The Lycian Way, Carian Trail, Cappadocia

A self-guided tour provides holiday makers with the chance to escape the stress of booking hotels and planning a vacation without the need for a group tour or a guide. Think of all the ease of a standard tour, without the obligatory schedule that comes with traveling with a guided group. After prearranging our customers’ transfers and hotel reservations, we prepare a detailed booklet full of historical facts, important phone numbers, and hiking or driving directions, and more to provide you with all the information you’ll need along the way. You’ll also receive an easy-to-use GPS programmed with all necessary coordinates as well as a Turkish phone with full 24/7 phone support. In addition to dropping you off at trailheads when necessary, one of our drivers will pick up your luggage and transfer it to your next hotel during you’re daily hikes or excursions. Since everything has been prearranged for you, and there’s no guide or group you have to keep up with, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your holiday at your own pace.

Absolutely! When feasible, we are always happy to tailor any program to suit your schedule and wishes. Whether you want to add a couple days, extend some hikes, combine multiple tours, or come up with your own program entirely, we’ll try our best to make sure your tour is perfectly suited to you.

The Turkish coast is best visited outside the heat and crowds of July and August and the rains of January and February. While the best times to hike on the coast are March-May and Late September-Early December, our self-drive tours are also great options all through the summer. Cappadocia is best visited May- Mid November.

The best time to hike the Lycian Way is either in Spring (March-May) or Autumn (Late September-Early December).There’s is only a small chance of rain during these two seasons and temperatures are cool enough to warrant an enjoyable hike. The months of January and February are quite rainy, and the summer months can get unbearably hot. The only hiking we can recommend during summer is 1-2 hour hikes in the early morning or evening, no full day hikes.

The best time to hike the Carian Trail is either in Spring (March-May) or Autumn (Late September-Early December).There’s is only a small chance of rain during these two seasons and temperatures are cool enough to warrant an enjoyable hike. The months of January and February are quite rainy, and the summer months can get unbearably hot. The only hiking we can recommend during summer is 1-2 hour hikes in the early morning or evening, no full day hikes.

The best time to hike the Cappadocia is between late April and late October. There’s is a chance of rain in April, May and October and temperatures are cool enough to warrant an enjoyable hike. Day temperatures rise in June, July and August, however since the trails are short and temperatures cool down considerably in the mornings and afternoons, you might still enjoy the trails of the region. The months from December to March are quite cold (sub zero) and there is a good chance that it will snow. 

Yes, our tours are available any time. Since our tours are self-guided, there are no set dates, you can choose any time that suits your schedule. During the off-season some of the hotels we usually work with may be closed, so the hotels you stay in may be different than those listed on our website.

While no one would ever recommend taking part in an outdoor sport alone, there is not any more risk in Turkey than anywhere else. Hiking alone is always a risk. That being said, we have never personally had any trouble hiking alone nor have any of our customers had any unsafe or negative experiences on our hikes. Most of the routes we include in our tours are popular among hikers or still used by local villagers, so even in places where phone reception is spotty (which are few and far between), you have a good chance of finding help, or help finding you.

We provide a GPS (handheld for hikers and a car GPS for self-drive tours), a Turkish phone programmed with important numbers, a detailed trip-book outlining your tour program, with lots of pictures and relevant information. Participants are responsible for bringing their own hiking equipment such as boots, poles, hat, and backpack.

Our Western Lycia Tour runs along the most popular section of the Lycian Way. Its paths offer higher views of the sea, with fewer opportunities to swim but a more authentic look into traditional village life.

Our Heart of Lycia Tour is centrally based in the lively seaside town of Kas; you’ll stay in the same hotel there all three nights and explore nearby sites and trails. This section is less forested than the Western or Eastern sections, but has many more ancient ruins and you’ll be able to swim every day. The highlight of many visitors’ trip is the boat tour over the sunken city of Kekova.

Our Eastern Lycia Tour runs mostly over forested hills, ending at a different scenic beach each day. The high ‘Beydag’ mountains provide a beautiful backdrop this section’s hikes.