The tour starts in the resort town of Fethiye, known in the ancient world as Telmessos.  Meet at the bustling marina at 5pm when boarding becomes available for our privately chartered gulet* which will be moored nearby.

You’ll be shown to your comfortable double or twin cabin with ensuite bathroom, which you’ll be staying in for the next 6 nights.  Once you’ve been given a safety briefing by the captain, there’s a chance to freshen up or enjoy time on the spacious foredeck sun loungers, observing the crew as they pull up the anchor and motor out of the port into the scenic Bay of Fethiye.   After just 20-30 minutes of cruising,  the captain will moor the gulet in a quiet nearby bay for the evening.

Meet the group formally at 7pm over a drink and introduction from your guide and trip scholar on the aft deck once the gulet is at anchor.  The on-board chef will have been cooking up a storm in the galley downstairs and at around 8pm you’ll be called for dinner. The stewards will bring up plate after plate of freshly prepared Turkish dishes to be shared in the middle of the dining table; salads, Turkish bread, several vegetable dishes prepared with yoghurt sauces or simmered in a tomato stock, accompanied by rice, pasta or bulgar wheat, and a meat or fish dish.  Dessert is usually freshly cut fruit along with coffee/tea.

After dinner, retire to your comfortable cabin to enjoy your first night on board, with the gulet lapped ever so gently by the rippling waters of the sheltered bay.

Overnight: On board gulet Semercioglu IV  | Meals: D

Note: The nearest airport to Fethiye is Dalaman Airport, which is approximately 90 minutes away by car.  We will be arranging a group transfer from Dalaman Airport to Fethiye to meet flight TK 2564 from Istanbul to Dalaman arriving 15:15 (which connects to a service from London Heathrow earlier in the day).  There is a small extra cost for this of £15 per person.

If you are making your own flight arrangements and arriving before or after this time, you will need a private transfer – we can book these for you if you wish (approximate cost £70-£80 per vehicle for up to 4 passengers).  It’s essential that you are on board before 6pm or the gulet will depart without you. If in any doubt it might be best to arrive the previous day – we can recommend and book a number of inexpensive local B&Bs or small hotels to spend the night in Fethiye before jouning the tour if required.

This morning you’ll enjoy your first breakfast on board whilst moored in the picturesque bay. A selection of cheeses, olives, boiled eggs, yoghurt, Turkish bread, jams and honey will be laid out along the centre of the dining table to tuck into when you’re ready.

After a leisurely breakfast, the captain will pull up the anchor and cruise around the coast of Fethiye Peninsula to pull into a pretty cove such as Butterfly Valley,  where those who wish to go for a walk can explore the trails from the beach independently,  and there will be time for swimming in the clear, deep waters of the bay.

Lunch will be served on board; another fabulous (but slightly lighter) spread of traditional turkish dishes both hot and cold (generally vegetarian) served with bread, salad and rice/pasta/bulgar wheat.

In the afternoon, the gulet will moor in a beautiful sheltered channel next to Gemiler Island, also known as St Nicholas Island.   After time for swimming, in the late afternoon you’ll be transferred to the island’s shore by speedboat to explore with your guide.

Here, the ruins of an old Byzantine settlement are considered by some archaeologists to be the possible original burial place of St Nicholas (aka Father Christmas) in 326AD.  Saint Nicholas was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent who lived in the nearby maritime city of Myra (now Demre) during the time of the Roman Empire. It is suggested that he become ill whilst his ship sheltered in the safe channel here during a journey by sea  on his way back to Myra from the First Council of Nicea (modern day Iznik) in 325CE.

There are the remains of four churches on the island, two of which are easily accessible, with a few small, faint frescos of St Nicholas to be found if you look very carefully. The third and largest church dates to around the time of St Nicholas’ death and requires a bit of a scramble across the small island to reach for those who wish to see it.  A superb mosaic remains, but not much of the main structure.  A 350-meter long arched stone corridor joined this church to a fourth church, acting as a processional walkway.

Due to the risk of raids by Arab pirates,  it is believed that St Nicholas’ remains were later moved from Gemiler Island to a sarcophagus in a new church built in 520 CE,  on the foundations of the original church where Saint Nicholas had served as a bishop.  Then in 1087, Italian sailors from Bari in Italy desecrated the sarcophagus and stole the larger bones of the skeleton, to be placed in a tomb beneath the altar of Bari’s Basilica di San Nicola, purpose built by Pope Urban.  Many hundred smaller bone fragments were left in the tomb at Myra, only to be ‘rescued’ by the Venetians in 1100 during the First Crusade and translated to the San Nicolò al Lido church in Venice, where they remain.  The Turkish government has formally requested the return of all St Nicholas’ remains from Italy.

Regardless of what historical significance the island may (or may not) hold,  it is undisputed that the ruins are great fun to explore and speculate over, and that there are stunning views of the channel and islets from Gemiler island, especially as the sun sets.  After the visit, enjoy dinner on board moored in the channel.

Overnight: On board gulet Semercioglu IV | Meals: B, L, D

Today, the crew will get the gulet underway shortly after sunrise, to start the journey to the picturesque small port of Kalkan while guests continue sleeping.  As you near Kalkan you’ll cruise past a long, wild beach, behind which lie the remains of the important Lycian cities of Patara and, 6km further inland, Lycia’s ancient capital Xanthos, plus the neighbouring Lycian cult centre of Letoon.

Disembark at Kalkan and travel by coach the short distance into the Xanthos Valley to see the important archaeological remains.  Being close to a major resort town, please be prepared for the sites to be busy with day-trippers.

Visit the evocative reconstructed streets and bouleterion at the Lycian port of Patara,  birthplace of St Nicholas and once a rival to Ephesus in importance.    Continue to Xanthos, capital of ancient Lycia, where remains include a well-preserved Greco-Roman theatre and Lycian House tombs at Xanthos. Many of the largest and most significant tombs and temples at Xanthos were removed in the 19th century and are now in the British Museum so a visit to see them in London before or after the tour is highly recommended.

Return to the gulet for a late lunch, then disembark from Kalkan harbour to continue along the coast to moor in a bay near the town of Kas.  Enjoy a relaxed afternoon of swimming and reading in the bay, followed by dinner and overnight on board.

Overnight: On board gulet Semercioglu IV | Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast on board, the captain will cruise east to Kekova Island and the tiny village of Ũçağιzlar for a stroll around the village, which was once the ancient town of Teimoussa, and still has a Lycian Necropolis at the end of the street.

It is in these waters that the remarkable wreck of a Bronze Age cargo ship dating back to the late 14th century BC was found by a local sponge diver, in 1982, with Egyptian jewellery on board, as well as many other fascinating trading items. Visitors to the area today won’t be able to see a trace of the wreck, but those with more time can arrange a few nights in Bodrum before the tour starts, in order to visit the Museum of Underwater Archaeology which has a replica of the wreck and its remarkable contents on display.

After lunch and an opportunity for a swim, cruise around the corner to the quaint settlement of Kalekoy (Turkish for ‘Castle Village’),  where we shall moor in the bay and transfer to the small jetty by speedboat for a walk uphill to the ruins of the citadel of Simena.  This Byzantine fortress was built by the Knights of St John (who also built the famous one in Rhodes) to protect the coastline from invasion.  Aside from the imposing exterior walls there isn’t much to see in the castle itself, other than the remains of a small Lycian theatre, but the views are spectacular.  Stroll around the hilltop surrounding the fortress and you’ll discover the site of a Lycian necropolis with tombs picturesquely littering the hillside, and panoramic views over the coast for miles around.

Afterwards, return to the gulet, where you can cool off with a swim, followed later by dinner on board moored in the bay.

Overnight: On board gulet Semercioglu IV   | Meals: B, L, D

Note: The fortress and necropolis are reached via a 10-15 minute walk uphill through the charming but very steep village of Kalekoy.  There are steps the whole way up, but it takes exertion especially if it is a hot day. Luckily, there are numerous fabulous ice-cream cafes along the route, selling what is considered to be the best home-made ice-cream in Turkey.  We recommend the fig flavour! Getting back down from the citadel is considerably easier and takes no more than five minutes.

After breakfast and an opportunity for a swim once again, the captain and crew will pull anchor and cruise to moor at Andriake, the port of the ancient city of Myra where according to the New Testiment, St. Paul changed boats on his way to trial in Rome around 60 AD.  The port’s ancient granaries date back to Hadrian’s era, and have recently been turned into an interesting museum of Lycian Civilizations. In 2009, a 5th century BCE synagogue was found here, the earliest and so far only evidence of Judaism in Lycia.

After lunch, disembark the gulet and head inland to visit the remains of the main city of Myra. Known for its truly magnificent Roman theatre which was the largest in Lycia,  the majority of the theatre’s two-story stage building is still standing, making it particularly rare amongst classical theatre remains.  The city is also known for its spectacular carved Lycian tombs built into the hillside as a necropolis for the wealthy inhabitants. Once intricately painted,  the tombs have lost their decoration since being described by the traveller Charles Fellows in 1840 but they are fascinating nonetheless.

Once one of the ‘Big Six’ cities of the Lycian League, Myra along with Patara, Xanthos, Pinara, Olympos and Tlos were entitled to the largest number of votes in what is considered by UNESCO to have been the first known democratic federation in history, and the inspiration for modern day democratic systems. Surrounded by fertile land along the Myros River,  archaeologists believe that the majority of the city is still buried under 6 meters of alluvial silt, so what can be seen to day is just a fraction of this once wealthy classical city.  Certainly, no trace has yet been found of the city’s temple of Artemis Eleutheria, famed in its day as the largest and finest temple in Lycia, which historians know existed because depictions of it were minted onto the city’s coins.  If medieval legend is to be believed, the temple and its foundations were destroyed by St Nicholas himself, in an effort to stamp out paganism amongst the city’s residents.

The church of Myra’s most famous inhabitant, St Nicholas,  is around 2km away from the main archaeological remains in the nearby village of Demre and is an important place of pilgrimage,  attracting half a million Catholic and Russian Orthodox pilgrims per year.  The 8th century church seen today was built on the site of a 6th century Byzantine church,  which was itself built over St Nicholas’ original church after his death on Justinian’s instructions, in order to house his remains. You will know from your visit to Gemiler Island what happened to those.  Note that the church is undergoing renovation so it may not be possible to visit it.

After the visit, return to the gulet at Andriake.  Enjoy dinner on board this evening,  moored in a small bay nearby.

Overnight: On board gulet Semercioglu IV  | Meals: B, L, D

After an early breakfast,  disembark and head inland by coach/minibus.  Drive into the crisp air of the Taurus Mountains to visit the magnificently situated but little-visited ancient city of Arykanda, a Greek and Roman site in an exquisite setting.  The very fine theatre is particularly well-preserved, and still contains much of the theatron (auditorium), the orchestra and the foundations of the stage buildings.

A member of the Lycian League, albeit not one of the ‘Big Six’ cities,  Arykanda was a prosperous settlement for 500-600 years, from around the the third century BCE to the third century CE when it was largely abandoned after an earthquake.  As well as the theatre, amidst the terraced, pine-clad hillside are found the remains of several typically Hellenistic monuments including an agora, bouleuterion and a small stadium.  It’s thought though that the city was likely most prosperous in the Roman era.   One sign of this wealth can be found in the seven Roman bathhouses, including one particularly ostentatious two-story version and in several ornate Roman-era temple-like tombs.  Four prestigious private houses have also been found by archaeologists in the 50 years during which the site has been excavated,  one of which features mosaics, its own private bath and a courtyard with a beautiful view.

Return to the gulet and spend a final evening moored in a bay nearby, for swimming and a final dinner on board before we disembark in the morning and continue our journey by road.

Overnight: On board gulet Semercioglu IV  | Meals: B, L, D

Disembark our gulet for the last time this morning, saying goodbye to the crew and our first guide.   Meet our coach driver and second guide, who will remain with us until the end of the tour.  Travel by coach to the ancient city of Olympus/Olympos, a Roman and Byzantine city and port set in what is now an exceptionally scenic national park filled with wild grapevines, flowering oleander, bay trees, figs and pines overlooking a long beach.

Named for the nearby Mt Olympus, one of over 20 mountains of the name across the classical world, the city was one of the ‘Big Six’ in the Lycian League of independent city states.  The city was described by Cicero as a rich and highly decorated city at the time of its conquest by the Romans and subsequent addition to the Roman Republic.  Today, the remains include a fascinating Byzantine bath house, agora and temple to Marcus Aurelius. Visited by the emperor Hadrian, for a while the city was named Hadrianopolis in his honour.

Continue along the coast of ancient Lycia to the nearby ruins of Phaselis, once the most significant port in eastern Lycia thanks to its three sheltered harbours set beneath the dramatic scenery of Mount Olympus.  Initially an outpost of Rhodian settlers who arrived in 690 BCE, Phaselis changed hands several times during its first five hundred years,  due to the harbours’ importance in the trade route between Greece and Syria.  Captured by Persians, Athenians, and Alexander the Great, who over-wintered at the port on his journey to conquer the world, next came the Ptolemaic Egyptians, then Rhodians again, before it was finally absorbed into the Lycian confederacy under Roman rule after 160BCE.  A second spell of growth in Byzantine times was later hampered by repeated attacks from pirates, and by the 7th-8th century BCE the city had fallen out of importance. When the Seljuks made Antalya and Alanya their primary ports the harbours at Phaselis lost any remaining significance, and the struggling city was eventually abandoned after an earthquake in the 13th century.

Enjoy discovering the romantic remains of the city, scattered amidst a scented pine forest beside a pebble beach.  There’s a small but beautiful theatre with stunning views of Mt Olympos, and a marble-floored agora, linked to a gate dedicated to the visiting Roman emperor Hadrian by a lovely colonnaded street.  There are also significant portions of a Roman aqueduct remaining, and some lovely mosaics in the public bathhouse, as well as a Byzantine basilica.

After the visit, continue by road to the resort town of Antalya, located at the intersection of Ancient Lycia, Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Cilicia. Check in to a hotel for a one-night stay.

Overnight: Puding Hotel / Dogan Hotel or similar | Meals: B, L, D

After an early breakfast, leave Antalya and drive 40km east to visit the site of classical Aspendos. A Greco-Roman city on the Eurymedon River known in antiquity for its rivalry with neighbouring Side, today it is acclaimed for having the most extraordinarily well-preserved Roman theatre in the world. The auditorium is complete.  Although a Pamphylian rather than Lycian site, it would be highly remiss of us not to include it in the tour for that reason alone, but there is also a unique 19 km-long Roman aqueduct to see, 2 km of which is a well-preserved inverted siphon, rather than an open channel, which made this aqueduct famous.

Travelling along the coast we can also visit, if time allows, the significant Pamphylian city of Perge, with Hellenistic and Roman remains.  Entering through a huge Roman gate, the site contains well-preserved remains of baths,  a 12,000-seat theatre and impressive stadium, two nymphaea, a large agora and a fine collonaded street.   After a simple roadside lunch we’ll start the long drive inland and into the mountains to the city of Konya.  One of the oldest urban centres in the world, Konya was known as Iconium in classical times. It later became a major cultural centre under the Seljuks, and birthplace of the mystic cult of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi and the whirling dervishes.

Check into our Konya Hotel for dinner and a two night stay. It may be possible to see an exhibition of the whirling dervishes while we are here.

Overnight: Bablin Butik Otel / Hich Hotel or similar  | Meals: B, L, D

Drive south from Konya to the village of Küçukköy and the important archaeological site of Çatal Höyük, the largest prehistoric site ever excavated, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

First excavated by James Melaart in the 1960’s an subsequently by a University of Cambridge team from 1993 to 2018, archaeologists believe this proto-city was the centre of an advanced neolithic culture.  Occupied for over 1,000 years, there are tighly packed domestic mud structures dating back perhaps as far as 6700 BCE.  Amongst the startlingly advanced artefacts found within the site’s 18 levels are thousands of  figurines believed to represent a female deity, and what are believed to be religious shrines adorned with astonishing wall paintings.

Return to Konya for free time and dinner at leisure (dinner not included tonight). Our guide or the local hotel staff will be pleased to recommend some local restaurants if you require assistance choosing somewhere to dine tonight.

Overnight: Bablin Butik Otel / Hich Hotel or similar  | Meals: B, L

This morning, visit the Mevlana Museum and the mausoleum of the famous Sufi mystic Rumi, and the Alaeddin Mosque, a symbol of the might of the Seljuks, housing the tombs of the Seljuk sultans.

Afterwards, leave the city behind to drive across the Konya Plain, with very typical scenery of rural Anatolia to Cappadocia,  with a brief stopp en route to visit the well-preserved Kervanserai of Ağzikarahan. Vital waypoints for Seljuk traders and their camel trains to rest and revittle along the Silk Route,  the caravanserai at Ağzikarahan is a well-preserved example, with an imposing and intricately designed entry gate leading to a courtyard and small mosque.

Continue onwards to reach Cappadocia, an extraordinary landscape of ‘fairy chimneys’ and vineyards, largely the result of the erosion of huge sheets of volcanic ash deposited over the landscape in the geological past.

Check in to our hotel in the Ũrgüp or Göreme areas for a three night stay, and enoy dinner at the hotel before retiring after the long journey.

Overnight: Solem Cave Suites or similar | Meals: B, L, D

Full day in Cappadocia visiting the truly remarkable rock-cut churches dating from Byzantine times here.

The Göreme Openair Museum includes the painted churches of Tokalι Kilise (the Church of the Buckle), Karalιk Kilise (the Dark Church), Yιlanlι Kilise (the Church with the Snake) and Elmalι Kilise (the Church with the Apple). These have some of the finest and best preserved fresoes from Byzantrine times.

The evening is at leisure to enjoy dinner independently (cost of dinner not included).

Overnight: Solem Cave Suites or similar | Meals: B, L

Today, visit the underground cities of Kaymaklι and Derinkuyu, both dating to Byzantine times when the local population need to hide from persecution.

Note: some of the passageways are very small and narrow, and require movement on hands and knees for taller people in a few places. They are not for the claustrophobic or anyone with any difficulty walking.

Final dinner tonight as a group at the hotel. Those departing tomorrow may wish to pack and get ready this evening.

Overnight: Solem Cave Suites or similar  | Meals: B, L, D

After a leisurely breakfast, the tour ends.  Those who wish to experience a birds-eye view of the amazing landscape from one of Cappadocia’s famous hot air baloons, can arrange one for this morning (please ask our alumni travel team well in advance)*.

Those taking our recommended flight to London via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, or travelling on flights departing at similar times, can avail themselves of our included group transfer to the airport,  departing at around 11:30am (time to be confirmed locally)  – see price tab for further information and timings on the day of departure.

Those departing later or extending their stay in Turkey after the tour, will need to vacate your room by around 11:00,  but guests can store their bags at the hotel reception should they wish to head out and explore before departing.  A private transfer to the airport will be required at additional cost if you are not able to use our group transfer. (please ask for a quote).  There are two airports serving the area – Kayseri and Nevsehir, each between 60-90 minutes away by car.

We invite those wishing to extend their stay or add a stopover in Istanbul on the way home to contact us for a quote.

Meals: B

*Hot air balloon rides cost between around €350-€500 per person depending on the duration of the flight and how many people the balloon can carry.  You’ll be collected before dawn at around 4-5am and transferred to the launch site where you’ll watch the balloon being filled. At dawn you’ll take off and your flight will last for around 1 hour before you’ll land and enjoy a champagne breakfast. Afterwards you’ll return to the hotel. 

Turkish gulets are schooner-like vessels made primarily in the Turkish ship-yards of Marmaris and Bodrum, of pine and teak to an ancient design, fitted out with modern comforts. They feature two or three masts, have a full complement of sails as well as twin engines, and range in length from around 20-35 metres.  Since the 1970s they have been built for the purpose of carrying visitors along the Turquoise coast on ‘Blue Cruise’ holidays, and the interior design of the yachts gets ever more sophisticated.

The deluxe gulet we shall be using for the next six days has 8 cabins with fixed twin or double beds, each with their own ensuite bathroom (note, shower only, no bath), a shaded open-air aft deck with dining table and lounging areas and a large foredeck area with sun-loungers and a further seating area at the very front.   A crew of three or four (including on-board chef) will look after our group’s every need during the cruise. All meals on board are included, as are water, tea and coffee.

Generally it’s necessary to motor from place to place in order to cover a reasonable section of coastline in the time allotted, but if conditions are right the crew will put up the sails at points during the week so everyone can experience the power of the Turkish ‘meltem’ wind and travel as the ancient seafarers would have done along this storied coastline.