The Urla Wine Route (Bağ Yolu) is a touring route linking the vineyards and wineries around Urla. The stops lie along country lanes, a few kilometres from one another. In this article we walk you step by step through planning a day on the Wine Route with a chauffeur.
1. Choose the wineries first, then draw the route
Every winery on the Wine Route has its own visiting days, tasting hours and booking rules. Some only receive guests by appointment, and some may be closed on weekdays. So start by choosing the 2–4 places you want to visit, and make your reservation directly with each one.
2. Set a realistic number of stops
A tasting visit, including the welcome, a walk through the vineyard and the tasting itself, usually takes 1–2 hours. Allowing for the drive between stops and lunch:
- Half day (approximately 4 hours): 2 stops
- Full day (approximately 8 hours): 3–4 stops and lunch
Adding more stops means rushing every visit.
3. Why a chauffeur-driven vehicle?
Driving on a day with tastings is risky, both for safety and because of legal limits. With a chauffeur-driven vehicle:
- Nobody has to say, “I won’t drink, I’ll drive.”
- The hassle of finding your way along country lanes and looking for parking disappears.
- If the plan changes, your driver adjusts the route.
4. Planning by season
Spring and autumn, with their mild weather, are the most enjoyable times for the Wine Route. During the grape harvest some wineries may hold special events and demand rises, so booking early matters. In summer it is a good idea to move visits to the morning and late afternoon so you are not outdoors in the midday heat.
5. Sample itineraries
| Programme | Flow |
|---|---|
| Half day | 13:00 pick-up → 1st winery → 2nd winery → 17:30 return |
| Full day | 10:30 pick-up → 1st winery → lunch → 2nd and 3rd wineries → sunset → return |
| With a cultural stop | Winery visits + a break in the village of Barbaros or Bademler |
The times are examples; they vary with each winery’s opening hours.
6. Choosing a vehicle by group size
For couples and small groups, the Vito VIP offers plenty of space. For larger programmes such as a group of friends, a celebration or a company outing, travelling together in a Sprinter speeds up the transitions between stops.
Quick checklist
- Have the winery reservations been made?
- Are the pick-up and drop-off addresses clear?
- Is there a child or anyone with special needs in the group?
- Is dinner part of the programme?
Once your plan is ready, you can look at the details on the Urla Wine Route tour page or explore the Wine Route itinerary.
