14-Day Cappadocia & the Lycian Coast

Day by day

Your itinerary

1. Day1

   Arrival in Kayseri

   Your private guide and driver meet you at Kayseri Airport and take you to your hotel. After a rest, take a first look at this old Seljuk city in the shadow of snow-capped Mount Erciyes: the historic centre, the black-stone walls of Kayseri Castle and the medieval mosques and tombs around it.

   Overnight in Kayseri

2. Day2

   Kayseri to Cappadocia

   A short drive brings you into Cappadocia. Climb to the castle rock of Uçhisar for the first great view over the valleys, continue to Göreme, and if time allows, watch the potters of Avanos shape red clay from the river just as they have for centuries.

   Overnight in Cappadocia

3. Day3

   Cappadocia

   A full day with your guide among the rock-cut churches of the Göreme Open-Air Museum, the animal-shaped rocks of Devrent Valley, the fairy chimneys of Paşabağ, the Monks Valley, and the best panoramic viewpoints. The evening is yours. For an unforgettable start, add a sunrise hot-air balloon flight, subject to weather and availability.

   Overnight in Cappadocia

4. Day4

   Cappadocia to Konya

   Head west across the open plains of central Anatolia, stopping at a Seljuk caravanserai where silk-road merchants once rested with their camels. Arrive in Konya, the old Seljuk capital, and explore the city centre.

   Overnight in Konya

5. Day5

   Konya to Antalya

   Visit the Mevlana Museum, resting place of the poet Rumi and home of the whirling dervishes. Then cross the Taurus Mountains and descend to the Mediterranean, arriving in Antalya in the afternoon with the evening free.

   Overnight in Antalya

6. Day6

   Perge, Aspendos and Side

   A day for the great cities of ancient Pamphylia. Walk the colonnaded street of Perge, stand in the Roman theatre of Aspendos, one of the best preserved anywhere, then continue to Side, where temple columns stand right beside the sea.

   Overnight in Side

7. Day7

   Side to Olympos and Çıralı

   Follow the coast west to Olympos, whose ruins lie half hidden among laurel and pine in a green river valley. Spend a lazy afternoon on the long beach at Çıralı, and after dark, climb up to Yanartaş, the Chimaera, where flames have burned out of the mountainside since ancient times.

   Overnight in Çıralı

8. Day8

   Çıralı to Demre and Kaş

   Continue along one of the most beautiful stretches of the Mediterranean coast. At Myra, Lycian tombs are carved into the cliff above a Roman theatre. Visit the ancient harbour of Andriake and the Church of St Nicholas in Demre, then drive on to Kaş for an evening by its little harbour.

   Overnight in Kaş

9. Day9

   Kekova by private boat

   A full day on the water. Your private boat glides over the sunken city of Kekova, where ancient walls and stairways lie just below the surface, and stops at the castle village of Kaleköy. There is plenty of time to swim in clear, turquoise water before you return to Kaş.

   Overnight in Kaş

10. Day10

    Patara, Xanthos and Saklıkent

    Leave Kaş for Patara, a great Lycian city with a theatre and parliament hall, and one of the finest beaches in Turkey. Continue to Xanthos, the old Lycian capital, then cool off with a walk into the narrow gorge of Saklıkent Canyon, as far as the season and the water allow. Arrive in Fethiye in the evening.

    Overnight in Fethiye

11. Day11

    Fethiye to Pamukkale

    Head inland to Pamukkale and its dazzling white travertine terraces. Explore the ancient spa city of Hierapolis on the plateau above, and take time to wade through the warm, shallow pools.

    Overnight in Pamukkale

12. Day12

    Aphrodisias and Selçuk

    Visit Aphrodisias, the city of Aphrodite, famous for its sculptors, its vast stadium and some of the finest ancient marble in Turkey. Continue to Selçuk, at the gates of Ephesus.

    Overnight in Selçuk

13. Day13

    Ephesus, Şirince and back to Antalya

    A morning in Ephesus: walk down Curetes Street to the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre. Then head up to the hillside village of Şirince for a relaxed lunch and a stroll, before the long, scenic drive back to Antalya.

    Overnight in Antalya

14. Day14

    Departure

    Depending on your flight time, enjoy a last walk through Kaleiçi, Antalya's old town, before your private transfer to Antalya Airport.