A Monday with Azura in Kuşadası: getting ashore for a safari
If Azura brings you to Kuşadası, it will be on a Monday. The port schedule as of early October 2026 lists five calls for her over the next 12 months, every one of them on that weekday, from late April to mid-September 2027. What it does not list yet are the hours: for all five, the port times have not been announced.
Azura is a Grand-class ship from P&O Cruises. She entered service in 2010 and carries about 3,080 guests, going by P&O Cruises' figure. Her dates, and the times once they are published, are on the Azura ship page.
Five Mondays, spread through the season
The first is Monday 26 April 2027. Then comes a long pause until Monday 12 July, after which she settles into a two-week rhythm: Monday 26 July and Monday 9 August. The last listed call is Monday 13 September 2027.
All five sit inside our riding season. We are closed from 1 December until 31 March and reopen on 1 April, and her first Monday comes a few weeks after that, so the season itself is not the obstacle. The ship's hours are. Until they are known, nobody can honestly tell you which session will work.
Getting from the gangway to Kervansaray
On a ship of Azura's size, it is worth thinking about the first half hour of the day, because the morning session starts earlier than many people expect.
We meet morning riders at 10:10 at the Kervansaray meeting point (The Big Ottoman Palace), about 50 m from the cruise port exit. Open the map here. The walk itself is short. What takes time is getting off the ship and out of the port, so give yourself a margin rather than leaving the ship at the last minute.
That is also why the arrival time matters so much. For the 11:00 tour, Azura has to be in port by 10:10. If she arrives later, the morning is off and only the afternoon can work.
Reading the times when they appear
Once the times are published, two numbers decide everything: when she arrives and when she leaves. Our rule is that you are back at the port at least 60 minutes before departure. Put that next to our fixed timings:
| Session | Ship in port by | Ship leaves no earlier than | Back at port |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 | 10:10 | 15:15 | 13:45–14:15 |
| 16:00 | 15:10 | 20:15 | 18:45–19:15 |
There is one more figure to look up: the all-aboard time in your daily programme. It is usually earlier than the departure time. If it leaves you with less than an hour after the tour returns, go by the all-aboard time, not the departure.
If none of the rows fit, there is no safari that Monday. We would rather tell you that than send you back with minutes to spare. And if the times suggest an overnight stay, or look unclear, message us on WhatsApp.
The ride itself
Whichever session you join, the shape is the same. About 15 minutes' drive takes you to the trails behind Pamucak beach. You then have about two hours on pine-forest tracks, including a 30-minute break at the beach, before we drive you back to the port.
If your party mixes ages and tastes, here is the short version. The buggy safari and the quad safari need no driving licence; drivers are 16 or older, vehicles come single or double, and helmets, goggles and a safety briefing are included, with everyone riding in convoy behind a guide. Children younger than about 2 cannot join those two. The horse safari is for beginners aged 8 and up (younger children with an experienced adult companion), in a small group with a riding guide; swimming at the beach on that tour depends on the season.
Booking your Monday
When the hours for your date are out, the cruise day planner will match Azura and your Monday against both sessions and fill in the booking form for you. The reservation page works too, once you know which session you want.
Staying overnight in Kuşadası before or after the cruise? Then the ship's hours do not matter for that day: book any date between April and November and we collect you from your hotel.
The full list of Azura calls is the place to check as summer 2027 gets closer, since it updates when the times are confirmed.