Ilma in Kuşadası: three Saturdays and a morning in the pines
Ilma does not come to Kuşadası often, but when she does, the day keeps the same shape. The port schedule as of early October 2026 lists three calls over the next 12 months, all on a Saturday and all from 08:00 to 19:00: Saturday 15 May, Saturday 31 July and Saturday 7 August 2027. If your voyage includes one of them, our 11:00 safari fits. The 16:00 session does not.
Ilma belongs to The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. She entered service in 2024 and can take up to 448 guests, according to the figures published when she made her debut. The Ilma planner page carries the current hours for each date. This post is about how to spend the Saturday itself.
Why the morning, and only the morning
Two conditions decide which session works. You have to reach our meeting point on time, and you must be back at the port at least 60 minutes before the ship leaves.
For the 11:00 ride, Ilma has to be in port by 10:10 and leave at 15:15 or later. She arrives at 08:00 and sails at 19:00, so both conditions are met with room to spare.
For the 16:00 ride she would need to stay until 20:15 or later. The afternoon group gets back between 18:45 and 19:15, and against a 19:00 departure that leaves no margin at all. We do not offer it for her calls.
Keep the daily programme on board in mind too. The all-aboard time printed there usually comes before the departure time, and it is the one to plan around.
The Saturday, step by step
- 08:00 Ilma is in. You have a little over two hours before you need to meet us, so breakfast can be unhurried.
- Before 10:10 walk out of the cruise port. The Kervansaray meeting point (The Big Ottoman Palace) is about 50 m from the exit. Here is the map.
- 10:10 we meet, and the drive to the start takes about 15 minutes.
- 11:00 about two hours on pine-forest trails behind Pamucak beach, with a 30-minute sea break on the beach.
- 13:45 to 14:15 back at the port.
- 19:00 Ilma sails.
Between getting back and departure there are close to five hours. That is time for a late lunch in town, a wander through the streets behind the harbour, or a rest on board before the evening.
Two summer Saturdays a week apart
The calls on 31 July and 7 August 2027 sit a week apart and have identical timings, so the plan above works for either. The May call comes earlier in the season, about six weeks after we reopen on 1 April at the end of the winter closure (1 December to 31 March). That matters mainly if you choose the horse safari: on that tour, a swim in the sea during the beach break depends on the season, so mention your date when you book. On the quad and buggy tours, the 30-minute stop at Pamucak is part of the ride in any month.
Choosing how to ride
The horse safari is the gentler option. It suits beginners, is open from age 8 (younger children can ride with an experienced adult companion), and goes out in a small group with a riding guide, with a helmet for everyone.
If you would rather drive, the quad safari and the buggy safari need no driving licence. Drivers must be 16 or older, single and double vehicles are available, and you get a helmet, goggles and a safety briefing before following the guide in convoy. Children younger than about 2 years cannot come on the quad or buggy tours. A double vehicle lets two people share the ride, with one of them at the wheel.
Booking your Ilma Saturday
The simplest route is the cruise day planner. Choose Ilma and your Saturday, and it confirms the 11:00 session and fills in the booking form for you. You can also go straight to the reservation page.
A lot can change in a schedule between now and 2027. Before you sail, look at the full list of Ilma calls, which always shows the latest hours and which tour fits them. If her times move, the same two conditions still decide it: in port by 10:10 and leaving at 15:15 or later for the morning ride.