Outdoors · Hiking

Hiking in Türkiye which trail or region is right for you

Coastal trails, high mountains and easy valley walks: where to hike in Türkiye, when to go, how hard it is and where you will sleep.

Show Me Türkiye October 2026 8 min read

Field notes

Before you choose: what we tell friends.

01 Match the season to the altitude. Walk the coast from February to May and September to November, and save the high mountains for July to September. Getting the timing wrong spoils more trips than fitness ever does.
02 Don't rely on waymarks alone. Even on the best-known trails, the paint fades in places and a new road or landslide can cut the path. Take an offline map and the trail's official GPX.
03 The high mountains are proper alpine terrain. In the Kaçkar, the Aladağlar and Cilo the weather can turn within an hour, and some routes cross snow well into summer. Unless you have alpine experience, go with a local guide.
04 Some places need a permit. Climbing Ağrı (Ararat) needs an official permit arranged well in advance, and parts of Hakkari have their own access rules. Check the current situation before you plan around either.

In this guide

11 chapters, one country.

01How the main options compare1 min
02Best multi-day walk: the Lycian Way1 min
03Other long-distance trails: St Paul and the Carian Trail1 min
04Best for high mountains: the Kaçkar and the Aladağlar1 min
05Best day hikes with no gear: Cappadocia and Ihlara1 min
06Best near the Aegean: Kaz Dağları (Mount Ida)1 min
07Summer summits: Erciyes and Ağrı (Ararat)1 min
08Remote and serious: Cilo and the Hakkari mountains1 min
09How to choose by season1 min
10Safety and practicalities1 min
11Choose by profile: which hike fits you1 min

There isn't one best hike in Türkiye, so this guide helps you choose by three things: the season, how hard you want it to be, and where you want to sleep. Start with coast or mountain. The Mediterranean and Aegean trails are for spring and autumn, usually with a village bed at the end of the day; the high mountains have a short summer season and need more care.

If you want a multi-day coastal walk with guesthouses, go for the Lycian Way in spring or autumn. For high mountain scenery in summer, head to the Kaçkar or the Aladağlar, but anything beyond the valleys needs experience or a guide. And if you just want easy day walks with no special gear, Cappadocia's valleys and Ihlara are the simplest hiking in the country.

01How the main options compare

How the main options compare.

1 min read

Option	Terrain · length	Effort	Season	Logistics
Lycian Way	Coast · multi-day or sections	Moderate–hard	Feb–May, Sep–Nov	Easy: pensions, dolmuş
Carian Trail	Coast, hills · multi-day	Moderate–hard	Spring, autumn	Medium: some camping
St Paul Trail	Mountains, lakes · multi-day	Hard, remote	Spring, autumn	Complex: self-sufficient
Cappadocia, Ihlara	Valleys · day	Easy	Spring, autumn	Easy: hotel base
Kaz Dağları	Forest · day	Easy–moderate	Spring–autumn	Easy: car helps
Kaçkar	Alpine · day or multi-day	Moderate–hard	Jul–Sep	Medium; guide for crossings
Aladağlar	Alpine · base camp	Hard above valley	Summer–early autumn	Medium; guide advised
Erciyes	Volcano · summit day	Hard	Summer	Medium: Kayseri base; guide advised
Ağrı (Ararat)	Glaciated summit · expedition	Very hard	Summer only	Complex: permit, agency
Cilo, Hakkari	Remote alpine · multi-day	Very hard	High summer	Complex: guide, permits

Coast in spring and autumn, mountains in summer: almost every good hiking trip in Türkiye starts from that one rule.

Use the table to make a shortlist, then read the chapters for the places that appeal.

02Best multi-day walk

Best multi-day walk: the Lycian Way.

1 min read

The Lycian Way runs along the coast between Fethiye and Antalya, past Lycian tombs, ancient cities and old shepherds' paths above the sea. Most people walk it in sections, a few days or a week at a time. You will see different lengths for it depending on which branches are counted. Our Lycian Way guide has all 23 sections, the route map, water points and the best short sections if you only have a few days.

Location: The Teke peninsula between Fethiye and Antalya.
Best for: A first long-distance trail with history, sea views and a bed most nights.
Best season: February to May, and September to November. Summer is too hot on exposed limestone.
Difficulty: Not technical, but stony, with steep climbs and descents of several hundred metres.
Nights: Village pensions and small guesthouses on most stages, with camping in places.

If you would like the same coast with shorter walks, Kemer makes a good base for Olympos, Phaselis and the slopes of Mount Tahtalı.

Walker framed by the Roman gate at Phaselis, with Mount Tahtalı behind — Phaselis, one of the shorter coastal walks from Kemer.

Lycian Way

Ölüdeniz to AntalyaCoast, ruins and high villages

Ovacık → GeyikbayırıWest to east

447kmAbout

23Sections

8Regions

Open the trail guide See the live map

03Other long-distance trails

Other long-distance trails: St Paul and the Carian Trail.

1 min read

The Culture Routes Society, the non-profit that looks after the Lycian Way, also maintains other long-distance routes. Two of them are a good next step if you have already walked the Lycian Way or would like quieter paths.

Choose the Carian Trail if you want the Aegean in spring or autumn without the Lycian crowds. It is a waymarked route of about 800 km across Muğla and Aydın, usually walked in sections, through coast, olive groves and ancient Carian sites around the Gulf of Gökova and the south-west Aegean peninsulas. There isn't a bed on every stage, so some sections mean camping or longer days.

Choose the St Paul Trail if you are happy to be self-sufficient and find your own way. It climbs north from the Perge and Aspendos area through the Taurus Mountains towards Yalvaç and Eğirdir, with longer gaps between villages and higher ground than the Lycian Way.

On both trails, follow the official route updates and GPX: fires, forestry work and reroutes can close sections, and the waymarking changes from year to year. The Evliya Çelebi Way in the Bursa–Kütahya region was first planned as a riding route, so check which sections work on foot before you commit.

Demirkazık in the Aladağlar: limestone, scree and serious ground.

04Best for high mountains

Best for high mountains: the Kaçkar and the Aladağlar.

1 min read

These are Türkiye's two big mountain ranges for hiking, and they feel very different. Once you leave the valleys and plateaus, both are serious mountains.

Hiker above a sea of cloud in the Kaçkar Mountains — Above the cloud in the Kaçkar: the high plateaus are a July-to-September world.

The Kaçkar Mountains rise above the eastern Black Sea, with glacial lakes, high summer pastures (yayla) and a wet, green northern side. Most people come in from the Rize side, through Ayder and the Fırtına Valley. Day walks between the plateaus are easy to organise, while crossing the main ridge is a serious multi-day trek. Cloud and fog often roll up from the sea by early afternoon, so start early. Our Rize guide covers Ayder, Elevit and the plateaus, and the Rize city guide helps with where to stay. For the Artvin side, with Şavşat and the Macahel valley, see our Artvin guide.

The Aladağlar in the Central Taurus are drier, rockier and steeper. Limestone walls around Demirkazık tower over the Emli Valley, and most people stay in Çukurbağ or camp in the valley. Walks in the valley are fine on your own, but higher up it is steep scree and rock, and a guide makes sense. Our Aladağlar guide covers Emli, camping and the routes from the valley.

Choose the Kaçkar for lakes, meadows, village life and green landscapes. Choose the Aladağlar for drier weather, dramatic rock and a base-camp trip.

Our film from the Aladağlar and the Bolkar Mountains.

05Best day hikes with no gear

Best day hikes with no gear: Cappadocia and Ihlara.

1 min read

Cappadocia has some of the easiest good walking in Türkiye. The Rose, Red, Love and Pigeon valleys link the villages in a few hours, and you are back in your hotel at night. Ihlara is a gorge walk along a river, past churches carved into the rock. Paths in the side valleys are unofficial and often split, so an offline map helps. Our Cappadocia city guide covers the valleys, and our Cappadocia story covers Ihlara.

Rose and Red valley ridges in Cappadocia at sunset — The Rose and Red valleys: Cappadocia’s best walking needs no gear.

Location: Göreme, Uçhisar and Ortahisar; Ihlara to the south-west near Aksaray.
Best for: First-time visitors, families, photographers and anyone short of time.
Best season: Spring and autumn. In summer, walk in the early morning.
Difficulty: Easy. Mostly valley floors and soft tuff paths, with a few short scrambles.

06Best near the Aegean

Best near the Aegean: Kaz Dağları (Mount Ida).

1 min read

Forest waterfall falling into a turquoise pool on Mount Ida (Kaz Dağları) — Streams and waterfalls are part of most forest walks on Mount Ida.

Mount Ida rises above the Gulf of Edremit, with pine and fir forest, streams and village paths. Kaz Dağları is an easy-to-moderate forest walk from spring to autumn, and it fits nicely into a stay in Ayvalık or Assos rather than a dedicated trekking trip. Our Balıkesir guide covers the area and the national park.

07Summer summits

Summer summits: Erciyes and Ağrı (Ararat).

1 min read

Snow-capped Mount Erciyes rising beyond reed fields in Kayseri province — Erciyes, seen across the plain: at 3,917 metres, the highest point in central Anatolia.

Mount Erciyes, the volcano above Kayseri, is a ski mountain in winter and a summit walk in summer. The upper slopes are loose volcanic ground at altitude, so it is not a casual stroll. Go with a local guide for the summit unless you have experience on high mountains; it is still far easier to organise than Ararat. See the Kayseri city guide.

Mount Ağrı (Ararat) is Türkiye's highest mountain, and climbing it is an expedition rather than a hike. You need an official permit, usually arranged through a licensed agency well in advance, and you can only use approved routes. Altitude sickness is a real risk and the summit is glaciated. The rules have changed over the years, so check the current process with an authorised operator before you plan anything.

08Remote and serious

Remote and serious: Cilo and the Hakkari mountains.

1 min read

The Cilo range in Hakkari has some of Türkiye's last glaciers and its wildest high country. It is also the most demanding place in this guide: tough terrain, sudden weather changes and long distances from help. You will need a local guide, and access depends on security checks and permit rules that can change at short notice. Our Hakkari city guide explains the current position for foreign visitors; confirm it with the Hakkari Governorate before you travel. The Hakkari story covers the landscape and the practical side. This is not the place for your first trek in Türkiye.

Hiker below the limestone peaks of the Cilo-Sat range in Hakkari — Walking below the Cilo-Sat peaks in Hakkari.

Our film from Hakkari and the mountains around it.

09How to choose by season

How to choose by season.

1 min read

February to May: Lycian Way, Carian Trail, lower St Paul Trail, Cappadocia, Kaz Dağları.

June: walk the coast in the mornings only. The lower mountain valleys open up, but the high ranges may still have snow.

July to August: Kaçkar, Aladağlar, Erciyes, Ararat (permit) and Cilo (guide, permits). Keep away from the hot coast.

Wooden swing on the Huser plateau at sunset above a sea of cloud — Huser, above Ayder: high pastures like this are a July-to-September walk.

September to November: the best all-round time. The coast is back in season and the high ranges are still walkable into September.

Winter: low coastal sections on clear days. The mountains are under snow.

For month-by-month weather, see when to visit Türkiye. For buses and dolmuş to the trailheads, see getting around Türkiye.

10Safety and practicalities

Safety and practicalities.

1 min read

Emergency number: 112 covers ambulance, gendarmerie and fire across Türkiye.

Tell someone your plan. Phone signal is patchy in the valleys and up in the mountains.

Guides: strongly recommended on Kaçkar crossings, the Aladağlar above the valley, Ararat and Cilo.

Protected areas: national parks have their own rules on camping and fires, so check with the park authority (DKMP).

Drones: check the current DGCA (SHGM) rules and any local protected-area restrictions before you fly.

11Choose by profile

Choose by profile: which hike fits you.

1 min read

First hike in Türkiye: Cappadocia's valleys, or a few Lycian Way stages near Fethiye or Kaş.
A week on foot, mostly in pensions: The Lycian Way in spring or autumn.
Quieter, with more planning: The Carian Trail, where some sections need camping or self-sufficiency.
Summer, mountain scenery: Kaçkar plateaus and day walks from Ayder; crossings with a guide.
Rock and base camp: The Aladağlar from Çukurbağ, with a guide above the Emli Valley.
Walks inside a city trip: Cappadocia, Ihlara, or Kaz Dağları from Ayvalık or Assos.
Experienced, self-sufficient: The St Paul Trail, or a guided Kaçkar traverse.
Expedition only: Ararat and Cilo, with permits, a licensed operator and alpine experience.

If you can't decide between two options, start with the lower, easier one. The mountains will still be there next summer.

Pick a landscape

See the parks.

Many of these trails run through national parks; our parks guide explains what each protects and when to go.

National parks →

Before you choose: what we tell friends.

11 chapters, one country.

Lycian Way

See the parks.

Plan the rest of the trip.

Rize: Ayder, the Fırtına valley and tea country.

The Lycian Way: stages, route map and hiking guide.

National parks in Türkiye: which to visit, and when.