Mountain Hikes in Middle East

Hike the Lycian Way along Turkey's Mediterranean coast, climbing up Musa Dagi pass for views of the Taurus Mountains before heading down to turquoise bays in Olympos National Park. Daily walks take you past ancient ruins in Simena and Myra—Roman theaters, Byzantine walls, and rock tombs carved into cliffs.

Climb Mount Ararat to its 5,137m summit, starting from base camp at 3,200m and moving through volcanic terrain to high camp at 4,200m before reaching the peak where Noah's Ark is believed to have landed. Cross the Ararat Glacier at 4,750m using crampons and catch sunrise views that stretch to Elbruz in the Caucasus and Mount Damavand in Iran.

This self-guided 8-day trek takes you along St. Paul's Way across Turkey's Taurus Mountains, walking pastoral paths and old Roman roads through oak and pine forests. You'll hike through Köprülü Canyon where the river cuts 100 meters deep, check out ancient ruins at Adada, and cross Tazi Canyon to Lake Eğirdir's turquoise waters.

Trek through the 15-kilometer Wadi al Dissah gorge, where sandstone cliffs rise 100 to 500 meters high and a flowing stream feeds palm trees, mint bushes, and lemon trees in this green desert oasis. Climb the red sand dunes of the Bajda region and hike to Ship Rock, which has ancient inscriptions over 1,300 years old, then check out the Great Arch rock formation.