Istanbul to Fethiye with Gulet Cruise: 5 days by bus, then a full week at sea
Most Turkey tours that mention a gulet give you two or three nights on it. The Istanbul to Fethiye with Gulet Cruise gives you the whole week: board in Fethiye on Saturday, disembark in Fethiye the following Friday, six nights in a cabin in between. Before that, five days by bus from Istanbul down the west coast. Twelve days in total.
Why a full week matters
A three-night cruise sails one way along the busiest stretch and you are off the boat before you have settled in. A week lets the gulet go slowly: a bay in the morning, a village in the afternoon, dinner at anchor, and the return leg along quieter coast with time for the islands and turtle bays that short cruises skip. It is the part of the trip people talk about afterwards, which is why we built the long routes around it.
Departures are on Mondays, April to October; every published date runs.
Days 1 to 5: the west coast
Two nights in Istanbul (old-city tour, Grand Bazaar, Bosphorus cruise), Gallipoli with a night in Canakkale, Troy and Pergamon with a night near Selcuk, Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis, then down to Fethiye. The same five days as our Istanbul to Fethiye Tour.
Days 6 to 12: the cruise
Saturday - Fethiye and the Blue Lagoon. Board around 10:00, first swim at Oludeniz, night off St. Nicholas Island. Optional paragliding from Babadag.
Sunday - St. Nicholas Island and Kas. Byzantine ruins on the island, then Kas: a harbour, a Lycian theatre, good restaurants. Diving optional. Night near Kekova.
Monday - The Sunken City and Simena Castle. Cruise along Kekova's underwater ruins, climb to the castle at Kalekoy, night in Gokkaya Bay.
Tuesday - Demre and Turtles Bay. A swim at Caretta caretta breeding beaches, Demre's market and a look at the church of St. Nicholas if you wish, back to Kalekoy for the evening.
Wednesday - Kekova and Firnaz Bay. The quiet side of Kekova in the morning, then Firnaz (Aquarium) Bay - the clearest water of the week.
Thursday - Butterfly Valley and St. Nicholas Island. The cliffs of Butterfly Valley, a last afternoon at anchor off the island.
Friday - Samanlik Bay and Fethiye. Morning swim, lunch on board, in Fethiye harbour by about 13:00.
The boat
Standard gulets with 8 to 10 double or triple cabins, each en-suite and air-conditioned, a big sun deck and a crew who cook three meals a day. Full board on board; drinks and the cruise-day entrance fees (islands, castles, churches) are paid on board. There is no guide on the boat - the captain and crew run the week.
After Fethiye
The tour ends Friday afternoon; Dalaman airport is 50 minutes away. If you want to keep going, the Fethiye to Istanbul Tour leaves Saturday morning - and the two together are our All Around Turkey with Gulet Cruise.
See dates and prices for Istanbul to Fethiye with Gulet Cruise