Fethiye to Olympos Gulet Cruise: Self-Launched 4-Day Turquoise Coast Sail
4 days · Turquoise Coast, Turkey
Alaturka Turkey – Tours & Blue Cruises charges £385
No-markup version: ~£260 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Alaturka Turkey's 4-day/3-night Fethiye-to-Olympos blue cruise. Rather than paying for the packaged group tour, you book a shared-cabin spot on a standard gulet directly with a Fethiye or Kas-based boat operator (or via GetYourGuide/Klook for English-language departures), which typically includes the same route — Butterfly Valley, Oludeniz, Kalkan, Kas, Kekova sunken city, Simena Castle — plus all meals cooked onboard. You handle your own onward bus to Olympos/Demre. Costs below are approximate backpacker/budget rates in GBP and assume a shared cabin with no single supplement; boat fuel surcharges and marina fees are sometimes quoted separately, so confirm inclusions before booking.
Day-by-day
Fethiye to Butterfly Valley, Oludeniz & St. Nicholas Island
Fethiye / Oludeniz / St. Nicholas Island
Meet your gulet at Fethiye marina around 09:00–10:00 for a briefing (book the cruise in advance via GetYourGuide, Klook, or direct with a Fethiye boat operator — shared cabins, no single supplement). Sail out past the Twelve Islands to Butterfly Valley for a swim stop and onboard lunch; if you're keen, hike the short trail up to the waterfall (steep in places, bring trainers). Continue to Oludeniz's Blue Lagoon for a swim — optional tandem paragliding from Babadag can be arranged locally for around £60–80 and usually needs booking a day ahead. Anchor off St. Nicholas Island (Gemiler) in the late afternoon to explore the Byzantine ruins and watch sunset from the hilltop. Dinner cooked onboard; sleep on deck or in your cabin.
🚌Gulet from Fethiye marina; walk-on boarding, no transfer needed if you stay near the marina
🛏Shared cabin on a standard gulet (or deck sleeping if you prefer)
- →Gulet briefing and check-in at Fethiye marina
- →Swim stop at Butterfly Valley
- →Optional waterfall hike
- →Oludeniz Blue Lagoon swim
- →Optional tandem paragliding at Oludeniz
- →Sunset at St. Nicholas Island ruins
Kalkan Aquarium Bay to Kas Harbour
Kalkan / Kas
Breakfast onboard, then sail east to Kalkan's Aquarium Bay for a morning of swimming and snorkelling in clear, calm water — bring your own mask and snorkel (cheap to buy in Fethiye or Kas) or borrow from the boat. Lunch is cooked onboard. Cruise on to Kas in the afternoon; go ashore to wander the narrow lanes, the small harbour and the Lycian rock tomb carved into the cliff above town (free entry, 10-minute walk from the harbour). Grab a cheap cay or ice cream in the bazaar and stock up on snacks before heading back to the boat for dinner. Note that some operators swap the order of Kalkan and Kas depending on weather.
🚌Gulet sailing between Kalkan and Kas (all transport included in the cruise)
🛏Shared cabin on the gulet
- →Swimming and snorkelling at Kalkan Aquarium Bay
- →Explore Kas old town and harbour
- →Free walk to the Lycian rock tomb above Kas
- →Sunset back on deck
Kekova Sunken City & Simena Castle
Kekova / Kale (Simena) / Ucagiz
Breakfast then sail to the Kekova roads, the sheltered bay over the half-submerged Lycian city. Your gulet will slow-cruise over the sunken ruins so you can see the foundations and staircases under the water — swimming over them is usually allowed but snorkelling directly on the ruins is restricted in places. Anchor at Kale (Simena) and walk up to Simena Castle for the classic view over Kekova island and the Lycian necropolis (small entry fee, roughly £3–4). Lunch onboard, then an afternoon swim stop and free time in Ucagiz village or a short optional kayak over the sunken city (rentable locally, £15–20). Final dinner onboard.
🚌Gulet cruising Kekova bay; all local hops on foot
🛏Shared cabin on the gulet
- →Slow cruise over the Kekova sunken city
- →Swim stop over the ruins
- →Walk up to Simena Castle and necropolis
- →Optional sea kayaking over the sunken city
- →Explore Ucagiz village
Disembark at Ucagiz and bus onward to Olympos/Demre
Ucagiz / Demre / Olympos
Breakfast onboard and disembark at Ucagiz around mid-morning. Take a local dolmus or shared minibus from Ucagiz to Demre town centre (about 30–40 minutes, £2–3), then onward by minibus to Olympos/Kumluca (roughly 1 hour, £3–4) — boats often run a free or low-cost shuttle to Demre bus station, so ask on boarding. In Olympos, check into a treehouse-style guesthouse in the Cirali/Olympos valley (dorm beds from £10–14) and spend the afternoon on Olympos beach or visiting the Chimera flames at night with a headtorch. Olympos is a great base for a couple of extra independent days of hiking the Lycian Way.
🚌Dolmus Ucagiz–Demre (£2–3) then minibus Demre–Olympos (£3–4); boats often include a shuttle to Demre bus station
🛏Treehouse guesthouse dorm in Olympos/Cirali (or onward bus to Antalya)
- →Disembark at Ucagiz
- →Optional Chimera (Yanartas) night hike from Cirali
- →Olympos beach afternoon
- →Optional extra day hiking the Lycian Way
Self-launched vs. Alaturka Turkey – Tours & Blue Cruises
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Alaturka Turkey – Tours & Blue Cruises | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£260 | £385 |
| Duration | 4 days | 4 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £125 per person (32%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Alaturka Turkey – Tours & Blue Cruises-style trips? Check them out here.~£260
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Fethiye to Olympos Gulet Cruise: Self-Launched 4-Day Turquoise Coast Sail cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £260 per person for 4 days in Turquoise Coast, Turkey. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Alaturka Turkey – Tours & Blue Cruises?+
Yes — Alaturka Turkey – Tours & Blue Cruises charges around £385 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £260 — a saving of roughly £125 (32%) per person.
How long is the Turquoise Coast, Turkey trip?+
This itinerary runs 4 days, covering 4 day-by-day stops through Turquoise Coast, Turkey.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, beaches, backpacker trip through Turquoise Coast, Turkey, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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