Highlights and hidden gems of Western Turkey

This 12-night tour by Explore Worldwide traces a route from Antalya, along the Turquoise Coast, then inland to some of Turkey’s less-visited ancient sites. After beginning in the lively port with its Roman gate and Ottoman streets, you travel east to Aspendos and Perge, notable for their vast Roman theatres and ruins.

Heading inland, the tour visits Sagalassos, perched mountainside with its recently restored Nymphaeum fountain, then proceeds to Pamukkale’s gleaming white terraces and the neighbouring ancient spa town of Hierapolis. The Greco-Roman city of Aphrodisias and the famously extensive ruins of Ephesus follow, alongside a gentle walk in the hillside village of Sirince.

The itinerary winds through further archaeological sites such as Priene, Didyma and Stratonikeia, before settling in coastal Akyaka and then venturing to thermal pools at Sultaniye and the tombs of Caunos. The final days include the ghost town of Kayakoy, Lycian ruins and the mountain sites of Elmali and the eagle’s nest city Termessos, returning to Antalya for departure. The pace balances walking and driving, with quiet moments in seldom-visited towns and opportunities to reflect on millennia of history.

New to Turkey? Our Turkey guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.

These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.