Side Jeep Safari: What the Tour Includes and Where It Goes

What a Side jeep safari actually is

It is not a wildlife safari. The vehicles are open-top 4x4s, and one operator runs ten-seat all-terrain Land Rovers with a seatbelt for every guest and a 50 km/h speed limit on the route. Groups are picked up from hotels in the morning and driven out of Side and Manavgat into the countryside, with photo breaks rather than long hikes.

Expect a fair amount of road time. One listing puts the route at more than 40 km in total, starting with a hotel transfer. The ride is the attraction as much as the stops: open sides, dust, and on many tours a water fight with other jeeps using plastic bottles handed out on board.

Where the tour goes: Manavgat Waterfall, the Taurus Mountains, Naras Bridge and Green Lake

The first stop on the versions described is usually Manavgat Waterfall, with roughly half an hour set aside at the falls. From there the jeeps climb into the Taurus Mountains through the Side–Manavgat countryside, passing orange orchards and Roman-period aqueduct ruins, and stopping for photos at the 1,800-year-old Naras Bridge.

Village life fills the middle of the day. One route includes a stop at a centuries-old mosque, with traditional clothing for women available on site, a break in a Turkish village for flatbread baked over a wood fire, and a small forest zoo that suits children. A tea garden stop for gözleme and drinks appears on other versions.

Green Lake, below the Oymapınar Dam in the Green Canyon, is the afternoon centrepiece. Lunch is served at a lakeside or riverside restaurant, followed by a swim in the lake and a boat trip on the water; ExcursionSide describes a larger boat, while Side-Tours uses canoes on the lake. Seyran Hill, a viewpoint over the dam and the lake, is a stop on ExcursionSide's route. For more on the lake and dam, see our Green Canyon guide and for options on the water our Side Boat Trips.

Some operators also run a boat trip as a separate add-on rather than part of the base day; Expedia sells the jeep safari and a version with the Green Lake boat trip as two tickets at different prices. If the lake crossing matters to you, confirm which ticket you are buying before booking.

How long a Side jeep safari lasts and when it runs

Durations differ by operator. Side-Tours lists a five-hour day running from 09:00 to 16:00, while ExcursionSide describes a tour of about seven hours; both are full-day outings once hotel transfers are included. Neither timing is a guarantee, because pick-up order and traffic on the Manavgat road move the finish time.

Daily departures appear on the listings that state a schedule. ExcursionSide runs its own tour daily from April to November, while Side-Tours lists every day as a tour day, so treat any stated season as that operator's own rather than a rule for every company. Departure points and pick-up windows are fixed when you book, so give the agency your hotel at that stage.

What is included and what costs extra

Hotel pick-up and drop-off, guiding, lunch and insurance are standard on the tours described, and the jeeps are driven by staff rather than self-drive. Lunch is typically chicken, rice, pasta, salad and mezes at the lakeside restaurant. Drinks are the usual extra.

Watch the entrances. Side-Tours excludes drinks, the zoo entrance, the Manavgat Waterfall entrance and the boat tour from its listed price, while Expedia's listing includes entrance fees but not drinks or the video. Ask at booking which entrances sit inside the price and which you pay on the day.

Prices are quoted in pounds by the agencies selling to British visitors, and they move with the season and exchange rate. Side-Tours listed an adult at £17 and children aged 7–12 at £9 for 2026, with infants free; treat that as a 2026 snapshot, not a rate you will be charged. Tripadvisor showed Side safaris from about £22.

The honest trade-offs: dust, water fights and the foam party

This is a messy day by design. The tracks are dusty with muddy and watery sections, and the water fights soak clothing and bags; phones and cameras need a waterproof pouch or to stay in the hotel safe. The foam party at the lakeside restaurant, with music and foam sprayed over the jeeps, is a highlight for children and a reason to choose another excursion for anyone who wants a quiet day.

The open vehicles mean heat and sun exposure on the mountain roads, and the day involves repeated climbing in and out of a high-sided 4x4. If you would rather be on the water than on a track, a Side boat trip on the Manavgat River or the coast makes a calmer alternative.

What to bring and wear

The operators' own advice overlaps neatly: swimsuit, towel, sunglasses, hat, sun cream, camera and comfortable shoes and clothes. Bring a change of clothes for after the water fights, and cash for drinks, photos or the zoo if those are not in your ticket.

Footwear matters more than it sounds. You will walk short distances on rough ground at the bridge, the village and the lake shore, so trainers beat flip-flops, and a light long-sleeved layer helps against dust and sun on the open track.

Who the tour does not suit

Expedia states plainly that the activity is not suitable for people with mobility impairments or for pregnant women, which reflects the off-road riding and the climb into open jeeps. Anyone with back trouble, small infants or a strong dislike of noise and water should weigh that up before booking.

Families with children are the core audience: children aged 7–12 pay a reduced rate on Side-Tours' 2026 price list, and infants travel free. If your group splits between adventure lovers and swimmers, consider separate days, with our Side paragliding guide for the thrill-seekers and Side Boat Trips for the rest.

Booking and paying on the day

Jeep safaris from Side are sold through local agencies and international platforms, and many listings allow you to reserve online and pay the driver or agency on the day. That suits a flexible holiday, but read the cancellation terms: Expedia marks some tickets non-refundable, and its supplier's policy applies.

Book a day or two ahead in high season so your hotel appears on the pick-up list, and confirm the pick-up time and meeting point the evening before. Hotel areas such as Çolaklı, Kumköy and Sorgun are served by the same operators, with transfer times differing by resort.

Is the jeep safari the right day out for you?

Book it if you want a loud, dusty, sociable day in the Taurus Mountains with a lake swim and lunch thrown in, and you are happy to get wet. Skip it if you want quiet, have mobility limits or are pregnant, since the off-road format is the point rather than an inconvenience.