Best Blue Cruise Tours

A blue cruise is a trip of several days on a gulet, the broad wooden motor-sailer built in the boatyards of Bodrum and the Turkish coast. You sleep on board in a cabin, eat three meals a day prepared by the crew, and spend the days moving between bays with swim stops, ruins and small harbour towns. It is the slowest way to see the coast and, for many guests, the most relaxing week of their trip.

Our four routes

All four cruises sail the Lycian and Carian coast in the south-west.

• The 4-Day Gulet Cruise: Fethiye to Olympos sails east from Fethiye past Butterfly Valley, the Blue Lagoon, Kas and Kekova. The 4-Day Gulet Cruise: Olympos to Fethiye covers the same coast in the opposite direction.
• The 7-Day Gulet Cruise: Fethiye - Kekova - Fethiye is a round trip, so you start and finish in the same harbour. That makes flights simpler.
• The 8-Day Gulet Cruise: Fethiye to Bodrum heads west instead, towards the Aegean and the bays of the Bodrum peninsula.

Prices depend on the date and the boat, so each cruise is quoted when you send your dates and the number of people.

What is included and what is not

On all four routes, the price covers the cabin, breakfast, lunch and dinner, a fruit plate, bottled water, the equipment on board and local taxes. Drinks other than water are extra and are usually paid on board at the end. Entrance fees to sites such as Kekova's ancient ruins or the rock tombs are not included, and neither are tips for the crew.

The cabins on a gulet are small, usually with their own shower and toilet, and many guests sleep on deck on warm nights. If you need space, a larger boat or fewer guests per cabin is worth asking about.

Who a blue cruise suits

• Couples and groups of friends who like swimming, reading and long lunches.
• Families with children who can swim; the stops are in calm bays.
• Travellers who have finished the sights of Istanbul and Cappadocia and want a week with no schedule.

It suits people less well if they get seasick, dislike small spaces, or want nightlife. The evenings are quiet, in a bay or a small harbour.

When to go

The season runs roughly from May to October. The sea is warmest in August and September. July and August are the busiest weeks and the hottest on land. On the Aegean side, the summer north wind can make the Bodrum end of the 8-day route rougher in the afternoons; the Lycian coast east of Fethiye is usually calmer.

Combining a cruise with the rest of Turkey

Fethiye is about an hour from Dalaman airport, which has direct flights from Istanbul. Most guests fly in, sail, and fly back to Istanbul or on to Cappadocia. Our multi-day trips list includes the 20 Days Private Western Turkey Tour, which already has a three-day blue cruise in it. Near Fethiye, the tandem paraglide over the Blue Lagoon from our experiences list is a good day before or after sailing. For honeymoons, see our Turkey honeymoon packages guide.