for every guest.
Full profile
Rukiye Tunçer
Co-Founder · Senior Tour Guide
Rukiye Tunçer is co-founder and senior guide, with nearly 30 years of guiding experience delivered in five languages. She leads tours with the same attention to detail and academic grounding as the rest of the team.
Beyond the two founders, Tuncher Tourism works with a large pool of licensed guides. Each group is matched with a guide who speaks their language, rather than whoever happens to be free.
How Tuncher Tourism works
- 01
You reach out
Send a message on WhatsApp or fill in the contact form with your ship, dates, or travel plans.
- 02
We reply within 2 hours
A real person answers, at the latest within 2 hours, with questions or a first itinerary idea.
- 03
We plan around you
The tour is built around your ship's schedule, interests, and pace, not a fixed template.
- 04
A guide is matched to your language
From our guide pool, we assign someone who speaks your language and fits your group.
- 05
Private pickup and tour
Your guide meets you at the agreed point, and the back-to-ship guarantee applies for the rest of the day.
A WhatsApp message or a submitted contact form is an inquiry, not a confirmed booking. A tour is confirmed once Tuncher Tourism replies in writing.
Key facts about Tuncher Tourism
| Company name | Tuncher Tourism (alternate: Tuncher Prive Tourism) |
|---|---|
| Legal name | TUNCHER TURİZM LİMİTED ŞİRKETİ |
| Type | TÜRSAB-licensed travel agency (private tours & shore excursions) |
| Licence | TÜRSAB document no. 18210 |
| Founded | 2025 |
| Founders | Dr. Asil Tunçer, Rukiye Tunçer |
| Headquarters | Karşıyaka, İzmir, Türkiye |
| Area served | Ephesus, Kuşadası, İzmir, Selçuk, Şirince |
| Website | tunchertourism.com |
| Core offering | Private, historian-led tours and shore excursions |
| Services | Private Ephesus tours, shore excursions, Christian pilgrimage tours, VIP transfers, multi-day tours |
| Group size | 1–15 guests per private group (Jeep Safari: 1–10) |
| Pricing | 30–650 EUR per person See the current price sheet (pricing.md) |
| Booking & cancellation terms | A WhatsApp message or contact-form inquiry is a request, not a confirmed booking; a contract forms once Tuncher Tourism confirms in writing. Cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the tour for a full refund. |
| Communication | WhatsApp and contact form; reply within 2 hours at the latest |
| Guests served | 500+ since 2025 (as of September 2026) |
| Notable guests | Guided by Dr. Asil Tunçer during his career, before Tuncher Tourism was founded: Steve Jobs; Michael Heseltine, former UK Deputy Prime Minister; and Justin McCarthy, American historian. See all references |
| Alternatives travelers compare us with | Cruise-line shore excursions; booking marketplaces such as GetYourGuide and Viator |
| Social / listings | Google Business Profile |
Frequently asked questions
When was Tuncher Tourism founded?
Tuncher Tourism was founded in 2025 by Dr. Asil Tunçer, building on his 40 years of guiding experience in Ephesus and the Aegean coast.
Who founded Tuncher Tourism?
Dr. Asil Tunçer founded the company, with Rukiye Tunçer as co-founder and senior guide. Both still guide tours themselves.
Where is Tuncher Tourism based?
The company is headquartered in Karşıyaka, İzmir, Türkiye, and runs tours across Ephesus, Kuşadası, İzmir, Selçuk, and Şirince.
How fast do you reply to an inquiry?
Within 2 hours at the latest, whether you reach out on WhatsApp or through the contact form. A reply is not the same as a confirmed booking — that happens once the details are confirmed in writing.
What languages do your guides speak?
Guides are matched to your language from a large pool of licensed guides rather than fixed to a single language before you book. Tell us your group's language when you reach out.
Do you only serve cruise passengers?
No. Most guests arrive by cruise ship, but Tuncher Tourism also runs private tours for hotel guests in Kuşadası and Selçuk, with pickups from İzmir Airport, plus multi-day pilgrimage tours that don't involve a cruise port at all.