10-Day Lycian Way to Cappadocia Tour – Hikes, Ruins & Cave Hotels

Welcome to Turkey. A representative holding a name sign meets you at Antalya Airport and accompanies you on the scenic transfer west along the coast to Adrasan, a tranquil seaside village wrapped in pine forest and facing clear turquoise water. On the way we pause at Mount Chimaera, known locally as Yanartas, where small natural flames have been escaping from the ground for thousands of years and gave rise to ancient legends. After taking in the mountain views we drop down into Adrasan Bay, the gateway to the Lycian Way. Check in to your hotel, spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or strolling along the beach, and enjoy dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Adrasan.

After a traditional Turkish breakfast you set out on one of the most beautiful sections of the Lycian Way, Turkey's celebrated long-distance trekking route. The trail winds through pine-scented woods and over rugged cliffs, with sweeping sea views opening up at almost every turn. Your goal is the Cape Gelidonya Lighthouse, standing at the very tip of the cape and overlooking the Five Islands (Bes Adalar) scattered across the Mediterranean. This is the perfect spot to rest, take photographs and enjoy a picnic lunch with a view. Once you have soaked up the scenery, you walk back down to the trailhead where your vehicle is waiting and return to Adrasan for a well-earned dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Adrasan.

Following breakfast you lace up your boots for a second day on the Lycian Way. The path leads through dense pine forest and along quiet ridges before descending into the green, river-fed valley that hides ancient Olympos, once a thriving Lycian harbour city. Your guide brings the site to life with tales of pirates, gods and myths as you wander among stone tombs, temple remains, Roman baths and the old theatre. With the trek and site visit complete, there is free time at Olympos Beach to swim, sunbathe or simply enjoy the coastline. In the late afternoon you drive back to your hotel in Adrasan for dinner and a relaxed evening. Overnight in Adrasan.

After an early breakfast you check out and leave the coast behind, driving inland through the changing landscapes of Anatolia towards Pamukkale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its white mineral terraces and healing thermal water. On arrival you begin a guided visit of Hierapolis, the Roman spa city built directly above the terraces. Walk past the well-preserved theatre, the Roman baths, the vast necropolis, the Temple of Apollo and the ancient colonnaded streets. You then step onto the dazzling travertine pools, formed over millennia by calcium-rich hot springs flowing down the hillside. If you wish, you can take an optional dip in Cleopatra's Pool among sunken marble columns (ticket not included). Check in to your thermal hotel for dinner. Overnight in Pamukkale.

Today belongs to you. After breakfast you can spend the day at your own pace, unwinding in the thermal facilities of your hotel after several active days of hiking and sightseeing. Several optional experiences are available at extra cost: a swim among the sunken Roman columns of Cleopatra's Pool, fed by warm mineral springs; a traditional Turkish bath (hamam) with a relaxing scrub; or a gentle nature walk around the travertines at sunrise or sunset, when the white terraces glow in soft light. You may also browse the small local shops of Pamukkale village. In the evening, dinner is served at the hotel. Overnight in Pamukkale.

After breakfast and check-out you travel west towards the Aegean region. Your first stop is Ephesus, one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world and a key centre of early Christianity and Roman trade. With your guide you walk the marble streets and admire the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre that once seated around 25,000 spectators, the Temple of Hadrian, the Roman baths and the Agora. Lunch is served at a local restaurant near the site. In the late afternoon you continue up into the hills to Sirince, a village of traditional stone houses, olive groves and homemade fruit wines. Explore its cobbled lanes and, if you like, join an optional wine tasting in a family-run cellar. Dinner at your boutique hotel or a local restaurant. Overnight in Sirince.

After breakfast you check out and transfer to Izmir Airport for a short domestic flight to Cappadocia. At Kayseri or Nevsehir Airport your local guide welcomes you and the exploration begins straight away. First comes the Goreme Open-Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where rock-cut churches and chapels still display vivid frescoes and tell the story of the region's monastic communities. You then descend into one of Cappadocia's underground cities, such as Kaymakli or Derinkuyu, following narrow passages past ventilation shafts, storage rooms and chapels carved deep into the soft rock, once used as hidden refuges. After the tour you check in to your cave-style boutique hotel and enjoy a traditional Turkish dinner. Overnight in Cappadocia.

Following breakfast at your cave hotel, the morning is dedicated to a hands-on Turkish cooking class with a local chef. Using fresh regional ingredients and time-honoured techniques, you help prepare classic Anatolian dishes – typically gozleme (stuffed flatbread), lentil soup, stuffed vine leaves or aubergine, and baklava or another regional sweet – and then sit down to eat the meal you have cooked together as your lunch. In the afternoon you set off on a guided walk through one of Cappadocia's famous valleys: Red Valley, with its striking rust-coloured cliffs and sculpted rock formations, or Pigeon Valley, named after the dovecotes carved into its walls. Your guide explains the geology, history and legends of the landscape. Return to the hotel for dinner. Overnight in Cappadocia.

After breakfast and check-out you bid farewell to the fairy chimneys and begin the long overland drive back to the Mediterranean coast. The road crosses the varied scenery of Central Anatolia – rural villages, wide steppe plains and mountain ranges – giving you a final panorama of Turkey's changing landscapes. Along the way we stop for lunch at a local roadside restaurant, and short breaks, including prayer stops when requested, are built into the schedule. You reach Antalya in the early evening, check in to your hotel and gather for a farewell dinner to share the highlights of your journey from the Lycian coast to Cappadocia. Overnight in Antalya.

Enjoy a final Turkish breakfast before checking out of your hotel. At the appropriate time you are transferred to Antalya Airport for your flight home, carrying memories of coastal hikes, ancient cities, thermal pools and cave hotels. If you would like to extend your holiday, add-ons such as a Mediterranean beach stay, an Istanbul city break or a gulet cruise can be arranged on request before your departure. Depending on your flight time, you may have a little free time to walk along Antalya's seafront or pick up last souvenirs before the transfer. End of our services.