From Constantinople to Anatolia: Discover Turkey's Rich Heritage

Welcome to Türkiye! After you arrive at Dalaman airport and go through all the immigration procedures, our local team will be waiting for you with a sign with your name written on it. You will meet trip leaders at your hotel in Fethiye. With the entire group together, we will go to one of the main points of the city to familiarize ourselves and align ourselves again with our itinerary for the next few days. We will have dinner in one of the restaurants with typical food.

After breakfast, and with our spirits high, we will leave for our first section of the Via Lycia, a commercial and communication route taken by the Lycians around 1500-400 BC We will leave our main luggage in our support van and only take with us essential items, water and fast food such as chocolates or nuts. We will walk about 15 km to the next village where we will spend the night. On the way we will see several historical ruins such as the Tombs of Amyntas dating back to 400 BC, and the ghost village of Kayaköy, an open-air museum that marks the expulsion of the Greeks who inhabited the region. After cooling off in the sea and eating some snacks, we will enjoy the late afternoon on Oludeniz beach, watching the paragliders land and enjoying the vibe of the Turkish Riviera. We will spend the night in the village of Ovacik.

After breakfast, we will officially start the Lycian Way. Heading to Faralya, we will walk around 13 km with an elevation change of 500 m. On the way we will have breathtaking panoramic views and we will taste one of the region's typical delicacies, Gözleme. We will arrive in Faralya and have the end of the afternoon free to enjoy the sunset in the small village and rest. We will sleep in Faralya.

After breakfast, we will continue our trek to Kabak hippie beach. It will be around 7 km. We will have the rest of the day to enjoy the beautiful turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. We will sleep on Kabak Beach.

After breakfast, we will leave for another day of trekking, heading to the peaceful village of Gey. It will be 12 km with an elevation change of 685 m. This will be the most difficult day of the trek, but one of the most beautiful. With panoramic views, ruins and ancient water cisterns, we will feel like we are teleporting to another millennium. We will take a quick break to eat our snacks and continue on the way. We will sleep in Gey in simple but cozy accommodation and have dinner included.

After breakfast, we will start our morning trek towards the city of Gavuragili, covering approximately 13km, mostly downhill. Along the way, we will pass through small villages and breathtaking panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea. Upon arriving in Gavuragili, we will have lunch and then continue via shuttle to the historic city of Xanthos, founded in the 8th century BC, it was one of the main political and cultural centers of Lycia. We will visit the archaeological site, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and then continue by van to Kas. We will have the late afternoon to enjoy the city and have dinner at one of the various restaurants here. We will spend the night in Kas.

After breakfast, we will take the transfer to the Patara region, where we will do another section of the trail. We will have the experience of walking over a Roman aqueduct from the 1st century AD, for approximately 9 km. Patara was considered the capital of Lycia during the Roman Empire, and we will walk around viewing amphitheaters, Byzantine churches, and ruins of Roman temples. We will return to Kas again with the transfer. We will sleep in Kas again.

After breakfast, we will board our van on our way to the spa town, Pamukkale. Known for its white travertine formations resulting from calcium ores and high water temperatures, it has been sought after since the 2nd century BC for its relaxing and therapeutic properties. On the way to this ancient SPA, we will pass through the city of Kibrya, an archaeological site from the Roman Empire, whose theater from the 2nd century AD stands out with a capacity of approximately 5000 spectators. We will arrive in Pamukkale early in the afternoon, and we can take advantage of the sunset to take beautiful photos and enjoy the natural pools and relax among the Roman ruins. We will sleep in Pamukkale.

After breakfast, we will leave by van towards Selçuk, the satellite city of Ephesus. Along the way we will have the opportunity to visit another archaeological site dating back to the 5th century BC, Aphrodisias, one of the most important cities of the time and today a UNESCO world heritage site. The ancient city of Ephesus had global importance at the time, and served as a reference for all Christians at the time as it had a large Christian community. After lunch in Selçuk, we will have the honor of visiting the house of Mary Magdalene, where she supposedly lived for many years with the apostle John after the crucifixion of Christ. If time permits, we will also visit St. John's Basilica. In the evening, we will go to the friendly village of Sirince, known for its peach orchards, olive trees and vineyards, where we can taste the local spices. We will sleep in Selçuk.

After breakfast, we will leave in our van for one of the best preserved archaeological sites that offers the best insight into life in ancient times, Ephesus. Dating back to around the 10th century BC, it is one of the physical landmarks in the history of Christianity and its library is one of the most incredible buildings we have ever seen. We will go on a guided tour of this UNESCO world heritage site, allowing us to make the most of this open-air museum. In the afternoon, we will go to the train station heading to Konya. To do this, we will make a stopover in the city of Izmir and then take a night train, with private cabins with two beds each. The train is very comfortable and it is possible to rest. It has carriages with bars and restaurants and will be a great experience for those who have never made a long journey on this type of transport. We will arrive in Konya around 8 am. We will sleep on the train.

Upon arrival in the city, we will go directly to the hotel where we can rest for a while. We will go out to explore the city that is an icon of the Sufi religion of the Mevlevi order, a branch of Islam, whose main representative is the poet Rumi. The city is a mix of architectural relics, such as its Alaaddin Mosque, one of the oldest in Turkey, and the mysticism of the Sufi religion, which for so many years survived reprimands. During the late afternoon we will be able to enjoy an authentic ceremony of the Mevlevi order and see the famous dervishes reach a spiritual trance imitating the movements of the universe. We will sleep in Konya.

After breakfast, we will board a private transfer that will take us from Konya to the city of Göreme, in Cappadocia. On the way we will pass through the Ihlara Valley, a canyon formed by volcanic eruptions, where we can walk among buildings from the 7th century BC, such as churches and houses inhabited by monks of the time. Here we will have an introduction to the formations and constructions of Cappadocia. We will continue to Göreme, the main city in Cappadocia. The feeling of arriving in this city for the first time is indescribable. It is such a unique and picturesque natural setting that it looks like a real fairy tale. We will have the afternoon to enjoy the city. Depending on how long we arrive in the city, we will be able to enjoy the sunset from Uchisar Castle, with one of the best panoramic views of the city. We will sleep in Göreme

If the weather conditions are favorable, we will wake up around 4 am and there will be a van waiting for us at the hotel door that will take us to the balloon launch pad. We will take off during twilight and see the sunrise illuminating Cappadocia. It will be an unforgettable scene full of emotion. The flight takes around 1 hour, and we will return to the hotel for breakfast. Well fed, we will head out to the Red and Pink trail, one of the most stunning trails in the region. With approximately 8 km in length, we will have the experience of traveling freely among these rock formations, houses and churches that we saw from above earlier in the morning. We will end with a beautiful panoramic view of the city. After lunch we will visit the Open Air Museum, a paid section of the Red and Rose Valley, but with better preserved and unique frescoes. If we were unable to visit the castle the previous afternoon, we will visit it that afternoon. We will sleep in Göreme.

If the weather did not permit the balloon flight the previous morning, we will do it this morning. If we have already taken the flight, we will be able to enjoy the sunrise from one of the city's points and once again enjoy the most photogenic scene of the trip. After breakfast we will do the second trail here in the Cappadocia region, the valley of love. The trail is 7 km long and we will walk through beautiful fields of flowers and rock formations that bring people from all over the world to admire this natural wonder. After lunch we will have one of the most intriguing experiences of the trip. We will visit the underground city of Kaymakli. Built by the Hittites around 3000 BC, and then occupied by Christians during the persecution, it feels like living like ants. With 8 floors deep, we will walk up to 4 floors through galleries that were once kitchens and houses. ** If you suffer from asthma or claustrophobia, we do not recommend joining the visit. We will have a van that will take us to the city of Ankara, the capital, where we will again take a night train towards Istanbul. The train followed the comfort standards of the previous train, with private cabins and carriages suitable for eating and enjoying the experience. We will sleep on the train.

We will arrive around 8 am, and we will go to the hotel to settle in. After a brief rest, we will leave to discover what was once the center of the world. With approximately 3000 mosques spread out, we will focus on seeing only the most historic ones such as Agia Sophia, Blue Mosque. Remembering that on this day we must wear clothes that cover our legs and arms, and women must carry a scarf to cover their hair when entering temples. After lunch we will visit the city's main bazaar, the Grand Bazaar. We will go to the Asian side, where we will visit the spice market, and then we will take a boat for a short cruise along the Bosphorus Strait to watch the sunset. We will return to the Hotel and have the evening free to enjoy the city's various restaurants and establishments. We will sleep in Istanbul.

After breakfast, we will meet our guide again who will accompany us through one of the city's greatest architectural projects, the Topkapi Palace, built by Sultan Mehmed in the 15th century shortly after the conquest of Constantinople. After the palace, we will visit the Sultan Süleymaniye complex and mosque, one of the most imposing and beautiful temples in the city. After lunch, we will have the opportunity to experience one of the most unique experiences in the city, a Turkish bath. With the feeling of royalty, we will be able to relax in one of the city's traditional baths. During the night, we will have free time to enjoy the rest of the night or simply pass out relaxed after the massage. We will sleep in Istanbul.

After breakfast we will visit an ancient cistern from the 6th century AD located in the historic center of Istanbul. After that, we will be well located to be able to explore and move around the city freely to visit some bazaars that we didn't visit, buy spices, fabrics or souvenirs, putting all our bargaining skills into practice. We will sleep in Istanbul.

After breakfast we need to check out from the hotel around 11:00 am. I'm sure we will miss all the experiences and moments we lived together. We always learn so much from each person we travel with. Our team will be pleased to help you get to the airport or any place you need to be for your next destination. Hope you enjoy the itinerary and join us to this expedition!