Bodrum Airport to Bodrum Town, Gümbet and Bitez

Bodrum town wraps around two harbours and a Crusader castle, with Gümbet and Bitez on the bays just to the west. This guide covers how to get from BJV to each one, the dolmuş (minibus) lines, what the castle, the Mausoleum and the theatre cost and when they open, and the ferries to Datça and Kos.

Ways to Get from Bodrum Airport to Bodrum, Gümbet, Bitez and Torba

Transfer prices are per vehicle, not per person, and the exact price for your date and pickup time is shown before you pay. Public transport fares are from the Muğla municipal transport company (MUTTAŞ) and Havaş, checked on 25 October 2026, and can change.

Private Transfer

Our driver tracks your flight, so there is no extra charge for traffic or flight delays. The driver waits just outside the arrivals exit, and once you have landed sends you the exact meeting point and a short video on WhatsApp. Our drivers speak English. The vehicle is a Mercedes Vito for up to six passengers, with a V-Class VIP and a Sprinter for larger groups, and child seats are available on request. The service is private only. Give us the name of your hotel or street at Gümbet, Bitez or in town when you book. If you need a particular drop-off point, ask us on WhatsApp before booking. You can compare all routes on our transfer prices page, or book on the Muğla Airport Transfer page. For the airport itself, see our Bodrum Airport guide.

Airport Taxi

Taxis serve both terminals around the clock. Taxis run on a meter, with no night rate. Agree the destination and ask what the fare is likely to be before you get in, since the airport's taxi page lists no fares. The airport's taxi desk can be reached on +90 252 523 00 24. Gümbet and Bitez are a few kilometres further than the town centre, so expect a higher meter fare than to the castle.

Airport Coach and the Bus Into Town

The airport coach is run on the municipal side by MUTTAŞ as line 48-24, and Havaş lists the same route. It is a single-price service.

• Fare: ₺270 to Bodrum bus station (Torba) and ₺220 to Güvercinlik, valid from 18 May 2026. Havaş gives the journey as about 45 minutes. MUTTAŞ says you can pay by credit card.
• Stops: the airport, Güvercinlik, then Bodrum bus station at Torba. Havaş also lists Bodrum Central Bus Terminal as the end of the line, so ask the driver where your coach finishes.
• Timetable: there is none from the airport. The coach meets domestic arrivals, with extra vehicles added when it fills, and tickets cannot be reserved in advance.
• International arrivals: MUTTAŞ states that, on a decision by the airport operator, no passengers are set down or picked up at the international terminal stop, and Havaş says its shuttle meets domestic flights. After an international landing, do not count on the coach.
• Back to the airport: coaches leave Bodrum about two hours before domestic departures, and the pick-up points the airport lists are the Torba junction underpass and in front of Güvercinlik Metro. Departure times change daily, so check the Havaş site the day before.

From Torba bus station, ring line 2-81 runs to the town garage (Merkez Garaj), the hub for most dolmuş lines. It runs every 30 minutes from 07:00 to 23:30, then hourly through the night, every day. The fare is ₺28 on a personal Muğla Kart and ₺59 on the two-ride Muğla Kart, which is the realistic fare for a visitor.

Which Option Suits You?

• Landing on an international flight, or late at night: a private transfer or the taxi ranks.
• A family with bags, or a group of four to six: a private transfer, so you are not changing vehicles with luggage.
• One or two people with light bags, staying in Torba or the town centre: the coach, plus the ring bus.
• Staying in Gümbet or Bitez: the coach works but needs two changes, so most visitors with luggage take a transfer or a taxi.

Dolmuş Lines Around Bodrum, Gümbet, Bitez and Torba

Dolmuşes are minibuses that run fixed routes and stop on request. These lines start at the town garage, which the fare tables call Eski Otogar. Fares below are the municipal fare sheets valid from May 2026, in two columns: a personal Muğla Kart first, and the two-ride card second. You can pay by credit card on these lines.

The Torba line page on the MUTTAŞ site was last updated in 2025, so check ulasim.muttas.com.tr before you rely on it.

Bodrum Town

The castle sits on a rocky point between the two harbours, and the Mausoleum and the ancient theatre are inland.

Bodrum Castle and the Museum of Underwater Archaeology

The Knights of St John built the castle between 1406 and 1522, using stones taken from the Mausoleum. Its towers are named the French, Italian, English, German and Spanish (Snake) towers. The knights left on 5 January 1523. It served as a prison from 1895.

Inside is the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, which the Ministry of Culture and Tourism describes as the only museum in Turkey, and one of the few in the world, dedicated to the field. It opened in 1964, and its collections run from the 16th century BC to the 16th century AD. The highlights are the Uluburun wreck from the 14th century BC and the glass cargo of the Serçe Limanı wreck, along with the Carian Princess and a large amphora collection. An audio guide is available. The ministry lists the Glass Wreck hall as a separate unit, so ask at the desk what your ticket covers. The 2027 fee schedule lists it separately at 7 euros.

Mausoleum, Theatre and Myndos Gate

The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was the tomb of Maussollos, satrap of Caria, built in the 4th century BC and counted among the seven wonders of the ancient world. The word "mausoleum" comes from his name. An earthquake brought it down in 1304 AD and its stones were reused in the castle. Finds from Danish excavations (1966 to 1977) have been displayed since 1982, and the surviving sculptures went to the British Museum in the 19th century.

The ancient theatre dates from the 4th century BC and sits on the southern slope of Göktepe, above the town. It originally seated about 10,000 and reopened after the 2002 works with about 3,100 seats. The views run over the harbour towards Kos and the Datça peninsula. The 2-52 dolmuş has a stop called Antik Tiyatro.

Myndos Gate was the west gate of ancient Halicarnassus, thought to date from about 360 BC. It has two monumental towers and an inner court, and the 4th-century BC defensive ditches foiled Alexander the Great's attack in 334 BC. The municipality's page lists no ticket or opening hours for it.

Fees and Opening Hours

The 2026 fees are the foreign-visitor prices on the ministry's museum portal, and the 2027 prices are from the published fee schedule for 2027. Children under 8 who are not Turkish citizens are free at the ministry sites. Winter hours are usually shorter, so check the official site before you go.

Markets, the Shipyard and the Windmills

The municipality lists a Sunday antiques market in Bodrum town, with smaller markets on other weekdays. The old Ottoman shipyard, thought to have been founded in 1775, is now an art gallery. A row of historic windmills stands on the hill between the town and Gümbet.

Gümbet

Gümbet is the nearest of the three bays to the town, on the 2-52 dolmuş line, which runs until midnight. The municipality lists a Blue Flag public beach here, and the Gümbet produce market is on Sundays. Municipal public beaches are open from 1 June to 30 September in 2026.

Bitez

Bitez is a little further along the coast. The municipality lists four public beaches here, including a Blue Flag beach. The produce market is on Thursdays and a second-hand market runs on Sundays. The dolmuş runs about every 15 to 25 minutes, and the timetable shows the last departure from Bitez at 22:15.

Torba

Torba is the closest place to the airport, and the new bus station is here. It was built by the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality to move intercity coaches out of the centre, and opened in 2021 according to press reports. The hourly 2-20 dolmuş links it with the town from Monday to Saturday.

Bodrum to Datça and Kos by Ferry

Datça

A car ferry links Bodrum and Datça (Körmen), operated by Bodrum Feribot and listed by the Muğla municipal transport company. At the time of writing it sails twice a day, at 09:00 and 16:00 from both sides, and in mid-summer four sailings a day each way have been reported. The crossing is reported at about 1 hour 45 minutes. Bodrum departures leave from the castle harbour, Bodrum Kale Limanı. The 2026 fares are ₺1,000 one way and ₺1,850 return per person, with children aged 7 to 12 at half price, and under-7s and over-65s free. A car costs ₺3,450. Sailings can change with the weather, and online sales close two hours before departure. For the other end of the crossing, see our Dalaman Airport to Akyaka and Datça guide.

Kos

Several ferry companies run the short crossing to the Greek island of Kos, from Bodrum Kale Port, beside the castle. Crossing times are listed at about 30 to 60 minutes depending on the vessel, and ticket-reseller listings show between two and six departures a day depending on the date. Schedules and fares change by season and by operator, so check with the operators at the harbour before you plan around a sailing. Passport and visa rules for Greece are yours to check before you travel.

Planning Your Arrival and Departure

For the return, the transfer from the town or Gümbet to the airport takes about the same 41 to 44 minutes. The next stops along the coast are covered in our guides to Yalıkavak, Türkbükü and Gölköy and Turgutreis and Gümüşlük.

Sources — checked on 25 October 2026: MUTTAŞ 48-24 · 2-81 · 2-52 · 2-48 · 2-20 · 48-48 Datça ferry · Datça 2026 fares · airport coach fares · Havaş · Milas-Bodrum Airport · turkishmuseums.com, castle · muze.gov.tr · Mausoleum · theatre · Zeki Müren Museum · Bodrum Municipality: castle · Myndos Gate · markets · beaches · Bodrum Feribot · 2027 fee schedule (reproduced PDF) · CNN Türk, 2021
Euro amounts at €1 = ₺55.6.

Related guides: Bodrum Airport (BJV) · Bodrum Airport to Yalıkavak, Türkbükü and Gölköy · Bodrum Airport to Turgutreis and Gümüşlük · Dalaman Airport to Akyaka and Datça · Dalaman Airport (DLM)

Frequently asked questions