How Long Is the Lycian Way?

The four sections — how the 540 km breaks down

The trail divides naturally into four sections, each walkable as a standalone trip:

After Çıralı the trail splits: the mountain line over Mt Tahtalı (Çıralı → Beycik → Gedelme) runs ~122 km to Antalya, the coastal line through Tekirova and Phaselis ~136 km. The 540 km published length counts both of those plus the lettered variants, which is why it is larger than any single end-to-end walk. See the stage-by-stage breakdown.

Distance per stage — full breakdown

Click any stage on the stages page for the full guide — elevation profile, water sources, where to sleep, and what you'll see.

How long does it take to walk a stage?

The Lycian Way's rocky limestone surface is slower than most European trails. Realistic walking speeds:

Add +10 minutes per hour for breaks to convert pure walking time to clock time. A 6-hour walking-time stage is typically 7–7.5 hours from leaving the pension to arriving at the next.

How long is the Lycian Way in miles?

336 miles of waymarked route; about 292 miles on a single end-to-end line. Section by section:

How does the Lycian Way compare to other long-distance trails?

Honest comparison vs the Camino on cost, crowds, terrain and food: Lycian Way vs Camino de Santiago.

Don't have time for the full 540 km? — popular shorter routes

How is the 540 km measured?

The 540 km figure is the cumulative GPS-traced length of the official waymarked route as maintained by the Culture Routes Society. It counts every waymarked kilometre — both the Tahtalı and the Tekirova–Phaselis lines, and the lettered variants — not the road shortcuts that some hikers take to skip dry stretches. Because you can only walk one line through each split, a single end-to-end walk comes to about 470 km over Mt Tahtalı, or about 485 km round the Tekirova coast.

Older guidebook editions list the trail at 509 km or 516 km. The current 540 km reflects post-2020 reroutes around new construction (especially around Adrasan and Kaş) and the addition of the inland Beycik alternative. If you walk every variant — coastal Tekirova plus inland Beycik plus Tahtalı summit — you'll log closer to 580 km.

For the actual GPX file used by the offline app, see the interactive map & downloads.

How fit do I need to be for these distances?

The realistic baseline is being able to walk 15–20 km on rolling terrain in a day with a 5 kg pack, and feel fit to walk again the next morning. That's enough for the Highlights Trek and the western route's gentler stages. The full thru-hike with its consecutive 18–22 km days needs a 12-week build-up for most desk-bound adults.

Full preparation plan, with weekly distance targets: how to train for the Lycian Way.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Lycian Way?

540 km / 336 miles, divided into 27 walking stages. The route runs along Turkey's southwest Mediterranean coast from Fethiye in the west to Antalya in the east.

How many days does the Lycian Way take?

25–30 walking days for the full thru-hike, plus 2–4 rest days. Faster hikers do it in 22–25 days; relaxed walkers including longer stops can take 35+. Sectional trips: a week for the Highlights Trek, two weeks for Fethiye → Kaş.

What's the longest single stage?

Kalkan to Kaş — 54.1 km inland via Bezirgan and Gökçeören — is the longest cut of all, walked over two or three days. Demre to Finike (35.5 km, 1,963 m of ascent) and Xanthos to Patara (34.4 km) come next, and both are usually split or shortened by dolmuş. The longest most walkers take in one day is Göynük to Hisarçandır, 28.1 km with 1,728 m of ascent. The Tahtalı stage, Beycik to Gedelme (23.5 km with 1,613 m of ascent), is the most demanding of the lot — most hikers split it across two days or take the Olympos cable car instead.

What's the shortest stage?

Olympos to Çıralı at 2.3 km from the ruins entrance, often walked as a half-day trip with the Chimaera flames in the evening. Tekirova to Phaselis (4.7 km) and Kaş to Limanağzı (4.2 km) are also short, often walked on rest days.

How long does it take to walk a stage?

5–8 hours of walking time for most stages. Add ~10 minutes per hour for breaks to get clock time. A 6-hour walking-time stage is typically 7–7.5 hours from leaving the pension to arriving at the next.

How long is the Lycian Way in miles?

336 miles of waymarked route; about 292 miles on a single end-to-end line. Western coast 71 mi, central 83 mi, Demre/Olympos 63 mi, eastern mountains 76 mi.

Is 540 km the same as walking the full coast of Turkey?

No — the Lycian Way covers only the historical Lycian coast, Turkey's southwest. Turkey has nine other long-distance Culture Routes covering different regions (Carian Way, Hittite Trail, St Paul Trail, etc.). The full Mediterranean coast of Turkey is over 1,500 km.

Can I walk just a section?

Most hikers do. The trail is designed to be modular — every stage ends in a village with road access, so you can walk a section, catch a dolmuş back to your start, or chain together any combination. See the individual stages to pick what fits your time and fitness.