Guided St. Paul Trail Hiking Tour | Private & Tailor-Made

Description

Explore the St. Paul Trail with a Licensed Guide

Our guided St. Paul Trail hiking tour brings together mountain walks, ancient heritage and local hospitality in Turkey’s Taurus Mountains. Your guide accompanies each walking day, helps manage the pace and introduces the landscapes and communities along the way.

The full trail extends for approximately 500 km between the Antalya region and Yalvaç. This programme covers selected stages rather than the entire route. We tailor the walks, cultural visits and overnight stops to your available time, interests and hiking experience.

Places to Discover on Your Guided Journey

Depending on the selected stages, your programme can include the following natural and historical highlights. Your guide provides context along the way, while your final itinerary confirms the walking sections, site visits and any connecting transfers.

Highlights Along the St. Paul Trail

The St. Paul Trail has different branches and walking stages. Depending on your route and available time, your tailor-made programme can include the following highlights. Your final itinerary confirms which sites you visit on foot and which require a transfer.

Perge Ancient City

Near Antalya, Perge marks one of the trail’s southern starting points. A visit introduces the ancient heritage of the region before your journey continues into the Taurus Mountains.

Köprülü Canyon and Selge

The alternative southern branch starts at Beşkonak, at the entrance to Köprülü Canyon National Park. Walking stages in this area can include the mountain landscapes and ancient remains around Selge.

Adada Ancient City

The trail’s two southern branches meet at Adada. Its archaeological remains and surrounding paths make it a rewarding stop for walkers interested in the ancient history of inland Anatolia.

Lake Eğirdir and Lakeside Villages

The Eğirdir area brings lake views and village life into the journey. The town also serves as a practical base for accommodation and transfers between selected walking stages.

Yalvaç and Pisidian Antioch

Yalvaç marks the northern end of the trail. Nearby Pisidian Antioch adds an important early Christian heritage visit to the journey, connecting the walking experience with the history associated with St. Paul.

These highlights are options across the wider route, not a fixed sightseeing checklist. We select a practical combination around your walking ability, interests and travel dates. Entrance fees remain excluded unless your personalised quote states otherwise.

Your Tailor-Made Walking Journey

Local Stays and Regional Food

Stay in local pensions and small hotels selected for your route and budget. Breakfast and dinner are included in the agreed programme, with picnic lunches or local meals during walking days where available. Accommodation standards and facilities vary between locations.

Guiding, Transfers and Luggage Support

Your licensed guide leads the walking stages, explains the daily plan and helps coordinate the journey. You can focus on the walk without managing route-finding on your own.

We organise the transfers listed in your itinerary and luggage transport between overnight stops. During the walks, you carry a daypack with water, layers and personal essentials.

Antalya Airport & Trail Transfers

If Antalya Airport is the starting or finishing point of your journey, we can also arrange a private transfer from Antalya Airport to selected St. Paul Trail access points and accommodation.

This can include transfers towards areas such as Perge, Beşkonak, Köprülü Canyon and other suitable road-accessible points, depending on your itinerary. We can also arrange the return journey at the end of your walk.

Tell us which section you plan to walk. We can help determine the most practical vehicle access point for your itinerary.

When to Go and What to Expect

Recommended Seasons

Spring and autumn are generally the preferred seasons for this journey. Conditions vary with altitude and travel dates, and mountain weather can change. We plan the walking stages around seasonal conditions.

Walking Difficulty

The trail includes uneven ground, climbs, descents and remote sections with limited facilities. A reasonable level of fitness and previous hiking experience are recommended. We adjust daily distances and route choices where practical, but some stages remain demanding.

Your final programme will specify walking distances, expected walking times and elevation changes. Bring trekking shoes and a 15–20 litre daypack for water, layers and other daily essentials.

What Is Included?

The following services form the basis of our guided programme. Your personalised quote confirms the final arrangements.

• Accommodation in local pensions and hotels.
• Breakfast and dinner at the agreed overnight stays.
• Picnic lunches or local lunches where available, as listed in the itinerary.
• Main programme transfers and luggage transfers.
• Professional licensed guiding and tour organisation.
• A HikeInTurkey canvas bag with practical small gifts.

Insurance: The insurance included in your package, its coverage and any exclusions will be specified in your personalised quote.

Not Included

• Museum and archaeological site entrance fees.
• Additional transfers not listed in the agreed itinerary.
• Personal expenses, snacks and beverages during meals.
• Turkish bath, massage and spa services.

Extend Your Journey in Turkey

You can combine your St. Paul Trail programme with a Lycian Way walking tour or a journey through Eastern Anatolia. We plan the connection around your schedule, interests and available transport.

Plan Your Guided St. Paul Trail Hiking Tour

Tell us your preferred dates, number of days, group size, hiking experience and approximate budget. Let us know which places or experiences matter most to you. We will prepare a personalised itinerary and quote.

Request Your Tailor-Made Itinerary

You can also email info@outdoorinturkey.com or contact us via WhatsApp on +44 7404 277 688 or +90 542 311 97 70.

Guided programmes are led by TUREB-licensed guides and arranged by Globe Outdoors Travel, TÜRSAB Document No. A-17542.

About the St. Paul Trail

The St. Paul Trail is one of Turkey’s major long-distance walking routes, crossing the landscapes of the Taurus Mountains between the Antalya region and Yalvaç in Isparta Province.

The complete trail covers approximately 500 kilometres and follows a modern walking route inspired by the journeys associated with St. Paul the Apostle through this part of Anatolia.

One branch begins near Perge, close to Antalya, while another approaches the mountains through the Köprülü Canyon and Selge area. The routes eventually continue north through the Taurus Mountains towards Lake Eğirdir and Yalvaç, where the archaeological site of Pisidian Antioch forms an important historical connection with the story of St. Paul.

The St. Paul Trail is not simply a route between archaeological sites. Much of its character comes from the changing landscapes between the Mediterranean and the Anatolian interior.

What Is the St. Paul Trail Like?

Compared with Turkey’s better-known coastal walking routes, much of the St. Paul Trail passes through a quieter and more mountainous landscape.

Depending on the section, walkers may encounter:

• Mountain paths and old village tracks.
• Sections of historic stone and Roman roads.
• Pine, cedar and juniper forests.
• Canyons, valleys and high mountain landscapes.
• Small villages and pastoral areas.
• Archaeological sites from different periods of Anatolian history.
• Remote sections with limited services.

The landscape changes considerably along the route. Lower sections near Antalya have a Mediterranean character, while higher and more inland stages enter very different mountain and plateau environments.

Do You Need to Walk the Entire Trail?

No. Although the complete St. Paul Trail extends for approximately 500 kilometres, it does not need to be approached as a single end-to-end journey.

The trail consists of different branches and stages, making it possible to select sections according to your available time, walking experience and interests.

A shorter journey might concentrate on several connected walking stages, while a longer programme can combine different parts of the route using transfers where necessary.

This flexibility is particularly useful because the character, altitude and difficulty of the trail vary considerably from one section to another.

History Along the Trail

The route takes its name from St. Paul the Apostle and the journeys associated with the spread of early Christianity through Anatolia.

Perge and Pisidian Antioch are particularly important to this historical context. However, the modern walking trail should not be understood as an exact reconstruction of every step taken by St. Paul.

It is better understood as a long-distance walking route connecting landscapes, settlements and archaeological sites associated with the wider geography through which these journeys took place.

The trail also reaches far beyond early Christian history. Roman roads, ancient settlements, village paths and the continuing rural life of the Taurus Mountains reveal many different layers of Anatolia.

Walking Conditions & Difficulty

The St. Paul Trail is generally suited to walkers who already have some experience on natural hiking trails.

Conditions vary considerably between stages. Some sections follow relatively straightforward paths, while others include sustained climbs and descents, rough or uneven ground and remote terrain.

Daily distance alone is therefore not a reliable measure of difficulty. Elevation gain, trail surface, weather, altitude and access to water or services can all affect the walking day.

No technical climbing is normally required on the standard walking routes, but a reasonable level of fitness, suitable trekking footwear and appropriate outdoor equipment are recommended.

When to Walk the St. Paul Trail

Spring and autumn are generally the main walking seasons, but conditions depend strongly on altitude and the section of trail.

Spring

Spring can bring mild temperatures to lower elevations and a rich variety of vegetation and wildflowers. At higher elevations, conditions may remain cooler and can be affected by late snow or seasonal water levels.

Autumn

Autumn often brings cooler walking temperatures after the summer heat. Conditions can vary between the Mediterranean-facing sections and the higher inland stages.

Summer and Winter

Summer temperatures can become very high in lower sections, while the higher mountains have their own conditions. During winter, snow and cold weather can affect access to elevated sections of the route.

For this reason, the best section to walk depends not only on the month but also on altitude, current conditions and the itinerary itself.

Accommodation Along the St. Paul Trail

Accommodation varies considerably along the route.

Depending on the selected stages, walkers may use family-run pensions, village guesthouses and small local hotels. Larger settlements such as Eğirdir provide more accommodation options, while remote sections have fewer services.

Local accommodation is part of the character of the journey. Facilities and standards can vary, but these stays provide opportunities to experience the villages and regional food of inland Anatolia rather than simply passing through the landscape.

Some itineraries may also use camping where appropriate, but camping is not necessary for every St. Paul Trail journey.

A Trail Through More Than One Landscape

One of the most interesting characteristics of the St. Paul Trail is its variety.

It connects the Mediterranean hinterland with the Taurus Mountains, archaeological landscapes with living villages, and ancient roads with paths still used by local communities.

For walkers, this means that the experience changes as the journey progresses. The St. Paul Trail is not simply about completing kilometres. It is a way of travelling slowly through a part of Turkey where geography, history and everyday rural life remain closely connected.

Participation Limitations: To ensure a comfortable and efficient experience, the number of participants is limited. Please consider this when planning your trip.

Pre-Booking Options: Pre-booking is available for participants arriving before or after the program dates to help with accommodation and logistics.

Arrival and Departure Information: We recommend sharing your arrival and departure details (dates and times) with our team in advance. This information is necessary to arrange transfers to the city center or airport.

Optional Transfers: For participants who wish to stop the program at a certain point during the day, optional transfers can be arranged at a suitable location. Please note that this incurs an additional cost to be covered by the participant.

Clothing and Equipment: A detailed list of mandatory and optional clothing and equipment will be provided separately before the program.

Health Conditions: Participants with allergies or chronic conditions are required to inform our team during registration to ensure proper precautions are taken. This activity is not recommended for individuals with conditions such as high blood pressure, asthma, rheumatism, or epilepsy, as it may be difficult to manage emergencies in nature. Please consult with our team in advance if you have concerns.

Route and Weather Conditions: Mandatory route changes may occur due to weather conditions, such as heavy rain, strong winds, or storms. Final decisions will be made by the guide, and participants are expected to comply with these changes, including modifications to boat tours.

Cancellation and Refund Policy: Due to the limited availability of accommodations in local and remote areas. Many of the lodgings we work with are small, family-run businesses with only a few rooms, making it difficult to cancel or rebook. To secure your spot, a deposit is required at the time of booking. This deposit is non-refundable, except in cases of force majeure. However, if the program is cancelled by us, the full pre-payment will be refunded.

All programs are conducted by TUREB-licensed guides and arranged by TÜRSAB-certified agency Globe Outdoors Travel (TÜRSAB Document No. A-17542)