St. Paul Trail Pilgrimage (10-day)

Meeting with your guide and driver at Antalya airport. Transfer to Kaleiçi, the historical city centre of Antalya (30 mins) where you are surrounded by old mansions, hamams and mosques. Welcome dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight in a hotel in Kaleiçi, Antalya.

You’ll be driven from Antalya to the Köprülü Canyon (1,5 hrs). On the way, you’ll explore ancient Perge, an important harbour city in the Roman period. The drive inland takes you to the beautifully preserved Roman bridge (Oluk Köprü) across the Köprülü canyon. Nearby, icy cold waters feeding the river spring directly from the sources. After a short walk on the st. Paul Trail, you’ll reach the farmhouse with wooden bungalows for your dinner and overnight.

Transfer up to the ancient city of Selge (30 mins).

After exploring Selge with its many house ruins, a huge theatre and public buildings spread over several hillsides, you’ll start to walk on the old Roman road to Çaltepe village following the st. Paul Trail.

Dinner and overnight at pension in Çaltepe.

Drive to Kesme (1hr) and walk to Kasımlar, passing rural huts, ancient ruins and meeting many goats along the way. The spectacular route takes you over the rim of the canyon on old paved paths, down through unusual rock formations to a bridge across the river. The village of Kasımlar is located high on the slopes, with incredible views down the whole length of the canyon.

Dinner and overnight in village house in Kasımlar.

You’ll be transferred to the Tota pasture (20 mins) and walk back to Kasımlar. The walk takes you along a ridge top to the ruins of a Byzantine church and settlement. The descent is through the forest, which has an abundance of miniature wild tulips and other bulbs. From your high position, you can enjoy spectacular views. Dinner and overnight in same village house in Kasımlar.

Transfer to Adada ancient city (20 mins) where three major Roman temples are still standing along with the smallest ancient theatre in Anatolia. You’ll walk down along a well-preserved section of ancient Roman road where St. Paul may have walked himself (!). You’ll be driven to Sipahiler (20 mins) to start your hike over a pass in the forest, across spectacular limestone ridges and through an indigenous oak forest. The route descends to the small village of Serpil surrounded by orchards from where we drive to Eğirdir.

Today your walk starts (after a 30 min transfer) from a National Park for the protection of the endemic ‘volcanic oak’ forest. You’ll follow a forest path up to Belkuyu pass (from ca. 800 to 2100m). You’ll descend to the other side and to the Davraz ski resort. Your vehicle meets us here for a short transfer to Eğirdir.

Dinner and overnight at same pension in Eğirdir.

After a transfer to Akpınar village (20 mins) you’ll walk to the Prostanna ruins and to the top of Sivri Hill (1800m). Here you’ll enjoy amazing views across lake Eğirdir and the town as well as the surrounding mountains. You’ll walk back along the same route and enjoy a traditional lunch in Akpınar at a family-run restaurant with terraces viewing the lake before you drive back to Eğirdir.

After a transfer to Akpınar village (20 mins) we walk to the Prostanna ruins and to the top of Sivri Hill (1800m). Here you’ll enjoy amazing views across lake Eğirdir and the town as well as the surrounding mountains. You’ll walk back along the same route and enjoy a traditional lunch in Akpınar at a family-run restaurant with terraces viewing the lake, before being driven back to Eğirdir where you’ll spend the last night.

Dinner and overnight in same pension in Eğirdir.

You’ll head to Antalya (2,5 hrs) but on the way first take time to visit the site of ancient Sagalassos. It is impressive to see the fountain of the city which has been repaired with clay pipes and filled with water coming from the original source just as it did 2000 years ago.

If time allows, there is some free time for relaxing or last-minute shopping in Antalya before the airport transfer.