The villages behind the mountains – Tire, Birgi and the Gölcük plateau

Only an hour's drive from the coast, behind the Bozdağ mountains, time seems to run more slowly. In Tire felt makers, saddlers and coppersmiths still work in their workshops, in Birgi wooden houses stand around one of the finest Seljuk mosques in Anatolia, and on the Gölcük plateau we eat by the lake where families from the plain escape the summer heat.

Highlights

• Tire: craftsmen's quarter with felt makers, saddlers and coppersmiths
• On Tuesdays the great weekly market of Tire – one of the most authentic in the Aegean
• Birgi: Ulu Camii of 1312 with carved wooden pulpit and tiles
• Çakırağa Konağı – mansion with 18th-century wall paintings
• Gölcük plateau: crater lake at over 1,000 metres, lunch by the water
• Pick-up from Kuşadası port, Izmir port or Izmir Airport optional

Full description

Our first stop is Tire, a small town at the foot of the mountains that never gave up its crafts. In the lanes around the old bazaar felt makers full wool, saddlers sew harness for the village horses and coppersmiths hammer cauldrons. If your date falls on a Tuesday you will see the weekly market, where farmers from the area bring cheese, olives, herbs and fruit. We also show the mosques and baths from the time of the Aydınids.

A winding road leads to Birgi, once capital of the principality of Aydın. The Ulu Camii of 1312 holds a wooden pulpit of the finest carving, and in the Çakırağa Konağı wall paintings show 18th-century Istanbul and Izmir. For lunch we drive up to the Gölcük plateau with its crater lake – gözleme, ayran and mountain air – before returning over the passes to the coast.

What we see

We adapt order and selection to weekday, opening hours, weather and your wishes.

• 1 · Tire
  Craftsmen's quarter, bazaar, 14th- and 15th-century mosques and baths; weekly market on Tuesdays.
• 2 · Drive through the Küçük Menderes valley
  Figs, chestnuts and olive groves at the foot of the Bozdağ mountains.
• 3 · Birgi
  Ulu Camii of 1312, wooden houses, Çakırağa Konağı with wall paintings.
• 4 · Gölcük plateau
  Crater lake at over 1,000 metres, time for a country lunch.
• 5 · Return over the mountains
  Viewpoints over the plain, on request a stop at a village shop.

Included

• 8 hours private, state-licensed guide in your language (Mehmet Humayunoğlu or an experienced colleague from his team)
• Planning, coordination and time management of the day
• Headsets for groups of 16 or more
• Guided walks in Tire and Birgi, visits to craftsmen's workshops
• Transfer with vehicle and driver from Kuşadası port, Izmir port or Izmir Airport (ADB), if booked

Not included

• Entrance fees (e.g. Çakırağa Konağı)
• Lunch, drinks and shopping
• Transfer, optional: €120 + €10 per person
• Personal expenses, tips

Meeting point

With a booked transfer we pick you up at Kuşadası cruise port, Izmir cruise port or Izmir Airport (ADB) and bring you back there. Without transfer we meet in Tire town centre.

You will recognise me by the sign “MeinReiseleiter.de” and the visibly worn guide licence. We confirm meeting point and time with your booking.

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Important information

German, English, Turkish, French, Italian, Spanish – 25 more languages on request.

• Best day – Tuesday is market day in Tire – livelier, but busier. On other days the workshops are quieter.
• Museum Pass Aegean – Can be added in the booking form; paid in full with the deposit and non-refundable. Children under 8 need no pass.
• Mosques – Shoulders and knees covered, women a scarf for the hair.
• Clothing – The plateau is noticeably cooler than the coast; bring a jacket in spring and autumn.
• Without transfer – Tire is about 1¼ hours from Kuşadası and Izmir; you need your own vehicle, we recommend the optional transfer.