AIDAblu's Wednesdays in Kuşadası: planning a morning safari
If you sail on AIDAblu and she stops in Kuşadası, it will be a Wednesday. The port schedule as of early October 2026 lists six calls over the next 12 months, and not one of them falls on another day. There is a single call this autumn, on Wednesday 14 October 2026. After that she is off the list until Wednesday 19 May 2027, then comes back roughly once a month until Wednesday 15 September 2027. Every one of those dates is safe from our winter break, which shuts the trails from 1 December to 31 March; riding resumes each year on 1 April.
Our 11:00 safari fits all six. The afternoon session, at 16:00, fits none. Those are the short answers. The longer one depends on which of two timetables your date has, so it is worth reading the right part below. For every date with its current hours, see the full list of AIDAblu calls.
The five summer Wednesdays
From May to September 2027, AIDAblu keeps the same hours each time: in at 08:00, away at 18:00. The five dates are 19 May, 2 June, 14 July, 25 August and 15 September. July is the only month with a longer gap either side, six weeks after the June call and six weeks before the August one.
On those days the morning goes like this:
- 08:00 AIDAblu is alongside. You have just over two hours before you need to be anywhere.
- 10:10 meet us at the Kervansaray meeting point (The Big Ottoman Palace), about 50 m from the cruise port exit. Open the map before you leave the ship.
- About 15 minutes in the car to the trails behind Pamucak beach.
- 11:00 the ride starts: about two hours through the pine forest, with a 30-minute stop on Pamucak beach in the middle.
- 13:45–14:15 we drop you back at the port.
That leaves 3 h 45 min between the latest drop-off and an 18:00 departure. Our rule only asks for 60 minutes, so there is room for a late lunch in town before you head back on board. Do check the all-aboard time in AIDAblu's daily programme, though. It is usually earlier than 18:00, and it is the time that counts.
The October call: 10:00 in, 19:00 out
Wednesday 14 October 2026 is the odd one. AIDAblu is due in at 10:00, two hours later than in summer, and stays until 19:00.
On paper the 11:00 ride fits. Our rule is that the ship is in port by 10:10 and leaves at 15:15 or later, and both are true. In practice, ten minutes between arrival and the meeting time is very little. It depends on how soon passengers can go ashore after she ties up, and that is something we do not control. If you want the morning ride on 14 October, look at the going-ashore time in your daily programme. Mention in your booking that you are on this call, and message us on WhatsApp if anything about your going-ashore time is unclear.
The longer evening does not open up the afternoon session. The 16:00 ride brings you back between 18:45 and 19:15. With a 19:00 departure, that is after she has sailed. For the 16:00 tour we need the ship to stay until 20:15 or later.
Why 18:00 rules out the afternoon in summer
People sometimes ask whether the later session would let them sleep in. With AIDAblu's summer hours, no. The 16:00 group meets at 15:10 and is back at the port from 18:45, which is already after an 18:00 departure. The morning is the only option, and with two hours of free time before it and close to four after, it is not a bad one.
Quad, buggy or horse
AIDAblu is a Sphinx-class ship that AIDA Cruises has sailed since 2010. She carries about 2,192 guests, counting lower berths. The quad safari and the buggy safari need no driving licence. Drivers must be 16 or over, and a passenger can share a double vehicle. Everyone gets a helmet, goggles and a safety briefing, then follows a guide in convoy. Children younger than about 2 years cannot come on these two. The horse safari is for beginners aged 8 and over (younger riders with an experienced companion), in a small group led by a riding guide. On the horse tour, a swim in the sea depends on the season, which matters most for the October and May dates.
Booking a Wednesday
The cruise day planner is the quickest way to book. Choose AIDAblu and your Wednesday, and it confirms the 11:00 session and fills in the booking form. You can also go straight to the reservation page.
Cruise lines do move times now and then. Before you sail, open the AIDAblu ship page once more. It always shows the current schedule and says which tour fits each date.