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Turkey: Hike, Bike & Kayak

12 Days | Explore Turkey’s Mediterranean delights and surreal Cappadocia on an active tour

3.9 out of 5 based on 13 reviews submitted.
Multi-Active Adventures
From
USD $2,855
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Experience Turkey from a different perspective. Abandon well-worn routes to forge a path through unexplored terrain, deep in the historical heart of Turkey. Travel from the minarets of Istanbul city, visiting Turkey’s holiest sites, hiking through valleys for fairy chimneys, tackling the Lycian Way, cycling the streets of Kas and kayaking over sunken cities on the Turquoise Coast. Take up the challenge and be amazed by the diversity that's revealed on this active adventure.

Trip overview

Map of Turkey: Hike, Bike & Kayak including Turkey
Start
Istanbul, Turkey
Finish
Istanbul, Turkey
Theme
Multi-Active Adventures
Destinations
Turkey
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Style
Original
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1 - Max 12
Trip code
ERXT
This trip generates 59.46 kg of CO2-e per person per day.
We offset these emissions on your behalf. But we know that is not enough, so we also have a carbon reduction target.

Why you'll love this trip
  • Get a taste of incredible Istanbul and its bustling backstreets with your local leader.
  • Hike the valleys of Cappadocia and picnic among surreal fairy chimneys that dot the landscape.
  • Visit Ephesus’s astounding Roman ruins, where the Greco-Roman world still feels very much alive.
  • A kayak trip over a sunken city is the perfect way to experience the lush blue waters of the Mediterranean.
  • Hike the famous Lycian Way with breathtaking views of the Turquoise Coast. 
  • By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, World Bicycle Relief. Donations provide school kids, health workers, and farmers in far-out areas with bicycles that provide access to education, healthcare, and income.

Is this trip right for you?
  • Though you don’t need to be an athlete to take part in this trip, you do need to have a reasonable level of fitness to enjoy it fully. Most activities are moderate and slow paced. Hiking activities range from 3 km to 14 km in a day, and they can be uphill and in full sun. The cycling activity is 30 km and basic mountain biking skills are required. The kayaking is approximately 2.5 hours of paddling (12 km), with no previous experience required.
  • Most travel is on public buses. The aim behind this is two-fold: to give you a taste of local life and to minimise the carbon footprint. In fact, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find most Turkish buses have wi-fi and serve coffee and cake!
  • You will need to carry your own bags to and from hotels, bus stops and train stations. So it's a good idea to travel light if you can.
  • There is a homestay on Day 8 in a local village. This cabin accommodation is comfortable and clean but basic with share bathroom facilities. There is a pool to cool off and the view of butterfly valley is breathtaking. This is an authentic local experience and a way to experience Turkish hospitality at its best.
  • Where possible, we have tried to plan the hiking and cycling to mornings and afternoons, but please be aware it can get hot in the summer months.
  • You will need to pack good hiking shoes, a hat, some sunscreen, and a daypack. Don’t forget a jacket and swimming gear.

Itinerary

Map of Turkey: Hike, Bike & Kayak including Turkey

Inclusions

Meals

10 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Transport

Private Bus, Public Bus, Overnight Train, Plane

Accommodation

Hotel (9 nights), Guesthouse (1 nights), Overnight Train (1 night)

Activities
  • Istanbul - Orientation Walk
  • Cappadocia - Valley walk
  • Cappadocia Red Valley Hike
  • Ephesus - Archaeological site visit
  • Selcuk - Leader-led orientation walk
  • Lycian Way - Hike from Kayakoy to Oludeniz Beach
  • Lycian Way - Ovacık to Faralya Guided Hike
  • Kas - Leader led orientation walk
  • Lycian Way - Kabak to Alinca Guided Hike
  • Ancient Theatre of Antiphellos
  • Kekova - Sunken City Kayaking
  • Kaş- Limanagzi Guided Hike
  • Kas – Cycling Tour
  • Lycian Way - Delikkemer to Patara hike
  • Delikkemer Roman aqueduct visit
Add on activities
  • Istanbul - Archaeology Museum - TRY340
  • Istanbul - Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts - TRY200
  • Istanbul - Topkapi Palace and Hagia Irine (Excluding Harem) - TRY750
  • Istanbul - Turkish Hamam (inc. massage) - EUR100
  • Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque - Free
  • Goreme - Wine & Sunset Tour Cappadocia - USD100
  • Goreme -Hamam Turkish Bath - EUR80
  • Goreme - Hot Air Balloon, Cappadocia Regular Flight - EUR300
  • Goreme - Hot Air Balloon, Cappadocia Deluxe Flight - EUR410
  • Selcuk - Basilica of St John - TRY100
  • Selcuk - Ephesus Archaeological Museum - TRY100
  • Ephesus - Terrace Houses entry - TRY170
  • Fethiye - Fethiye Museum - TRY40
  • Kas - Handicraft market - Free

Dates and availability

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Important notes

1. This trip starts with a welcome meeting at 1 pm on Day 1 in Istanbul.
2. There are internal flights on this trip and most internal flights in Turkey have a luggage restriction of 15kg checked and 8kg cabin.
3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Day 4 (overnight train), Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
4. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest information on travelling in Turkey before your departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all areas of your itinerary. We have links to prominent government travel advisories and regular updates on issues affecting this trip on our Travel Alerts page: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/travel-alerts
5. Due to climate change and hotter summers in Turkey, bushfires have become a challenge on the Lycian Way. Your safety is our priority, your itinerary will be amended if any of the areas visited are affected.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

3.9 out of 5 based on 13 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

Filter by rating

Tammy · Traveled June 2023
What a jammed backed adventure in Turkey. From flying high in a hot air balloon, having your brain over flowing with historical information and sites. Plus, hiking in a breath taking region on the Lycien way. Just really so fortunate. Oh, and the delicious food !!
Review submitted 09 Jul 2023

Kirsty · Traveled May 2023
Sadly this trip was new but not well organised. Very expensive for what we got. Not well planned and a lot of travel time on public transport . Accomodation very average . I’m very fit as I have just finished walking 550 km of the Camino -it needs to be explained that you must be very fit . The bike riding was ridiculously hard and unsafe. This whole trip needs to be reassess as it was only the second time they have run it . Sadly there were only 3 people on the tour so it was really quite boring .
Review submitted 08 Jun 2023

Hannah · Traveled May 2023
Turkey is an amazing country and filled with incredible sites. We got to see some wonderful areas, sadly our leader did not add to our knowledge or enjoyment.
Review submitted 25 May 2023

Darragh · Traveled October 2022
Intrepid as an organisation is out for money and sells tours that are not accurate to the websites description of them.
Review submitted 05 Nov 2022

Annette · Traveled September 2022
Turkey was a really fun, interesting place. Very active tour. Guide Oz was really good … especially organizing the transports, and his knowledge of Turkey history was great. Annette & Stuart
Review submitted 16 Sep 2022
Turkey: Hike, Bike & Kayak
From
USD $2,855