Western Taurus & the Lycian Way

Day 1 - Fly London to Antalya

Today you will depart the UK and fly to Antalya

Overnight: Kosa Boutique Hotel Or Similar, Antalya

Day 2 - Walking tour of old Antalya. Drive to Termessos and explore ruins on foot. Continue to Elmali and walk around the town. Total walking time about 4 hours.

Your first walk starts from your hotel and you will spend about an hour on a guided walking tour of the pretty old town of Antalya before meeting your vehicle to transfer by road (approximately 45 mins) to the ancient Pisidian city of Termessos. This 2,330 year old city is located at an altitude of 1,050 meters, and set below the dramatic peak of Gulluk Dagi. It's about a 20 minute walk uphill to reach the main ruins which are spread over an immense area and you will have plenty of time to explore the site which includes a spectacular theatre, vast water cisterns and a necropolis. This city was spared by Alexander the Great who surrounded it in 334 BC, apparently due to the bravery of the inhabitants and possibly due to the difficulty of sacking such a remotely situated place. You will eat your picnic lunch here, with time to appreciate the many layers of history, before you continue driving through the hills to the old Ottoman settlement of Elmali, an unspoilt town far off the main tourist routes and the local centre for the surrounding villages. In the late afternoon you will take an exploratory walk around the town to view the large Ömer Pasha Mosque, the old bazaar which is still full of fascinating shops, and the narrow streets with well-preserved wooden houses, some dating back to the 16th century.

Overnight: Tu-Ba Guesthouse, Elmali

Day 3 - Walk in the highlands of Aksivri, up to 2,350m – 12km, approximately 6 hours. Ascent 830m/descent 813m. (Option to continue to summit at 2,469m)

Today you drive about 3 miles to the farming village of Bayindir. This pretty, small village was the site of an illegal excavation in 1984 when a hoard of ancient coins was discovered by local villagers and smuggled out of the country. You may well meet villagers who tell you their stories about this exciting episode!

You start your walk up Aksivri Hill, known locally as Elmali Mountain, 2,469m. The walk starts gently through apple orchards until sparse pasture land is reached. You may well meet nomadic shepherds up here, and see their cave with the ingenious natural cooling system that they use to preserve their home-made cheese. After a couple more hours uphill you start to get magnificent views of the surrounding valleys and the peaks of Kizlarsivrisi. There is a good resting spot at about 2,350m, and the option to climb a further hour or so to the summit. The descent is by an alternative route, some of which is on an ancient Seljuk cobbled pathway, before you meet your vehicle for the return short drive to Elmali.

Overnight: Tu-Ba Guesthouse, Elmali

Day 4 - Walk via the shoulder of Mount Kizlarsivrisi to the cedar forest – 10km, 5-6 hours. Ascent 310m, descent 700m. Transfer to Adrasan.

After driving across the Elmali plain, you continue deep into the mountains on a shepherd's track that gradually climbs up to about 1,900m. Right in front of you is the dramatic mountain peak of Mount Kizlarsivrisi, the highest in the western Taurus. This area was the site of large, nomadic gatherings where whole villages would migrate for the summer months. Now there are just the remains of their temporary buildings, and a brand new stone climbers hut. From here you will ascend to the shoulder of the mountain, to gain beautiful views of the surrounding wild hills. In the spring the wild flowers are stunning. Down in the valley, far below, you may well see the few nomadic shepherds who still spend summer up here grazing their flocks of sheep and goats. There is also a large herd of wild horses who live in this valley. After descending you contour along the hillside on a forest track to reach the huge, ancient, cedar forest. The forest covers several hillsides, and there are many giant Cedar of Lebanon trees reputedly a thousand years old.

Your vehicle will meet you here for the two hour drive to your hotel on the coast where you will spend the next three nights.

Overnight: Changa Hotel Or Similar, Adrasan

Day 5 - Walk from Karaoz to Cape Gelidonia and on to Adrasan –15-16km, 7-8 hours. Ascent 765m, descent 680m.

After breakfast it is a short road transfer to Karaoz where you start your walk on one of the best hikes of the entire Lycian Way. This is a long and challenging day, but well worth the effort for the stunning views and excellent walking. The route starts on a forest road for a short distance and then follows the original lighthouse keeper's path to Cape Gelidonia and its lighthouse. This small path zig zags uphill and is the only access to the lighthouse - it was used by the final lighthouse keeper on his motorbike! There are stunning views of five small islands just off the coast; the reason for the lighthouse and the site of many shipwrecks. From the lighthouse the path ascends, giving great views of the lighthouse below and the wide, beautiful bay. You now enter wild and uninhabited countryside, with a mixture of shady paths through the red pine trees, soft underfoot with pine needles, to numerous short ascents and descents on rocky paths. There are occasional ruins and the remains of meadows used by shepherds as summer grazing when there was still water in this area. Eventually the bay of Adrasan can be seen in the distance.

Your vehicle will meet you to drive the final 3 or 4 kilometres back to your hotel at the far end of the beach in Adrasan (or those with energy can of course walk!).

Overnight: Changa Hotel Or Similar, Adrasan

Day 6 - Walk from Adrasan to Olympos – 16km, approximately 6 hours. Ascent 760m, descent 760m.

Today's walk is a complete contrast to yesterday, as you hike inland between two bays: Adrasan and Olympos, and behind the peak of Mount Musa. The route initially passes farms before climbing in the shade in a picturesque valley, and on a very good path, to reach a pass and a shepherds' hut. This area was once used for pasturing sheep and camels but a lack of water led to abandonment. You may well encounter the shepherd who now runs a small refreshment stop here. You will have your picnic before continuing to the pass at 720m and the vague ruins of the old city of Phoenikos or Upper Olympos. This area was hit by a forest fire a few years ago, and it is heartening to see the fresh, new re-growth. The path descends through tangled trees, eventually becoming dense and dark and quite a contrast to your ascent this morning. You will soon get your first glimpses of the mighty archaeological site of Olympos below.

As you steeply descend, with dramatic cliffs on either side, you pass the upper graves of the Olympos Necropolis and reach the river bed and the main Olympos site. There will be a chance to have a guided visit to the archaeological site at Olympos, which was one of the leading cities of Lycia, before transferring back Adrasan, where a refreshing dip in the sea may well be the perfect end to a stunning walk.

Overnight: Changa Hotel Or Similar, Adrasan

Day 7 - Walk up Mt Olympos/Tahtali, 2,366m – 8km, 6 hours. Ascent 1,466m. Descend by cable car. Transfer to Antalya.

After breakfast you will transfer to the mountain village of Beycik. Situated at about 900 metres it is a popular summer retreat from the heat of the coast. Today's walk is uphill all the way, but you will be walking on a good path that is never particularly steep, so taken at a steady pace it shouldn't prove too challenging for the keen hill walker. It's highly recommended by Seraphina Berry (Reservations Manager at Mountain Kingdoms) who describes it as a 'beautiful and rewarding walk with the huge benefit of no descent!'

You start by following the trail up through handsome old cedar trees, sparsely dotted here - apparently some of them were felled by Anthony to send as a present to Cleopatra when he was wooing her! There is a delightful, huge, old plane tree shading a spring after an hour or so, and an enterprising local man provides cold drinks and barbecued trout. After about 4 hours uphill on good paths you reach the top of the treeline and the pass. Above here the path continues up bleak, rocky, karst terrain and you realise the huge scope of the mountain as you contour ever upwards. It is only when you are within 100 metres of the top that you see your destination, the cable car station, which is perched right on top. From the summit, weather permitting, there are amazing panoramic views of the Taurus mountains, the vast bay of Antalya and distant white beaches.

You will descend using the modern cable car and enjoy fabulous views both along the coast and immediately below you as you skim across a vast forest. Your vehicle will be waiting at the bottom to transfer you to your hotel in Antalya old town. You may well feel like visiting one of local welcoming bars for a celebratory drink at the end of a long but rewarding day.

Overnight: Kosa Boutique Hotel Or Similar, Antalya

Day 8 - Group transfer to Antalya Airport. Fly to London.

After breakfast this morning there will be a group transfer to Antalya Airport for your flight back to London.