National Geographic Orion in Kuşadası: horse or engine on the trails
National Geographic Orion visits Kuşadası twice in spring and once at the end of summer. The port schedule as of early October 2026 lists Friday 7 May 2027, Monday 31 May 2027 and Wednesday 15 September 2027, and for each of them the port times have not been announced yet.
She is a Lindblad Expeditions ship, in service since 2003, carrying about 102 guests by Lindblad's figure. You can follow her dates on the National Geographic Orion ship page, which is where the hours will appear once they are confirmed.
While the clock is still blank, there is one decision you can make now: how you want to travel through the forest. We run the same trails three ways, and each suits different people.
On horseback
The horse safari is the option without an engine. You need no riding experience; the tour suits beginners. Riders from 8 go on their own, and younger children ride with an experienced adult companion. The group is small and led by a riding guide, and you wear a helmet.
There is one seasonal point to bear in mind with this ship's dates. All our tours stop for 30 minutes at Pamucak beach, but on the horse safari, a swim there depends on the season. Your May and September calls may not be the same in that respect, so ask us when you plan. The winter closure itself is no concern here: we are shut only from 1 December until 31 March and back on the trails on 1 April, some weeks before her first call.
With an engine
If you would rather drive, choose between the quad safari and the buggy safari. Neither needs a driving licence. Drivers must be 16 or older, and you can book a single vehicle or a double one to share. Before you set off you get a helmet, goggles and a safety briefing, and then the group follows a guide in convoy. These two are not open to children younger than about 2.
All three options take about two hours on pine-forest trails behind Pamucak beach, so the choice is about how you want to spend those two hours, not how long you will be away.
Which session, once the hours are known
We run every tour at 11:00 or 16:00. What decides between them is Orion's arrival and departure on your date, together with our 60-minute rule: you need to be back at the port at least an hour before the ship sails.
For the morning ride, that means she must be alongside by 10:10 and leaving no earlier than 15:15. You meet us at 10:10 and are back at the port between 13:45 and 14:15.
For the afternoon ride, she must be in by 15:10 and not leave before 20:15. You meet at 15:10 and return between 18:45 and 19:15.
Check the all-aboard time in your daily programme as well. It is usually earlier than the departure time, and if it cuts into that hour, it becomes your limit. If neither ride fits around the ship's hours, we will tell you plainly that a safari will not work on that date. If the times look unclear or point to an overnight stay, write to us on WhatsApp.
Meeting us at the port
Both sessions start at the Kervansaray meeting point (The Big Ottoman Palace), about 50 m from the cruise port exit; here it is on the map. From there we drive you about 15 minutes to the start of the trails, and we bring you back to the port at the end.
When you are ready
Once your date has times, the cruise day planner does the matching: pick National Geographic Orion and the date, and it shows which session fits and fills in the booking form. If you are spending a night in Kuşadası before or after the voyage, that day is not tied to the ship at all; you can book any date between April and November with hotel pickup.
Look at the full list of National Geographic Orion calls again in spring 2027. If your voyage documents show a different date, go by those and check the page again.