Walking & Cruising Lycian Shore Traveller Reviews

A well-balanced mix of cruising, walking, dining and water-related activities in a small group environment built around an escorted archaeological tour with expert guides who provide the context needed to bring ancient sites and people alive once again.

This was our 4th Peter Sommer holiday. We are repeat customers because Peter and his team provide a unique experience that is focussed on providing both a fun and intellectually inspirational holiday. Guides - both professional and local - are passionate about the places and experiences that they share with guests.

This was another stimulating holiday experience with Peter Sommer Travels, and this time with the man himself (a dynamo of energy and infectious enthusiasm). The gulet was comfortable and well run, with friendly, perfectly judged service and a flexible approach on the part of captain and crew. The days were well planned, with fascinating site visits and an insight into Turkish life today. Cem, the local expert, proudly showed off his country and its people at their best (and its wines too!) whilst ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Highlight for me was the long visit to Pinara, where the many trees added romance to an already stunning site. Or was it watching the sun rise everyday, with our morning coffee; or the end of day meals with our fellow travellers; or...?

Peter and Cem were very flexible on the couple of occasions when we decided not to walk, for example arranging transport to the cable car up Babadag (a wonderful trip in itself), or arranging an afternoon snooze in a hammock in the garden of a friendly taverna in the middle of nowhere. The whole tour was well organised, easy to book, and the office staff friendly and informative.

Two weeks of small-group cruising and walking the wonderful Lycian coast in Turkey in the company of expert and engaging guides who shared their passion for the archaeology, history and culture of Turkey with us. There is no one element of this tour that deserves singling out over another as the magic of a Peter Sommer holiday is the way that each carefully thought out individual component combines into providing a truly memorable experience. This is not a passive 'luxury' holiday but rather the opportunity for an immersive experience where all senses are engaged and a renewed sense of delight at the beauty of our world and history serves to remind us of why we travel. And all in the company of like-minded fellow guests whose stories are as varied and interesting as the places that we visited. Every memory brings back a smile to our faces.

Peter Sommer Travels offers a unique small-group travel experience combining archaeology, history, and culture in the company of expert guides who are not just knowledgeable but are truly passionate about their subject matter and the places that you visit in their company. There are good reasons why Peter has so many repeat travellers and we are pleased to count ourselves amongst them.

Having been on two previous Peter Sommer holidays, our expectations of ‘Walking and Cruising the Lycian Shore’ were high. Our tour at the beginning of October was brilliant. It had been planned to encompass an incredible variety of experiences including archaeology, history, culture and cuisine, all in the context of hiking the beautifully scenic Mediterranean coast of Turkey. As well as being introduced to people and places on land, we had a great time in the company of the other members of the group on the gulet. Peter and Çem led the trip with energy, enthusiasm, humour and in-depth knowledge.

We are already planning further tours with Peter Sommer Travels. It is easy to communicate with the team when booking. They are professional and friendly, ready to answer any questions and to explain the practicalities of the tours in more detail. Transfers between the airport and gulet were well-organised.

Peter Sommer’s Walking and Cruising the Lycian Shore had been on my bucket list for the past five years. Covid postponed it for three years but we finally managed to do it in October 2023. And it was every bit as good, if not better, than I’d imagined it would be. Unfortunately Turkey’s autumn proved to be an extended summer and it was a challenge for us to do the hikes Peter had planned when it was 31-32 degrees C. Still it wasn’t a hardship as our choice to pull out of some of the hikes meant we could stay on our lovely gulet to relax and swim in beautiful waters.

Peter Sommer is an enthusiastic and incredibly knowledgeable archaeologist who took us on a journey through Turkey’s marvellous history in engaging style. Cem, the logistics manager proved to be a marvellous host, eager to share his passion for his homeland and to introduce us to Turkey’s delightful cuisine and wines.

We recently completed a two-week boat-based historical and archeological tour of Southern Turkey (The Lycian coast) with Peter Sommer Travels. We had an excellent experience and have no hesitation recommending this tour to people who are fit (some long walks) and enjoy learning about historical people and places. The tour was exactly as described in promotional material.

Peter Sommers provides a Gulet-based tour of the Turkish coastline. The boat was very professionally managed by a six-man crew who met all our needs. The tour guides (two) were excellent and gave thorough explanations of the history and events that occurred in this part of the world. Logistics were well-managed and food and beverage on the boat exceeded expectations.

Our trip with Peter Sommer Travels was fantastic. The trip itinerary, planning, execution and service level provided were all extraordinary. Peter himself led this tour and he was such a enthusiastic and well prepared host, every detail was well thought out and customer service onboard our gulet was second to none. The idea of hiking daily and coming back to room on a gulet every afternoon was great, antiquities by day and relaxation by night!

Peter Sommer was a fantastic tour guide and host. His knowledge of the area and the subject matter was incredible and his right hand man Cym was another jewel! Between the two of them we had a incredible breadth of knowledge and service. Peter and company did a great job for us and it will be a trip to remember and I will definitely be recommending Peter Sommer Travels to other travellers!

A grand experience Combining history, exercise, and fabulous Food! A must for anyone of any age that an interest in world History seeing what had been accomplished thousands Of years ago was breathtaking! You can read about it but seeing is certainly best! This is our third time with the Peter Sommers group Put this on your ten things to do before you die list!

This time we had Peter himself on board And now I see why everyone we had before Were so good! They learned from the best he is History knowledgeable Smart with hospitality and humility

The trip was an ideal balance of meals and leisure on a gulet, with daytime hiking adventures to ruins and villages, frequently off the beaten path. Our tour guide, Peter Sommer, brought his knowledge and experience in Turkey to lead us through. The “local” (highly educated and professional) guide is a perfect partner with Peter and added more perspective on culture, language and food - and some entertaining stories. The small group size of 10 guests made for super comfortable dynamics around dining, communication, traveling about, etc. Organization was seamless in making a couple of itinerary adjustments due to weather and hiking conditions. Food was fresh and diverse, representing Turkey and Mediterranean diet. Plenty of time planned for swimming in lovely moorages.

Attention to detail is obvious in all aspects of booking and tour conduct. Deep knowledge of and passion for the culture, language and history made the experience an education as well as a vacation. Highly professional, while also casual and comfortable. Our dining table felt like a (good) family gathering every day.

2 weeks of wonder, both in in-depth history and archeology and meeting and making amazing friends.

What a great fortune to have Peter and Gem leading the group. If i can retain 5% of the knowledge and experience of those two, I’ll be happy. So much passion for what they bring to their guests.