Side-Turkey.

Yes - for most visitors the classic Side boat trip is genuinely worth it. For EUR 20 per adult and EUR 13 per child you get a full eight-hour sea day with lunch cooked on board, several swim stops and hotel transfer included. I run these trips from Side, and below I will tell you plainly who should book one and who should not.

What your EUR 20 actually buys

Let me lay out the inclusion list first, because this is where the value argument is won or lost. The classic tour at EUR 20 per adult and EUR 13 per child covers the boat for around eight hours, a freshly cooked lunch served on board, multiple swim stops along the coast, and transfer from your hotel and back again. Two things are not included: drinks, which you buy on board, and the photos or videos the crew offer during the day. That is the whole picture - there is no hidden extra waiting for you at the harbour.

When people ask me whether EUR 20 for a full day at sea with food and transport is a fair price, my honest answer is that it is one of the best-value days out we sell. You can reserve your places without any prepayment and simply pay on the day of the tour, so there is no financial risk in holding a date.

Who the classic boat day suits

After years of putting guests on these boats, I can tell you exactly who steps off happy at the end of the day.

• First-time visitors to Side. Seeing the coastline from the water gives you a sense of the region that no beach day can. If it is your first week here, this is the obvious starting point.
• Families watching the budget. The child price of EUR 13 keeps a family day affordable, and lunch being included means you are not buying four resort-priced meals.
• Swimmers. The swim stops are the heart of the day. If your idea of a good holiday is jumping off a boat into clear water several times before lunch, you will get your money's worth.
• Anyone who wants a full day organised for them. Pickup, boat, food, return - you make no decisions after breakfast.

Who should skip it - and what to book instead

Now the part most tour sellers will not write. The classic boat day is not for everyone, and I would rather point you at the right trip than take your EUR 20 and have you spend the day unhappy.

If you are prone to seasickness, do not book a sea tour. This is open water, and on a breezy day the boat moves. No tablet fully solves it for people who genuinely suffer. The right answer is flat water: the Green Canyon catamaran at EUR 35 per adult and EUR 20 per child cruises a calm mountain reservoir at Oymapinar with barely a ripple, and the Manavgat river boat day at EUR 21 and EUR 13 pairs a gentle river cruise with the famous bazaar. Both give you the boat experience without the swell.

If you want a quiet, refined day, a group boat is the wrong ticket. The classic tour is sociable: music, families, a busy deck in high season. Guests who want space and calm should look at the Relax tier instead - the Relax boat at EUR 70, or the Relax boat trip with waterfall at EUR 68 per adult and EUR 30 per child. You pay roughly three times the classic price, and you get a noticeably quieter, adults-leaning day for it.

If you hate early starts, think twice. Boat days begin with a morning hotel pickup, and the exact time is confirmed the day before and varies from hotel to hotel. If your holiday rhythm is breakfast at ten, an eight-hour sea day that starts in the morning will feel like work.

Every Side boat trip compared

Here is our full 2026 fleet side by side, with honest one-line verdicts. All prices are per person in euros.

Two of these deserve a closer word. The Side pirate boat tour charges EUR 23 for everyone, adult or child, and it is the boat children talk about at dinner - the whole six hours is staged as entertainment for them. The Dolphin Island boat tour at EUR 21 per adult and EUR 13 per child is the pick if a full eight hours feels too long; you still get the sea, the swimming and the lunch in a six-hour format.

How the day actually runs

The shape of the day is simple. Our driver collects you from your hotel in the morning - pickup is free and covered across the Side area, from Kumkoy through the town centre to Titreyengol and Colakli - and brings you to the boat. The exact collection time is confirmed the day before and varies from hotel to hotel, so please do not plan around a guessed hour. Once aboard, the day alternates between cruising and swim stops, with lunch cooked and served on the boat around the middle of the day. By late afternoon you are heading back, and the same transfer returns you to your hotel. Free hotel pickup and drop-off are already in the price, so the EUR 20 really is the whole cost of getting there and back.

The honest maths for a family

Numbers make the value case better than adjectives. Take two adults and two children on the classic tour: EUR 20 plus 20 plus 13 plus 13 comes to EUR 66 for a full day out, four lunches and all transport. The same family on the Pirate boat pays EUR 92 - more, but every euro of the difference goes into keeping the children entertained for six hours. On the Starcraft big boat the bill is EUR 106, which buys the same eight-hour format on a larger vessel. And at the top, the Relax tier runs EUR 68 to 70 per adult, which only makes sense if quiet is the thing you are actually paying for. There is no wrong answer here - only a wrong match between guest and boat.

What is not included - read this before you book

I want no surprises on the day, so here is the fine print in plain words. On the classic tour, drinks are excluded: the boat has a bar and you pay for what you order, so bring some cash. Photos and videos taken by the crew are also excluded - they are offered for sale during the day and you are completely free to say no thank you. Bring a towel, swimwear worn under your clothes, sunscreen and a hat; the Mediterranean sun on open water is stronger than it feels.

So, is it worth it?

My verdict, as the person who answers the phone when a trip goes wrong: the classic Side boat tour at EUR 20 is worth it for the large majority of our guests - first-timers, families, swimmers and anyone who wants a full organised day for the price of a restaurant meal. It is not worth it for guests who suffer at sea, who want silence, or who cannot face a morning pickup; for them the Green Canyon, the river day or the Relax boats are the honest recommendation, and I have linked all of them above. If you want to lock in a date, send us your hotel name and preferred day and we will hold your seats - no deposit, no prepayment, you pay on the day of the tour.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the classic Side boat trip last?

The classic tour is an eight-hour day, including several swim stops and lunch on board. Shorter sea options exist: the Dolphin Island tour and the Pirate boat both run six hours, and the Caretta Bay trip runs seven.

Is lunch really included in the EUR 20 price?

Yes. Lunch is cooked and served on board and is included for every guest, as is the hotel transfer. Only drinks and the crew's photos or videos cost extra, and both are optional.

Which Side boat trip is best for children?

The Pirate boat, without question. It costs EUR 23 per person for adults and children alike, and the entire six-hour programme is designed as entertainment for the kids. On a budget, the classic tour at EUR 13 per child is still a very good family day.

What if I get seasick easily?

Skip the sea tours entirely and book flat water instead. The Green Canyon catamaran (EUR 35 adult, EUR 20 child) sails a calm mountain reservoir, and the Manavgat river day (EUR 21 adult, EUR 13 child) stays on a gentle river. Both are steady enough for sensitive stomachs.

Do I have to pay in advance to book?

No. We take reservations without prepayment - you confirm your hotel and date, we confirm your pickup the day before, and you pay on the day of the tour. Free hotel pickup across the Side region is included.