HIKING IN TURKEY 2022

Mysterious eastern beauty Turkey intrigues visitors primarily with its exoticism. It is extremely diverse and varied. The history of Turkey begins from time immemorial and dates back over 10,000 years. There are hundreds of ancient monuments of culture, including ancient cities, ancient fortresses, palaces, and churches and mosques of amazing beauty that remained in the territory of modern Turkey.

Unfortunately, many architectural masterpieces could not survive the unforgiving time, but even their ruins look incredibly picturesque. Turkey is also rich in non-human-made attractions. The magnificent mountains (the highest is Ararat, 5137 m), thick forests, rocky clefts, deep canyons with crystal clear water and four seas: Marmara, Mediterranean, Black Sea and Aegean Sea – you will find all that here, if you come with us on hiking tours across Turkey.

Dear friends, we have developed a new route – Journey along the Lycian Trail by car. Taking part in it, you can enjoy your stay in Turkey even in the heat of summer.

Dear friends! We have made a new cool route on the Lycian in the huts, with crossings without big backpacks. It is as comfortable as possible and perfect for beginners. Since the second half of November and until summer, even in Turkey it is already pretty cool and rainy, so we do not put routes in tents (no one wants to get cold and wet), but to live in huts, with a secure roof over his head is quite good. Dates and detailed description at the link: ✅ Comfortable backpacking along the Likiya Way in huts 

How to get to the starting point

The family hike through Turkey, as well as treks through the eastern and central Lycian start in Antalya. The standard meeting place for groups is the first terminal at Antalya Airport. But for some treks small changes are possible, for example we can meet at the booked hotel or at the Antalya bus station. In both cases, you will be informed in advance and receive detailed instructions on how to get to your starting point.

On the southwestern coast of Turkey, we have 4 starting routes. Two of them, namely hikes along the western part of the Lycian Trail in huts and tents, start in Fethiye. Another one, a hike along the Kariye Trail, is in the town of Marmaris. And traveling through Turkey by car is in Dalaman. To participate in one of these trips, it is most convenient to fly to Dalaman.

One more trek, the Kachkar hike on the northern coast of the country, starts in the city of Trabzon, which has its own international airport.

You can fly to Turkey with the low-cost airline Pegasus, the ticket price starts at 130 euros. From Odessa, take the low-cost airline Onur Air. Turkish airlines are more expensive, but they fly from more cities.

How much does it cost to make a trip to Turkey?

Read carefully what is included in the cost of each hike in Turkey. We tried to give as much detail as possible. We also tried to specify how much money you need to take with you to cover the additional costs. The actual prices can be seen in the description of each individual route. But in general, Turkey is one of the most affordable destinations for hiking abroad.

Hiking in Turkey – seasonality and climate

The summer in Turkey is terribly hot and walking with backpacks is quite difficult. Therefore, to avoid overheating and quick fatigue, we run our hikes in Turkey in the spring and fall. At these times of the year, the air temperature is about +25 ... +30 °C, the sea is warm, and it is comfortable enough to walk. At high-altitude overnight stays, the temperature can drop to +10°C, which is the coldest point of the hike.

Hiking in Turkey in the spring – in May, March and April

Hiking in Turkey in May is the most popular. This has good reason. After all, after a cold and colorless winter, everyone wants to go to the sea – somewhere warmer, and where the spring is in full swing. On the trails there are lots of flowers and ripe oranges, and you can sunbathe near the sea. The trees are decorated with young bright green leaves. May in Turkey can be compared to the summer hiking in the Crimea – it's already pretty hot, but bearable.

A great time to go to Turkey is the beginning of spring – March, April. The temperature for hiking is very comfortable, and when at home there is slush and mud underfoot – it's time to escape from this misery to a warmer place. From March and April to May, you can safely go hiking. In late May it can be too hot, to walk at this time under a backpack – doubtful pleasure. Please note that the sea in the spring is still quite cold, so you won't be able to bathe there much. 

Hiking in Turkey in autumn – in September, October, November

Autumn is a great season for hiking in the mountains of Turkey. The heat is coming down, there are a lot of ripe fruits (especially oranges and pomegranates), the sea is warm, it never rains. Especially popular is hiking in September and October. The temperature drops gradually and in November nights are really cool. If you want to prolong your summer – go to Turkey in autumn!

Hiking in Turkey in summer – in June, July and August

Hiking in this heat with a backpack is absolutely no fun at all. It's hard labor. We don't go hiking in Turkey in the summer. But there is a great alternative – a road trip through the Lycian! In this program, we do the transfers in comfortable, air-conditioned cars during the midday heat, and explore new locations and sights in the morning and evening when the heat is off.

Hiking in Turkey in Winter – January, December and February

Winter hiking in Turkey is not a bad choice, especially if you walk along the sea. The temperature rarely drops below freezing here, there is practically no snow. If you spend too much time at home, feel free to go hiking in the bays of the Mediterranean Sea or a similar route. But be sure to take a raincoat and warm clothes.

Who should go hiking in Turkey?

We will definitely recommend hiking in Turkey to those who were in the Carpathian Mountains before and want some diversity. Such a hike will prepare you for more difficult climbs in the Caucasus mountains, trekking in Nepal or other regions. Even if the life of hiking is still a novelty for you, and you're planning to join it for the first time, hiking in Turkey will not be difficult. Even inexperienced beginners can overcome our route. Hospitable Turkey will show you its beautiful mountains and blue seas and help you learn the life and culture of its people. Pearl of the East will forever capture your heart and make you see the world in a new way!

What else is worth knowing, going on a trip to Turkey

Of the documents for a hike in Turkey, you only need a valid passport. Visas and customs duties were finally canceled in August 2012.

Scorpions and scolopendras can be a nuisance during the trip. Stings of these strange creatures are not fatal, but very painful. To protect yourself from meeting with them, you should always zipper up at the entrance to the tent, look through the shoes and stuff before leaving, and collecting firewood, pay attention to the absence of insects on the branches.

Turkish people are very hospitable. If anything, they will always help and even try to seat you at the table and feed you. Most of the locals are Muslim, so women and girls should choose their clothes carefully, so as not to cause surprise and resentment on the part of the Turkish people. It's better to dress modestly, open shirts with deep cleavage and shorts are better left for European countries, and here please wear light closed shirts and pants. This applies to small villages and towns, and in large cities, people are used to everything, and even in the sea you can safely swim in a bikini.

We suggest! If you can not go hiking in Turkey, a good alternative is to hike in Cyprus.