Over the years, many guests travelling on our “Cruising the Lycian Shore” trip found themselves fascinated and enchanted by the occasional strolls we took on the Lycian Way, Turkey’s very first long-distance hiking trail. Their frequent inquiries inspired us to create an archaeological tour in Turkey that combines more hiking with historical adventures and the pleasure of a gulet cruise. Thanks to your inspiration, back in 2006, Walking and Cruising the Lycian Shore became the first of our walking holidays.
Rated by The Sunday Times (UK) as one of the ten best walks in the world, the Lycian Way follows over 540km (335 miles) of ancient roadways, mule tracks and shepherds’ paths along one of Turkey’s most remote and untouched coastlines. On this cruise, we follow some of its very best stretches, chosen for their beauty and interest, averaging about 9km (5-6 miles) of hiking per day. Our travelling offshore base is a beautiful traditional Turkish gulet, offering us elegant transport, delicious dining, comfortable accommodation and welcome leisure throughout the voyage.
An ideal tour for hikers and for lovers of the sea alike, the cruise also provides the cultural and archaeological experience that is the trademark of Peter Sommer Travels. Escorted by Peter Sommer himself, you will visit a whole series of ancient sites, stroll along Roman roads, trace the routes of 2,000 year-old aqueducts and follow in the footsteps of characters from the mysterious Lycians of antiquity via Alexander the Great to the nomadic herders of recent centuries.
Exploring on foot offers a uniquely profound and enjoyable engagement with the landscape and its history, including the opportunity to discover truly remote archaeological sites that cannot be easily reached otherwise. You will be able to hike through magnificent scenery high above the Mediterranean Sea, and see sites like wild and ancient Apollonia, with its grand necropolis and romantic theatre, or the extensive ruins of mountain-top Kyaneai, one of the most important cities of ancient Lycia.
Of course, we also visit Lycia’s famous archaeological highlights, such as the regional Lycian capital at Pinara with its “royal” tombs, the monumental Roman port city of Patara and the Ottoman castle of Kale, ancient Simena, surrounded by age-old Lycian sarcophagus graves.
The combination of hikes through a succession of beautiful landscapes, expert-led visits to fascinating archaeological sites, cruising in pristine waters and delicious meals on board or in selected local restaurants, in addition to plenty of time to swim and relax, make this tour a perfect choice for the active and curious traveller. From footpaths by the coast to goat tracks high up in the hills, from age-old cemeteries to monumental ruined cities, this Lycian Way tour offers you stimulation and relaxation for mind, body and soul.
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For information not covered below please refer to our FAQ’s or contact us directly on info@petersommer.com
Arrival and Departure Information
Arrival Airport – Dalaman
Departure Airport – Dalaman
Arrival Location – Gocek Marina (approx. 30 mins from airport)
Departure Location – Fethiye Marina (approx. 1 hr 20 mins from airport)
Embarkation and departure is planned for approx.17:00. You are more than welcome to arrive earlier to drop off your bags, but please be aware that the crew will be busy cleaning and tidying making everything ready for your group so you will not be able to settle into your cabin.
If your travel plans or flights do not allow you to arrive before 17:00 we recommend arriving the day before the tour starts. This would also allow time to relax, recover from any jet lag and arrive at the boat on time for embarkation and departure.
If you arrive at the gulet after 17:00, we will do our best to enable you to join the tour at a later time and place.
Please Note: Departure time is subject to change depending on weather, harbour, or other conditions.
Disembarkation is around 09:00. We will arrange local transfers on the first and last day of the tour.
Further information about the Walking
Unlike our standard gulet cruises, there is a significant amount of hiking on our Walking and Cruising the Lycian Shore tour in Turkey. We believe that’s a key part of its appeal. The walks we do are for the most part sections of The Lycian Way, Turkey’s first national footpath, and widely regarded as one of the best hiking trails in the world for its combination of stunning vistas, scenery, and the archaeological sites that litter the way.
Please be aware that the terrain is often uneven, rocky, and rugged, and a number of the paths are carpeted with loose stones underfoot and there are occasions when the landscape we are passing through can have some prickly vegetation. You do need to be fit with a good sense of balance. There are some long stretches of uphill and downhill hiking. It’s certainly not a walk in the park, but ropes and crampons aren’t required! You do need to be used to hiking off the beaten track.
The trip is designed to ease you in gently, with a day of pure relaxation to begin with, and then a few short walks and site visits, with some longer walks later in the tour. Across the two weeks, the average distance is about 5-6 miles a day (approx 3 hours), but it’s not really the distance that you need to bear in mind, but the terrain. We take all the hikes at a leisurely pace, with some wonderful sites and great swims thrown in for good measure. In the second week, once people have found their feet, there’s a walk of about 6 hours, and one full day of hiking (about 7 hours), with super picnics along the way. Of course the beauty of being on the gulet, means that it’s perfectly possible for guests to skip a day’s walk if they so wish, and simply relax on the boat. If you fancy putting your feet up and resting for a day, that is perfectly possible. So if you wish to lie back and read a book or have an extra swim, you can.
Booking Flights: If you are staying in or connecting via Istanbul then the easiest way to get to and from the gulet is to fly. There are a number of airlines that offer domestic flights in Turkey. The cheapest way to book flights is directly with the airline online.
Please note: Flights are subject to change. Please contact the airline for exact details.
If you prefer to book with a travel agent, we are happy to recommend specialists in a number of countries around the world, please contact our office for more details.
Travel Insurance: We consider adequate travel insurance to be essential. You should ensure that you take out a suitable policy, to make sure that your trip is properly covered. Please be advised some insurers may require you to take out a policy within 15-20 days of booking your holiday to receive all of their insurance benefits.
Visas: You must check to see if you require a visa to enter Turkey. Visas are easily obtained online at eVisa and must be purchased before you travel.
Istanbul: If you are planning to stay in Istanbul before or after your gulet tour we would be happy to help with suggestions and information and things to see and do. Please get in touch.
Custom Tours: If you are thinking of extending your trip to Turkey to include visits to Cappadocia, Istanbul or further afield, please contact our office for further information.
