Lycian Way Active Adventure Tour

This sustainable, active adventure tour through southwestern Türkiye along the Lycian Way blends healthy outdoor activities with rich history and cultural sites.

We’ll stay in the most charming villages and towns of the Lycian Coast, lying under the Taurus Mountains. We’ll hike scented hills and visit classical coastal sites, sea kayak to explore sunken cities, sail the Fethiye Bay, snorkel over sunken Roman ruins, and search for the fire-breathing monster, Chimaera of Mt. Olympos.

Activity Highlights:

• 6 hikes (easy to moderate) 1-5 miles long
• Sea kayaking for 3-4 hours (easy to moderate if windy)
• Boating for a full day, with swimming breaks
• Hiking to the ancient site of Lydea
• Meeting nomads
• Snorkeling at various locations, including over a sunken Roman bath

Historic Highlights:

• Visiting ancient cities: Olympos, Anti-Phellos, Lydae, Caunus, Aperlai
• Searching for Chimaera, the fire-breathing monster, at Mt. Olympos
• Exploring Kekova, an uninhabited Turkish island with sunken ruins
• Meander Simena, a town near the ‘Sunken City,’ with a castle at the top
• Visiting Teimiussa, an ancient port city

The Lycian Way is a popular trekking route in southwestern Türkiye that spans about 320 miles (520 km). The well-marked path hugs the Mediterranean coast, occasionally dipping inland, and runs from Fethiye to Antalya. The Lycian Way is Türkiye's longest hiking route and weaves between ancient cities and beautiful coastal views along the way.

While walking the full length of the trail could easily take a month, this active adventure trip is a fantastic way to see more of it in a shorter time frame. You'll get to enjoy a perfect blend of the classic, leisurely hikes, along with relaxing time in beautiful Turkish waters, and fulfilling cultural experiences at historic sites.

You’ll be guided by a licensed professional who is sustainably minded and adept at interpreting the natural and cultural heritage of the region, as well as skilled at leading the active aspects of the trip. A private minivan supports the entire trip, and most meals are included.

This coastal trip along the Lycian Way is generally best from April through November.

• April-May: This region of Türkiye is a bio-diversity hotspot, so if you are a wild-flower enthusiast, April and May will be especially fantastic!
• June-August: During these peak summer months, you are more likely to observe (very discreetly) the “Caretta caretta” loggerhead sea turtles laying eggs, hatching, or swimming around. However, we suggest avoiding July and August if you are not used to very warm temperatures. It can be above 100°F (38°C) which you may find uncomfortably warm for hiking. If you are OK with the heat, go for it!
• September-November: A pleasant time to visit as temperatures cool down and crowds lessen.

We believe beautiful places are beautiful all year round. If your schedule allows, we encourage you to travel in the shoulder season (April-May, September-November) for several reasons. It helps reduce the environmental impact of this popular trail, avoids over-tourism, and rewards you with more tranquil trails and site visits. Spring and fall offer the best balance of pleasant weather and fewer crowds.

We are the only active member of ATTA (Adventure Travel Trade Association) from Türkiye and we have signed the Travel’s Climate Action Agreement powered by ATTA. We are a signatory of Tourism Declares Climate Emergency and have published a Climate Emergency Plan.

We worked with ATTA-South Pole to calculate the carbon emissions for each of our itineraries. As a result, we modified some itineraries to reduce our carbon footprint. We're also proud to say that we're a "carbon neutral" company. We reported our 2020 emissions and will offset them at the end of 2021. We will also add 25 USD/person to our bulk carbon offset for this trip to be used in planting trees.

Our new itineraries are being designed with a "Slow Travel" perspective so that we spend at least two nights at each location and our new trips are more local. We stay in small or remote places, plan to stay more than 1 night at each location, travel in the shoulder season, and cover a small region, rather than traveling long distances. This travel format is not only safer but also helps to absorb and enjoy the experience even better.

This trip promotes tourism dispersal as it is in the less-traveled parts of the Turkish Riviera. We pick up our guests at Antalya Airport and immediately drive out of the heavily touristic region to small villages and towns. In these towns, tourism revenue is greatly appreciated, especially in the shoulder season.

Environmental Initiatives

During our trips, we prioritize the principle of "leave no trace" when visiting natural and historical sites, and we expect our travelers to uphold these expectations. To minimize our environmental impact, we take measures such as optimizing our driving distances and offering low carbon impact activities like hiking, sea-kayaking, snorkeling, coasteering, and para-gliding.

In line with our commitment to sustainability, we encourage our clients to bring their own water bottles. Throughout the day, we provide refills from large containers to reduce plastic waste. In the event that you forget to bring your own bottle, small bottles of water are available for purchase.

If you join us between June and mid-August, you may have a special opportunity to witness the remarkable sight of loggerhead sea turtles laying or hatching their eggs. Dedicated volunteers work to protect these precious creatures. If permitted, we may have the chance to observe them using red flashlights, as red light is the least disruptive method for observing the turtles. If this interests you, please remember to bring a red flashlight.

Economic Initiatives

We understand that we have the responsibility to sustain our activities and support the local population. We choose to use the services of local accommodation providers, family-run restaurants, and women-owned businesses. The places we visit throughout the trip are highly dependent on tourism, so your visit will contribute to improving their well-being.

Be sure you have traveler's insurance.