Cruising to Ephesus

A glorious 1-week tour that includes the stunning ruins at Ephesus.

Beginning in Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, this gulet cruise heads north to Ephesus one of the best preserved Roman cities in the Mediterranean. En route we visit some of the prettiest and most interesting sites in Turkey.

There can’t be a better guide to lead this tour than Alan Greaves. Not only has he just written the book on the area ‘The Land of Ionia’, he has also been excavating at Miletos, one of the key cities in the region, for the best part of a decade. He was also called upon to personally escort Bill Clinton around Ephesus when the US President was visiting the region.

The highlights are plentiful: from the small harbour of Myndos, where Cassius harboured after murdering Julius Caesar, to Iasos, a wealthy ancient port, celebrated for its fish market and red marble. Today one can easily glimpse Iasos’ past vitality in the splendid ruins that litter the site - from the colonnaded agora to the Roman villa decked with mosaics.

Inland we’ll see two soaring temples, the elegant shrine to Zeus at Euromus, and the gargantuan oracular temple at Didyma. While at sea there are pretty rocky coves perfect for swimming, relaxing, and fine dining.

Our final destination is Ephesus, capital of Roman Asia. One of the very first cities in the world to have street lighting, the site is magnificent - marble streets, agoras, villas, a theatre for 28,000 and an extraordinary library.

This cultural tour in Turkey is a perfect combination of magnificent sites, quiet coves, wondrous walks, breathtaking vistas and glorious swims.

Request a brochure or to book your place, please contact our office.

Day 1: Our boat is about 40 minutes from Bodrum airport, in the city’s amphitheatre style harbour, on Turkey’s south west coast. Welcome drink and dinner aboard.

Day 2: A gentle cruise to the pretty coastal village of Gümüşlük, ancient Myndos; where excavations have recently started. The scant ruins offer a glimpse of this once bustling fortified harbour.

Day 3: We sail north east to moor in the pretty harbour of ancient Iasos, where archaeological excavations are revealing a vital and beautiful classical city.

Day 4: We head inland to the temple of Zeus at Euromus, one of the best preserved in Asia Minor, and located amidst a beautiful olive grove. Then on into the mountains to Labraunda, Caria’s most sacred sanctuary, site of the great oracular shrine to Zeus Labraundus.

Day 5: A morning to relax. In the late afternoon we head inland from Altinkum’s golden beach to visit Miletus, one of the most significant Ionian sites, with its vast theatre, baths, and brooding atmosphere, and its most important sanctuary, the colossal and awe-inspiring oracular temple of Apollo at Didyma.

Day 6: Heading inland we walk the ancient roads of Priene, an almost perfectly preserved Hellenistic (4th century BC) city.

Day 7: East of Kuşadasi lies one of the most celebrated ancient sites in the world: Ephesus. After seeing its glorious museum we have ample time to explore the spectacular remains.

Day 8: Transfer from our gulet to Izmir airport, on Turkey’s Aegean coast, about 1 hour away. 

Arrival and Departure Information

Arrival Airport - Bodrum (Milas)
Departure Airport - İzmir (Adnan Menderes)

We recommend you arrive at the gulet in Bodrum (approx 40 minutes from Bodrum airport) in the late afternoon/evening of May 19th, and leave the boat in Kuşadasi (approx 1 hour 20 minutes from Izmir airport) first thing in the morning on May 26th. We will arrange local transfers from Bodrum airport at the start of the tour, and to Izmir airport at the end of the trip.

Guests can board the gulet after 5pm on the first day. You are more than welcome to arrive earlier to drop off your bags, but please be aware that the crew will be busy cleaning and tidying until late afternoon making everything ready for your group.

Suggested Flights
If you are staying in or connecting via Istanbul then the easiest way to get to and from the gulet is to fly. There are a number of airlines that offer domestic flights in Turkey. Here is the recommended flight time with Turkish Airlines the national flag carrier in Turkey.

Arriving Saturday May 19
Turkish Airlines TK2514 departing Istanbul Ataturk at 15.20 arriving in Bodrum at 16.35.

Departing Saturday May 26
Turkish Airlines TK2313 departing Izmir at 10:00 arriving Istanbul Ataturk at 11:10.

Turkish Airlines has a much larger selection of flights on these days and there are alternative flights to and from Istanbul with some of Turkey’s low cost airlines such as Atlas Jet, and Onur Air

Please note: Flights are subject to change. Please contact Turkish Airlines for exact details.

Booking Flights
The cheapest way to book flights is directly with the airline online.

If you prefer to book with a travel agent, we are happy to recommend specialists in a number of countries around the world, please contact our office for more details.

Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is a requirement of our booking conditions and we recommend you investigate the options thoroughly to make sure that your trip is properly covered.

In the UK we work with specialist travel insurers Milsom Howard Ltd. 22 Highfield Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB10 8AN, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1895 234 919 • Fax: +44 (0) 1895 231 864 • Email: globetrotter@milsomhoward.com.

Our travel insurance specialist in the US is Julie Gorny, Email: juliannegorny@yahoo.com • Tel: +1 773 445 7537 • Mob: +1 773 972 8849.

Alternatively you might like to look at an online travel insurance company like World Nomads to give you a comparison in terms of price and coverage.

If you would prefer not to take out travel insurance you will need to complete a travel insurance waiver form.

Visas
Visas are easily obtained on arrival at Istanbul airport (or other local airports). A visa costs £10 for UK Nationals, $20 for USA Nationals and AUS $20 for Australian Nationals and must be paid for in cash. Once you have arrived in the terminal, do remember to obtain your visa before queuing up for immigration control.

Istanbul
If you are planning to stay in Istanbul before or after your gulet tour we have included below links to more information and things to see and do.

Istanbul Destination Guide
Istanbul Travel Article

Custom Tours
If you are thinking of extending your trip to Turkey to include visits to Cappadocia, Istanbul or further afield, please contact our office for further information.