Arrive in Istanbul, independent check-in at the hotel. We will be staying in the Sultanahmet district, one of Istanbul’s oldest and most fascinating areas. Our first night’s dinner is on a rooftop terrace with spectacular views onto the Blue Mosque and the Santa Sophia church/mosque. Overnight Istanbul. Hotel and dinner included.

This morning we have a visit of the spectacular Santa Sophia church, erected 1,500 years ago by Emperor Justinian and once the largest church in the world. Then we descend beneath Istanbul to the vast cisterns that enabled Constantinople to withstand numerous sieges. After a delicious lunch together, we visit the Blue Mosque, built 1,000 years after Santa Sofia and one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. We’ll take a short break and then reconvene later to get a traditional “scrub” in a Turkish hammam. It’s an experience you’ll never forget! Overnight Istanbul. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.

Today we visit the opulent and elegant Topkapi Palace, home to the Ottoman Sultans for 500 years. We walk to lunch and then to the Grand Bazaar, a thousand-year-old shopping mecca with over 3,000 shops packed into over 60 streets! Later today we walk to the Egyptian Spice Market, and then over the Galata Bridge to have dinner in the “modern” part of town, once the seat of Genoese and Venetian traders. Overnight Istanbul. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.

We have a morning transfer to the airport for our flight to Dalaman, on the Mediterranean coast. We are met at the airport and have a 20-minute van transfer to Göcek village where we board our yacht. We then cruise out to a secluded bay where we drop off for a short hike along the Lydae peninsula. Our destination is Hammam Bay, the Roman baths where Cleopatra once met her beloved Marc Antony en route to battle. We are picked up by the boat and spend the night anchored in a protected bay. Walk: 1.5 hrs over rocky but fairly flat terrain.  About 5 kms/3 miles. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Enjoy a refreshing plunge into the warm waters of the Mediterranean before breakfast on the aft deck. Around 9:30 we start our two-hour walk to Aliman Bay. We follow an ancient trail that leads from semi-submerged Roman ruins up to a hidden valley, home now to a solitary farmer and his family, but formerly the site of the Roman town of Lydae, whose ruins remain 2,000 years later. We descend along an ancient road to a gorgeous bay where the boat will be waiting for us. Time for a swim, then we have lunch on board and relax as we cruise across the Gulf of Fethiye. We anchor in the lee of Gemiler island, whose Byzantine ruins we explore in the soft glow of the evening light. Formerly a stopping off point along the pilgrimage route to Jerusalem, the island is covered in chapels and tombs dating from the 5th – 8th centuries as well as a mysterious covered walkway. Lunch and dinner on board. Morning Walk: 2.5 hours with some moderate climbing on rocky trails. About 8 kms/5 miles Afternoon walk: 1 – 1.5 hours with a short climb. About 3 kms/2 miles.  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Enjoy a morning swim, then we motor to Olü Deniz, one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful bays. From here we take a van up to the village of Kirme and begin our walk high above the coast. We stop on the way for tea in Faralya village, with great views over dramatic Butterfly Bay, then continue along terraced olive groves and through a pine forest to reach Kabak Bay. Here we have lunch at a small restaurant overlooking the sea and our yacht in the bay below. The afternoon is free for swimming and relaxing. Dinner on board. The Walk: 3 hrs, with one long downhill, one short uphill, and a long flat traverse. Shorter options available. About 12 kms/7.2 miles. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Today we go inland to get a glimpse of rural life and to explore the ruins of ancient Lycia while our boat cruises along an exposed bit of coast. Our one-hour transfer along a beautiful back road takes us to Pinara, a Lycian city whose acropolis is perched high on a rocky promontory. The surrounding rock walls are honey-combed with carved rock tombs. We explore the acropolis of this once important Lycian city and marvel at the ruins that date back to the 6th century B.C., including a deserted Greek theater. Lunch is prepared for us by a farming family and served up beneath the shade of their olive trees. After lunch, we continue on to the coastal village of Kalkan, where the boat will be waiting for us. Cruise to a lovely calm bay, swim, aperitif, and then dinner. Dinner on board. The Walk: about 2 hours to explore the ruins; not much distance, just a bit of climbing. About 4 kms/2.5 miles. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

After a leisurely morning, we cruise out to Aperlae, where you can swim above the sunken remains of the ancient Lycian port. We will have time to explore the ruins and then have lunch. Our afternoon walk takes us past Lycian sarcophagi to the extraordinary village of Simena, which is surmounted by a Medieval castle that contains a small Roman theater within its walls. The town spills down the hillside in a jumble of ancient rock tombs, sarcophagi, and white-washed houses. Lunch and dinner on board. Morning Walk: 1.5 hour on flat terrain. About 6 kms/4 miles Afternoon walk: 1.5 hours on mostly flat terrain. About 6 kms/4 miles. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We have another relaxing morning of swimming and breakfast on the back deck before a scenic two-hour cruise to the charming village of Kas. We have two hours to peruse the shops, cafes, and carpet shops of this colorful fishing village. Lunch is back on the boat, anchored amongst a cluster of low rock islands. We then have a two-hour cruise to Finaz Liman bay where we tender to the beach for a walk up to an imposing and fascinating Roman aqueduct. We moor for the night in Finaz Liman bay. Lunch and dinner on board. Afternoon Walk: 1.5 hrs, up a fairly steep slope and then back down. About 4 kms/2.5 miles. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

This morning the boat has an early start while we stay nestled in our cabins. We arrive in a calm bay in time for our now ritual swim and breakfast. Afterwards, we put into a quiet bay and walk to the ghost village of Kayaköy to explore the eerie remains of the village deserted in 1923 when the town’s inhabitants were sent to Greece as part of a population exchange between Greece and Turkey. We have lunch beneath the shade of enormous plane trees at a local restaurant, which produces delicious and refined Turkish cuisine. Walk back through the village and down to the boat for a final swim. Dinner on board. Morning Walk: 1.5 hrs, beginning with an extended uphill on a rocky trail. 5 kms/3 miles Afternoon walk: 1 hour, mostly downhill on rocky trail. 5kms/3 miles. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

A short cruise takes us back to Göçek village, where we disembark our boat in time for morning flights (timing can change year by year). We transfer you to the airport for flights to Istanbul or elsewhere. Early flights can be accommodated.  Breakfast and transfer to the airport included. 

There is no better way to travel along this beautiful coast than on a luxurious “gulet.” A gulet is an all-wood, two-masted sailing ketch. These yachts are very broad beamed for extra stability and deck space, and the boats we use range from 26 to 34 meters in length, or 84 to 105 feet. All cabins have anen suite bathroom and shower. The boat allows us to get to parts of the coast that are only accessible by sea. Using a boat means we can unpack for a week and yet our floating hotel has a different view every day! Furthermore, it means that some members of the group can choose to relax on the yacht, enjoy a swim, try sea kayaking, or just lie around on one of the sun beds or in the shade of an awning while the others walk. The crew of four are very friendly and available to serve you drinks and snacks. The crew cleans your cabin daily, and sheets and towels are changed every three days. All of the sea travel is done during the day, so nights are generally serene.

We take paths that are cleared from frequent use by shepherds and local farmers. The terrain is often rocky (hiking shoes are recommended), and we do some climbs. We walk anywhere from 2-5 hours a day, with options to extend or shorten the walk. Of course, the boat allows us the option of really relaxing and watching the beautiful coastline unfold as you lie on deck with a good book. The choice is yours.

The food is a highlight, with an emphasis on fresh, vegetables and fruit, fish, chicken, beef, and lamb, with a few pastas thrown in for good measure. Turkish “Efes” beer is excellent, especially nice and cold on a sunny deck. Turkish wine is also surprisingly good!