TURKISH LAKES AND TAURUS MOUNTAINS MTB AND E-MTB TOUR

Tour Highlights:

Riding scenic, challenging trails along the famous St Paul Trail trekking route
Plwnty of long, rewarding climbs, that perfectly lend themselves to using an E-Bike!
2000m pass above Lake Egirdir with stunning panoramic views and descent
Discovering the amazingly well preserved Roman road at Adada
Drinking tea with Yoruk nomads on mountain pastures of Dedegol and Davras
Exploring the extensive ancient Greek ruined city of Selge
White water rafting in the white waters of the Korprulu Canyon
Experiencing incredible local hospitality at the wonderful old village of Beydilli

Tour Details:

This challenging route skirts the new St Paul Trail over high mountains and through deep canyons from the little known Turkish Lake District towards it’s destination in the Koprulu Canyon near the Mediterranean coast. It passes through some of the greenest parts of the Taurus mountains, some of Turkey’s most impressive canyon scenery and the mountainous homelands of Yoruk nomads. It’s a true voyage of discovery and our most varied expedition- perfect for those with a thirst to discover what’s around the next corner!

Click here to view the full itinerary.

The Turkish Lake District Tour follows a little known network of remote dirt tracks, wonderful deserted roads, and rough singletrack migration routes, linking up historic sites via some of the Taurus Mountains’ most stunning scenery. This tour is perfect for those looking for an adventurous and challenging biking expedition in some of Turkey’s most beautiful and least explored landscapes! This is wilderness mountain biking with the maximum of diversity- remote, undiscovered terrain that brims with history and culture. You’ll meet semi nomadic shepherds and have the chance to stay in rustic villages where time has largely stood still.

Click here to view the full itinerary.

Why?

Our guide Jon Bawn lived in this region for a couple of years and this tour was developed out of the MTB routes he discovered during that time. It’s a result of local knowledge and grass routes no nonsense mountain biking and will appeal to adventurous MTB tourists.

When?

May to June and September to October offer the best riding conditions but this trek can be great in the summer too- the longer days actually making for a more relaxed itinerary with more time for exploring the many sights en route.

How?

The tour starts and finishes in Antalya where there are many flight options to suit all budgets. Please note that this tour is physically demanding, with daily elevation gains of well over 1000m- and as such requires a good level of fitness! Contact us if you need advice or assistance. Dutch riders click here to read the Op Pad review of this tour!

Tour Information:

Price (per person): 1700 Euro.
Minimum group size 6.
Maximum group size 12.
For groups of less than 6 a surcharge will be added to the price.

Options:
Single Supplement 400 Euro.
Bike Rental (Trek Roscoe 8): 360 Euros
eBike Rental (Trek Powerfly): 540 Euros.

Price includes:
7 nights hotel and pension accommodation. Transfers to and from Antalya airport. Professional MTB guide. Full use of support vehicle. All meals, snacks and tea and coffee at mealtimes.

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

Tour Length:
8 days.

Start / finish point:
Antalya.

Grade:
3-4: Challenging and requiring good fitness but less technical than the Cappadocia Singletrack tour.

Features:
6 days multi centre MTB. Varied terrain with some singletrack and wilderness sections.

Equipment advice: Tubes filled with “Slime” or other anti-puncture liquid are strongly recommended for this tour. The tour goes to some very out of the way places where in the event of technical or physical failure it could take a long time to get back to the minibus. Please contact us for advice on bike maintenance and spares to take.

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!