Peter Sommer

Peter studied Ancient History and Archaeology at Birmingham University before completing a Masters on the archaeology of Central Asia. He has taught at Birmingham University and Istanbul’s Bogaziçi Üniversitesi (Bosphorus University). In 1994 he walked 2,000 miles across Turkey, retracing the route of Alexander the Great, and fell deeply in love with the country. For this epic journey he received The Explorers Club of America Young Expeditioners’ award. Two years into a PhD. at University College London, he was seduced into television to work on In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great (BBC/PBS).

An award-winning documentary producer, he filmed around the world for acclaimed series like Millennium: A thousand years of history (BBC/CNN), Commanding Heights: the Battle for the World Economy (PBS/BBC), and Tales from the Green Valley (BBC).

Peter created and led his first archaeological tour in 1995 and founded Peter Sommer Travels, specialising in expert-led archaeological and cultural tours for small groups in 2002.

What previous guests have to say about Peter:

"Peter, you are meant to be a historian and tour guide! You have a natural gift to tell stories to help us visual the past. It is also your passion and enthusiasm for history that I admired too. You were always engaging, thoughtful and quite organized. Thank you for being such a great tour guide!...the tour we took with Peter Sommer as our tour guide and his fellow expert Cem was exceptional and so much fun! Peter’s historical knowledge, passion and story telling has a way of bringing pieces of history to life as we toured different ruins. The traditional homemade food, the places you explore, swimming in secluded bays with each day being unique from the day before is a tour for anyone who wants a historical and delicious adventure. My husband and I can’t wait for our next tour!" Kelly Lussenden

"I loved the talks by Peter before, during and after each trip to land to view a new site. They were informative, intelligent, nuanced, and engaging. One of the best guides I have come across. His knowledge of the history and archaeology of the area was immense.This tour was probably the best we have ever been on. From the beautiful waters of that wild, lonely section of the Turkish south coast east of Bodrum, to the experience of visiting the amazing ancient sites of Knidos, Loryma, Kaunos and Lydae, and their interpretation for us by Peter. Perhaps my favourite moment was his description as we all sat inside the ruins of the grand tomb that had supported the great marble Lion of Knidos after a morning's walk in the sun. The lion is no longer there of course - it now sits in the Great Court of the British Museum - but Peter's description of the lion, its history, its significance and rediscovery in the 1800's, its transport down to the coast and to England had us spellbound. Of many travels on every continent over many years, both self-guided and guided this was one of the very best experiences I have had." Ian Close

"Peter's combination of warmth, knowledge and professionalism was outstanding. A highlight of the tour was listening to and watching Peter eliciting details from ruins and hillsides with a passion that brought ancient temples and agoras and olive groves alive. I truly appreciated the generosity of his sharing a very personal love for the history of the places we visited. He made every question seem worthwhile and never flagged in his willingness to share both his historical knowledge and his personal adventures. Peter has not lost any of the passion that first inspired him to trace the footsteps of Alexander the Great. In dynamic and engaging style, he elicits accounts of daily life of over 2 millennia ago out of the rocks of worn hillsides or the carvings on fallen pillars. Watching his hand outline the contours of earthquake-ravaged city walls, they almost stand tall again. As he swivels to identify the boundaries of an ancient town — the temple, agora, city gateways almost come alive with bustling crowds." Georgina Frampton

"Peter's ability to communicate 3,000 years of history in an exciting storytelling manner that a layperson such as myself could understand and find fascinating and fun was thrilling. Peter is incredibly congenial, intelligent, knowledgeable and has a great ability to turn what could be a dry recitation of history into an engaging story that anyone can understand. ...simply brilliant. Finding enough superlative words to describe the tour is a challenge - the tour was a fantastic experience and perfect blend of sightseeing, education, relaxation, fabulous food and an immersion into Turkish culture and history. Tour organization and planning was flawless. Peter and his fellow guide Cem are exceptionally knowledgeable, gracious and welcoming. I felt the trip surpassed the descriptions in the marketing materials and was one of the most positive travel experiences I’ve had in recent years. The whole package was above and beyond my expectations." Rachel Feldman

"Peter did a wonderful job! He was knowledgeable, personable, enthusiastic, and engaged with the tour members. I can't compliment him enough! It was a terrific learning experience." Bill Skelton

"Peter was wonderful. He enthusiastically delivered historical knowledge which helped bring ancient sites to life for us. Overall, an amazing trip, exceeding our expectations. We plan to book again on another tour. My wife and I count the two weeks of our tour as one of our most memorable travel experiences." Steve Patrick

"The highlight of our trip were the archeological tours with our excellent archeologist, Peter Sommer! He really brought these sites to life with his knowledge and enthusiasm. He added so much to the experience." Susan Mitchell

"I loved the talks that Peter gave. It's wonderful to have someone who not only has an impressive grasp of the history and archaeology of the place but can impart so interestingly. Outstanding! So much so that I've taken a book out of the library on ancient civilizations and am signing up for a course on reading the Iliad! I cried when our trip was over. The beautiful Turquoise Coast mimicked the excitement of learning about the past and wanting to learn more. I yearn for another such trip." Sarajane Milder

"It was such a pleasure to be guided by Peter on our trip. He could, and often did, bring just a dusty hole in the ground to life. Enthusiastic, deep historical knowledge, logistically perfect and very personable and patient. Peter is a top class guide. This tour exceeded our expectations in every way. The guides and crew were excellent, the boat was beautiful, comfortable and a great way to travel, the food was to die for and the ancient sites that we visited and often had nearly to ourselves were fascinating. We will definitely go with Peter Sommer Travels again in the future." Ed Tompkins

"Peter was great. His preparation and knowledge was outstanding. Could not have found anyone better. The favorite part of the trip for me was the enthusiasm and professionalism of Peter and his fellow tour guide, Cem. They truly were the best tour guides we have ever had the pleasure of travelling with. The archeological visits were truly memorable. A perfect mix of archeological and gastronomic experiences, while cruising the turquoise waters of the Turkish coast, led my two outstanding guides that one could easily become friends with. What more could you ask for?" John Mitchell

"Our archeological expert guide, Peter, was one of the highlights of our trip. I was delighted to have Peter personally guide us on this tour. He was so knowledgeable and energetic, but also very engaging, personable and charming. His interest and knowledge in the sites we visited, paired with careful attention to details and the specific needs of their guests made it a perfect trip! This Gulet cruise was all we had hoped for!" Lorraine Patterson