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Turkey Cruise & Hiking Tour Write a review
Turkey is a must-visit for those who love to travel and discover new lands and cultures. This tour features three days in amazing Istanbul before a short flight to the Mediterranean coast to board our 90-foot, all-wood, two-masted gulet. The yacht serves as our home and our transport during the week. We cruise the Turkish coast, disembarking for spectacular hikes, and anchor in sheltered, secluded bays at night. The sea is a gorgeous transparent turquoise, backed by a majestic landscape of soaring mountains and Mediterranean pine forests. Many of our trails are only accessible by sea, so you’ll get a real sense of exploration as you follow ancient paths to deserted Greek, Roman, and Byzantine ruins. This is a unique tour, a wonderful combination of stimulating discovery and indulgent relaxation.
Istanbul is a city of unparalleled social and cultural richness with a vast and fascinating history spanning sixteen centuries. A history that you can see and touch. It served as the capital of two mighty empires, first the Byzantine for a thousand years and then the Ottoman for another six hundred. We have an excellent Istanbul city guide who looks after us and brings the history of Istanbul alive. Our itinerary is designed to see the best of Istanbul and to optimize your time. You will come to understand the sweep and scope of its history as you encounter the legacy of centuries past with every step you take.
Turkey Hike & Cruise Tour Includes
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Turkey Cruise & Hiking Tour itinerary Request full itinerary
Arrive in Istanbul and check into your hotel. We stay in the Sultanahmet district, one of Istanbul’s oldest and most fascinating areas. Our hotel is located right next to the Haghia Sophia, and a five-minute walk to the Hippodrome. Our first night’s dinner is in a Michelin-recommended restaurant, a convenient five-minute walk from our hotel. Here, you will have your first taste of a cuisine resulting from Istanbul’s position as the meeting point between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. We will dive in by starting with a rich variety of “Meze”, the Turkish “antipasti” which allows you to taste small portions of many different dishes. Indeed, Turkish food is meant to be shared, so we will follow up with platters of different dishes so you can treat your palate to a myriad of tastes. Turkish wine has existed for centuries, and lately, some producers have taken it to a whole new level. You will not be disappointed by the excellent wines on offer. Overnight Istanbul. Hotel and dinner included.
This morning, we visit 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. Hundreds of Roman columns support centuries-old vaulted ceilings, making this a visually unforgettable experience. After a delicious lunch in a local Lokanda, we visit the outside of the Blue Mosque (if there is not an endless line-up, we will go in) built 1,000 years after Santa Sofia and one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. Your guide will also take you to the Hippodrome, where chariot races once entertained the Byzantine Emperor thousands of years ago. This evening, we take you over the Galata Bridge and up the second-oldest tram line in the world to have dinner in the Beyoğlu district. Although inhabited since the time of Constantine, its 19th-century European architecture is a testament to its history as an enclave of European bankers, merchants, and diplomats during the Ottoman period. Today, the district has a vibrant nightlife frequented by locals of all ages. Overnight Istanbul. Hotel, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
Today, we experience the opulent and elegant Topkapi Palace, which was 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 60 streets. After orienting you, your guide will give you free time to enjoy the bazaar, or you can try a Turkish Hammam. Dinner this evening at an excellent Indian restaurant with a view of the minarets and dome of the Hagia Sophia. Overnight Istanbul. Hotel, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
We have a morning transfer to the airport for our flight south to Dalaman, on the Mediterranean coast. We are met at the airport and have a 20-minute van transfer to Göcek village, where we will board our yacht. We then cruise to a secluded bay and 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. The Hike: 1.5 hrs over rocky, undulating terrain. Distance: 4 km (2.5 mi). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are 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. 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 awaits us. It's 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 Hike: 2.5 hours with some moderate climbing on rocky trails. Distance: About 8 km (5 mi) Afternoon Hike: 1 – 1.5 hours with a short climb. Distance: About 3 km (2 mi) Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
Enjoy a morning swim, then 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 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. 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 Hike: 3 hrs, with one long downhill, one short uphill, and a long flat traverse. Shorter options are available. Distance: About 12 km (7.2 mi). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.
Today, we go inland to get a glimpse of rural life and 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 under the shade of their olive trees. After lunch, we continue to the coastal village of Kalkan, where the boat will be waiting for us. Cruise to a lovely calm bay, have a refreshing swim or a cold drink, followed by dinner on board. The Hike: about 2 hours to explore the ruins; not much distance, just a bit of climbing. About 4 km (2.5 mi). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.
After a leisurely morning, we cruise out to Aperlae, where you can swim above the sunken remains of the ancient Roman 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, surmounted by a Medieval castle with 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 Hike: 1.5 hours on flat terrain. About 6 km (4 mi). Afternoon Hike: 1.5 hours on mostly flat terrain. Distance: About 6 km (4 mi). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are 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 this colorful fishing village's shops, cafes, and carpet shops. For those interested, we organize a visit with Soner, our favorite and trusted carpet merchant, for a fascinating informal lecture about traditional carpet weaving. Soner is incredibly knowledgeable, and he has a vast range of carpets, kilims, and gigims to see. You will learn not only about the different techniques and types of carpets but also about their historical and cultural context. We have lunch 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 Hike: 1.5 hrs, up a fairly steep slope and then back down. Distance: About 4 km (2.5 mi). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.
The boat starts early this morning while we stay nestled in our cabins. We arrive in a calm bay in time for our ritual swim and breakfast. Afterward, we put into a quiet bay and hike to the “ghost village” of Kayaköy to explore the eerie remains of this village that was abandoned 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 producing delicious Turkish cuisine. Walk back through the village and down to the boat for a final swim. Dinner on board. Morning Hike: 1.5 hrs, beginning with an extended uphill on a rocky trail. Distance: 5 km (3 mi). Afternoon Hike: 1 hour, mostly downhill on a rocky trail. Distance: 5 km (3 mi). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are 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 Dalaman airport for flights to Istanbul or elsewhere. Early flights can be accommodated. Breakfast and transfer to the Dalaman airport are included.
Please note: Some details of the itinerary may change according to the departure date of your tour. Whenever we run a tour we make new discoveries. Sometimes they are good discoveries, like a wonderful new trattoria, and sometimes they are bad, like a trail has been washed away. The result is that we sometimes change our itinerary to improve it by adding new wonderful elements to the tour or by removing something that does not work anymore. Rest assured, our goal is to always provide you with the best possible experience. We will advise you of any changes to the original itinerary prior to departure.
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 shepherds and local farmers frequently use. The terrain is often rocky (hiking shoes are recommended), and we do some climbs. We hike from 2 to 5 hours daily, with options to extend or shorten the hikes. Of course, the boat allows us to relax and watch 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!
Activity Level 2 + out of 5 = Easy to Moderate Plus:
In general: This is an Easy to Moderate tour for fit hikers, and a little challenging but do-able for not-so-fit hikers.
Terrain: Flat to gently rolling terrain but with some rocky, rugged terrain. May have some short, relatively steep climbs and descents, but nothing longer than 30 minutes of sustained ascents or descents. The hikes are shorter in distance than those found on a 3 rated tour.
Actual hiking time: Between 2-4 hours per day, mostly in the morning but sometimes also in the afternoon.
Distances: Usually between 7 and 10 kms/4.5 and 6 miles. Max distance is 12 kms/7 miles.
Surfaces: Trails consisting of mostly compact earth, gravelly earth, and sometimes dirt-gravel roads and on occasion rocky and uneven trails. .
Footing: Good, but on occasion you have to pay attention to where and how you place your feet. Proper hiking shoes with thick soles with good treads are required. Sport sandals, running shoes and tennis shoes are not adequate.
Specifics: Flat to rolling terrain but often on uneven, rocky trails. Daily activity between 2-4 hours per day, mostly in the morning. Max distance 10 km (6 mi.). Note: a typical day starts with a drop-off from the boat and a morning hike of a few hours with a stop along the way. We often end the morning hike at a beach or cove where we are picked up by the boat. Then we have lunch, cruise to our next destination, and sometimes have a short afternoon hike. This tour can become very easy if you choose to skip some of the hikes and enjoy relaxing on the boat!
Hiking Poles: Not required, but if you habitually use hiking poles then you will find them helpful.
Compared to the Cinque Terre: This tour is significantly easier than the hikes in the Cinque Terre.
Other: This tour is appropriate for fit first time “hikers” who enjoy hiking and who have good balance and are coordinated.
Easy to Moderate Plus Tours: in this category are all of our boat–based tours in Turkey, Croatia, and Greece if you decide to do all of the hikes on offer. On these trips, we usually do a hike in the morning, return to the boat for a swim and then lunch, then cruise, then sometimes drop off for another late afternoon hike, which you could skip and just relax on the boat. Your guides of course can advise you of the difficulty level and the terrain and footing of each hike. Other Easy to Moderate Plus tours are: Tuscany Val d’Orcia & Maremma Hike and Provence Hike.
As a point of reference, what is a 1 out of 5 Activity rating? A 1 out of 5 rated tour is a tour without any hiking. Walks would be in towns, cities, and villages, and the countryside walks would be on paved, or gravel/dirt roads, and occasionally on some packed earth trails. Elevation gain and loss would be negligible.
As a point of reference, what is a 5 out of 5 Activity rating? A 5 out of 5 rated tour is a tour that would be physically challenging and technically difficult even for very fit and experienced hikers. The hikes would have steep ascents and descents on narrow, exposed trails with challenging footing, such as on scree fields, or through rock falls and boulders. Distances would be up to 25 km/16 miles per day and feature ascents of over 1,000 m/3,200 feet in a day. A 5 out of 5 tour would also mean that you would be carrying a heavier-than-normal pack. None of our tours are rated 5 out 5. Our most challenging tours are 4.5 out of 5, and they are the Dolomites Alta Via (because of some exposed trail that requires some technical expertise) and our Republic of Georgia tour which has some long hikes with over 1,000 meters of elevation gain.
Getting There: the trip begins in Istanbul, which is well connected with other European hubs. Turkish Airlines is the national carrier, but you should also try the smaller (and often low-cost) airlines like Pegasus Airlines, Onur Air, Atlas Global, Freebird Airlines, and Transavia which has flights to Istanbul from Amsterdam and Paris.
Be aware that there are two airports in Istanbul! The main one is the new "Istanbul Airport" (the old “Ataturk” airport closed in 2019) and has the airport code IST, while EasyJet and other low-cost airlines service the farther-flung Sabiha Gökçen airport (code SAW). From there you can take a shuttle bus into town, but it can take up to an hour and a half. It’s only worth it if you get a great deal.
The Hotel: our hotel is in the Sultanahmet district, the old historical center of the city with the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofia, and Topkapi Palace. All taxi drivers know the area (even if they don’t know precisely where the hotel is). The ride should cost somewhere around the equivalent of €35 (but you will have to pay in Turkish Lire, so be sure to get some at the airport!)
Getting Away at the End of the Trip: The trips ends this morning around 10:00 with a transfer to the Dalaman airport. From here you may fly back to Istanbul or directly to another European destination. The Dalaman airport is small but has a number of connections to cities in Europe, including a vast array of low-cost flights to the U.K. (see the list of airlines above as well as: Saga, Sky Air, Thomas Cook, Monarch, SunExpress, Thomson Airways, British Midland, Corendon, Jet2.com and EasyJet). For more information, see the Dalaman Airport for current schedules.
If you book a trip with us you will receive detailed information about how to get to the start of your trip, or feel free to e-mail us with any specific travel questions.
This was an amazing tour, the variety of foods, culture, and exploration was perfect for my aunt and I on our vacation. Dennis and Brett were great guides that left a lot to remember and were very flexible with accommodating everyone within our group to their specific needs. I would recommend this tour to anyone looking to explore Turkey's beauty and adventure off the beaten path to some hidden gems along Turkey's coast. I would recommend this company and any of its tours to anyone seeking some fun filled adventure, specially curated by Brett himself.
Customwalks Turkey Cruise and Walking tour was one of the most memorable adventures we’ve ever taken. We started our trip in Istanbul, where we could soak up the history, see the highlights, explore hidden places only Brett would know and eat amazing food. What a contrast it was when we boarded our gulet and settled in for a week of cruising the Mediterranean! A special and unique experience, we felt very fortunate to see a beautiful and less traveled part of Turkey. We often anchored in secluded bays, and from there we explored the countryside, eager to see what ancient ruins or stunning views awaited us. The water was always calm and warm, and our cabins were very comfortable. Food was plentiful, healthy, and delicious, and the crew was attentive and very helpful. We really enjoyed getting to know our fellow travelers and sharing experiences. Brett and Dennis made the whole trip perfect with their knowledge, experience, and professionalism. More than that, they were a lot of fun to be with and became our friends. Like others, we have enjoyed Customwalks tours before and regret we didn’t discover them many years ago. Brett does an exceptional job organizing and coordinating all the details and finding amazing guides like Dennis. We just sit back and enjoy the results! Can’t wait to travel with them again.
We just completed the October 2023 Turkey Cruise and Walk. We've enjoyed three other Customwalks tours and this is our favorite so far. Istanbul is amazing! Gulet sailing and cruising/hiking along the ancient Aegean Coast was wonderful. The itinerary worked seamlessly. A perfect combination of time on the gulet, hiking, swimming, and eating. The food on the boat was delicious and fresh, and we ate at some wonderful spots with excellent food, including under an immense walnut tree at the house of a local family who hosted us. Our guides, Brett and Dennis, were superb. They were very professional and great fun at the same time. They have a firm grasp of the history and impart their knowledge in an accessible way. They started the week as our guides and we ended as friends. It was a wonderful vacation combining the history and culture of Istanbul followed by a relaxing time along the beautiful coast. October weather was ideal for hiking and swimming (in 80-degree water. Perfect!)
This tour opened our eyes to some amazing ancient history. We went during the heat of July and the boat and crew were great. Plenty of room in the cabins, but we slept on deck under the stars most nights. The scenery was great; water magical for swimming (once with a turtle); walking fun, if challenging in spots but not exhausting; food and local wines terrific; and guides exceptional. Would recommend this tour to anyone who likes some exercise and is interested in learning about the wonders of Mediterranean history.
No amount of research we could have done would have led us to the special places we saw on this trip. Everything was so well organized we soon realized we could just relax and enjoy the trip. We saw many marvellous out-of-the-way places, but thanks to the well-appointed boat and its doting crew, there was no sense of 'roughing it.'
If you have any questions or specific requests about any of our tours, we’re here to help. You can fill in the form below, send us an email, or call us and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
This was an amazing tour, the variety of foods, culture, and exploration was perfect for my aunt and I on our vacation. Dennis and Brett were great guides that left a lot to remember and were very flexible with accommodating everyone within our group to their specific needs. I would recommend this tour to anyone looking to explore Turkey's beauty and adventure off the beaten path to some hidden gems along Turkey's coast. I would recommend this company and any of its tours to anyone seeking some fun filled adventure, specially curated by Brett himself.
by Janie W
Customwalks Turkey Cruise and Walking tour was one of the most memorable adventures we’ve ever taken. We started our trip in Istanbul, where we could soak up the history, see the highlights, explore hidden places only Brett would know and eat amazing food. What a contrast it was when we boarded our gulet and settled in for a week of cruising the Mediterranean! A special and unique experience, we felt very fortunate to see a beautiful and less traveled part of Turkey. We often anchored in secluded bays, and from there we explored the countryside, eager to see what ancient ruins or stunning views awaited us. The water was always calm and warm, and our cabins were very comfortable. Food was plentiful, healthy, and delicious, and the crew was attentive and very helpful. We really enjoyed getting to know our fellow travelers and sharing experiences. Brett and Dennis made the whole trip perfect with their knowledge, experience, and professionalism. More than that, they were a lot of fun to be with and became our friends. Like others, we have enjoyed Customwalks tours before and regret we didn’t discover them many years ago. Brett does an exceptional job organizing and coordinating all the details and finding amazing guides like Dennis. We just sit back and enjoy the results! Can’t wait to travel with them again.
by Clark S