Where you place a boat trip in your holiday week decides how much you get out of it. The boat leaves Gumbet Harbour at 10:30 and ties up at the same pier at 17:00, so it takes up most of the day. Planning a Bodrum summer holiday boat trip works best when you think about two things at once: the month you are travelling in, and which day of your stay you pick.
June: cooler water, roomier deck
In early June the sea has not reached its peak temperature yet, and you notice it during the first swim stop at Dalgic Bay. In return, the midday heat is easier to handle and finding a good spot on deck is simple. If the different tour names still confuse you, the piece where we sort the terms out makes June planning quicker.
July and August: book ahead
These are the busiest weeks of the season. Capacity is 100 people and same-morning callers often miss out, so reserving a couple of days earlier over WhatsApp is the safe move. A hat, plenty of water and strong sun cream are close to essential now. Lunch is included in the price, chicken, pasta and salad, served around 13:00 at Ada Bogazi; drinks are not included and are paid for separately at the deck bar.
September: the warmest water of the year
By September the sea keeps the heat it collected all summer, while the air is less oppressive than in July. For photographs at Asiklar Bay and snorkelling at Akvaryum Bay, this month usually gives the most comfortable conditions. If you want to see the bays before you book, take a look at the shots taken from the deck.
Which day of your stay?
The month matters, but so does the slot inside your holiday:
- Not arrival day: travel fatigue plus the rush to make a 10:30 departure is a poor combination.
- Day two or three is usually the sweet spot, since you have settled in and can read the forecast.
- Avoid the day before you fly home; the trip ends at 17:00 and packing pressure spoils it.
- Skip the morning after a late night out, because the tempo on deck rises after lunch.
- Staying in Gumbet, Bitez or Ortakent means hotel transfer is already in the price.
It does not suit every plan
If you are after a silent, meditative day at sea, this is not your boat: the DJ starts after lunch and the deck wakes up. The route is fixed as well. Bodrum has other spots such as Poyraz Bay, but our programme stays with Dalgic Bay, Ada Bogazi, Asiklar Bay and Akvaryum Bay. Curious how many bays one day realistically covers? See our day trip arithmetic. One last practical note: towels are not handed out on board, so bring your own.
We also cover this in a separate article: that write-up in full.