Cycle Turkey

This is a brilliant cycling holiday. I particularly liked staying with a local family in a hill village and eating delicious home cooked lunches in local's houses while in the hills. It is the hilliest group cycling holiday of the many "moderate" cycling trips that I have done. An ebike option would make this an even better holiday. We went in mid September and the weather was cool in the hills and lovely and warm by the coast. Our leaders Tarkan and Ali were excellent and chose excellent restaurants for evening meals. Recommended.

Explore make it so easy and enjoyable to visit new countries and experience new things. You just have to turn up and relax!

Wonderful trip. Our tour leader Tarkan & Assalti were enthusiastic, informative and knowledgeable about every aspect of the cities & culture of Turkey. Both were patient with me as I was not as quick on the bike up those hills as were my fellow tour members. -Diane C

Not much I can add to these scores! Elec bike options would be ideal. Hot and hilly. Great guides.

This was a great trip. Fantastic value for money. However, it would have been even better had e-bikes been available. The combination of 30 degrees plus weather and the amount of heavy going hill work with very little shade, made the cycling very challenging. As a person who has been on many cycling holidays, this was the most challenging “ moderate” trip I have ever been on. The bicycles we were given to ride were adequate but quite old and heavy. They were okay but didn’t make the climbing or descent very easy. Our guides were fantastic, very knowledgeable and passionate about the history of their country. A wonderful cultural introduction to Turkey for someone who has never visited Turkey before.

Amazing trip. The cycle routes were a good challenge, very scenic and nicely broken up by drinks breaks and lunch stops. The food on offer was often simple but delicious. Our tour leader Tarkan was very friendly and knowledgable as was our other guide Ali who shared his love for the region and its history. The trip also included some very welcome swims in the sea after some tough climbs in the heat (it was Sept but still in the 30+ degs) and the boat trip and swim at the end of one morning of cycling was a highlight. The accommodation was varied but each room was clean. We had a really friendly, fun group and enjoyed evening meals in some lovely restaurants. Highly recommended.

My first Explore holiday and definitely won’t be my last. The leaders Tarkan and Ali were amazing. Tarkan saw to our every need and was confident in his leadership and knowledge. Ali was also wonderful and had an incredibly rich knowledge of Turkish history and wildlife. Together they made a great combination. The cycling was hot, hilly and hardwork, I wd rate it at above moderate personally but a great way to see the real Turkey. Going in Oct rather than Sept cd possibly be a better option with the heat. All in all a wonderful holiday, thank you

I think that the rating of this trip as moderate is incorrect. Some of the hills were kilometres long and arduous often on poor quality road surfaces. The temperature at this time of year, which I understand was higher than usual, and the lack of shade did not help the situation. There was always the enjoyment of the downhills to look forward to but the condition of the road surfaces often made this an uncomfortable descent. Moderate to challenging would be a better rating. The mountain and coastal scenery in the main were stunning, but the cycling did not always give you the opportunity to appreciate it. The history, historical sites and culture of Turkey were all new to me and interesting. There were several issues with the bikes, including gears and brakes, two essentials given the hilly conditions. I think the company in Turkey need to invest better in their cycling hardware and its maintenance. The accommodation was varied, with everything from basic hotels, cabins, and family house to good quality hotels. The hotels got better as the trip went along, so there were nice hotels at the end of the trip. Pools were available at several locations to enable you to relax at the end of a hard day in the saddle. It was a great experience to stay in the family house and be provided with home cooking. The “cabins” at the Gorge Club ticked all the environmental boxes but failed to reach any markings on a 1-10 scale of accommodation. Our guides (Tarkan and Ali) were very personable and knowledgeable about the areas we travelled through as well as the wider history of Turkey. Their local restaurants choices were excellent. So, we ate well on fresh and tasty Turkish meals.