Viking Libra in Kuşadası: two December calls and our winter closure
Viking Libra is a new Viking ship. At the start of October 2026 she had not yet entered service, so there is no track record of her in Kuşadası at all. Viking plans her for about 998 guests in 499 staterooms.
What we do have is her entry in the port schedule. As of early October 2026 it lists two Kuşadası calls for her in the next 12 months, both on a Tuesday and a week apart: Tuesday 8 December and Tuesday 15 December 2026. The port times have not been announced yet for either. Both dates, and any that are added later, are on the Viking Libra page.
The short answer: no safari on these two days
Our quad, buggy and horse safaris are closed for winter from 1 December to 31 March. Both of Viking Libra's calls fall in that window, so there is no safari on 8 or 15 December, and we do not take bookings for those days.
That stays true once her port times are published. Even if she turns out to arrive early in the morning and leave late in the evening, the trails are closed and the ride does not run. The same applies if you spend a few nights in Kuşadası around a December sailing: a hotel day in December is still inside the closure.
We would rather say this clearly now than have you plan a December day around a ride.
What would make a Viking Libra ride possible
Two things would have to line up.
First, a call between April and November. Our safaris run again from April, so a Viking Libra call in that part of the year would be a normal riding day for us. If new calls are added to her schedule, they will appear on the ship page.
Second, port hours that leave room for one of our two sessions. We ride at 11:00 and 16:00, and you must be back at the port at least 60 minutes before the ship departs:
- for the 11:00 ride, the ship has to be in port by 10:10 and leave at 15:15 or later;
- for the 16:00 ride, she has to be in by 15:10 and leave at 20:15 or later.
The all-aboard time in the daily programme counts too. It is usually earlier than the departure, and if so, the hour is measured back from that.
What a season day with us looks like
For anyone thinking about a later Viking Libra voyage, this is the shape of a morning ride in season. You walk out of the cruise port to the Kervansaray meeting point (The Big Ottoman Palace), about 50 m from the exit (map), and meet us at 10:10. A drive of around 15 minutes brings you to the pine forest behind Pamucak beach. From 11:00 you are out for about two hours, with a 30-minute break on the beach, and back at the port between 13:45 and 14:15.
The afternoon session is the same route later in the day: meet at 15:10, ride from 16:00, back between 18:45 and 19:15.
Choosing a ride for a future trip
On the quad safari or the buggy safari you drive yourself; there is no licence requirement, drivers have to be 16 or older, and vehicles come as singles or doubles. Everyone gets a helmet, goggles and a safety briefing, and a guide leads the convoy. Children under about 2 cannot join. The horse safari is the calmer option and suits complete beginners aged 8 and up, younger children with an experienced adult companion, in a small group with a riding guide and a helmet for each rider. On horseback, swimming at the beach depends on the season.
Keeping an eye on her schedule
Schedules change, and our pages follow the port schedule. If Viking Libra gets a Kuşadası call between April and November, the cruise day planner will show which session fits once her times are known and will fill in the booking for you. Until then, the full list of Viking Libra calls is the place to see whether anything has changed.