How to hike the Lycian Way and
what to bring along

If you are ok with the minimum amount of stuff, such as underwear, toothpaste, shampoo, and (of course!) your phone and chargers, then you can take a 25-liter backpack and stay in guesthouses.

The Lycian Way is very good for such a hike because there are many villages and you can definitely find a hotel in every village that is along your way. To do that, you need to book a hotel in advance. If you do not book it, be ready that some of the guesthouses will be full and you will spend more time finding accommodation for the night.

I must say that not all parts of the Lycian Way are perfect for such an option because you also might take into consideration shops that are available in the villages where you can refill your food provision for daily consumption. Since you do not bring camping equipment, you have to cover your daily planned destination between the villages, otherwise, there will be no place for you to sleep. If you want to hike this backpack-free way, good logistic preparation is required.

As for the luggage, which you brought to Turkey: you may leave it in a hotel or in a storage room in. a bigger city like Antalya or Fethiye, taking with you only necessities.

Then for the hike itself, you will need:
• comfy clothes,
• shoes (!), and a
• backpack where you can put water,
• a first aid kit,
• some food which you can refill in villages
• and your phone.

Trekking poles are useful but it is possible to hike without them. Also, you can take a sit mat, thermos, sunscreen, and other things that you will use during the day.

This way to hike is quite similar to the previous one. You hike backpack-free, but you ask a local driver to deliver your luggage from one village to another. It would be best for your case if you have a laptop or some other luggage with you, which is not necessary during the hike but which you need to use every evening. This way also requires good preparation before the hike: guesthouse and luggage transfers booking. And you still have to be sure that you will cover your planned distance every day.

The list of stuff remains the same as in the previous option:
• comfy clothes,
• shoes (!), and a
• backpack where you can put water,
• a first aid kit,
• some food which you can refill in villages
• and your phone.

Trekking poles are useful but it is possible to hike without them. Also, you can take a sit mat, thermos, sunscreen, and other things that you will use during the day.

In the evening, when you arrive at your hotel or a guesthouse, you will enjoy using your laptop or other stuff, which was delivered there by car :)

Let’s assume you want to camp, but due to some health issues, you cannot carry a heavy backpack. Then you could do similarly as was written above — hike lightweight and find a local driver, who will deliver your backpacks with all the equipment to a place, where you plan to camp. It will be like this: you camp, in the morning you pack your stuff and give it to the driver, then you hike backpack-free, and in the evening the driver brings your camping equipment to your next camping spot where you walked. You can now enjoy your night in nature, perfect!

Some important notes:

1. This option is not implementable everywhere. Somewhere there are no roads for cars, so again, good preparation is required. In this case, you also need to consider open shops where you can refill your provision, because if you camp, then you cook food on your own.
2. Even if all your stuff will be transferred by car, you will still have to carry it for a while. I do not think you would prefer to camp just next to the road, so you will take your belongings a bit away from it on your shoulders.

What to bring along in this case:

• Comfy clothes and shoes,

• Backpack where you can put water and daily necessary stuff,

• First aid kit,

• Backpack for your camping stuff: in case when you do not carry your backpack during the day, you may take any backpack, regardless of its weight and additional options such as back ventilation and straps features.

• Tent: can be also of any weight. In terms of the season, I always use my Big Agnes Fly Creek UV2, even in January.

• Sleeping bag: this is a very important thing. I took 3 different sleeping bags with me and here is what I have to say. If you plan to deliver your backpack by car, take a sleeping bag of any weight, but make sure it is warm enough. If you hike during October-November on the eastern part of the trail, especially near Takhtaly mount, I recommend taking 0 degrees comfort temperature bag. When you camp near Takhtaly mount, the temperature during the night might be 0−5℃. You can always unzip your sleeping bag when it is too hot, but you cannot do much when you are frozen.

• Sleeping mat: I prefer inflammable ones. You can also camp with more simple ones, such as this one. Choosing a mat you should also consider the season when you plan to hike.

• Gas cooker, lighter, and utensils: take any you like. I took cheap gas cookers but several times they got broken. It might be very crucial when you camp, so I think of buying JetBoil next time.

• Food for 2-3 days;

• You may also take a solar battery.

This option is for you if you want to enjoy camping and observing the clear night sky. And you are ready to backpack. Compared to the other ways of hiking, this option has much more freedom. I would only consider camping spots and grocery markets' opening times. You might pick any part of the Lycian Way and set off.

Since the weight of your backpack is important, there is no need to take food for all 10 days of your hike. You will pass villages with grocery markets every 2-3 days on any part of the Lycian Way. I will write more details about the markets on the way describing each part of the trail in my blog later on.

What to bring along in this case:

• Still: comfy clothes and shoes. You may take an additional set of clothes for sleeping in a tent;

• First aid kit;

• Backpack: take the lightest one which fits your back perfectly;

• Tent: obviously, the lighter the better. I always use my Big Agnes Fly Creek UV2, even in January.

• Sleeping bag: make sure it is warm enough. If you hike during October-November on the eastern part of the trail, especially near Takhtaly mount, I recommend taking 0 degrees comfort temperature bag. When you camp near Takhtaly mount, the temperature during the night might be 0−5℃. You can always unzip your sleeping bag when it is too hot, but you cannot do much when you are frozen.

• Sleeping mat: I prefer inflammable ones. You can also camp with more simple ones, such as this one. Choosing a mat you should also consider the season when you plan to hike.

• Gas cooker, lighter, and utensils: take any you like. I took cheap gas cookers but several times they got broken. It might be very crucial when you camp, so I think of buying JetBoil next time.

• Solar battery, if you plan to use your phone pretty often;

• Food for 2-3 days.