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This cruise reminded me why I travel in the first place.
– The Globe and Mail

One of the top 10 food and drink holidays in Turkey.
– The Telegraph (UK)

Rated One of ‘The World’s Tastiest Cruises’
– The Sunday Times (UK)

So many of our guests have raved about the food served on our gulet cruises in Turkey and asked for recipes, that we decided to create a food tour in Turkey with an even more gastronomic flavour.

Not only will you enjoy all the usual dishes served up by the on-board cook, on this trip you will see demonstrations in small traditional restaurants and get involved in the cooking, conjuring up some of the excellent Turkish dishes you’ll eat. You’ll cook with local Turkish people and prepare regional delicacies.

This is a journey to treat your taste buds, a voyage of discovery through Turkish Mediterranean cuisine. But you won’t miss out on the wider culture. Your specialist guide is steeped in the archaeology, history and culture of Turkey as well as being a foodie with a great passion for Turkish cuisine. He will lead you on a culinary and cultural adventure through one of the least developed and most stunning areas of natural beauty in Turkey.

You’ll explore some of Turkey’s most impressive ancient sites, including monumental wonders like Kaunos with its exquisite rock-cut temple tombs, and beautifully preserved Knidos, a stunning marbled city arranged around a double harbour. You’ll also enjoy some wonderful walks in magnificent scenery and visit ancient towns like Lydae, set in remote and beautiful locations, which remain as yet completely unexcavated.

 

Our Tours receive an average rating of 5 out of 5 from 941 reviews, according to AITO reviews.

Day 1: Our boat is about 30 minutes from Dalaman airport at Göçek, a pretty harbour on the Bay of Fethiye. Welcome dinner on board.
Day 2: We cruise and drop anchor in the beautiful inlet of Ağlımanı and make our ascent by an ancient track. A slow and steady pace is all that is needed to crest the ridge and see monumental tombs standing nearly complete overlooking the Mediterranean Sea below. We’ve arrived at the isolated ancient settlement of Lydae, its ruins a diffusion of sculpture and inscriptions in the bowl of a valley silent but for the occasional tinkle of goat bells. We break bread and have wild sage tea with a local goatherd and see the traditional olive press where he and his family produce the most delicious olive oil.
Day 3: We take to a flat-bottomed river boat and make our way up the reed-walled Dalyan River to a small hamlet where we cook and eat with one of the village ladies who prepares food each summer for the archaeological team that works here. We then continue to the ancient city of Kaunos, spread between two great rocky outcrops, some set with tombs cut into the rock. A theatre and opulent public buildings, a late antique church and a castle high above them all strain to gaze ever more steeply over an ancient harbour doomed by silting to pass from busy activity to sit green and silent in testimony to the city’s passing.
Day 4: We cruise southwest and then head inland into the gorgeous Resadiye peninsula. We’ll see how olive oil has been produced both in the past and today in the scenic village of Bayir where an old friend has laboured to conserve and restore his grandfather’s historic mill. Just downhill, we find the main working olive oil mill in the region, family-run for other locals and small farmers. We’ll enjoy a wonderful lunch, including a very special cold-pressed extra virgin olive and traditionally-produced herb oils. We spend the night in another beautiful bay.
Day 5: Northwest to the Datça peninsula and to the main county town, Datça. Inland to visit a small local winery producing a range of lovely wines from vines which thrive in the region. Wine production has been at the heart of the local economy for well over 2,000 years. Knidos, the ancient city we visit tomorrow, produced huge quantities of wine from vineyards stretching throughout the peninsula, transported in locally made amphorae all over the Mediterranean. We’ll savour a variety of wines in a delightful setting and then head into town to have lunch at a traditional lokanta, where you’ll sample a number of classic Turkish dishes. You then have some free time to wander in town before we cruise on for another wonderful swimming opportunity.
Day 6: We head west trying some Turkish recipes which we’ll later have the chance to savour. In the afternoon we reach the spectacular Greek and Roman city of Knidos, on the tip of a long and sinewy peninsula to the south of Bodrum. With a double harbour offering shelter to ships plying north and south, Knidos made its mark on Greek history and grew rich from its stunning natural position, and we’ll see the results in the grand and ordered city rising in tier upon opulent tier. Like many a classical predecessor, we’ll anchor in the eastern harbour, the heart of the ancient city rising above us. Decades of excavation have freed a beautifully planned city from the soil, allowing us to wander through its streets and along terraces festooned with temples to be met with a magnificent view across the Aegean.
Day 7: We cruise north and then head inland to a rustic house surrounded by pine forest. We prepare lunch with a local village lady renowned for preparing special dishes for wedding feasts in the area. Then a last chance to swim before we reach Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, where we have our final farewell dinner.
Day 8: Transfer to Bodrum airport about 40 minutes away.

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 info@petersommer.com

Arrival and Departure Information

Arrival Airport – Dalaman

Departure Airport – Bodrum (Milas)

Arrival Location – Göçek Marina (approx. 30 mins from airport)

Departure Location – Bodrum Harbour (approx. 40 mins from airport)

Embarkation and departure is planned for approx.16:45. 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 16:45 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 16:45, 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.

Tour Includes:
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

Olivier Henry

Olivier holds a Degree in ancient history, two Masters Degrees in ancient history and classical archaeology and a PhD from the University of Bordeaux. After a couple of years at the University of Illinois, lecturing on ancient architecture, he worked at the French Institute for Anatolian Studies, coordinating all French archaeological activities in Turkey from 2010 to 2014. He later held the Chair of Excellence in "Anatolian Archaeology" at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. Olivier has excavated in Turkey since 1998, working on a variety of sites which we visit on our tours including Herakleia, Iasos and Labraunda. He has been the Excavation Director at Labraunda since 2012.

Fluent in French, English and Turkish, Olivier is a specialist in Classical Archaeology and has published extensively. Although particularly involved in the History and Archaeology of Ancient Caria, Olivier has a strong interest in Greece and Sicily. He is Professor of Greek Art and Archaeology at the University of Lyon. We are delighted Olivier will be sharing his passion, knowledge and expertise with our guests.

What previous guests say about Olivier:

"Olivier made the trip very special. a first class scholar and great company. I have been on many guided tours and would rank him at the very top of the cohort." Gloria Kim

"Our archaeological guide, Olivier, was amazing! He was so knowledgeable and super enthusiastic that you could feel the life and activity in sites that were unused for thousands of years. He was always eager to answer all of our questions - no matter what he was asked." Michael Santori

"Olivier was an extremely knowledgeable guide and a pleasure to travel with. He was concerned about our interests and comfort during the entire tour." Patricia Wahlstrom

"We felt very fortunate to have Olivier as our guide. He was fantastic! Olivier made all the excursions so fascinating and entertaining. The archaeological sites were amazing and enhanced by Olivier's guidance." Stephanie Carden

"Olivier made the trip so memorable and enjoyable. Absolutely fantastic! Would definitely take another trip with him." Irene Sudac

View Olivier Henry's Biography

Cem Yücesoy

Peter has been working with Cem since 1995, longer than anyone else in Peter Sommer Travels, longer even than Peter has been married! After graduating with a degree in Tourism Management, Cem moved to Bodrum and worked for several decades at a Turkish travel company, dealing with everything from car rentals to hotel management, gulet cruises to private itineraries.

Aware of his brilliant logistical and organisational skills, in 1996 Peter recommended Cem as a fixer (location manager) for the BBC TV series In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great. Since then, Cem has gone on to work on a wide range of high-class documentaries, working alongside presenters including Anthony Bourdain, Bear Grylls, Joanna Lumley, Sam Neill, and Jeremy Clarkson and the Top Gear team. In 2009, Cem acquired his professional guiding qualification and ever since has accompanied a great many of our trips in Turkey. We are delighted that our guests have the chance to travel with Cem.

"The Lycian Shore was my 3rd Peter Sommer tour, and my husband's 2nd. What a wonderful company to travel with! Knowledgeable and engaging guides; beautiful itineraries; and always fabulous food and company. Cem was an added bonus! Cem's familiarity with the local, the national and the ins and outs of travel were invaluable. Appreciated his selection of Turkish wines! Delightful to be with and a great sense of humor." Lenore and Robert Davis

"Our week with Peter Sommer Travels and our Turkish guide, Cem Yucesoy, was a wonderful experience. Cem is such a charming, experienced guide, used to all sorts of passengers. We felt we were in very experienced hands - much camaraderie, and many great stories! Highly recommend." Carlie and Jonathan Skan

"This was our first trip with Peter Sommer Travels and our first gulet experience. It will stay with us for ever. We loved it all! Every day was full of highlights. Cem our guide and tour manager was a complete delight - a real joy, always there to help with anything and very good fun. Great company! Absolutely fantastic. We had the best time we’ve had in years and will go back next year." Christine and Michael Turnbull

"Cem was the organiser and Mr Fix-it of the tour, which he did so seamlessly that it looked easy. Nothing went wrong that we knew of, and if it had I'm sure that Cem would have sorted it out before we even knew there was a problem. Cem was the silent, masterful organiser of everything on the boat. I loved watching him watching everything going on around him - a quiet word to one of the crew here, a small adjustment there. The food was magnificent and the service impeccable. This tour was probably the best we have ever been on. I've thought hard about this, but I can't find anything to fault. Of many travels on every continent over many years, both self-guided and guided this was one of the very best experiences I have had." Ian Close

"Meeting Cem and hearing his stories was one of the highlights of the tour. After spending a week together with Cem, and my new friends it felt like we were a family! Cem was exceptional, an expert, and so much fun! For me it was such a special experience with all that is included: the food (lots of food!), the gulet itself was spectacular, the wonderful crew and, of course, our amazing tour guide and fixer!" Kelly Lussenden

"The whole package was above and beyond my expectations. Cem is incredibly congenial, intelligent, knowledgeable and shared much interesting information and a layer of expertise about Turkish culture, traditions, food, wine and history. He's a true delight to be around. This tour was a fantastic experience and a perfect blend of sightseeing, education, relaxation, fabulous food and an immersion into Turkish culture and history. Tour organization and planning was flawless. Our tour leader and Çem Yücesoy, our Turkish guide, were exceptionally knowledgeable, gracious and welcoming. Finding enough superlative words to describe the tour is a challenge. I felt the trip surpassed the descriptions in the marketing materials and was one of the most positive travel experiences I’ve had in recent years." Rachel Feldman

View Cem Yücesoy's Biography

Accreditations

Tour Operator of the Year 2015 Gold Award AITO logo Tour Operator of the Year 2017 Gold Award AITO logo Tour Operator of the Year 2018 Silver Award AITO logo Tour Operator of the Year 2019 Silver Award AITO logo Tour Operator of the year Gold Award 2022 AITO logo Tour Operator of the year Silver Award 2023 AITO logo British Travel Awards Best Travel Company for Arts and Culture Holidays Silver 2022 logo Member of ABTA the Association of British Travel Agents Member of ASTA The American Society of Travel Advisors Member of ABTOI the Association of British Travel Organisers to Italy

Rated as Excellent on Aito Reviews with over 500 reviews