Side-Turkey.

No, you do not need a diving licence in Side. Our Side scuba diving and Underwater Museum tour costs EUR 45 for adults and EUR 35 for children, runs about seven hours, and includes two-way hotel transfer, a full-day boat cruise, two guided dives, all equipment, onboard lunch, safety training with a professional instructor, and full insurance.

What the EUR 45 actually covers

The two dives on this trip are guided introductory dives, which is exactly why beginners keep asking what they get for the money. On this tour the headline figure is the figure for the diving day, with no core piece of the experience quietly charged on the boat. Here is the full inclusion list.

• Two-way hotel transfer - you are picked up from your hotel in the morning; the exact time is confirmed the day before and varies hotel to hotel.
• Full-day boat cruise along the Side coast, roughly seven hours door to door.
• Two guided scuba dives - one in the morning, one in the afternoon.
• All professional diving equipment and wetsuits - masks, fins, regulators, BCDs, tanks and weights.
• Onboard lunch, cooked and served on the boat.
• Comprehensive safety training before you get in the water, led by a professional instructor.
• Full passenger and diving insurance.

That last point matters for a dive day specifically. Some cheaper boats will put a tank on your back with thin or unstated cover. This inclusion is a diving insurance policy alongside the passenger cover, not just a boarding one.

Do you need a licence? The honest answer

No licence, no prior experience, no course booked in advance. The two dives on this tour are guided introductory dives, which means an instructor is physically with you and your group in the water the whole time. Before you dive, the safety training walks you through breathing, equalising your ears, hand signals and what to do if your mask floods. That training is included in the price, so beginners are not paying extra to learn the basics.

If you have never dived before, this is the kind of trip built for you. If you are already certified and want deeper or longer dives, tell us when you book and the instructor will plan your dives to match your level on the day.

What is the Underwater Museum?

This is the part that separates the Side diving tour from a plain intro-dive day. Off the Side coast sits a purpose-sunk underwater collection - sculptures and structures placed on the seabed to create an artificial reef and a genuine sight to swim through. It gives your dive a destination rather than a patch of open water, and it is far more interesting for a first-timer than staring at sand. You descend with your guide, move slowly past the pieces, and surface having actually seen something. Two guided dives plus the Underwater Museum is the reason this tour sits apart from a standard boat day.

What is not included (told straight)

Better to know the extras before the day than feel nickel-and-dimed on the boat. These are genuinely optional and none of them stop you diving.

• Beverages - lunch is in, drinks are bought separately onboard.
• Professional underwater photos and videos - the crew can film your dives, but that is an optional paid add-on. Skip it or keep the footage of your first-ever dive, your call.
• Personal expenses - tips, souvenirs, anything you buy on the day.
• CMAS certification course - this tour is a guided experience, not a qualification. If you want to walk away with a recognised CMAS card, the certification course is available on request; ask us and we will explain what it involves.

Here is the whole thing at a glance - what is in the EUR 45 and what sits on top.

Ready to dive the Underwater Museum? Reserve the Side scuba diving and Underwater Museum tour and hold your date.

Prices by pickup region

The tour runs from several resort areas along the coast, and the price shifts a little depending on how far the transfer has to travel. Side is the base departure at EUR 45 per adult and EUR 35 per child; the figures below are per adult from each pickup point.

Whichever region you are in, hotel pickup is part of the price - there is no separate transfer charge to add on top.

How the diving day runs

You are collected from your hotel in the morning; the exact time is confirmed the day before and varies hotel to hotel. From there it is a short run to the harbour and onto the boat. Once you are out on the water, the instructor gathers everyone for the safety briefing and training before anyone gets in. The first guided dive is in the morning, then lunch is served onboard while you dry off and warm up. The second dive comes in the afternoon, taking in the Underwater Museum off the Side coast. After that it is a relaxed cruise back, and the transfer returns you to your hotel. Around seven hours from door to door.

Bring a towel, swimwear under your clothes, sun cream and a little cash for drinks or photos. Everything for the diving itself - wetsuit, mask, fins, tanks - is on the boat waiting for you.

Is it right for children and non-divers?

The child price is EUR 35, and whether a child can take part in the guided dives depends on their age and confidence, so tell us their age when you book and we will be straight about what they can and cannot do. Non-diving companions are welcome too - the boat, the cruise and the lunch make it a proper day out even for someone who only wants to watch and swim near the surface. If your group is a mix of keen divers and people who would rather stay dry, this trip handles both.

If diving is not for everyone in your party, our classic Side boat tour is the alternative - same stretch of coast, swimming and sunbathing, without the dives.

Why book with a local operator

We run these boats along the Side and Manavgat coast ourselves, and the instructor you meet on the day is one we work with regularly - you are not handed off to an unknown third party for the part that matters underwater. That is why the extras are laid out plainly above: the diving, the gear and the museum dive are all in the headline price, and nothing on the boat is designed to surprise you. To hold your date, book the Side scuba diving and Underwater Museum tour and tell us your hotel so we can set your pickup.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a diving licence for the Side scuba tour?

No. The two dives are guided introductory dives with a professional instructor in the water with you, and the safety training is included in the price. No licence and no prior experience are needed.

How many dives are included and where do they go?

Two guided dives are included - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The tour takes in the Underwater Museum off the Side coast, a purpose-sunk collection of sculptures that gives the dive a real destination rather than open water.

What does the EUR 45 price include?

Two-way hotel transfer, the full-day boat cruise, two guided dives, all professional equipment and wetsuits, onboard lunch, safety training with an instructor, and full passenger and diving insurance. Beverages, underwater photos and CMAS certification are extra.

Can I get a diving certificate from this tour?

Not from the standard tour - it is a guided experience rather than a course. If you want a recognised CMAS certification, the certification course is available on request, so ask us when you book and we will explain what it involves.

How much is it from Antalya, Alanya or Kemer?

Side is EUR 45 per adult and EUR 35 per child. Pickup from Kumkoy, Kemer and Alanya is EUR 43 per adult, and from Antalya it is EUR 50 per adult. Hotel pickup is included from every region, so there is no separate transfer charge.