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Sunset over the bays and islands of Kaş on the Lycian coast

Sample journey · 12–15 days

Turkey, from the Bosphorus to the turquoise sea

Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus & Şirince, Kaş, the Lycian Way & Kekova under sail

Photo: Meriç Dağlı / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Many people picture Turkey as Istanbul plus a beach. This route brings together four very different sides of it. First Istanbul, where the ferry across the Bosphorus is both transport and the best viewpoint in town. Then a flight into the middle of Anatolia, to Cappadocia, where the valleys were carved by wind and the churches by hand. Next the Aegean coast with Ephesus and the vineyards of Şirince, and to finish, Lycia: Kaş, footpaths above the sea and a few nights aboard a wooden gulet among the bays of Kekova.

The journey is designed for couples and curious travellers who have already travelled widely and want to experience a place rather than simply see it: to walk for hours, eat where locals eat, listen to a good guide and sleep somewhere with character. Two domestic flights cover the long distances, every stop has at least two nights, and the pace, level of activity and style of stays would be shaped around you.

The route

The journey

  1. Istanbul
  2. Cappadocia
  3. İzmir
  4. Ephesus & Şirince
  5. Kaş & the Lycian Way
  6. Kekova under sail
  7. Antalya or Dalaman
  1. Pierced metal and coloured-glass lamps hanging in the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

    01Days 1–2 · Istanbul: the old city

    Domes, bazaars and the neighbourhoods beyond

    Four nights in a historic house in the old city or on the Galata side. On the first morning, while it's still quiet, the Süleymaniye Mosque and its courtyard overlooking the Golden Horn, then the vaulted lanes of the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern are worth seeing with a guide, and in the Rüstem Pasha Mosque there are blue İznik tiles that many walk past without noticing. On the second afternoon, Balat and Fener: painted timber houses, old churches and cafés full of locals.

  2. Black, green and red olives in a trader's crates at the Kadıköy market

    02Days 3–4 · The Bosphorus & Kadıköy

    Across to Asia for breakfast

    On the third morning, a ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy to Kadıköy on the Asian side. Breakfast of simit, cheeses, honey and kaymak, then market streets full of olives, fish and spices, and a walk along the seafront at Moda. Day four belongs to the Bosphorus: north by ferry or private boat past wooden yalıs, the Dolmabahçe Palace and the fortress of Rumeli Hisarı. In the evening, a meyhane, where one plate of meze follows another alongside rakı. Somewhere in between, an hour in a hammam is well spent.

  3. First morning light on the tuff ridges and rock cones near Göreme, Cappadocia

    03Days 5–7 · Cappadocia

    Valleys carved by wind and by hand

    A flight of about an hour and a half to Kayseri or Nevşehir, then roughly an hour by road to Göreme or Uçhisar. Three nights in a cave hotel with a terrace above the valley. At dawn, if the wind allows, balloons rise over the valleys; a flight is possible but never guaranteed, and watching from the terrace is hardly a lesser sight. In the evening, a walk through the Rose and Red valleys past rock-cut churches. On other days, the frescoes of the Göreme Open-Air Museum, the underground city of Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu and, for those who want a longer day, the Ihlara gorge and Selime Monastery. For dinner, testi kebab cooked in a sealed clay pot, and local wine.

  4. The white, red-roofed houses of Şirince on a green hillside near Ephesus

    04Days 8–9 · Ephesus & Şirince

    Marble streets and a village in the hills

    A flight to İzmir and about an hour's drive south. Two nights in a stone house in Şirince, a hill village among vines and olive trees. Ephesus is best seen early, while it's cool and quieter: from the upper gate down Curetes Street to the Library of Celsus and the great theatre, and in the Terrace Houses, frescoes and mosaics that help you picture the families who lived here. In the afternoon, Selçuk and the single standing column of the Temple of Artemis, and in the evening Aegean cooking: wild greens, vegetables slow-cooked in olive oil and Şirince's fruit wines.

  5. A gravel path between olive trees and spring flowers on the Lycian Way, with a bay and mountains beyond

    05Days 10–12 · Kaş & the Lycian Way

    On foot among olive trees and tombs

    Day ten is the longest transfer: about six hours' drive south, with lunch in Dalyan and a boat through the reeds past the rock-cut tombs of Kaunos. Three nights in Kaş, a white-walled town with an ancient theatre above the sea and a Lycian sarcophagus standing in the street. One day, a guided section of the Lycian Way, where the path winds through olive groves, pine forest and ancient tombs, with views over islands and bays. Another, Patara and Xanthos, the old Lycian capital, and a swim at Kaputaş cove. Kaş is also known for diving, if you'd like to look beneath the surface.

  6. A wooden gulet in clear turquoise water off a rocky shore near Kaş, seen from above

    06Days 13–15 · Kekova under sail

    Two nights at anchor in a cove

    To finish, two nights aboard a wooden gulet, private or shared with a small group, sailing east from Kaş towards Kekova. The days move slowly: swimming in clear coves, lunch on deck and kayaks along Kekova Island, where the foundations of an ancient town lie under the water (swimming directly over the ruins isn't allowed). In the evening, the hamlet of Kaleköy with its castle and a Lycian sarcophagus standing in the sea, and at night, anchor in a quiet cove. On the last day you step ashore, with Antalya airport about three hours away by road, and Dalaman roughly the same.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Breakfast on another continent

    The morning ferry to Kadıköy, tea on deck among the gulls and a long Turkish breakfast on the Asian side.

  2. 02

    Cappadocia at first light

    A terrace above the valley as the tuff turns pink in the early light, and in the evening a path past rock-cut churches.

  3. 03

    Ephesus before the heat

    Curetes Street early in the morning, while the marble is still cool, and the mosaics of the Terrace Houses.

  4. 04

    A night in a Kekova cove

    A swim before dinner, Kaleköy's castle at dusk and a silence broken only by water lapping at the hull.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With Pergamon

    Add a night in İzmir or Urla to visit Pergamon above Bergama: an acropolis with one of the steepest theatres of antiquity, and the healing sanctuary of the Asklepion. It lies roughly an hour and a half to two hours north of İzmir.

  • More walking

    In spring or autumn you could spend several consecutive days on the Lycian Way, sleeping in village guesthouses while your luggage travels by car. This suits well-prepared walkers.

  • Shorter: twelve days

    Give Istanbul three nights and replace the two nights under sail with a day's boat trip from Kaş to Kekova, and the journey fits into twelve days, though the pace becomes brisker.

  • With a Greek island

    In season, ferries run from Kaş to the nearby Greek island of Kastellorizo, and from other points on the coast to the Dodecanese, so the journey could continue into Greece.

Practical considerations

  • Two domestic flights (Istanbul to Cappadocia, Cappadocia to İzmir) cover the long distances; direct services depend on the season, so a connection in Istanbul is sometimes needed. We check routings before settling dates.
  • Balloon flights in Cappadocia depend on wind and weather and can be cancelled even on the morning itself, which is one reason we give Cappadocia several nights.
  • Spring and autumn are usually best for walking and for the ancient sites; in summer Ephesus and the coast can be very hot. The gulet season usually runs from late spring to October.
  • Modest dress is expected in mosques: shoulders and knees covered, and a headscarf for women. Sections of the Lycian Way are rocky and uneven, so sturdy footwear and good fitness are needed.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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