Horse riding in Turkey

Turkey

On this trail you’ll see loads of different landscapes while you ride over the historic Lycian trail. This place in Turkey is bursting with history and incredible views. You’ll ride your Arabian horse over the beach and its neighbouring sand dunes of the ancient city Patara, with stunning ruins, theatres and castles left and ride. You really get an idea of how these ancient cities and its people used to be and live. You’ll also gallop over the beach and ride through the mountains where you’ll find even more ancient cities to explore on horseback. 

Our upcoming equestrian meet-up in Turkey is in April 2024, click here to book.

Also read: Beach riding equestrian meet-up in Turkey 2023

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The horses, rides and guide on your Lycian Way horse riding holiday

The horse rides are stunning, you’ll gallop over the beach and explore mountains and ancient cities. Your main guide on the trip will be Ercihan. Ercihan owns the horses and is a very good horse rider himself, with lots of experience with through rides in Turkey and endurance races. You’ll be riding between 4 and 6 hours every day and you’ll be starting in different places on horseback every day to see the beautiful and varied landscape of Turkey's South Coast. The horses are certainly lean, but muscular and well taken care of. Their hooves are in perfect condition and the tack fits them well. They are excited on rides and love the gallops over the beach. They are alert but not scared of anything. I rode several different horses during my trip to Turkey and fell in love with Ercihan's beautiful mare called Anadolu. She is super soft and overall a great horse to ride, she is a fantastic lead horse with some spice which makes her perfect for strong intermediate and experienced riders. The other horses I rode were also lovely but some do have hard mouths, which I personally don’t love so much, however it was not a problem as the horses for the rest are extremely well behaved! I also rode the only gelding of the herd, he is a lovely and safe ride and has a nicely soft mouth. He has a very fast gallop compared to most of the herd! Overall I definitely found horses that I loved riding here. They are also super confident on different terrain, and pretended to be mountain goats as soon as we hit the rocks on the mountains. 

On this trip, the plan is no plan! We go with the flow and do what's fun!
Horse and rider in the mountains of turkey on the Lycian way
Anadolu!

Accommodation during your horse riding trail

The accommodation is a beautiful hotel where I also had the pleasure of staying during my trip. The host of the hotel was a lovely Turkish man that spoke about 3 words of English. He was a fantastic host though and in an infectiously good mood everyday, we were able to communicate by pointing at stuff and some broken English. My host brought me lovely breakfasts up to my room every day. The entrance and restaurant of the hotel are beautifully decorated with Turkish murals and statues. There is a lovely garden to lounge in. The rooms are stunning with a view of the mountain and a balcony. 

On my way back, I stayed the night in Fethiye before heading to the airport. I stayed at the fantastic Belci City residence close to the bus station.

ancient city patara in turkey on horseback
The ancient city of Patara

Information the Lycian way horse riding holiday in Turkey ‍

The price of one week of horse riding along the Lycian way is 1995 euros. The 2025 price is 2195 euros.

Included: hotel, meals, transfers from Dalaman airport, horse riding

‍Excluded: drinks, tips, optional activities, flights, insurance, single supplement

Ercihan takes 2 to 8 riders on the Lycian way trail. The weight limit for this horse riding holiday in Turkey is 95 kg. 

horse and rider galloping on the beach in turkey
Beach gallops!

How to book your horse riding holiday in Turkey

To book this trip you can contact me directly. These trails run from October to May each year! Payments are done through Wise, you can create an account here which gives you a discounted fee on your first transfer. To confirm your booking you will put down a 30% deposit, and full payment is due 90 days before the start of your horse riding holiday. Our upcoming equestrian meet-up will be from 4 to 10 April 2024, hosted by our very own Hanna. You can also choose your own dates for a horse riding holiday between October and May!

Please do not hesitate to contact me here or on instagram with any questions you might have or if you would like help with booking your horse riding holiday to Turkey. I am also more than happy to find the perfect ride for you anywhere else around the world! 

Horses and riders on the beach at sunset in Turkey
The sand dunes of the ancient city Patara
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