South West Turkey Holiday

Arrive Dalyan and check-in at hotel. Once a small fishing village on the edge of the Dalyan River, Dalyan has grown into a small town. It is famous for its meandering reedbed waterways that lead to the beautiful golden sand Iztuzu Beach, and for Lycian rock tombs that can be viewed in the cliffs above the town. The ancient city of Caunus is also a short walk away.

Overnight Standard Hotel

This morning we take a small boat through reed beds to the ruins of Caunus, an important city circa 400 BC. Here, we can clamber up to the higher points of the Citadel from where there are fine panoramic views across the reed beds to the distant Aegean. We continue by boat to Iztuzu Beach, perhaps the best beach in all Turkey, for an afternoon of relaxation before returning to Dalyan.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

On our way to Gulluk we stop at the ruins of Alinda, a place where time stopped at the close of antiquity and now seems to be part of a lost landscape. Olive trees have pushed through the ground invading the ancient theatre where cows graze freely in this surreal setting. Situated on a rocky acropolis close to the village of Karpuzlu, this was Ada’s capital and she built a wall around her city in circa 344BC. She welcomed Alexander the Great who in turn rewarded her with the governorship of the Carian region. We continue to Gulluk and check into our hotel.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Heading north we drive first to Didyma, whose Temple of Apollo held an oracle as important as the one at Delphi, in Greece. Today the massive scale of the fallen columns and the wealth of the intricate carvings bear testimony to the power of the ancient cult of Apollo. Then to Miletus, whose 15,000 seat theatre is evidence of the city’s importance in Greek and Roman times, before its harbour silted up and gradually the city was abandoned. Finally we come to the smaller and more picturesque site of Priene, perched on a hillside overlooking the Menderes (ancient ‘Meander’) valley. As this Ionian city was not built on by the Romans, archaeologists have been left with a vivid picture of the scale and layout of a typical city of the 4th century BC. We continue to Selcuk, with its prominent Byzantine fortress and remains of the huge Temple of Artemis, once considered to be one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World, but sadly now totally destroyed.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we have arranged a visit to the great Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, once visited by Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, and also by the evangelist St. Paul (which inspired the Epistle to the Ephesians). This famous old Asia Minor seaport reached its peak in the 2nd century AD and declined after the 7th century. One of the main cultural and economic centres of the Old World, it once boasted excellent gymnasia and a stadium seating 70,000 spectators. Other highlights include the Baths of Constantine (4th century), the Arcadian Way (where Cleopatra entered from the Harbour), the Marble Avenue (with the 2-storeyed Library of Celsus, one of the most famous reconstructions of a Greco-Roman building in the world), the brothel, the Temple of Hadrian with its beautiful facade, the theatre (a giant with 24,000 seats) and the odeon (a 2000-seat music and poetry centre).

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Leaving Selcuk we drive to ancient Aphrodisias, where the goddess of love once bestowed her sensual favours on willing devotees. Here we will have a guided tour of the site and visit the museum before continuing to one of Turkey’s most amazing natural wonders, the ‘frozen waterfall’ of Pamukkale ready for our visit the following day.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Situated on a high escarpment, Pamukkale has been an attraction since Roman times. Stalactites of a petrified waterfall cascade from basin to basin, a most spectacular sight. We visit the incredible travertine pools, where you can opt to swim and enjoy the views overlooking the Menderes Valley. Continuing to Hieropolis where the ruins date back to 190 BC and the time of Eumenes II. Earthquakes have rocked the area throughout history and the site was finally abandoned in 1334 following a particularly strong quake. Later we continue to Fethiye via the village of Minare, where we will stop to have lunch and walk to the attractive ancient ruins at Pinara, famous for its Roman and Lycian rock tombs with well preserved reliefs of the ancient settlements, set high up in the hills.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Our tour ends today in Fethiye.

Included meals: Breakfast