Things to Do in Bodrum: Castle, Mausoleum and Day Trips
Bodrum is more than its marinas: the castle, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and ancient cities like Miletus, Didyma and Knidos within a day trip.
· 2 min read
Bodrum is built on ancient Halicarnassus, and the town and the coast around it are full of history: a crusader castle on the harbour, the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and some of the most important Greek cities of Ionia and Caria within a day trip.
Here are the places to plan around, then a few quieter sites for curious travellers.
In Bodrum town
Both are in the town itself and easy to see on the same day.
Bodrum Castle
Historic & Cultural · Bodrum
Bodrum Castle was built from 1402 onwards by the Knights of St John as the Castle of St Peter, and it still dominates the harbour.
Go to Bodrum CastleMausoleum at Halicarnassus
Historic & Cultural · Bodrum
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was the tomb of Mausolus, built between 353 and 351 BC. It gave the word "mausoleum" to many languages.
Go to Mausoleum at HalicarnassusAncient cities for a day trip
North and south of Bodrum lie some of the most influential cities of the ancient world.
Miletus
Historic & Cultural · Didim
Miletus was an influential ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River.
Go to MiletusDidyma
Historic & Cultural · Didim
Didyma was a sanctuary in the domain of Miletus where Apollo was the main deity — combine it with Miletus on the same trip.
Go to DidymaKnidos
Historic & Cultural · Datça
Knidos was a Greek city of ancient Caria and part of the Dorian Hexapolis, at the tip of the Datça peninsula.
Go to Knidosİlyas Bey Mosque
Religious Sites · Didim
The İlyas Bey Mosque was built at Miletus in 1403 by İlyas Bey — an early Turkish building in the middle of a Greek city.
Go to İlyas Bey MosqueFor curious travellers
Smaller sites that are easy to add to the trips above.
Temple of Aphrodite, Knidos
Historic & Cultural · Datça
In ancient Knidos, the Temple of Aphrodite Euploia was a famous pilgrimage site, known for a celebrated statue of the goddess.
Go to Temple of Aphrodite, KnidosPedasa
Historic & Cultural · Bodrum
Pedasa was a town of ancient Caria, a polis by around 400 BCE — a quiet ruin close to Bodrum.
Go to PedasaMilas Museum
Museums · Milas
The Milas Museum covers the archaeology and ethnography of the region.
Go to Milas MuseumCheck opening hours and directions on each place's TripNVB page before you set out, especially for the day trips.
This article was written by the TripNVB team from our own data: places, locations and facts come from our records. Check opening hours and prices on each place's page before you go.
The full Bodrum guide →
