3 Days in Bodrum: Castle, Halicarnassus, Orak Island Gulet and Gümüşlük

This three-day itinerary balances Bodrum's acclaimed history in the cool morning hours with a full day sailing on a traditional wooden gulet and an afternoon-to-sunset loop around the peninsula's most atmospheric bays. Read our dolmuş transport guide before Day 1.

Day 1: Bodrum Castle, Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Halicarnassus & Old Town

• Morning: arrive at Bodrum Castle (Castle of St Peter) right as gates open; spend 2.5 hours touring the 14th-century BC Uluburun Shipwreck, the Glass Wreck Hall, the Carian Princess Room and the five towers overlooking the twin bays.
• Midday: walk ten minutes uphill from the Marina to the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus to see the burial terrace and Amazon friezes of the ancient wonder, then continue five minutes up the slope to the 4th-century BC Ancient Theatre for the classic midday panorama over town.
• Midday: lunch in the shaded lanes of the Old Bazaar on traditional çökertme kebabı or wood-fired Bodrum sebzeli döner, followed by a scoop of green Bodrum mandarin ice cream.
• Afternoon: wander the bougainvillea-draped whitewashed alleys behind the bazaar, stroll the Kumbahçe beach promenade to the Zeki Müren Art Museum, and drive or walk up to the seven 1850s stone Haremtan Windmills for sunset over both bays.

Day 2: Full-Day Wooden Gulet Cruise to Orak Island (or Black Island & Aquarium Bay)

• Morning: step aboard a handcrafted mahogany wooden gulet schooner for a full day on the water, swimming in Red Bay, the electric-turquoise white-sand lagoon of Orak Island and Tavşan Burnu (or taking the western route to Black Island's thermal cave and Aquarium Bay), with a freshly grilled sea bream lunch served on deck.
• Evening: stroll the palm-lined quays of Neyzen Tevfik Caddesi and Milta Marina for an evening of cold Aegean meze.

Day 3: Bitez Morning Swim, Dibeklihan, Yalıkavak & Gümüşlük Sunset

• Morning: take a 15-minute dolmuş or taxi west to Bitez Bay for a calm morning swim and Turkish breakfast among the tangerine orchards, then visit the stone art courtyards of Dibeklihan in Yakaköy.
• Midday: continue across the ridge past the hilltop windmills to Yalıkavak (or sail on the 20-minute morning ferry to Kos Island in Greece as an alternative Day 3).
• Evening: finish on the western edge of the peninsula in Gümüşlük: wade across the submerged ancient Myndos road to Rabbit Island and dine at a lantern-lit fish table right at the water's edge as the sun sinks into the Aegean.