Full day · about 8 hours
Dalyan Boat Trip — Mud Baths, Kaunos & Turtle Beach
This is the trip people come to Dalyan for. One boat, one day, and everything the town is known for: the reed labyrinth, the sulphur mud pools at Sultaniye, the rock tombs cut into the cliff face in the 4th century BC, and a long, lazy afternoon on the sandbar where loggerhead turtles nest.
- Duration
- Full day · about 8 hours
- Group
- Shared boat · small groups
- Season
- April – October, daily
- Price
- Message us for today’s price
The day, hour by hour
- 09:30 · Dalyan quay
We push off from the town jetty. The first twenty minutes are the best photograph of the day — reeds three metres tall on both sides, the channel narrowing until the boat almost brushes them, herons lifting off ahead of the bow.
- 10:15 · Sultaniye hot springs & mud baths
On the far shore of Köyceğiz Lake. You coat yourself in grey sulphur mud, stand in the sun until it cracks, wash it off in the pool, then sit in the thermal bath at around 39°C. Allow an hour. Bring a swimsuit you do not love — sulphur stains.
- 11:45 · Köyceğiz Lake
A slow crossing of the open lake with the Taurus mountains behind it. Tea is served on board.
- 13:00 · Kaunos rock tombs
The boat holds position under the cliff so you can photograph the temple façades cut into the rock. Optional landing at the ancient city of Kaunos — theatre, acropolis, Roman baths and the harbour agora.
- 14:00 · İztuzu (Turtle) Beach
Four and a half kilometres of sand between the river and the open Mediterranean, protected since 1988. Three to four hours here: swim, walk the length of it, eat at the beach café, visit the sea turtle rescue centre.
- 17:30 · Back in Dalyan
Return up the river, usually with the light going gold on the tombs.
What’s included
- Licensed boat and skipper
- All boat transfers on the route
- Tea and water on board
- Hotel or villa pick-up inside Dalyan
- English- and Turkish-speaking crew
Not included
- Kaunos ancient city entrance fee
- Sultaniye mud bath entrance fee
- Lunch — beach café or on board, your choice
- Sunbed hire at İztuzu
What to bring
- A swimsuit — an old one, for the mud
- Towel and a change of clothes
- High-factor sun cream
- Hat and sunglasses
- Cash in lira for entrance fees and lunch
- Water shoes if you have them
Questions people actually ask
Is the mud bath included in the price?
The boat takes you there and waits, but Sultaniye charges its own entrance fee at the gate, paid in lira. We tell you the current amount when you book so you bring the right cash.
Will we see turtles?
Loggerheads nest on İztuzu between May and September and hatchlings run for the sea from July onwards. You will not see nesting — the beach is closed at night in season, and that is exactly why the beach still exists. You can see rescued turtles at the DEKAMER centre at the river end of the beach.
How long do we get at Turtle Beach?
Three to four hours, which is the right amount. A boat that promises you the mud baths, Kaunos, the lake and the beach in five hours is giving you forty minutes of sand.
Is it suitable for young children?
Yes. The river is flat water, the boats have shade and rails, and İztuzu shelves gently on the river side. Tell us the ages when you book and we will put you on the right boat.
What if it rains?
In season it very rarely does. If the weather would make the trip unpleasant we move you to another day or refund in full — we would rather do that than sell you a wet boat.