Walking & Hiking Tours in Turkey

Unlike our standard gulet cruises, there is a significant amount of walking on our hiking tours 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. You do need to be fit with a good sense of balance. There are some long stretches of uphill and downhill walking. 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.

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 walks at a leisurely pace, with some wonderful sites and great swims thrown in for good measure. Some of the hikes are shorter, incorporating explorations of archaeological sites, while the longest walks are up to about 6 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.

Each of our trips has an intensity rating, so you can see the physical fitness levels required for our tours.

“Walking and Cruising” is the perfect solution for us to share even more of a region and its archaeological treasures with you. Using the same mode of transportation that those who inhabited the ancient sites did, we have the opportunity to approach them in perfectly appropriate fashion, while gaining a holistic impression of the terrain, it sights, sounds and aromas. Often on our walking cruises, we are able to include sites that cannot be otherwise reached: mysterious citadels set on wild mountain peaks or bucolic ruins of ancient cities hidden away in remote valleys.

All our walking and hiking tours in Turkey are prepared painstakingly. Our experts and guides have explored their areas extensively, often for years and frequently by walking, to gain intimate knowledge of their archaeological sites and other features. We aim for our walking trips to choose the best hikes in an area with wonderful seascapes and landscapes as well as fascinating historical and archaeological adventures.