Best Tours from Side: How to Choose Your Perfect Day Out

Side has far more to offer than its beaches and ancient ruins. Within an hour or two of your hotel you can ride in an open jeep through pine forests, cruise a turquoise reservoir, race a quad along a river or raft through a national park. With so much choice, deciding is the hardest part. This guide sums up our tours in plain language and helps you pick the right one for your group.

If you want one big day out with lunch and swimming

The jeep safari is the classic all-rounder: a full day in an open 4x4 convoy along forest and village roads, with a tea stop in a village, a viewpoint over Oymapınar Dam, lunch by the lake, a swim and a playful water fight on the way back. If you would rather stay on the water, the Green Canyon boat tour is slower and calmer: several hours on the reservoir with swim stops, lunch and soft drinks included. Not sure which one? Read our comparison of Green Canyon or jeep safari.

If you want adrenaline in a few hours

The quad safari and the buggy safari take about four hours including transfer, with morning, midday and sunset groups. After a safety briefing and a practice ride you follow forest trails along the Manavgat River, splash through mud and cross a shallow stretch of water. No driving licence is needed. A buggy has a steering wheel and seat belts and feels more like a small car; see quad or buggy: which one is for you? for the details.

If you want a river adventure

From April to October, rafting in Köprülü Canyon National Park is the most active day on our list: an instructor in every raft, rapids that beginners can handle and a riverside lunch. The zipline and rafting combo adds a zipline for a few extra thrills.

If you prefer something slower

The horse riding tour takes you through shaded pine forest and along the beach, mostly at a walk, and no experience is needed. Book the sunset group for softer light and cooler air. For something completely different, scuba diving from Side harbour lets beginners try two dives with an instructor.

Travelling with children

The jeep safari and the Green Canyon boat tour are the easiest with small children: infants up to 2 travel free and children aged 3 to 11 pay a child price. Rafting and the zipline are for ages 7 and up, horse riding starts at 6, and quad and buggy passengers must be at least 7. Always check the age rules on the tour page before you book.

Combining tours during your stay

If you have a week, mix a slow day with an active one – for example a boat tour early in the week and a quad or buggy ride at sunset later. Most tours run every day, so it is easy to fit them around your beach days.

How booking works

Choose a tour, a date and the number of guests, then send your request. There is no card payment and no deposit: we confirm by email or WhatsApp, collect you from your hotel for free and you pay your guide in cash on the tour day, in euros, dollars, pounds or lira. You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before. Questions? Read the frequently asked questions or message us.