Daily Dalyan Tour from Oludeniz – Rock Tombs, Mud Baths & Iztuzu Beach

Dalyan Day Trip from Oludeniz: River Cruise, Lycian Rock Tombs, Mud Baths and Turtle Beach

Our daily Dalyan tour from Oludeniz is a full day tour into one of the most beautiful river landscapes of south-west Turkey. Around an hour and a half from Fethiye, Dalyan sits among reed beds, pine-covered hills and a winding delta that leads to the sea. This guided daily excursion includes a traditional boat cruise, a soak in natural mud baths, lunch and time on a protected beach, with hotel pick-up and return transfer by air-conditioned coach.

Day Trip to Fethiye from the Greek Islands (Rhodes)

Guests staying on Rhodes can enjoy the Dalyan Tour as a day trip from the Greek islands to Turkey — from Rhodes the ferry takes about 85 minutes, so the excursion can be planned between the morning and evening sailings. Pickup is at the Fethiye ferry terminal, and the tour is timed so you can catch the return ferry comfortably. For longer itineraries we check the ferry timetable first and confirm that the full programme fits your day. Please bring your passport and check the Turkish entry requirements for your nationality before travelling.

• Boat cruise along the reed-lined Dalyan Delta
• Views of the Lycian Rock Tombs carved into the cliffs
• Natural sulphur mud baths for a head-to-toe treatment
• Iztuzu Beach, nesting ground of loggerhead sea turtles
• A stop at a Turkish gold shop
• Lunch included during the day

Dalyan began as a modest fishing village, and its name comes from the fish traps, known locally as dalyan, still set across the river. Its long riverside quay is lined with wooden boats, and this is where you board for the cruise. Gliding downstream you pass the Lycian Rock Tombs, elaborate temple-style facades cut into the cliff face above the water more than two thousand years ago to honour the rulers of ancient Kaunos. Seen from the boat they are one of the most photographed views on the Turquoise Coast.

Next comes the fun part of this Dalyan day trip: the mud baths, where warm sulphur-rich mud is spread from head to toe and left to dry before you rinse off. The mud is traditionally believed to cleanse the skin and ease aches. The day also includes a visit to a Turkish gold shop and time to swim and sunbathe at Iztuzu Beach, a long sand spit between river and sea that is protected as a nesting site for the endangered Caretta caretta turtles. Bring swimwear, a towel and clothes you do not mind getting muddy; entrance fees for the sites in the programme are covered.

Photo credits: Rev Stan from London, UK (CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons); Tanya Dedyukhina (CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons); FurkanYalcin3 (CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons); Courgettewashere (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons); Rrburke (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons); Николай Максимович (CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)