Best Time for a Gulet Charter

When is the gulet charter season in each country?

Turkey has the longest season on YachtCloud's pages, April to October. Greece runs May to October, and Croatia and Italy May to September, according to its country gulet pages [1]. Its broader country charter pages give longer windows for three of the four [2].

Charter season and best months on YachtCloud's pages

Sources: YachtCloud gulet and country charter pages, read 4 November 2026 [1][2]; gulet counts from the listings snapshot of 4 November 2026 [14]. Where the two pages differ, the operating months of the yacht you choose decide.

The same gulet pages label each month as shoulder, best or peak [1]. The cost guide says rates run lowest in the shoulder months and highest in July and August [3].

How YachtCloud's gulet pages label each month

Source: the "When to Charter" month tables on YachtCloud's four gulet pages, read 4 November 2026 [1]. "Not listed" means outside that page's season.

How warm is the sea, month by month?

The sea warms slowly and holds its heat into autumn. On Turkey's Aegean coast, the Turkish State Meteorological Service's 1970 to 2025 averages climb from 15.9°C in April to 24.6°C in August, and are still 20.8°C in October [6]. Its Mediterranean-coast averages run about two to four degrees warmer [7].

Average sea temperature off Turkey, 1970 to 2025 (°C)

Source: Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM), regional monthly means [6][7]. The reports don't list their stations.

Average sea temperature off Turkey by month, 1970 to 2025. Source [6][7].

The sea is also warmer than it used to be. MGM puts the Aegean's annual mean at 19.8°C for 2014 to 2025, against 18.8°C for the whole period since 1970 [6]. We found no official monthly sea averages for Greece, Croatia or Italy, so they aren't in the table.

How hot and how wet is it ashore?

July and August are the hottest months at all three stations below, and July is the driest. Rain picks up in October, most of all in Dubrovnik, where October averages nearly twice August's rainfall [9].

Average air temperature (°C) and rainfall (mm) by month

Sources: DHMZ, Split Marjan 1948 to 2024 and Dubrovnik 1961 to 2024 [8][9]; National Observatory of Athens, 1961 to 1990 [10]. Mean monthly temperature; periods differ, so compare months, not exact degrees between cities.

Split gets the most sun in July, 353 hours on average, and about 199 hours in October [8]. We couldn't open official station normals for the Turkish coast or for Italy, so they aren't shown.

When is the wind strongest?

The Aegean is the windy one. A National Observatory of Athens study of the whole Mediterranean puts the summer's strongest winds in the central and south-east Aegean, driven by the Etesian winds (the meltemi), in June, July and August [11].

At one central Aegean point, a 1979 to 2009 study counted about 15 Etesian days a month in July and 14 in August, and about 8 in September, when a larger share of them were strong [12]. The Observatory study says the Etesians weaken in September [11]. YachtCloud's Greece gulet page says the meltemi is strongest in the Cyclades in July and August [1]. Our Greece gulet guide covers which areas are calmer.

The same study names the south-east Aegean among the windiest areas, and Bodrum, home to 95 of YachtCloud's 197 Turkish gulets, sits on that side [11][14]. YachtCloud's Turkey gulet page calls the Turquoise Coast generally well sheltered [1]. Its Blue Cruise guide says the summer breeze there tends to come from the west or north-west and build through the afternoon [5].

Charter Tip

If you want July or August in Greece or around Bodrum with less wind, ask the captain about the more sheltered cruising areas and morning passages before you book.

When is it busiest?

July and August are the busiest months in all four countries, but the peak is far sharper in some. In Croatia, July and August held 54.5 percent of all 2025 tourist-accommodation nights. In Turkey they held 29.2 percent, according to Eurostat [13].

Share of each country's 2025 tourist-accommodation nights, by month (%)

Source: Eurostat, nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments, monthly data, 2025, retrieved 4 November 2026 [13]. Country-wide, all accommodation; not a count of boats at anchor.

How much of each country's 2025 tourist year fell in July and August. Source [13].

Autumn is where the countries part ways. Türkiye's October 2025 had about three-quarters of August's nights; Croatia's had about one-eighth [13]. It lines up with the longer season YachtCloud's pages give Turkey.

How do prices change through the season?

Each gulet sets its own weekly rates, usually in bands: lowest in the shoulder months and highest in July and August. YachtCloud's cost guide puts May, June, September and October typically 15 to 25 percent below the peak, and says peak-season weeks run about 35 percent above each yacht's lowest rate [3].

The listings' indicative ranges show how far one gulet's weekly rate can move, though they don't say which weeks fall where. On the 103 Turkish gulets whose range doesn't start below their base fee, the highest weekly rate is a median 1.54 times the lowest. The figure is 1.34 for 14 Greek gulets and 1.30 for 22 Croatian ones [14]. Turkey's median spread is wider than the cost guide's 35 percent, so ask how your week is priced. Only three Italian listings publish a range, too few to compare.

Two examples: Myra, based in Athens, runs €23,000 to 28,000 a week; its own estimate for the lowest week is €32,890 with 13 percent VAT and a 30 percent APA. Altair, based in Split, runs €16,000 to 19,010, or €21,280 on its estimate with 13 percent VAT and a 20 percent APA [15]. Altair's listing describes its APA as an amount paid ahead towards running costs such as food, drinks, fuel and port fees, with any unspent balance normally returned. Ask for the rate for your dates.

Altair, a 24-metre gulet based in Split, takes 12 guests from €16,000 a week before VAT and APA. Photo: Altair listing, YachtCloud.

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See what your month costs

Weekly rates move by season and by boat. Our cost guide explains the bands, VAT and the APA before you ask for yacht-specific prices.

Gulet Charter Costs · Compare Turkey Gulets

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Month by month: our planning summary

This summary pulls the figures above into one place. It is our own reading of them, not an industry rating.

The charter months at a glance

Summary of the sources cited in the sections above [1][6][11][12][13][3].

When should you book?

For July and August, 6 to 12 months ahead gives the widest choice of yachts, YachtCloud's booking guide says; shoulder-season weeks can often be arranged 2 to 4 months out, and last-minute options sometimes appear at reduced rates [4]. For a July 2027 week, six to twelve months ahead runs from July 2026 to January 2027.

Booking early can also cut the fee. YachtCloud's cost guide says early-booking discounts are commonly around 5 to 15 percent, varying by yacht, owner and season, and are confirmed at booking [3]. Once you choose a yacht, the booking guide describes a hold followed by a charter agreement [4].

Mistakes to avoid

• Assuming every yacht runs the whole season. YachtCloud's own pages give different windows; the yacht's operating months decide.

• Treating the Aegean like the rest. It gets the summer's strongest winds, June to August.

• Expecting August water in May. Turkey's Aegean coast averages 18.8°C in May against 24.6°C in August.

• Leaving a July week too late. The booking guide says 6 to 12 months ahead for peak summer.

• Picking October in Croatia without checking. The gulet page's season ends in September, and October is Dubrovnik's wettest month of the season.

Is YachtCloud the right fit?

YachtCloud suits groups who want a private crewed gulet in Turkey, Greece, Croatia or Italy and are comparing months and boats on published rates. It acts as a charter intermediary; the owner or operator confirms availability and the final price [4]. It doesn't publish week-by-week rates, so you'll need to ask for your dates.

Before You Pick Your Dates