Highlights and hidden gems of Western Turkey

I have travelled on Explore trips before and they have always been good but the guide on this trip, Tim lifted this trip from good to excellent. His knowledge of and enthusiasm for the sites we visited brought them to life. He took us to local restaurants and wineries that produced delicious food and wine. The trip is an interesting mix of ancient sites, small towns and a stop by the sea. The variety of locations, from high mountains to bustling seaside towns, gives a good idea of how diverse and fascinating Türkiye is. Thank you Tim and fellow travelers for a fabulous time. The Winston Pub will always be a fond memory!

This is a great itinerary focusing on just western Turkey and visiting many ancient sites. Our guide, Tim, was incredibly friendly, enthusiastic, and oh so knowledgeable about the complex history of Turkey and ancient Anatolia – he was the prime reason we enjoyed our trip so much!

Tim was an awesome guide who is very knowledgeable, personable, easy going, and had a great handle on the uniqueness of our group making sure everyone was taken care of. He was able to inspire and educate everyone about Turkey and was able to confidently admit that he didn't know an answer to someone's random question, but he immediately got on his phone to find out the correct answer. It was a great trip, saw a lot and this trip didn't have the long drives that the other trips had so it was a nice pace that held your interest. Really enjoyed staying at both vineyards, all the food was great because Tim explained everything so you knew how adventurous you were being and were able to stay in your comfort/safety zone. Would definitely recommend this trip and especially Tim as our guide again!!!!

The tour was full on as described but very interesting. Apart from having a lovely group, we were very lucky to have Timucin as our guide. He was full of energy and enthusiasm and went out of his way to accommodate our every wish. His knowledge of the sites was impressive.

Well organised, comprehensive coverage of Greek and Roman sites in south-west Turkey, with an outstanding, knowledgeable and enthusiastic leader.

Excellent leader - knowledgeable , friendly, always cheerful and passionate about the sites we visited

Comprehensive tour of stunning Ancient Greek and Roman cities in southern Türkiye all in very picturesque locations. The history brought to life by our excellent tour leader Timucin and very good local museums. Delicious local food and surprisingly good wine tasting.

The trip was well organised on a day by day experience. We followed the trip notes and each day were given a briefing on the next day's itinerary. We knew therefore what to wear , especially foot wear and what to expect.

This is an excellent trip, mainly visiting Greco-Roman sites in SW Turkey but also visiting scenic areas and going on short walks. Sites are a mixture of well known (eg Ephesus) and off the beaten track (eg Sagalassos). Great tour leader (Tim), good accommodation and good food.

Quite possibly the best tour I've done with Explore, out of around 20. If you are interested in classical history this is a must.

Excellent tour of archaeological sites in SW Turkey, with its variety of scenery and fascinating history. Organisation and itinerary were excellent. Our tour leader Tim was the very best. He was highly competent, knowledgeable with excellent communication skills. There was nothing he didn’t know about the history, geography, flora and fauna of the area we visited. He attended to all our needs including arranging great local restaurants for group lunches and dinners. The tour was fairly full on, but no early starts or really long journeys. There were 12 of us, we got on well. It was a bit of a risk to go in November but lovely weather, blue skies and no rain. And very few tourists! Food was very good. Hotels were good or excellent apart from the hotel in Elmali where there was no other choice in the vicinity. So many highlights, Aphrodisias, Ephesus and Sagalossos but also less visited sights like Termessos and Caunos. The optional boat trip Tim arranged for us on the free day at Kas could not have been better.

A very varied tour especially for people with an interest in greco, roman and byzantine antiquity. The natural scenery and some walks gave it a nice balance. The stay in Kas also gave us a chance of unwinding in a more "touristy" spot. In all, a highly enjoyable 12 days getting to know an area of the country steeped in history.