Taurus Trek & Cruise

15 days
Cities, coastline and mountains including 4 days trekking in the Taurus Mountains, 3 days hiking in the Valleys of Cappadocia and a 4 days cruise

Turkey has been named ‘the cradle of civilisation’. We explore the fascinating, historic city of Istanbul, enjoy sailing along the beautiful southern coastline and trek in the stunning Taurus Mountains. Trekking in this unspoilt region we enjoy beautiful scenery and have the opportunity to meet the wonderful friendly local people. Never far away from historic sites and places of interest, from simple rock engravings in the high meadows to the elaborately carved rock houses of Cappadocia, the diverse scenery and interesting buildings will ensure maximum enjoyment in this fascinating country.

Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul.

Day 2: During a guided tour of Istanbul we visit the Aya Sofya Museum, Blue Mosque and Cistern Basilica. A free afternoon enables us to further explore before boarding the overnight train to Ankara.

Day 3: Travelling south via ‘Tuz Golu’, a vast salt lake, we arrive in Goreme. Here we embark on an afternoon walk through the Pasabaglari Valley, also known as the ‘priest valley’, known for its many strange rock formations, to the picturesque village of Cavusin.

Day 4: Today we transfer to Akvadi, known as the ‘white valley’, for a beautiful walk along the river, passing through colourful gardens and vineyards, to Ushisar where we visit the volcanic ash peak known as the ‘fortress’. The afternoon is spent walking the Pigeon Valley named for its numerous pigeon houses carved out of rock in the 18th century.

Day 5: We drive to Kizilcukur, known as the ‘red valley’ due to its beautiful sculptured red coloured earth, and take a walk through this extraordinary landscape with its many cave dwellings and frescoed churches. The afternoon is spent exploring the beautiful Avcilar Valley.

Day 6 - 9: After visiting the underground city of Derinkuyu we leave Cappadocia and journey to Gumus in the Mt. Bolkar region of the Taurus Mountains from where we begin our 4 day trek into this stunning mountain range. We trek to the Karagol camp near Cinigol Lake, 2700m, where we have the opportunity for a swim. From our camp at Arpacukuru, on an immense plateau rich with flora, we should enjoy great views of Hasan and Argeus Volcanoes. We descend through orchards of napoleon cherries to the lower more inhabited slopes near Darbogaz, before transferring to Konya.

Day 10: The ancient city of Konya is the home of the Whirling Dervish sect, we visit the mausoleum of Mevlana it’s founder before travelling on to visit the beautiful city of Antalya. This afternoon we board our traditional handmade wooden ‘Gulet’ for four idyllic days and nights aboard.

Days 11 - 14: Our time is spent cruising the crystal clear azure blue waters, sunbathing, swimming, snorkelling and going ashore to visit the many historic sites including Olympos and Kalekoy Castle (ancient Simena). Our Gulet has en-suite rooms and a large deck area, ideal for relaxing or sleeping out under the starts if preferred. We then return to Antalya.

Day 15: (Saturday) Our Tour ends after breakfast.

For price details and more information, please contact us