Cappadocia & Lycian Coast — 13-day hiking tour in Turkey — Aventures Anatoliennes

13-day hiking tour from Cappadocia to the Lycian coast: troglodyte valleys, underground cities, the Silk Road and the Lycian Way along the Mediterranean.

This journey offers a full immersion between Cappadocia and the Lycian coast, two iconic Turkish regions shaped by volcanism, history and great civilisations. Designed as a progressive, accessible hiking itinerary, it blends spectacular volcanic valleys, troglodyte villages, major cultural sites and quieter trails away from the busiest areas. Day after day the landscapes vary greatly: green valleys, eroded canyons, fairy chimneys, then turquoise Mediterranean shores and the ancient remains of Lycia — a perfect balance of nature, history and hiking.

13 days · Level 3/5

Day-by-day itinerary

  1. Day 1: France – Kayseri — Arrival at Kayseri airport, welcomed by our local team at the foot of Mount Erciyes. Depending on timing, first look at the historic districts — Seljuk medreses, caravanserais and bazaars. Transfer to the hotel and free…
  2. Day 2: Ürgüp – Uzengi – Gomeda – Sinasos — Drive to Ürgüp, start of the hiking. Walk through the green Uzengi valley and the wild Gomeda valley — a natural maze of troglodyte dwellings, tunnels and narrow passages. Arrival in Sinasos (Mustafapaşa). Walk: 3–4 h |…
  3. Day 3: Mazı – Keşlik – Golgoli – Sinasos — Visit of the Mazı underground city, then the Keşlik rock monastery in a quiet valley, and a gradual climb to the ancient site of Golgoli with panoramas over the high plateaus. Walk: 4–5 h | +200 m / –200 m. Meals: break…
  4. Day 4: Göreme – Uçhisar – White Valley – Çavuşin — Hike from Görkün through volcanic landscapes to Göreme (UNESCO), climb to Uçhisar for an exceptional panorama, then down into the White Valley (Akvadi) to the troglodyte village of Çavuşin. Walk: 5–6 h | +350 m / –400 m…
  5. Day 5: Zelve – Paşabağ – Rose and Red Valleys — Explore the abandoned rock village of Zelve, then hike to Paşabağ's slender fairy chimneys and the Rose and Red valleys with their shifting hues at sunset. Walk: 4–5 h | +380 m / –380 m. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  6. Day 6: Ihlara Valley – Sultanhanı – Konya — Transfer to the spectacular Ihlara valley, hiking along the Melendiz river between tuff cliffs and Byzantine rock churches. Drive to Konya with a stop at the Sultanhanı Seljuk caravanserai. Walk: 3–4 h | +120 m / –120 m…
  7. Day 7: Konya – Antalya — Visit of the Mevlâna mausoleum, then drive south across the central Anatolian plains and the Taurus mountains down to the Mediterranean, arriving in Antalya. Transfer: approx. 3 h. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  8. Day 8: Kaleiçi – Ulupınar – Yanartaş — Visit of Kaleiçi, Antalya's old town, then to Ulupınar for a hike through pine forests toward Mount Olympos, ending at the legendary Yanartaş (Chimaera) natural flames. Walk: 2–3 h | +225 m / –465 m. Meals: breakfast, l…
  9. Day 9: Ulupınar – Maden Koyu – Çıralı — Coastal hike on the Lycian Way above turquoise waters, down to the wild cove of Maden Koyu (swim), then ancient Lycian paths to Çıralı and its beach. Walk: 3–4 h | +175 m / –675 m. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  10. Day 10: Aperlae – Kekova Bay – Üçağız — Hike to the ancient city of Aperlae, a Lycian port famed for purple dye. At midday, private boat cruise in Kekova Bay — sunken ruins, wild coves and swim stops, lunch on board — arriving at the port village of Üçağız. W…
  11. Day 11: Kılınçlı – Aperlae – Üçağız — Short transfer to Kılınçlı, then ancient Lycian paths overlooking the sea to the maritime ruins of Aperlae, returning to Üçağız along the coast. Walk: 3 h | +0 m / –360 m. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  12. Day 12: Arykanda – Termessos – Antalya — Visit the mountainside ancient city of Arykanda, then Termessos high in the Taurus — a short hike to the theatre, agora and ramparts. Return to Antalya. Walk: 3–4 h | +150 m / –150 m. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  13. Day 13: Departure — Transfer to the airport for the return flight.

Related