Istanbul to Antalya with a 3-night gulet cruise: 9 days, coast to coast
The Istanbul to Antalya with 3-Night Gulet Cruise is for people who want the historical west coast and a taste of the Lycian coast by boat, but who are flying out of Antalya or have nine days rather than twelve. It is the only one of our routes that ends in Antalya.
How it is built
Days 1 to 5 are the Istanbul to Fethiye bus leg: two nights in Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy and Pergamon, Ephesus, then Fethiye. On Saturday morning you board a gulet in Fethiye harbour and sail east for three nights. On Tuesday the boat reaches the Demre side of Kekova and you are transferred to Antalya (Olympos, the bus station, central hotels or the airport).
Departures are on Mondays, April to October, and every published date runs.
The cruise, day by day
Day 6 - Fethiye and the Blue Lagoon. Board around 10:00. The first swim stop is the Blue Lagoon at Oludeniz, then the boat anchors for the night off St. Nicholas Island. Paragliding from Babadag over the lagoon is an optional extra on this day.
Day 7 - St. Nicholas Island and Kas. A morning walk through the Byzantine ruins on the island, then along the coast to Kas, a small harbour town with good restaurants and a Lycian theatre. Diving is the option here. Night in Kocakari Bay near Kekova.
Day 8 - The Sunken City and Simena Castle. We cruise slowly along the sunken city of Kekova - staircases and walls under clear water - and climb to the castle at Kalekoy for the best view on the coast. Night in Gokkaya Bay.
Day 9 - Demre and Antalya. Breakfast on board, a short cruise to Demre's harbour, then the transfer to Antalya.
Three nights or six?
The short cruise covers the best-known stretch: the lagoon, Kas, Kekova. What you give up is the second half of the week - Butterfly Valley, the turtle bays near Demre, Firnaz Bay and the slow return to Fethiye. If you can spare three more days, the Istanbul to Fethiye with Gulet Cruise gives you the full week at sea and ends back in Fethiye. If Antalya is where you need to be, this route is the right one.
Practical notes
The boat is a standard gulet with 8 to 10 double or triple cabins, each en-suite and air-conditioned, with full board on board. Entrance fees on the cruise days (islands, castle, churches) are paid on board and are not included. Dinner is included on land days, breakfast every day.