Antalya to Istanbul with a 3-night gulet cruise: start on the water
The Antalya to Istanbul with 3-Night Gulet Cruise is the mirror of our Istanbul to Antalya route. You start on the Mediterranean, spend three nights on a gulet sailing west, and then take the inland bus through Pamukkale and Cappadocia to Istanbul. Nine days, three nights in a cabin, five in hotels.
Why start in Antalya
Antalya has a big international airport and a lot of visitors who want to see more than the beach. This route picks you up there on a Tuesday morning (Olympos, Antalya bus station, central hotels or the airport, with a second pick-up at Demre bus station around noon) and takes you to the three things Antalya visitors most often miss: the Lycian coast by boat, Cappadocia and Istanbul.
Every published departure is guaranteed to run.
The cruise, day by day
Day 1 - Antalya, Demre and the Sunken City. Transfer to the harbour at Demre, board the gulet and sail straight out along Kekova's sunken city. First night at anchor.
Day 2 - Kekova and Kas. Morning at Kalekoy and Simena Castle, afternoon in Kas for a walk, a swim and dinner ashore if you like. Diving is optional here.
Day 3 - Butterfly Valley and St. Nicholas Island. The most photographed stretch: the cliffs of Butterfly Valley, the Blue Lagoon at Oludeniz and a night off St. Nicholas Island. Paragliding over the lagoon is the option.
Day 4 - Samanlik Bay and Fethiye. A last swim, lunch on board and arrival in Fethiye harbour around 13:00. The afternoon is free; night in a Fethiye hotel.
Then the bus
Day 5 - Saklikent Gorge and Pamukkale. The canyon in the morning, the white terraces and Hierapolis in the afternoon.
Day 6 - Pamukkale to Cappadocia, with an optional sunrise balloon over the terraces before the drive.
Day 7 - Cappadocia. Optional balloon at dawn, then the Goreme Open Air Museum, Pasabag, Love Valley, Avanos and Uchisar.
Day 8 - Derinkuyu underground city and the Salt Lake, arriving in Istanbul in the evening.
Day 9 - Istanbul. The tour ends after breakfast. Istanbul deserves two more nights if you can; we can arrange them.
Who it suits
People flying into Antalya and out of Istanbul, and anyone who prefers to start a holiday with sea and sun and finish with cities. If you would rather have the full week on the boat before heading inland, the Gulet Cruise & Cappadocia to Istanbul route starts in Fethiye on a Saturday and does exactly that.