Gulet Cruise from Bodrum to the South Dodecanese Islands

⚠️ Shared-cabin programme temporarily suspended

The cabin cruise on this itinerary is not currently available.
Discover the active alternatives for the 2026 season:

• Private gulet charter in Turkey ↗
The entire vessel reserved for your group, with a customisable itinerary.

• Gulet cruise from Antalya with flights included ↗
New cabin-based programmes departing from Kemer along the Lycian Coast.

• Gulet cruise from Bodrum with flights included ↗
A cabin formula with an itinerary through the enchanting Gulf of Gökova.

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A double Aegean: Turkey and Greece, in a single breath

There’s a moment, on a gulet holiday, when you realise that the real difference isn’t “where you are” but how you get there. In the Aegean Sea this rings even truer: the landscape shifts almost imperceptibly, like a gradient. The Turkish coasts turn green and jagged, the Greek islands rise on the horizon like pale sculptures, and between them lies a sea that seems designed for slow sailing.

The gulet cruise from Bodrum to the South Dodecanese islands was born precisely from this geographical magic: setting off from Bodrum (Halicarnassus, a city of history and sea) and crossing borders that today are lines on a map, but that at sea become a unique experience made of anchorages, scents, cuisines and different atmospheres. It is a route with the flavour of true travel: not a “floating resort”, but an itinerary in which the gulet becomes home and a privileged vantage point over bays, harbours and islands.

And here it’s important to be clear, to help you choose better too: this page describes a shared-cabin programme that is currently suspended, but the experience remains entirely feasible on an exclusive basis (private gulet) or, if you’d like a ready-made formula, we recommend our cruise in the Gulf of Gökova, also departing from Bodrum.

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Why choose a gulet for the Dodecanese

If you’re looking for a gulet holiday between Turkey and Greece, you probably already have a picture in mind: waking up in a different bay every day, diving into crystal-clear water even before your morning coffee, and stepping ashore in the evening whenever you feel like it, without rushing and without stress. The gulet is perfect for this because it combines three things that rarely coexist:

• Real comfort (cabins, private facilities, crew, meals)
• Traditional atmosphere (wood, a spacious deck, life in the open air, sailing “on a human scale”)
• Freedom of route (sheltered bays, stops, small harbours, a flexible rhythm)

What’s more, the Dodecanese is an area that “works” by boat: manageable distances, landscapes that differ greatly from one another, and that unmistakable blend of white villages, colourful little ports, ancient ruins and turquoise sea.

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The gulets: air conditioning, 6 cabins, simple and well-tended life on board

On board you’ll find 6 cabins with private facilities and air conditioning, designed to ensure rest and privacy. Here an honest note is worth making (one that often prevents misunderstandings): a gulet cabin is not a hotel suite, but it is comfortable, functional and welcoming. The holiday is lived above all on deck and in the sea, and that’s precisely the beauty of it: you move between sun, swims, stops and moments of relaxation, and the cabin becomes your personal space for a good night’s sleep.

The saloon and dining area are the heart of conviviality: leisurely breakfasts, fresh lunches, dinners that taste of the Mediterranean and the Aegean. The crew (captain, sailor, cook) is present but discreet: the feeling is not “intrusive service” but constant care. And full board is a great advantage: it takes every organisational worry off your shoulders and lets you focus on what truly matters — the sea.

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The itinerary, told as a story: a journey that flows, not a list

(Indicative itinerary: stops may vary due to weather, wind, customs and the captain’s decisions.)

Bodrum: the first sunset begins the journey

Embarkation in Bodrum is already part of the experience. You arrive in the afternoon, climb aboard and immediately feel that change of pace: the city stays behind you, but it doesn’t disappear — you experience it in a different way. Bodrum is elegant and historic: Halicarnassus, Herodotus, the Mausoleum (an ancient wonder), the Castle of St Peter overlooking the harbour. After settling into your cabin, the first dinner is a “welcome” to the journey: the sea before you, wood beneath your feet, and that rare sense of having chosen something that isn’t consumed in a hurry.

Towards Kos: “the garden of the Aegean” and the island’s energy

After breakfast and the briefing, the route heads to Kos, green, luminous, alive. Here the Aegean becomes an island in the most classic way: streets, harbour, evening strolls, history resurfacing among ruins and details. Kos also carries a great name: Hippocrates. But what truly wins you over is the contrast between the water and the fertile land, between seaside lightness and cultural imprint. Returning on board in the evening, after the island, is like coming “home” — except that home, in the meantime, is anchored in a splendid cove.

Gyali and Nisyros: the silence and the strength of the earth

There are stops that don’t shout, and precisely for this reason they stay with you. Gyali is a pause of beauty: limpid sea, a slow rhythm, time unspooling. Then comes Nisyros, small, volcanic, alternative. It’s the island that lets you feel the geology beneath your feet: not just a “pretty island”, but a place with character. Knowing you’re on an island with an active volcano gives the day a particular depth, and in the evening — with the gulet at anchor — the quiet seems even more precious.

Symi: perfect scenery and an authentic soul

Symi is one of those places that seem designed to be loved: pastel-coloured neoclassical buildings, an elegant harbour, a calm and sophisticated atmosphere. But it isn’t only beautiful: it’s coherent, harmonious, with a clear identity. Here the day flows between walks, panoramic viewpoints, small details (a jetty, a taverna, a staircase, a façade) that become memories. Dinner at anchor, with Symi in the background, is the kind of moment that makes you understand why the sea is the best way to arrive here.

Datça and Kargi: between practicality and absolute peace

The journey alternates Greek islands and Turkish coast, and this is one of its strong points: you change atmosphere without changing your “style of holiday”. Datça has the genuine charm of lived-in seaside places: customs procedures and a little free time become an opportunity to breathe in local everyday life. Then, Kargi: a quiet bay that seems built to make you slow down. An afternoon here is simple and perfect: sun, a swim, relaxation on deck, and the feeling of having nothing to prove to anyone.

Inceburun, Palamutbükü, Knidos: the clearest sea and history that speaks

Among the most memorable stops, often, are those that unite sea and culture naturally. Inceburun and Palamutbükü offer crystalline water, long swims, clean light. And then Knidos, where archaeology meets the sea: well-preserved ruins, a fascinating site and a sunset that makes everything more intense. It’s here that the cruise stops being “just sea” and truly becomes the Aegean: a weave of beauty and history that doesn’t weigh you down but enriches you.

Karaada and Poyraz: the last swims, a journey that ends well

Towards the end, the gulet offers you once more the kind of stops that seem made expressly to bid the sea farewell in the right way: Karaada and Poyraz, names that become sensations — turquoise water, quiet bays, a last lunch with a view, final swims without haste. The return to Bodrum is gentle: you find yourself back in the harbour you set off from, but with a different frame of mind. And the final dinner on board is often the one where you realise you’ve built memories and even a few friendships.