Bodrum Gulet Charter

A gulet is a traditional wooden motor-sailer of the Aegean, built largely by hand from pine, chestnut and mahogany. The type descends from cargo and sponge-diving boats; its modern form, with the wide aft deck and guest cabins, took shape in Bodrum's shipyards as the blue cruise grew from a writers' pastime into a way of travelling.

Bodrum remains the craft's world-renowned home. Boatyards have worked the peninsula's coves for generations, and the main yard district of Icmeler still launches new hulls today. Chartering a gulet here means going to the source: boats built for these exact waters, crews raised on these exact bays.

The heart of a gulet is the big dining table on the aft deck, where most of the day's life happens. The foredeck carries sun mattresses; awnings shade the midday heat. A typical gulet runs 20 to 30 metres with 4 to 8 en-suite cabins; in the luxury class the cabin count drops and each cabin grows.

A standard charter comes with a crew of three: captain, chef and deckhand, with a hostess or second deckhand added on larger boats. Guests do nothing but holiday; navigation, cooking, cleaning and service belong to the crew. On smaller gulets the captain is often the owner, and there is a particular pleasure in cruising with someone who knows every plank of his boat.

For the 2026 season, weekly private charters start around 8,000 to 12,000 Euro for a standard gulet, 14,000 to 25,000 Euro in the luxury class, and above 30,000 Euro for the largest yachts. July and August command the top of each band; May, June, September and October cost noticeably less.

Rates typically include the crew, fuel for four to five hours of cruising a day, Turkish harbour fees, insurance, linen and towels, and snorkelling gear. Food is arranged as a per person meal package or a provisioning list planned with the chef; drinks are always separate, served from the boat's bar. Private marina berths, transfers and crew tips (customarily 5 to 10 percent, in cash at the end of the week) are extra. Your written quote itemises every line, and the table below shows current starting prices across the fleet.

The classic stage is the Gulf of Gokova: Orak Island, Cokertme, the Seven Islands reefs, English Harbour and Sedir Island with its Cleopatra Beach fit beautifully into one week. Heading south instead brings the Datca and Hisaronu route, with sunset over ancient Knidos and waterfront dinners in Selimiye.

Getting here is easy: Milas-Bodrum Airport (BJV) sits about 36 kilometres from the marinas, a 30 to 50 minute transfer, so a morning flight from most of Europe has you on deck the same afternoon. Charters generally run Saturday to Saturday; tell us your dates and group size and we will send matching gulets with exact rates the same day.