Relaxed Lycia

Departing: April 2027 - April 2027

Tucked into the southwestern corner of Turkey, where the Taurus Mountains tumble down to meet the impossibly blue waters of the Mediterranean, lies ancient Lycia. This tour, based in the charming harbour town of Kaş, invites you to explore the remarkable legacy of the people of this region, who built towering rock tombs into cliffsides, established one of antiquity's earliest democratic federations and left behind a constellation of ruined cities dotted along the Turquoise coast. This is a tour for those who like relaxed exploration, where ancient theatres frame views of the sea, where you might have a site almost to yourself and where the journey between ruins is as pleasurable as the ruins themselves.

Included

Explore Xanthos & Teimussa by boat, with entrance fees included
All other visits as outlined in the itinerary
Expert Guide Lecturer & professional Tour Manager
6 nights in Kaş
6 breakfasts, 4 lunches & 6 dinners
Tea or coffee with dinner
Private air-conditioned coach travel
Field notes, taxes & gratuities for local staff

Highlights

Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Xanthos and Letoon, ancient capital of the Lycian League and its federal sanctuary
Discover the hilltop city of Arykanda, where an exceptional ensemble of civic monuments cling to a series of steep natural terraces
Travel by boat to the partially submerged ruins of Teimussa, where Lycian sarcophagi stand half-drowned at the water's edge

Terry Richardson

A university background in Ancient History and Classical Civilisation. The author of numerous renowned guide books on the country, including Rough Guide Istanbul, Pocket Rough Guide Istanbul and Rough Guide Turkey.

Tour Itinerary

Arrive into Dalaman and meet your expert Guide Lecturer and fellow travellers at your hotel.

Meals: Dinner

Our first site visit of the morning is to Xanthos, a major centre for culture and commerce for the ancient Lycians, referenced in Homer’s Iliad. The site shares UNESCO World Heritage status with nearby Letoon, which we visit next. Here we see temples dedicated to Leto, Artemis and Apollo. Next, we see ancient Pydnai, now at some distance beyond the sea – the marshy area around it was once a bay and was likely used as a small naval fort. After lunch, we explore ancient Patara, situated at the end of a beautiful 12km-long beach. One of the six principal cities of Lycia, Patara’s oracle was said to rival that at Delphi. Today, partially engulfed by sand and inundated with water, the most substantial remains include the mid-2nd century AD theatre, the triple arched Arch of Modestus and the well-restored bouleuterion.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We begin the day with a visit to Dereağız Church, a Byzantine structure that serves as a reminder of Lycia's considerable importance in the early Christian period. From here, we continue to Arykanda, our principal destination of the day. This is an unusual site, remote from the coast and terraced across a series of steep natural platforms on the southern slopes of the Akdağ range. It commands sweeping views over a deep river valley and its upper terraces contain a well-preserved theatre and odeon, while lower levels yield an extensive baths complex, a temple terrace, a basilica and a substantial necropolis. The city's prosperity is reflected in the ambition and quality of its public architecture, much of which dates to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we visit two of the most ancient and visually compelling cities of the Lycian League, starting with Tlos, one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the region. The site presents a striking juxtaposition of periods and cultures: Lycian pillar tombs and rock-cut chamber tombs of the 4th century BCE, including the celebrated tomb of Bellerophon with its mythological relief, are succeeded by Hellenistic and Roman civic structures. In the afternoon, we visit Pinara, one of the 12 principal cities of the Lycian League. An enormous circular rock pinnacle honeycombed with hundreds of rock-cut shaft tombs dominates the site. Inaccessible by conventional climbing, these tombs continue to raise unresolved questions about the mechanics of their construction and the social hierarchy they may represent. Below the great rock, a theatre, temple terrace, royal tomb and scattered residential remains extend across a well-wooded hillside in a setting of considerable romantic beauty.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A free day to enjoy at your own leisure: explore Kaş itself, visit the small museum, browse the market or simply sit with a glass of çay watching the boats in the harbour.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning, we visit Myra, a site dominated by two outstanding ensembles: a large and well-preserved Roman theatre of the 2nd century AD and an extensive cliff-face necropolis of Lycian rock-cut tombs, several of which retain traces of their original painted decoration. Next, we descend to the ancient harbour of Andriake, where a granary constructed under Hadrian in the early 2nd century AD survives to an exceptional height and completeness. In the afternoon, we drive to Üçagiz, ancient Teimussa, a small Lycian and Hellenistic site with a notable concentration of rock-cut sarcophagus tombs clustered at the water's edge. Next, we continue to the island settlement of Simena, where a compact but well-preserved medieval castle occupies the ancient acropolis and offers panoramic views across the bay. Below, at the waterline and beneath the surface of the sea, Lycian sarcophagi and architectural remains stand partially submerged, tumbled by earthquakes in the 2nd century AD. We take a boat trip to see them up close.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart for the airport or continue your trip at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast

Availability & Booking

2027

12th April from $6,140

Call to Book

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