Turkey Bicycle Trips

I have been on 5 cycling holidays, and Explore Turkey cycling rates as one of the best. It is jam-packed not only with cycling but a range of fabulous activities and visits, from a mud bath on the first day which "broke the ice", a stunning trip on a gulet boat to Fethiye, visits to ancient sites, ecological visits, an amazing Turkish Bath (optional but well worth the experience!), not to mention the fabulous, authentic, Turkish food and diverse places that we cycled to. The hills of Turkey are rich with forests, lakes and isolated villages with stunning scenery and although some of the hills are challenging, there is invariably a picnic or tea stop at the top which makes the climb so rewarding. And of course, there is the back-up bus if you feel the climb is too difficult. A special shout-out to Paul the leader, who is extremely knowledgeable on Turkish history and culture and a really excellent cycle leader where nothing was too much trouble. I thoroughly recommend this trip but worth noting the trip notes – you will need a towel for the shower in the family accommodation. Plus, in October it was still hot (no complaints there!) but you will need high protection sun cream plus mosquito spray for the evenings, remembering to put it on which was something I forgot one night and paid the price. All in all a trip that I will remember fondly and so pleased I went.

Happily recommend this cycling trip. My first time in this area of Turkey and really enjoyed the scenery, food and hospitality. Thanks again to Paul our tour leader for a fantastic week, kept us very well organised in a very nice manner, his patience whilst cycling was very kind, and his knowledge of history was quite something, and infectious. A varied itinerary which was busy so made the most of the week, but as optional activities were often before dinner this allowed opportunity to opt out if wanted some extra downtime. First couple of nights in the same hotel which was good whilst got into the swing of things - then we moved hotel every following day, with a nice variety of locations and accommodation. The cycling could be tough at times, especially the 'uphill' day, not helped by hot weather (even for us in October) but our whole group managed and the joint sense of achievement was just lovely. Highlights would be enjoying the hospitality of local families (one breakfast, two lunches and a dinner - all just delicious), the trip to mudbath/ hot springs, ferry transfer very relaxing, trip to Haman good fun and quite an experience! Generally food on the trip was great My only tips - perhaps ensure you pack some long trousers for evenings - despite applying insect repellent I succumbed to some mozzie bites in some towns which were a bit of a pest. I had a really fabulous week cycling in Turkey!

Perfect mix of cycling, culture and cuisine. It was a nice group of people. Tour leader, Paul was very friendly and knowledgable about culture and history. Most accommodation had pools - so plenty of opportunities to relax. The afternoon with our own private boat was great fun, and so were the mudbaths and hammam. Hills most days, but scenic descents and great views - always the option of the backup vehicle, if needed a break.

An exquisite cycling holiday which fulfilled all the usual Explore essentials: plenty of variety both in cycling and other activities, beautiful accommodation throughout, rustic village hosts, great food/restaurant selections by the guide Paul, stunning scenery at every turn and plenty of ‘off the beaten track’. Paul has over 2 decades of experience in cycle guiding in Turkey, and it showed in his cycle guiding and knowledge of the language, culture and flora and fauna-I particularly enjoyed his linguistic insights and the visit to the local village mosque. Others in the group who were architecturally inclined enjoyed his love of history too. The bikes couldn’t have been better for the terrain and were very comfortable with plenty of gears. I tend to find Explore holiday bikes are usually not great quality, so this was a pleasant surprise. Turkey has far exceeded our expectations and this has been one of my best ever holidays. If you’re not afraid of a bit of hot weather and undulating terrain and want to get a glimpse into local Turkish life, then I highly recommend you book onto this trip! Thanks again Paul for the fantastic memories you’ve helped us make.

Turkey in winter was amazing! The people are friendly, food ia good, and the sites were breath-taking. Apart from this, our tour manager (Orcun) and driver (Mehmet) really made the experience even more special.

After raising a family, this was the first time I had travelled solo in 30 years. It was a leap of faith which resulted in an incredible holiday, amazing memories and amazing new friends. I'm already planning my next adventure.