Hiking Turkey's Lycian Way — Self-Launched (Fethiye to Kaş)

Fly into Dalaman (DLM) and reach Fethiye independently: the Havaş/Muttaş airport shuttle bus runs to Fethiye Otogar in about 50–60 minutes for roughly £4–6, or a shared shuttle transfer can be pre-booked online for £8–12. Check into a guesthouse or budget hotel in the Paspatur old quarter or near the harbour, then spend the late afternoon wandering the old town's lanes and getting your trail legs at sea level. Optional: Fethiye Archaeological Museum (£2–3), the rock-cut Amyntas Tomb above town, and the small Greco-Roman theatre. Evening: hammam in Paspatur if you want the full Turkish bath ritual (£10–15), then a cheap dinner of gözleme, meze and grilled fish along the marina. Download offline maps (Organic Maps or the official Lycian Way GPX tracks) and buy snacks and water for tomorrow's walk.

🚌Havaş/Muttaş airport shuttle Dalaman → Fethiye otogar, ~£5

🛏Guesthouse or small hotel in Fethiye old town (twin/dorm, £15–22 pp)

• →Fethiye old town (Paspatur) wander
• →Amyntas Tomb & Greco-Roman theatre
• →Fethiye Archaeological Museum (optional)
• →Traditional Turkish hammam (optional)

Take a dolmuş from Fethiye otogar to Ölüdeniz (about 30 minutes, £1.50–2.50) and start walking the blazed Lycian Way from the Ölüdeniz/Ovacık trailhead. The route climbs steadily above the blue lagoon with views over Ölüdeniz beach, then contours around the cliffs above Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi) below Baba Dağı — a genuinely spectacular stretch with the trail's first big sea panoramas. About 14 km, 4.5–5.5 hours at an easy pace. Descend into Faralya village and check into a village guesthouse, ideally one with a terrace above Butterfly Valley — these are easy to book direct by phone or WhatsApp, and some have small pools. Sunset from the valley rim, then dinner at your guesthouse (£8–12); the owner-cooked village food is half the point.

🚌Dolmuş Fethiye → Ölüdeniz, ~£2; hiking on foot thereafter

🛏Village guesthouse in Faralya (e.g. simple family-run pension/pansiyon, £18–25 pp with breakfast)

• →Lycian Way hike Ölüdeniz → Faralya (14 km)
• →Butterfly Valley viewpoint
• →Sunset over the valley rim

The longest day: about 18 km and 6.5–7.5 hours with real climbs. From Faralya the trail drops toward Kabak beach (worth a swim if you're early), then climbs steeply through pine forest and farmland via Kabak and Alınca village, where a village tea house serves çay and gözleme for a couple of pounds — a proper trail institution. If you're tired, take a dolmuş or taxi from Kabak/Faralya to Alınca and rejoin the path (roughly £7–12), which saves around half the day. Continue on red-white blazes to Gey village, a tiny rural settlement with a handful of village-house stays booked direct. Expect simple twin/multi-share en-suite rooms — book ahead in spring and autumn, since capacity is small. Home-cooked village dinner is often included or £6–8.

🚌On foot; optional dolmuş/taxi Kabak–Alınca ~£10 if cutting the day short

🛏Gey village house (twin or multi-share room, £15–20 pp, dinner often extra or included)

• →Lycian Way hike Faralya → Gey (18 km)
• →Swim stop at Kabak beach
• →Tea break in Alınca village
• →Village dinner in Gey

Walk from Gey down to the Xanthos valley and up to the ruins of Sidyma (about 12 km, 4.5–5.5 hours), a little-visited Lycian/Greco-Roman site scattered through the modern village of Dodurga — sarcophagi in the olive groves, a Roman bath, and village houses built into ancient walls. It's free or a token entry, and you'll likely have it to yourself. Afterwards take a dolmuş or shared taxi down to Patara (via Kalkan/Ova, roughly £4–8, sometimes two legs), and check into a small hotel behind Patara beach. Patara village is low-key — pensions and family hotels, easy to book direct or via Booking.com. Dinner in the village (£9–13).

🚌Dolmuş/shared taxi Gey → Dodurga → Patara, ~£6

🛏Small hotel/pension in Patara village (£18–25 pp with breakfast)

• →Hike to Sidyma ancient city (12 km)
• →Explore Sidyma ruins and sarcophagi
• →Patara village evening

A gentler day: follow the trail along the Roman aqueduct route toward Patara beach — 10 km, about 3.5 hours, mostly level and with superb views over the lagoon and dunes. Spend the afternoon swimming on Patara's 18 km of sand (one of the Mediterranean's best beaches, and a protected loggerhead turtle nesting site — no umbrellas on the nesting zone, and keep to marked paths at dusk). Entry to the Patara archaeological site including the magnificent theatre, bouleuterion and harbour basilica is roughly £4–6 with a Müzekart or single ticket; the beach is a short walk beyond. Sunset on the dunes is the highlight of the trip for many walkers. Eat in the village again, or grab picnic supplies for the beach.

🚌On foot; local dolmuş back from beach if needed ~£1.50

🛏Same Patara village hotel/pension (£18–25 pp with breakfast)

• →Aqueduct route hike to Patara beach (10 km)
• →Swim at Patara beach
• →Patara ancient city, theatre and bouleuterion
• →Sunset on the dunes

Take the Fethiye–Kaş bus or a dolmuş from Patara/Kalkan to Kaş (about 1–1.5 hours, £3–5) and drop bags at a guesthouse near the harbour. Then walk the Mount Felen (Felen/Fırnaz) route: from Kaş or the Fırnaz trailhead the Lycian Way climbs high above the coast with big views back over the town and out to the Greek island of Meis — around 16 km and 5–5.5 hours if done in full, or shorten it to a 2–3 hour out-and-back by starting from the Fırnaz road end (dolmuş/taxi £3–7). Return to Kaş for a slow evening: the back alleys behind the harbour are full of cheap lokantas, meyhane and cafés, and the amphitheatre above town is a good sunset spot. Kaş is a comfortable base with plenty of hostels and small hotels (£18–28 pp).

🚌Bus/dolmuş Patara (Kalkan) → Kaş ~£4; local dolmuş to Fırnaz trailhead ~£4

🛏Guesthouse or small hotel in Kaş (twin/dorm, £18–28 pp)

• →Bus transfer to Kaş
• →Lycian Way hike to Mount Felen (16 km)
• →Kaş harbour and back-alley cafés
• →Sunset at the Kaş amphitheatre

Book a Kekova boat trip direct with one of the small operators on Kaş harbour or at Üçağız (roughly £25–35 pp including lunch, cheaper if you join a shared boat at Üçağız rather than leaving from Kaş). Typical day: minibus to Üçağız/Sıçak, a 2.5–3 hour walk on the Lycian Way to the sunken ruins of Aperlae on the shoreline, then a wooden gulet along the drowned city of Kekova (glass-bottom viewing, no swimming over the ruins) and a stop at Simena (Kale) village, with a short climb to the castle and its tiny ancient theatre. Lunch is usually grilled fish or chicken on board. If your boat leaves from Kaş instead, most include the transfer and a swim stop at a bay. Back in Kaş by late afternoon — last dinner by the harbour.

🚌Shared minibus Kaş → Üçağız and boat along Kekova, included in £25–35 boat day

🛏Same Kaş guesthouse (£18–28 pp)

• →Hike to Aperlae sunken city (10 km)
• →Gulet boat trip across Kekova sunken city
• →Simena (Kale) village and castle climb
• →BBQ/fish lunch on board

Morning free in Kaş — swim off the small pebble beach, coffee on the harbour, or a last baklava. Then take the bus from Kaş otogar to Dalaman (roughly 2.5–3 hours with a change at Fethiye or via the Dalaman road, £6–9), connecting to Dalaman airport by Havaş shuttle or local bus (£3–5) for your flight. If your flight is late or you have time to spare, Kaş–Fethiye buses run frequently and you can break the journey. Consider adding a couple of extra days: Kaş is an excellent base for sea kayaking over the sunken city at Kekova or day trips to Kastellorizo (Meis), and Fethiye/Kayaköy is worth a night on the way back.

🚌Bus Kaş → Dalaman ~£7 plus Dalaman otogar → airport shuttle ~£4

🛏None (departure day)

• →Morning swim and harbour coffee in Kaş
• →Bus to Dalaman Airport
• →Optional extension: Kekova sea kayaking or Kayaköy ghost village