The Lycian Way Hiking Trail in Turkey

Lycian Way is a worldwide known hiking trail in Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. It is bearing the name of ancient Lycian people who were the leading power of the area once upon a time and founded cities such as Patara, Olympos, Myra, Pinara, Tlos, Xanthos and Phaselis. The city states formed the Lycian League from Antalya to Mugla cities on Taurus Mountains of Anatolia.

myra ancient city lycia way lycia rock tombs

Kate Clow, a British citizen living in Turkey, brought the idea of The Lycian Way (Likya Yolu in Turkish), and it was opened in 1999. Later on he wrote a guidebook about Lycian Way describing characteristics of path such as walking and biking alternatives, inland route and coastal route, distance.

Starting from Fethiye and stretching to Konyaalti it’s approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles). Trail is way-marked with red and white stripes for hikers. Rock-cut tombs on cliffs and sarcophagi are some examples from Lycian civilization in the Late Bronze Age.

Lycian Way Map of Hiking Trail Turkey's Mediterranean coast

Riding a bike is possible in some parts of the path. Whole path is not suitable for bike, so cycle lovers may need to use new alternative roads in some areas of trail.

You can find hotels, hostels and AirBNB houses to stay in almost every village on Lycian Way or camp in the campgrounds that mentioned in book.

Butterfly Valley, Patara, Amphitheater in Myra (known as Demre), Ucagiz, Kale, Finike, Telmessos, Olympos ancient city and Cirali are only some famous sites to see on this trail.

How to go to Lycian Way?

Visitors can arrive in the area via Dalaman Airports. And Antalya Airport for opposite direction. Local bus and minibuses are available every one hour to starting points.

Which seasons to hike in Lycian Way, Turkey

Guests should be ready for hot and dry climate of the area in summer. If you prefer visiting Lycian Way in winter, low temperatures will decrease of comfortable hike and also camping. You can see even snow on top of Kackar mountains.

Don’t forget to bring all needed equipments to make hike in this weather conditions.

Shoulder seasons will be the best time to trekking in Turkey. A fresh warm breeze and sunny days will perfect your experience on Lycian Way trail.

sun sand and sea of Kaş beach in Lycia way

How difficult is A Lycian Way trekking?

Trekking difficulty will depend on the time you will spend on the trail, if you prefer staying in hotels in every village, a backpack with only needed equipments will be enough. But if you prefer camping and sleeping under the stars like Yoruks (local people living in these hills) it will be challenging as you will need to carry a heavy backpack with you.

How long does it take to walk Lycian Way?

The total walking distance between Fethiye and Konyaalti is approximately 500 km, so this road may take from 25-30 days. If you prefer to see only certain parts of the trail, 6 – 10 days will enough to most beautiful parts of the region with a good guidance. On the other hand, since 2010, the famous ultra marathon event has been held, and it takes 6 days from west to east of Mediterranean Sea.

Antiphellos Amphitheater lycia turkey

Is the Lycian Way safe for walking?

Despite crime and incidents that can happen anywhere, at any time, Lycian Trail is one of the safest ways of the country due to hiking culture of the local people. Violence incidents are quite rare, even for solo travelers.

For further assistance or Private Lycian Way Tour inquiry, please feel free to contact our team.