Countryside in Fethiye

Tour of Oludeniz Beach, Babadag cable car and ghost town Kayakoy

The area around Fethiye is packed with intriguing sites and areas of outstanding natural beauty. On this full day tour, you'll visit the eerie ghost town of Kayakoy, ride the Babadag cable car and have time to relax and swim at Oludeniz's famous Blue Lagoon. Elif, one of our expert local guides, says, ‘From the top of Mount Babadag, you can see a beautiful stretch of the Turquoise Coast, including the curving beach and lagoon at Oludeniz, which you've just visited. Watch the paragliders gliding down to land near the beach.'You'll start the morning heading straight to Oludeniz. It's a small resort best known for the two-kilometre-long curl of beach that shelters the Blue Lagoon. Basking on the warm sand, your toughest decision is whether to paddle in the bay or the calmer, shallower lagoon. Next, you'll ride the Babadag cable car for stunning views from the mountaintop. You'll have time to get something to eat at the top, after which you'll head back down to Kayakoy, one of the best-preserved ghost villages in Turkey.Wander silent streets that bristled with life before the population abandoned them over a century ago. Peek into the tiers of roofless houses, see the little school, and visit the basilica – still decorated with old frescos. Elif says, ‘There are close to 1,000 deserted stone houses in Kayakoy, as well as churches and chapels, even a bakery. The Greek villagers who lived here – and called it Leivissi – were forced to flee after WWI, and no one replaced them.'

Secret Valley Visit with Boat Cruise & Lunch

It's not too far from your resort to the Secret Valley, but it feels like a world away. This tour will see you boating through the valley's stunning canyons, before having a few hours of free time to relax and unwind. Drive through amazing mountainous scenery before boarding on to a traditional wooden river craft. Cruise lazily along the placid waters of the Secret Valley's reservoir, soaking up the views to a soundtrack of tweeting birds.When it's time to take a break, we'll stop at a sheltered spot on the edge of the lake. Soak up some sunshine and relax on one of the sunbeds here, before tucking into a typical local lunch. In the afternoon, you'll have some more time to sunbathe, give zip-lining a try and go for a stroll through the woods here, before hopping back on the boat and returning to the harbour where you started. From here, all that's left is the transfer back to your accommodation.

Dalyan at dusk tour with dinner and riverboat cruise

If you like the sound of riverside scenery and ancient tombs, then this tour ticks all the boxes. You'll explore the Dalyan Delta, starting with Dalyan's old town, followed by a barbecue dinner and an evening boat trip. Elif, one of our expert local guides, says, ‘Lycian Rock Tombs are elaborate burial chambers that were carved into the cliffs over two millennia ago by the Lycians to honour members of the ruling class. They are dramatically lit in the evening – it's a really atmospheric experience.'First up, you'll have a couple of hours to explore Dalyan's historic town centre under the twinkle of dusk. It's home to a variety of shops, cafés, and historical sites, and known for its traditional Turkish architecture, with Ottoman influences from the 16th-century. Look out for the intricately decorated Dalyan mosque – and the friendly locals.After your free time in town, it's time for dinner. You'll tuck into a Turkish barbecue at a riverside restaurant where you can relax and enjoy the locally sourced, freshly prepared food. And to round off the evening, you'll enjoy a tranquil boat ride along the Dalyan River to see the famous Lycian tombs carved into the rock face. These tombs date back to the 4th century BC – so they're almost 2,500 years old – and show influences of Anatolian, Greek and Persian designs.

Full-day Pamukkale and ancient Hierapolis tour

Pamukkale means 'cotton castle' in Turkish – and you'll soon see why as you set eyes upon this magical landscape. You'll also visit the adjacent ancient city of Hierapolis. Both are UNESCO-listed, so it's a two-in-one deal of Turkish historical gems.

Fethiye 4x4 safari tour to Saklıkent Gorge and Gizlikent Waterfall

The River Xanthos area has been the scene of action since ancient times – and the fun just keeps on coming with this excursion. You'll go on an open-top 4x4 safari through mountains and past villages before enjoying the chance to bathe in mud pools. This is the stuff of legend.Climb aboard your 4x4 and you'll start with a drive through the village of Zorlar. The village's Ottoman-style houses epitomise old Turkey. After trundling through fruit groves and getting wet 'n' wild with a water fight, you'll enjoy lunch at Gizlikent waterfall. Tuck into a host of tasty dishes with a backdrop of the waterfall.In the afternoon, there's an optional visit — for a small fee — to Saklıkent Gorge. Here, you can pay to do river tubing – settle on a rubber ring and float down the river for a couple of kilometres. If you're a landlubber, you can stay in the 4x4, meeting the rafters further downstream. And you'll also have the chance to bathe in some natural mud pools or play more water games, in which you'll get to squirt your family and friends with a blaster.

Kayakoy ghost town tour with Mount Babadag cable car

From an abandoned hillside village to the summit of Mount Babadağ, there's a variety of views on this tour. You'll feel like you've stepped back in time exploring Kayaköy, one of the best-preserved ghost villages in Turkey. Elif, one of our expert local guides, says, ‘There are close to one thousand deserted stone houses as well as churches and chapels, even a bakery. At one point there was a plan to convert the whole village into a tourist resort, but thankfully this historic place has been preserved.'We'll start off the tour in Kayaköy, which was abandoned by Greeks fleeing war in the 1920s. Now, their ghosts flit between the empty homes as you wander through silent streets that once rang with voices. Peek into roofless stone dwellings as your guide explains their tiered designs, and discover tiny chapels and a little school. Elif says, ‘The layout of the houses and the way they were lined up was to ensure none blocked another's view.' You'll also see the empty basilica, with its faded frescoes and mosaics. Eerie yet fascinating.Next up, we'll head to the foot of Mount Babadağ to hop on a cable car almost to the top. Enjoy eye-popping panoramic views over Fethiye and the coast below as you glide up to the top station below the summit. If you want to reach the very top, there is a chairlift available. The peak is popular with paragliders, so there's a good chance you'll see them drifting in the skyline. It's a feast for the eyes.