Ephesus to Caria
By Land and Sea in southwest Turkey
2-13 June 2026
12 days exploring ancient Ionia by land, then adjoining Caria in a gulet, a traditional Turkish schooner as comfortable as she is romantic, in the company of veteran Turkey hands – travel writer Jeremy Seal and archaeologist Yunus Özdemir.
From the Bronze Age to the Byzantines the southwest Turkish regions of Ionia and Caria were at the heart of the ancient world. Here lived Herodotus, Homer and the earliest philosophers; here the Ionians and Carians, then the Hellenistic Kings and the Romans built an unparalleled abundance of ports and inland cities, complete with theatres and rock tombs, granaries and stadia, grand colonnaded streets and necropolises, sanctuary temples and fortresses. At many sites, among them Stratonikeia and Knidos, ongoing excavations are uncovering fresh wonders at every turn.
Jeremy and Yunus have devoted much of their working lives to exploring Turkey; they retain a rare passion for the country. They are experienced and attentive guides as well as good companions, boasting an unrivalled knowledge of this coast’s history, culture, topography, ancient ruins – and places for lunch. Gulet captain Alettin, with whom Jeremy and Yunus have worked for years, knows the best swimming spots and the most secluded anchorages better than anybody.
Add charming hotels, excellent food both onboard and onshore, little-visited ancient sites, expert guides and informed talks, and there is no better way to explore the Turkish Mediterranean.
Site gradings (capitalised) indicate how uneven and/or steep the going will be underfoot; A-C are generally manageable, D may well be an issue for some, and E, should you ever come across the designation, is exclusively for goats.
Day 1/ Tuesday 2 June 2026: Guests are met at Izmir Airport for the 40-minute transfer to Nisanyan Hotel, a lovely retreat in the hills above Ephesus where dinner awaits.
Day 2/ Wednesday 3 June 2026: We head first thing for Ephesus (A), perhaps the best preserved Roman city in the Mediterranean. After lunch we visit Selcuk’s Ephesus Museum before returning to our hotel for dinner.
Day 3/ Thursday 4 June 2026: After checking out, we visit the modest remnants of the Temple of Diana at Ephesus (A), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the 6th-century basilica of St John (A). Then we head south, taking in the magnificent stadium at Magnesia (A) before making for Priene (B/C), a beautiful unromanised Greek city on the north shores of the Meander Delta. We end up at the Agora Pansiyon, our charming base for the next two nights in the ruins of Heraclea on the shores of Bafa Lake.
Day 4/Friday 5 June 2026: We spend the day exploring Heraclea/Latmos (B/C) and walking the wonderful and unearthly slopes of Besparmak Mountain (C/D) where we take a picnic lunch. We dine that evening at the Agora Pansiyon.
Day 5/Saturday 6 June 2026: After checking out, we head for Miletus (A/B), fabled home of the first philosophers. We then continue to the great Temple of Apollo at Didyma (A) where we lunch. Then we head for Bodrum, stopping off for brief visits to the newly excavated remains at Euromos (A) and Mylasa (A), the original capital of the 4th-century BC Hecatomnids. That evening we board our gulet at Bodrum where dinner awaits.
Day 6/Sunday 7 June 2026: After breakfast and a brief look at one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (A) – we set sail. We head east into the Gulf of Gökova, making for our overnight anchorage at Cökertme. We put ashore that evening for a walk around the little-visited port of Ören (A/B) where ancient stones – Carian sarcophaguses, Roman portals – are casually scattered at every corner.
Day 7/ Monday 8 June 2026: We put ashore to board our minibus for the splendid Hellenistic city site of Stratonikeia (B), and Lagina (A), a lovely temple sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Hecate. We rejoin our gulet in the bay at Mazi.
Day 8/Tuesday 9 June 2026: We make an early crossing of the Gulf of Gökova to Knidos (B) where our spectacular overnight anchorage is the ancient harbour. In the afternoon we put ashore to explore this fabled Roman port city.
Day 9/Wednesday 10 June 2026: We head east along the Datca Peninsula to the little port of Datca where we lunch. We overnight at nearby Kargi.
Day 10/Thursday 11 June 2026: We head southeast, passing Greek Symi, to reach our overnight anchorage at Loryma. We put ashore to visit the 4th-century BC fortress (B/C) in the late afternoon.
Day 11/ Friday 12 June 2026: We head north, stopping en route to lunch and swim, for our overnight anchorage in the Bay of Marmaris.
Day 12/Saturday 13 June 2026: After breakfast we bid our crew goodbye and transfer to Dalaman Airport.
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Our tours are designed and run by us. We make it our business to be there every time you descend a ladder into a dinghy, clamber onto a jetty, wander through an ancient site or along a footpath. But we cannot always be your eyes; it pays to be aware that the ground is often uneven, not to say steep, with no shortage of rocky protuberances, in Turkey. You will need a reasonable level of mobility, balance and fitness. We grade the sites we visit to the best of our ability, but cannot be absolutely sure that all outings and activities will be within the capabilities of all guests. We expect you to follow our advice if we feel that an outing, or an element of an outing, is beyond you. If you are the least uncertain as to your suitability to join a tour, we’d urge you to consult us.
Cost: £4250 per person sharing rooms/cabins, £5800 per person in sole occupancy of a room/cabin. If you are travelling singly but happy to share a twin room/cabin, please advise and we will do what we can to pair you off. Price includes all meals, onboard wine, beer and spirits, guiding, entry fees and talks, airport transfers, outings and tips. Does not include your flights, any necessary visas or onshore alcohol.
Your holiday is fully bonded and administered by Heritage Group Travel (www.grouptravel.co.uk) in Bath. For a small charge Heritage can also assist with your flights.
The trip will only run with sufficient numbers; early indications of interest are much appreciated.
Enquiries to jeremy@somewherewonderful.com or text/call Jeremy on 07757 703604.