This journey is not simply a relaxing cruise focusing on sunbathing and swimming, like most gulet holidays in Turkey — it’s a carefully curated gastronomic, archaeological and cultural exploration led by expert guides. You will get involved in food preparation and see demonstrations in traditional Turkish homes, conjuring up some of the excellent Turkish dishes you’ll eat. You’ll cook with local Turkish people on land and onboard and prepare classic dishes. You’ll also visit world‑class ancient sites such as Knidos, Kaunos and Stratonikeia together with sites that are far from the usual tourist routes and little visited such as Lydae and Loryma. Each day blends swimming, cruising, superb food, and deep gastronomic, cultural and historical insight, creating a uniquely enriching experience.
Here is a tour that brings the delicious and the sublime together to a level of rare perfection. In this odyssey you’ll reap the rewards of our decades of experience on this most wonderful Turkish coast: all our years of familiarity with some of the finest and most inspiring sites of the ancient world, of contacts – and friendships – made with some of the greatest artisans and cooks of a region famed for its production of fine foods, and for superbly rich fields and waters offering the freshest and most delicious ingredients.
This is a tour for those who want to get to know the history, culture and unforgettable food of Turkey rather than just go there. Our deep knowledge of the history of this region, drawn from the years of personal research or excavation experience of our expert guides, makes its long and intricate history clear and vivid, unwrapping the story of the many civilisations that have made their mark here. We know intimately the finest sites to tell that story – from the famous world heritage sites to lesser known but awe-inspiring sites so well-hidden that they’re a revelation even to professionals in the field. As for the food and wine, we’ve taken our time sampling the best restaurants and wineries to be found in the entire region – and that’s a pretty high bar when you consider its renown.
Here you’ll experience our award-winning approach to sharing our love and knowledge of Turkey with you, in one of the regions we know best. Relaxing on the deck of a gulet, you‘ll watch one of the most beautiful coasts in the Mediterranean glide by, knowing all the hard work’s been done for you, just waiting for the next image-perfect bay to come around, or for a fascinating trip to one of the world’s finest ancient Greek temples.
Prefer a shorter tour? We have a 1-week version of this trip – A Gastronomic Gulet Cruise in Turkey
Our Tours receive an average rating of 5 out of 5 from 360 reviews, according to AITO reviews.
I would like to book, what else do I need to know?
For information not covered below please refer to our FAQ’s or contact us directly on [email protected]
Arrival and Departure Information
Arrival Airport – Bodrum (Milas)
Departure Airport – Dalaman
Arrival Location – Bodrum Harbour (approx. 40 mins from airport)
Departure Location – Gocek Marina (approx. 30 mins from airport)
Embarkation and departure is planned for approx.17:00. 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 making everything ready for your group so you will not be able to settle into your cabin.
If your travel plans or flights do not allow you to arrive before 17:00 we recommend arriving the day before the tour starts. This would also allow time to relax, recover from any jet lag and arrive at the boat on time for embarkation and departure.
If you arrive at the gulet after 17:00, we will do our best to enable you to join the tour at a later time and place.
Please Note: Departure time is subject to change depending on weather, harbour, or other conditions.
Disembarkation is around 09:00. We will arrange local transfers on the first and last day of the tour.
Booking 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. The cheapest way to book flights is directly with the airline online.
Please note: Flights are subject to change. Please contact the airline for exact details.
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: We consider adequate travel insurance to be essential. You should ensure that you take out a suitable policy, to make sure that your trip is properly covered. Please be advised some insurers may require you to take out a policy within 15-20 days of booking your holiday to receive all of their insurance benefits.
Visas: You must check to see if you require a visa to enter Turkey. Visas are easily obtained online at eVisa and must be purchased before you travel.
Istanbul: If you are planning to stay in Istanbul before or after your gulet tour we would be happy to help with suggestions and information and things to see and do. Please get in touch.
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.
Suggested Books: If you’d like to read about Caria in advance of the trip, do take a look at our
Carian Turkey: Book Suggestions
Tour Includes:
September 2026 – Cruising aboard the 8-cabin gulet Sultan A
Full board accommodation with water, tea and coffee and wine with dinner
Airport transfers on the first and last day of the tour
Travel by private minibus
Harbour fees and crew services
All entrance fees and tips on land
The services of your expert tour leaders throughout the entire trip
WiFi (coverage permitting)
Not included:
Flights and airport taxes
Visas
Travel insurance
Gratuities on the gulet. It is customary to tip the crew at the end of a tour (we recommend a minimum of 20Euro per day per guest)
Tips for guides
Jesper Blid
Jesper studied Classical Archaeology and Art History at Uppsala University in Sweden, before earning his doctorate at Stockholm University. He has worked as a researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lund University and Université of Bordeaux and as a Lecturer at Stockholm University and Uppsala University. His research primarily focuses on Greek and Roman monumental architecture. He has worked as an archaeologist in Greece, Italy, Turkey and Egypt and has published several books on the sanctuary of Zeus at Labraunda in Turkey.
Jesper's passion for the ancient world is distinctly visible in his work as an archaeological illustrator. Through his illustrations for European and American research projects, he strives to make ancient ruins come alive. Jesper led his first archaeological tour in 2004 and over the past 20+ years has led trips in Armenia, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. We are so pleased that our guests can enjoy and benefit from Jespers extensive knowledge and experience.
What previous guests have to say about Jesper:
"the highlight of the tour was visiting the archaeological sites with Jesper our wonderful archaeologist. He was perfect in every respect. Jesper is incredibly knowledgeable and shared his knowledge with us while on tour and if we had questions on the gulet. He was was also very helpful and kind. He went the extra mile every day. Pleasant and with a great sense of humor, he was a delightful traveling companion and guide!" Susan Noerdlinger
"a brilliant guide, Jesper was knowledgeable, personable and paced the learning perfectly with enthusiasm. Exceeded expectations." Susan Wrigley
"The guided tours of archaeological sites were exceptional due to having Jesper as our guide who can never be surpassed for knowledge and personality. A superb holiday!" Harold Phillips
"Jesper Bild was a fantastic guide. His enthusiasm, personal warmth, depth of knowledge and natural teaching skills made the sites come alive. He could rebuild them and repopulate in his mind and, consequently, in ours. And he a delight to have as a comrade on the boat. Jesper is a wonderful guide in every way. He's also fun to be around! We had deeply knowledgable and personable guides, an interesting group of fellow travelers and a lovely ship with a highly professional crew, as well as plenty of leisure time, good food and well executed educational trips to so many interesting archeological sites. I cannot say enough good things about my experience. Thank you." Ellen Polito
"Jesper were very knowledgeable and helpful - keeping everything interesting and accessible for us. We really loved having an expert archaeologist who could share his first-hand experience with the sites we were visiting. Each location was interesting and special. This was our first Peter Sommer trip - and we will be looking into our next one! Thank you!" Susan Tedesco
What makes this trip different from other gulet holidays in Turkey?
What is life like aboard the gulet?
Your home for the two weeks is a beautiful traditional Turkish gulet, offering comfort, character, and a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. All cabins are en‑suite and there are generous deck spaces for dining, reading, or simply watching the coastline drift by. Meals are freshly prepared on board, featuring superb traditional Turkish dishes and local produce. The gulet travels with us along the Carian coast, so you can enjoy the pleasure of discovering ancient ruins by day and then returning to the serenity of the sea and our beautiful boat each evening.
Who leads this tour?
Your expert guides are archaeologists and historians, together with certified local guides, who are steeped in the archaeology, history and culture of Turkey as well as being foodies with a great passion for Turkish cuisine. Please click on the tour experts’ names under the tour dates to read full bios and testimonials.
Will there be opportunities to swim?
Absolutely, yes — and they are one of the great pleasures of this journey. Depending on the day’s schedule, the gulet will anchor in a quiet bay or cove in the morning or afternoon, giving you time for a refreshing swim in azure waters before or after one of the site visits on this turquoise coast. On some days, according to where we overnight, you can also choose to swim first thing in the morning before breakfast. As well as cabin towels, swimming towels are also provided, together with floats, kayaks and paddle boards ladders.
How much walking does this tour involve?
Our Gastronomic Gulet Cruise includes regular walks through archaeological sites, historic towns, and natural landscapes. Distances vary, but you can expect some uneven and broken ground, some inclines and declines on hillsides, and occasional longer site visits. There is some clambering over large rocks to visit the fortress at Loryma and the most challenging walk section is a hike of about 45 minutes up a beautiful hillside (then the return descent) to explore the ancient site of Lydae. We take everything at a measured pace, with time to pause, absorb the atmosphere, and enjoy expert commentary. Good walking shoes and a reasonable level of fitness will ensure you get the most from the experience. The tour is rated 3 out of 5 on our intensity scale, meaning it is classed as intermediate. You can find out more by visiting the fitness levels page on our website.
