AEGEAN BOUTIQUE HOTEL ROAD BIKE TOURING

Tour Highlights:

Live the life of luxury in some of Turkey’s best boutique hotels
Flexible tour length (5 to 12 day programmes available)
Every option offers the highest possible standards of service and quality
Dine in well-chosen speciality restaurants
Cycle around the Bozburun peninsula with it’s beautiful remote coves
Discover little known beaches on the Dilek Peninsula
Overnight in the blissful solitude of Cokertme’s clear water bay
Relax on Dalyan’s protected turtle beach
Recuperate with a rest day, or explore local footpaths
Learn about the ancient city of Ephesus from an expert local guide

Tour Program:

This easy-going cycling tour is the finest and most complete holiday in the Biking in Turkey portfolio, designed from the ground up to meet world class service standards and exceed expectations every step of the way.

Based on our popular and highly praised Aegean Road Bike Touring programme, this tour breaks the route up into smaller, more manageable chunks, discarding anything other than the most perfect rides, and anchoring the evenings at superior boutique hotels throughout. With shorter distances averaging 50km per day the route retains enough hills to be challenging but leaves you with plenty of free time simply to enjoy your time with us. Whether you choose to explore historical sights, relax in blissful tranquility on little-known beaches or unwind and destress in the fine facilities of our hotels, you will relish the time and freedom. The route itself takes to a network of roads that link coastal mountains with paradise beaches and rugged peninsulas. It is a chance to experience the true beauty and character of Turkey’s less-developed seaside and coastal hinterland areas, far away from the hustle bustle of modern life.

We use small, family run hotels in wonderful locations that operate to the very highest standards. Turkey has embraced the boutique hotel concept with open arms, and it is with great pleasure that we have selected the accommodation listed here. Classy without being pretentious, these are upmarket places that make you feel at home. Above all, the hotels, whilst being luxurious, don’t drift too far from their Aegean roots- where quality reigns over quantity and a personal touch and understated simplicity distances them from larger, more touristic 5-star places.

You will eat delicious, fine food in authentic restaurants throughout the tour, and should you go for a guided or supported self-guided option you will learn a great deal about the “Aegean kitchen” from your accompanying local expert. All tastes are well catered for, and meal selection always let you express your preferences and choose your dishes, even when a la carte is not available. Much more than a cycling holiday, this is a true experience of Aegean life and we know you will go home healthy and happy.

The guided tours and many of the supported self-guided programmes are led by a local professional cycling guide with excellent English and an encyclopedic knowledge of the area. Not only will you learn a great deal and enjoy his warm, calm and well humoured company, but he will ensure that dining experiences are perfectly tailored to your tastes and you will relish the fresh, healthy food that (when done properly) makes the Aegean kitchen so special. Food is definitely a highlight of this tour!

Self guided options tours let you explore Turkey by bike at your own speed, leaving plenty of time for sightseeing, time on the beach, or lazy mornings by the hotel pool… A full route map, tour itinerary and GPS files will be supplied, so navigation is easy too!

Tour Options:

Choose the tour format that suits you best:

1: Guided Group Departures
By riding with one of our professional guides you will not only learn so much about the places you ride through, but enjoy the company and companionship that social cycling provides. These tours include all meals at excellent and well-chosen restaurants, although you may choose to eat together with or separately from your guide and driver.

2: Fully Supported Self-Guided
This new option puts one of our professional biking guides in the driving seat of your support vehicle. It’s the best way to enjoy the support and assistance that a fully guided tour provides but gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace and make your own choices. Not only will your baggage be transported from hotel to hotel but you will enjoy full technical support and route assistance at every stage- just like having a driver and a guide in one. This option includes evening meals but lunches are extra. Please ask for prices for groups larger than 2 Pax as the quoted rate is based on 2 people sharing a support car and driver / guide and larger parties will always cost less. Dates tailored to your preference and departures are available throughout the year.

3: Self-Guided
For those who prefer the freedom and value that self-guided tours offer, this is the best option. Your baggage will be transported from hotel to hotel, and you will still have a support car and driver following you (out of sight) along the route. But with this option your driver may not speak much English, and certainly won’t have the skills or knowledge of an expert guide. These tours are bed and breakfast only, leaving you free to make your own meal arrangements. We can add a half board supplement if you prefer, and all hotels are able to produce excellent meals. Please ask for prices larger than 2 Pax as the quoted rate is based on 2 people sharing a support car and driver. Dates tailored to your preference and departures are available throughout the year.

Practical Details:

The Aegean coast is substantially less developed than the Mediterranean and is perhaps the best place to take a road biking holiday in Turkey. The absence of a major coastal highway, combined with a maritime geography of wooded peninsulas, inlets and islands and a blissful climate makes this a perfectly idyllic and intriguing area. Average daily distance is 50km but the route is quite hilly in places and this can represent a good challenge for any cyclist.

The weather is generally fine, beaches are superb, roads are good, and the quality of restaurants and accommodation excellent. The tour is possible at any time of the year but best between April and June, and September and November to avoid the summer heat.

Fly into Izmir and back from Dalaman international airports where a host of affordable flight options are available. Many people enjoy a stopover in Istanbul for 2-4 days either on the outward or return leg. It’s also possible to return to Izmir at the end of the tour or transfer from Dalaman at the beginning- we can arrange an extra one-way transfer.

Tour Information:

Price (per person):
Prices are based on the standard 10 day programme, for other tour length prices, please ask. There are 3 options available:

1: Guided

Price 4150 Euro.
Including all meals and snacks.

Price based on 2 people travelling with a guide and driver
Please ask for group rates.

2: Supported Self-Guided.

Price: 3300 Euro.
Includes 9 evening meals at top quality restaurants and English speaking professional guide / fixer / driver, at your disposal 24/7.

Price based on 2 people travelling.

3: Self-Guided.

Price: 2800 Euro.

Bed and Breakfast only.

Price based on 2 people travelling.

Price includes:

9 nights superior quality boutique hotel accommodation. Transfers from Izmir and to Dalaman airports. Full use of support vehicle.

Price does not include:
Flights. Alcoholic and soft drinks available at camps or restaurants, drinks and extras at optional cafe stops and entrance fees to historical sites and museums. Tips for guides and driver.

Options:
Single Supplement: 800 Euro.
Please ask for solo traveller prices.
Bike Rental (Trek FX hybrid road / sport bikes): 300 Euros
Road Bike Rental (High quality road bikes with alu or carbon frames. Price depending on availability): 300-550 Euros
eBike Rental (Trek Powerfly): 580 Euros

Dates:
Available year round but best in April – May and September – October

Tour Length:
10 days / 9 nights

Start / finish point:
Izmir / Dalaman

Grade:
3: Suitable for most riders. Daily distances of around 50km leave plenty of time for sightseeing and relaxing.

Features:
8 days multi centre road bike touring. Some sections with poor quality tarmac. Very little traffic. Quite simply the ultimate cycling holiday!

Equipment advice:
A road or lightweight touring bike plus proper cycling clothing, shoes and pedals is recommended for this tour although many people prefer a flat handlebar MTB / hybrid.

Private Tour Reservation Form

Getting here:+-

Unless you are coming from a neighbouring country, the easiest way to get here is by air. Turkish Airlines are the best place to go as they offer connecting flights to regional airports such as Kayseri (Cappadocia), Izmir or Dalaman (Aegean) and Erzurum (Kackar). Our parent company middleearthtravel based in Goreme, Cappadocia, is a fully affiliated Turkish Airlines sales agent and offers highly competitive prices. We can also include flights in your tour package- please email or comment on this page with your request. It’s our job to help you find the flight you need.

Travelling with your bike:+-

Whether you travel by air, sea or land, travelling with a bike can present challenges but is on the whole straightforward as long as you find out the rules and regulations from your carrier before hand! We have found the best way to fly with a bike is to package it with the minimum of cardboard so only the fragile bits are protected. That way, airport staff cn clearly see it’s a bike, and are more likely to treat it as such. Remember to let down the tyres, remove the pedals and turn the handlebars straight though! Bike boxes and purpose build carrying cases are another option. We can often store these at your arrival point. Note that we will go to all possible lengths to assist you with packing up your bike for the return journey!

Transfers:+-

We will meet the flights specified by you on the booking form but please let us know if you make any changes. Transfers are included in the price of the tour.

Vehicle Support:+-

We use high quality modern minibuses to transport passengers and baggage, plus purpose built bike trailers for the bikes. We don’t cut corners on here- on many occasions it is our only link with the outside world so we choose vehicles and drivers very carefully! The best thing about a fully vehicle supported tour is that, road network permitting, you can ride as much or as little as you like!

Visas:+-

Certain nationalities are required to purchase a Turkish visa on entering the country, others must arrange it before hand. Check out our page Travelling to Turkey and Tom Brosnahan’s Turkey Travel Planner to find out what you need! Note it is your responsibility to obtain the correct visa!