The Butterfly Valley is probably one of the most beautiful places I have visited in Turkey. Even now, the thought of being at the beautiful secluded sandy beach while being surrounded by the deep blue water of the Mediterranean Sea and the beautiful rocky mountains still puts me in a trance.
The Butterfly Valley got its name from the vast population of butterflies that used to live in the valley, but ever since the place was discovered by tourists, butterflies were seen less and less until none existed anymore in the valley.
Mass tourism and party cruises are to blame for driving away all the butterflies, but that doesn't mean that the Butterfly Valley is not worth a visit. The place is still one of the prettiest places in Turkey, and if you know how, you can easily get away from the tourist crowds and enjoy a peaceful experience at the Butterfly Valley, like it was meant to be, as I did.
Within this travel guide, I will illustrate in detail how I got to Butterfly Valley and how I was able to avoid the tourist crowds and spend days hiking and exploring the beautiful southern coastline of Turkey along the legendary Lycian Way in solitude.
Without further ado, let's take a look at all the points of interest you should know about the Butterfly Valley before embarking on the journey.
- The Butterfly Valley Points of Interest Map
- 5 Best Things to Do in the Butterfly Valley, Turkey
- More The Butterfly Valley Activities
- Where to Stay at the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
- Turkey Travel Video
- When to Visit the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
- How to Get to the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
- How to Get Around the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
- How Many Days To Spend at the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
- How Much Money Do I Need For the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
- Is it Safe at the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
- Which tourist SIM card is best for Turkey?
- What to Pack for the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
- Further Reading for Turkey
The Butterfly Valley Points of Interest Map
| 🌤️ Best time: | May or September |
| 🚘 Get around: | Hiking |
| 🕓 Time to spend: | 2 days |
| 💰 Cost: | 677 TRY |
5 Best Things to Do in the Butterfly Valley, Turkey
1. Visit the Butterfly Valley on a Cruise
The Butterfly Valley is the main reason why we are here, and despite it already being spoiled by mass tourism, it would be a shame if you come all the way here and not check out the beach.
Just don't keep your hopes up. There are no longer any butterflies here, and when you arrive, it will likely be full of people lying down on the beach with loud music blasting from the party cruises.
That said, I still think it is a nice journey to see the Butterfly Valley from the boat instead of taking the bus straight to the top. The coastline of Southern Turkey is one of the prettiest parts of the country, full of beautiful sights that are rich in history.
- Butterfly Valley Campground (Budget)
- Montenegro Motel (Mid-Range) 👍 Top Pick
- Faralya Misafir Evi (High-End)
- Boat trip from Oludeniz Blue Lagoon to Butterfly Valley and Gemiler Island with lunch (8 hours)
- Oludeniz Paragliding Fethiye Turkey, Additional Features (2 hours)
- Fethiye Oludeniz Boat Trip With Butterfly Valley And Six Islands (6 hours)
Once you get to Oludeniz per my instructions before, you can get on a one-way cruise to the Butterfly Valley to hike up to Faralya. Keep an eye out for remnants of the old ancient Lycian ruins along the historic Lycian Way, all scattered along the coastline.
Once you arrive at Butterfly Valley, ignore all the tourists on the beach and all the loud music from these party cruises, and just enjoy your surroundings for what they are. Continue inland and start hiking to Faralya.
2. Hike Up to Faralya Village Atop the Butterfly Valley
After walking inland from the beach at the Butterfly Valley, you will find a trail that goes up the side of a mountain. This is the infamous steep trail I warned you about, and you will have to hike up there to get to Faralya, where you will spend the night.
Faralya is a much quieter place to spend the night than Butterfly Valley Beach. There are several accommodation options you can choose from, including a campground and a guesthouse. The view from Faralya is also much better, as you will be able to see and appreciate just how pretty Butterfly Valley is from above.
The trail from the Butterfly Valley beach to Faralya is pretty easy to follow but a bit tricky to climb with several steep sections that require you to grab onto a rope to get up. Therefore, I highly recommend that you wear proper shoes and be extra careful when hiking.
The entire hike should take about 45 minutes to complete, and once you arrive at the top, you will be rewarded with a stunning view of the Butterfly Valley and all its stunning surroundings.
3. Camp at the top of the Butterfly Valley
Update 2024: As of 2024, the campground I mentioned here no longer exists as the guesthouse I camped at is now out of business due to a family dispute. You can either find an accommodation in Faralya to stay or camp at the beach or in Kabak instead,
One of the best ways to spend the night at the top of the Butterfly Valley is to camp. There is a free campground you can go to if you have your own tent, or you can rent one from a guesthouse nearby for a few USD if you do not want to carry your own camping gear.
That is exactly what I did, and I went into a guesthouse in Faralya and asked if they had camping gear, and they lent me one. The best thing about camping is that you can choose wherever you want to pitch your tent, and since Faralya is located right on a ridge overlooking the Butterfly Valley, there is no shortage of awesome places to pitch your tent in Faralya.
Since the village is facing west, if you pitch your tent at the right spot, you will be able to have a front-row seat to watch the dreamy sunset over the Mediterranean Sea, which is exactly what I did, and boy, was it quite a sight to behold.
For food, you should have no trouble finding a guesthouse that will serve homecooked dinner for you for a fee. Even at the campground, you can pay for dinner at the nearby guesthouse and they will cook for you. You can also pay a few USD to use their facilities for the night, such as toilets and showers.
Be sure to come out at night and witness the stars. Since Faralya is a small village (more like a settlement) located in a remote area, there won't be any light pollution to interfere with stargazing. So, you should be able to see a really beautiful night sky if you camp here.
4. Hike from Faralya to Kabak Along the Lycian Way
Another popular place to visit in Faralya is Kabak Beach. You can spend half a day hiking along the ancient Lycian Way (follow the yellow and red waymarked coastal trail) from the Butterfly Valley to Kabak, spend the afternoon resting there, and then take a minibus back to the Butterfly Valley.
The Lycian Way is one of the most popular long-distance hiking trails in the world. The trail follows the old footpath and mule trail used by the Lycian civilization way back when they lived here in prehistoric times, and it goes along the southwestern coastline of Turkey for 500 km.
Faralya and Kabak are located right along the Lycian Way, and you can hike between these two places as part of the Lycian Way. Simply follow the yellow and red waymark that goes along the coast, and you should be in Kabak in 3 hours.
Personally, I found Kabak to be a little too touristy, but the hiking trail itself was phenomenal. You have a chance to stop at many beachside settlements like Actas Beach that are much quieter than Kabak and a great place to take a break and swim.
Once you arrive in Kabak, you can have lunch at the hotels there and spend some time relaxing by the beach before catching a minibus back from in front of the Olive Garden Restaurant in the village. The bus runs every hour from 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM, so you should have no trouble catching one back to Faralya. Here is an updated bus schedule.
5. Swim in the Ocean/Go Skinny Dipping
Last but not least, do not forget to relax a little and spend some time enjoying the beautiful blue water of the Mediterranean Sea. The Butterfly Valley and Kabak are great places to do nothing, so don't feel bad if you feel like you haven't done much here. That's the whole point of it.
There are several remote beaches along the Lycian Way that you can hike to if you want to go skinny dipping as well. I went with my friend Kat, who guided me to the secret Paradise Beach hidden away down the coastline from Kabak, which is amazing and much better than Kabak beach.
The Paradise Beach hike consists of many ups and downs with moderate difficulty. It took us around 3 hours to hike from Kabak to Paradise Beach and another 3 to hike back, so if you are planning to do the hike, I highly recommend you start as early as you can.
For the hiking trail, you can simply punch in "Paradise Beach" on the Maps.me app (Android | iOS) on your phone and follow the trail from Kabak as shown in the app, or you can just stick to the yellow/red waymarked trail and you should be golden. It's a 6 km hike in total, so be sure to calculate your hiking time accordingly.
More The Butterfly Valley Activities
If you are looking for more activities to do here, be sure to check out some of the available tours and day trips:
Where to Stay at the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
When to Visit the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
While June-August is considered the peak season, I do not think it is the best time to visit the Butterfly Valley. While the water is nice and warm, you will also be dealing with a large tourist crowd, as well as the jacked-up prices at hotels, which is not ideal. Plus, it is probably one of the hottest months to visit, making it less enjoyable to explore and hike around.
What I would recommend instead is to visit during the shoulder seasons, either in May or in September, where the tourist crowds are starting to wind down, the prices of hotels are starting to fall back to their normal level, and the water should still be warm enough to swim.
Also, keep in mind that from May to June is Ramadan, and even though you won't have a problem finding food places like Istanbul, it is going to be much more difficult for places like Faralya.
How to Get to the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
The closest city with a bus station to Butterfly Valley is Fethiye, and in order to travel there, you are going to have to get yourself to Istanbul first.
Thankfully, Istanbul is one of the largest hubs in the region, and you should have no trouble finding a flight from your home country to one of the two main airports in the city: Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW).
From the US, there are several direct flights you can take to Turkey from major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami. All these flights are operated by Turkish Airlines, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding a flight from the US to Turkey.
From Europe, you can fly from the most popular European hubs like London, Paris, or Frankfurt via Turkish Airlines or local carriers such as British Airways, Air France, or Lufthansa, which also offer direct flights to Istanbul or Ankara.
From Asia, you can fly directly with Turkish Airlines from several hub cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Jakarta, and Bangkok. You can also go with other Middle Eastern airlines like Qatar, Emirates, and Etihad if you are willing to transit to get a cheaper deal.
To find a cheap flight to Turkey, I would recommend you to use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so that you can compare and pick the best one.
Getting From Istanbul to Fethiye, Turkey
By Bus: From Istanbul, you are going to have to take a bus to Fethiye. There are more than 20 buses traveling between the two cities from 3 AM to 9 PM every day. The journey will take around 12-14 hours and it will cost 27-37 USD per person.
It is a long journey, but you won't find a cheaper option than this. If you are planning to take the bus, I highly recommend that you book the ticket beforehand with the link here: Book a bus from Istanbul to Fethiye.
By Plane and Bus: You can also fly into Dalaman and catch a bus from Dalaman Bus Terminal to Fethiye. A flight from Istanbul to Dalaman will take about 1 hour and cost around 30 USD. You can book the flight here.
From Dalaman, get to Dalaman Bus Terminal and catch the 1:40 PM daily bus to Fethiye. The journey will take about 1 hour and cost 14 USD per person. You can book the bus from Dalaman to Fethiye here.
This is one of the fastest ways and quite affordable. So, if you are short on time, I highly recommend flying into Dalaman and taking a bus to Fethiye instead.
By Plane and Rented Car: You can also fly into Dalaman and rent a car to drive to Fethiye or even Faralya and Kabak without having to hike as well. You can rent a car right at the airport for $37 per day and visit all the attractions I listed here at your own leisure (except the Butterfly Valley beach where you will have to get on a cruise from Oludeniz).
Getting From Fethiye to the Butterfly Valley, Turkey
By Minibus (Dolmus) and Cruise: From Fethiye, you will have to take a minibus from Fethiye Bus Terminal to Oludeniz. From the Oludeniz beach, you can catch one of the many tourist cruises to the Butterfly Valley.
The bus from Fethiye to Oludeniz runs from 7 AM to 6 PM in the summer, and it runs every hour except at 8 AM. You can find the latest bus schedule here.
I went with The Dragon Cruise, which cost around 20 TRY for a roundtrip ticket (10 TRY if you are going one-way, as I did), and it was a decent experience.
The cruise leaves twice a day at 11 AM and 2 PM (subject to change), so make sure you plan your departure accordingly. Unfortunately, you can't book any of these modes of transportation online, so you are going to have to wing it.
If you want to take a cruise to the Butterfly Valley and hike to the top, as I did, do not forget to tell the cruise company that you are planning to go one-way instead of a roundtrip. This way, they can charge you the correct price and won't have to wait for you.
By Minibus (Dolmus) only: The hike from the Butterfly Valley Beach to the top is pretty steep and may not be ideal for some. So, if you do not want to hike, you can take the same minibus from Fethiye but don't get off at Oludeniz.
With the same minibus, you can travel to Faralya (a town above the Butterfly Valley) and even Kabak without having to hike. It should take about one hour to travel the whole way from Fethiye to Kabak. You can catch the bus from Fethiye Bus Terminal.
How to Get Around the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
By Hiking: Since Butterfly Valley, Faralya, and Kabak are located right along the ancient trekking route, the Lycian Way, you can reach most of the places on foot. Just make sure that you have good, sturdy hiking shoes to wear when you are tackling these hiking trails.
By Minibus (Dolmus): As mentioned in the previous section, you can travel all the way from Fethiye to Kabak without hiking with a minibus, but you will not be able to visit the sandy beach of the Butterfly Valley unless you hike down from Faralya and back up again. If you don't mind going to the Butterfly Valley beach, then you can pretty much go everywhere with a minibus.
Again, you can take the bus from Fethiye Bus Terminal to Oludeniz, Faralya, and Kabak. The bus runs every hour from 7 AM to 6 PM (except 8 AM) in the summer and less in winter. It will take about one hour to travel the entire way.
How Many Days To Spend at the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
2 days should be enough to do everything in this travel guide. Below is a rough 2-day itinerary for the Butterfly Valley:
Day 1: Travel from Fethiye to the Butterfly Valley, hike up to Faralya, and spend a night camping.
Day 2: Hike to Kabak and relax by the beach. Either hike back or take a minibus from Kabak to the Butterfly Valley and spend the second night there.
How Much Money Do I Need For the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
With the rough itinerary above, we can calculate approximately how much you will be spending at Butterfly Valley as follows:
Accommodation: For 3 nights camping at Butterfly Valley, it should cost around 45 USD (387 TRY) for accommodation.
Food: Home-cooked food costs about 20 TRY on average per meal, so you can expect to pay around 180 TRY per person for 3 days at the Butterfly Valley.
Transportation: For the cruise to the Butterfly Valley beach, it will cost you 10 TRY. For the rest of the transportation (minibus) from Fethiye to Oludeniz and Kabak and vice versa, it should cost you approximately 100 TRY. In total, you can expect to pay 110 TRY for transportation minimum.
Activities: Since we will be hiking and relaxing on the beach, you won't have to pay for anything, so 0 TRY for activities at the Butterfly Valley.
Total budget for 3 days at the Butterfly Valley: 677 TRY (79 USD)
Is it Safe at the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
In terms of people, it is very safe, and they are very friendly. In fact, I left my wallet in a minibus, and I got it back in about 3 hours. That is how genuinely nice the people are here.
That said, the hiking trail from the Butterfly Valley to Faralya at the top of the valley is extremely steep and rocky, with sections where you will have to climb with a rope. It is doable if you have good, sturdy shoes and if you do not carry a heavy backpack.
I would avoid tackling the hike if you are carrying a large backpack with you. I did that and it was not pleasant at all. I had to throw my backpack up first at one point as it was impossible to hike up with it.
So, if you plan to hike the Butterfly Valley to Faralya route, please be extra careful and avoid taking unnecessary shortcuts. The time you save is not worth the danger you will put yourself in.
Which tourist SIM card is best for Turkey?
Update: If your phone supports eSIM, I highly recommend checking out Airalo, a global eSIM marketplace. It allows you to stay connected affordably while traveling in Butterfly Valley, Turkey without having to switch out your physical SIM card.
Gone are the days when you needed to scramble to find a local SIM card at an airport upon arrival. You can purchase an eSIM before your arrival, and you'll be good to go. If your phone doesn't support eSIM, here is how you can get a local SIM card in Butterfly Valley, Turkey:
There are three major carriers in Turkey: Turkcell, Vodafone, and Turk Telekom, all of which offer a pretty similar range of traveler's packages as well as coverage.
I personally use Turkcell's Tourist Welcome Package, which costs around 149 TRY for 30 days. It comes with 20 GB of data, unlimited messaging, and 200 local minutes, which is more than enough for my trip to Turkey.
You can also go cheaper with an 8 GB 30-day plan for 60 TRY, and the price goes down from there depending on the GB you want for your data SIM card. Keep in mind that a foreign phone with a local SIM card has a grace period of 120 days. So, if you are planning to stay longer than 120 days, you are going to have to register your phone with the authority, which is unlikely to happen for tourists like us.
For more information about Turkey's local SIM card: Turkey's Prepaid Data SIM Card.
Tips: To stay connected with people at home, be sure that you have a VPN, such as ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and you can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.
What to Pack for the Butterfly Valley, Turkey?
As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Butterfly Valley, Turkey:
- Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
- Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
- Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
- Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
- Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
- Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Butterfly Valley, Turkey in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.
- Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
- Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
- Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
- Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
- Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
- Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
- Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.
For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:
Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Further Reading for Turkey
Turkey is a country that stands in the middle of Europe and Asia. Empires rose and fell on this land, and in order to see Turkey as a whole, you will have to go further than just Istanbul.
Here are a selection of articles and travel guides that you might need to further plan your trip to Turkey:
- First time visiting Turkey? Here are the 15 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Turkey.
- Looking for a complete itinerary and travel guide for Turkey? One Month Itinerary for Turkey.
- Have a transit flight between IST and SAW airports in Istanbul? Here is a complete guide on How To Get From Sabiha Gokcen To Istanbul Airport And Vice Versa.
- Istanbul is the crown jewel historical city of Turkey and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are a lot of things to do, and you are going to need a complete travel guide to see them all. Here are the 11 Best Things to Do in Istanbul, Turkey.
- A lot of Roman influence can be seen throughout Turkey. One of the best places to see this is at Ephesus ruins in Selcuk. Here are the 8 Best Things to Do in Selcuk and Ephesus.
- Pamukkale is home to the ancient travertines of Pamukkale, and it is a place you should definitely visit in Turkey. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Pamukkale, Turkey.
- Looking for a nice, quiet place by the beach to relax and do yoga for a few days in Turkey? There is no better place to be than Kabak. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Kabak, Turkey.
- You can't deny it, Cappadocia is one hell of a stunning place to travel to, and there are a ton of things you can do there. From riding a hot air balloon to hiking, here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Cappadocia, Turkey.
- Mt. Nemrut and its massive stone statues of gods is one of the most unique places I have ever seen, but it is not the easiest place to visit. To save you the trouble, here is A Complete Travel Guide to Mt. Nemrut and all the information you need to make the journey as I did.
- If you are planning to travel to East Turkey, Van is one of the cities you must stop by. Known for its awesome breakfast and its location by the largest lake of Turkey, here is A Complete Travel Guide to Van, Turkey.
- Visiting Sumela Monastery is one of the highlights of traveling to Eastern Turkey, but due to its remote location, getting there can be tricky. Here is How to Travel to Sumela Monastery, Turkey and all the information you need to make the trip happen.
- Ani, the ancient Armenian City in Kars, is the highlight of Eastern Turkey, but it can be quite tricky to visit unless you know how to do it properly. Here is How to Travel to Ani, Turkey and all the information you need to make the trip happen.
- Not convinced by my words? Maybe these photos of Turkey will help! 45 Photos that will inspire you to travel to Turkey.
- Since you are already all the way east, why not cross the border from Turkey to Georgia and make your way to Tbilisi, a vibrant capital city of Georgia? Check out my Georgia Travel Guide to plan your next trip to Georgia.
- For all articles about Turkey, visit Turkey Travel Guide page.
- Looking for more travel guides for the Middle East? You can find more on my Middle East Travel Guide page.
- For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
8 Comments
This looks amazing! I skipped Butterfly valley when I was in Turkey because I was told there were no butterflies, but now I will have to go back and see it.
Can I ask, how do you take the photos of yourself from the back? Do you get someone else to take them or use a tripod? Whenever I travel alone this is always a problem for me. :D
Butterfly Valley is awesome even without the butterflies. :)
Most of the shop, I used Tripod, timer and lots and lots of running. If it's a little too impossible with a timer, I'll connect my phone to my camera and shot from the phone. Since my camera is small, my tripod is also very light.
Hi, Pete, did you rent all the camping hear there? Including a tent, a sleeping bag and some cooking stuffs?
Thanks!
All the camping gear was provided by the guest house, so I didn't have to carry any of that. They do have a limited number of tents though so you might have to opt for a room instead. There was only one when I was there. Haha.
And no sleeping bag, which was no problem if you were there in the summer.
There's always an option to go with a private room and one of the many accommodations up in the mountains so you could also rely on that.
Hi Pete, I have been reading that the trail down to Butterfly Valley Beach has been closed, and now the only way to get there is by boat. Do you know if that is the case, or is it still possible to hike down and back up from Faralya?
Oh no! That would be a shame if true, although I haven't heard of other reports yet. I can see why they closed it down though. It was pretty dangerous.
If it's closed, I think it would be better if you take a van directly to Faralya and enjoy the view from the top instead. I didn't like the booze cruise experience at all and it is going to be way quieter in Faralya as well.
Hi, Pete, the free campground at The top of the butterfly valley you marked is Kelebekler Vadisi, where seems to be an expensive hotel on the beach.Is it the right place you camped then?
Thanks!
Hey Jiang,
You are right, the family-run guesthouse is no longer in business due to a family dispute. Looks like there is no longer any good campground in Faralya. Your best bet might be to camp at the beach below or go to Kabak and spend the night there instead. I'll update the article to reflect this.