Quick answer
When Side's boat trips actually run: full-day sea tours leave mid-morning and return late afternoon, disco cruises sail in the evening, and Green Canyon runs as a day trip with hotel pick-up. Plus how the season changes frequency and why we never print exact per-hotel pick-up times.
Most full-day boat trips in Side leave mid-morning and return in the late afternoon. Guests are picked up from their hotel in the morning; the exact time is confirmed the day before and varies from hotel to hotel. Night and disco cruises depart in the evening, Green Canyon runs as a full-day trip with hotel pick-up, and frequency changes with the season — live dates sit on each tour page.
We run these boats ourselves — the pirate ships, the Green Canyon catamarans, the fishing boats and the disco yacht — so what follows is the day as it actually works, not as a leaflet imagines it. You will not find a rigid printed timetable here, because there isn't one: departures shift with season, demand and weather. For today's real options, start with our boat trips from Side.
The shape of a boat-trip day in Side
Nearly every daytime trip we operate follows the same rhythm:
- Morning: our transfer vehicles collect guests from hotels across Side, Kumkoy, Evrenseki, Colakli, Gundogdu, Kizilagac, Kizilot and Cenger, plus Belek, Antalya, Alanya and Kemer on selected tours.
- Mid-morning: the boats load and leave.
- Middle of the day: cruising, supervised swim stops with boarding ladders, time on deck.
- Late afternoon: boats return and transfers run everyone back to their hotels.
- Evening: the night boats take over.
Hotel pick-up is included on most of our tours. What we never do is promise a single clock time for every hotel — more on that below.
Full-day sea trips: mid-morning out, late afternoon back
This slot covers our classic Mediterranean days: the full-day Side Boat Tour, the Side Pirate Boat Tour, the Relax Boat Trip with waterfall views, the Island Boat Tour with its foam party, the Caretta Bay trip and the Dolphin Island tour. The Little Pirates kids' tour and the Starcraft day cruise run in daytime slots too. All sail on licensed commercial vessels with qualified, licensed captains and crew, life jackets in adult and child sizes, and first aid kits on board; in normal conditions our sea trips stay near the coast.
The Manavgat River cruise with Grand Bazaar day (from Side, Belek and Alanya) and the Suluada Island trip (from Side and Antalya) follow the same pattern: morning pick-up, a full day out, back by late afternoon — Suluada with a longer road transfer than our local tours, so expect a longer day.
A mid-morning departure is deliberate. It gives the transfer rounds time to collect everyone across the resorts and still puts you back at your hotel comfortably before dinner. Pick the trip that fits your group, open its page and see which dates still have space this week.
Green Canyon: the day trip that isn't a sea trip
Our Green Canyon catamaran cruise sails the Oymapinar reservoir — calm freshwater in a mountain setting, and the most seasickness-friendly trip we run. It operates as a full-day tour with hotel pick-up from Side, Kumkoy, Evrenseki, Belek, Antalya and Alanya. Because the reservoir lies inland behind Manavgat, guests joining from farther resorts simply start earlier in the morning; the exact pick-up time is still confirmed the day before, hotel by hotel.
2026 starting prices per person depend on where we collect you: from Side about EUR 28–33, from Alanya from about EUR 38, from Kumkoy about EUR 43, from Belek about EUR 48 and from Antalya about EUR 54. Guests staying towards Belek can also browse the full Belek departures list to compare what leaves from their side of the coast.
Evening departures and flexible slots
The disco-yacht night cruise, running from Side and Alanya, is the one slot on our list built for after-dark sailing. It departs in the evening, once the day boats are back in harbour; exact evening times move through the season and are shown live on the tour page.
Private charters ignore the timetable altogether. On a private VIP yacht or wooden boat charter from Side, Kumkoy or Alanya, you agree the departure with us when you book — a morning swim day, a late cruise into the sunset, or the full day. Day rates run roughly EUR 1,200–2,200 per boat for mid-size groups and EUR 1,500–3,000+ for premium yachts.
Deep-sea fishing (Side and Alanya) and scuba diving (Side Underwater Museum, Kumkoy, Kemer, Antalya and Alanya) run daytime slots that vary by day and season — the live times are on each tour page.
Every departure slot at a glance
| Trip | Departure slot | Back at your hotel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side sea boat tours (Pirate, Relax, Island, Caretta Bay, Dolphin Island, Little Pirates) | Mid-morning | Late afternoon | Hotel pick-up in the morning on most tours |
| Green Canyon catamaran | Morning hotel pick-up | Late afternoon | Freshwater reservoir; farther resorts start earlier |
| Manavgat River cruise & Grand Bazaar | Morning pick-up | Late afternoon | From Side, Belek and Alanya |
| Suluada Island trip | Morning, with a longer transfer | Late afternoon | From Side and Antalya; the longest day here |
| Starcraft day cruise | Daytime | Late afternoon | From Side and Alanya |
| Disco-yacht night cruise | Evening | Same night | From Side and Alanya |
| Deep-sea fishing / scuba diving | Daytime; varies by day | See tour page | Live times on each tour page |
| Private VIP yacht & wooden boat charter | You set it with us | You decide | From Side, Kumkoy and Alanya |
How the season changes the timetable
Frequency, not the shape of the day, is what the calendar changes. In peak summer the programme is at its fullest and the popular boats sell out days in advance. In spring and autumn some trips run fewer days each week, and the daily line-up depends on demand and sea conditions. That is exactly why we publish a live calendar on every tour page rather than a printed timetable that would be out of date within a fortnight.
Weather has the final say all year. Our sea trips stay near the coast in normal conditions, and the harbour master suspends departures when conditions are unsafe — a call we never argue with. Green Canyon sails on a reservoir, not the sea, so sea state simply does not apply to it. In high summer the well-known boats fill first, so browse all our boat trips, check the live calendar and book a few days ahead.
Why we never print exact pick-up times
Your pick-up time depends on where your hotel sits on that morning's route and who else is travelling that day. We build the transfer run the evening before, then confirm each guest's time — it genuinely varies from hotel to hotel and from date to date. Any listing that promises the same clock time for every hotel on this coastline is guessing, and a guessed time means guests standing in a lobby for no reason. "Picked up in the morning, back by late afternoon" is the honest version, and the precise minute reaches you the day before you sail.
Frequently asked questions
What time do boat trips leave Side?
Full-day sea trips leave mid-morning and return in the late afternoon; the disco-yacht night cruise departs in the evening. Exact dates and current times for each trip are shown live on its tour page, because the schedule moves with the season.
What time will I be picked up from my hotel?
In the morning, for all daytime trips. The exact time is confirmed the day before and varies from hotel to hotel, depending on where your hotel falls on the transfer route. We never publish one fixed time for the whole coast because it would be wrong for most guests.
Do boat trips run every day in Side?
Not all of them, all year. In peak summer the calendar is at its fullest; in spring and autumn some trips run fewer days each week. The live calendar on each tour page shows exactly which dates are sailing and which still have space.
Which departure suits someone who gets seasick?
The Green Canyon cruise. It runs on the calm freshwater of the Oymapinar reservoir rather than the open sea, which makes it the gentlest, most seasickness-friendly trip we operate — and it still fills a full day with hotel pick-up included.
What happens if the weather turns bad?
The harbour master suspends departures in unsafe weather, and no licensed boat sails against that decision. If your trip cannot go out, we contact you and move the booking to a date that works. At sea, the Turkish coastguard (emergency 158) responds to genuine emergencies — another reason we only run licensed, inspected vessels.
Use the live calendar, not a printed timetable
The honest summary: mornings belong to pick-ups, mid-morning to departures, late afternoon to returns, and evenings to the disco yacht — with private charters free to break the pattern entirely. The only timetable worth trusting is the live one. Open boat trips from Side, choose your slot — sea day, freshwater canyon or night cruise — and we'll confirm your hotel pick-up time the day before you sail.