Quick answer
A practical operator's guide to planning boat trips into a one-week holiday in Side, Manavgat and Antalya. We recommend two: one relaxed sea day and one adventurous Green Canyon cruise, spaced apart. Includes a 1 vs 2 vs 3 comparison table, honest 2026 price bands and real product suggestions.
For a standard seven-night holiday, two boat trips is the sweet spot: one relaxed sea day and one more adventurous trip such as our Green Canyon cruise, spaced two or three days apart. That gives you variety without spending your whole week on the water. See the full range on our boat trips in Side page.
The short answer: two is the sweet spot
We run shared and private boats across Side, Manavgat, Antalya, Alanya, Belek and Kemer, and over the years we've seen how people tend to use their week. The pattern that works best is two trips: one easy day on the sea and one that gives you something completely different, like the cold freshwater of Green Canyon. Two trips fill your holiday with contrast without turning it into a boat marathon.
A boat day eats a real chunk of your time. There's a morning hotel pickup, the trip itself, and the ride back. Do that on back-to-back days and the days blur together. Leave a gap and each trip stays a proper event you look forward to.
Why we say one relaxed + one adventurous
The two trips we pair most often are deliberately different, so they don't compete with each other.
The relaxed sea day
This is the classic Mediterranean day: warm salt water, swim stops, sun on deck, music, and not much you have to do. Our Side pirate boat tour is the easy crowd-pleaser here, and the relax boat trip with a waterfall is a gentler option if you want calm over party. Sea trips start from around EUR20–25 per person, with the live price always shown on the tour page.
The adventurous trip
For the second trip we point people towards something with more character. Green Canyon is a freshwater reservoir up behind the Oymapınar dam — the water is cold and a completely different colour to the sea, and the setting is steep and green rather than open coast. Our Green Canyon boat tour sits in the EUR28–54 band. If you'd rather stay on salt water but want a proper island day, the Suluada island trip (roughly EUR42–68) is the step up. Booking either takes two minutes and you pay on the tour day.
1 vs 2 vs 3 trips: how the week actually feels
Here's an honest comparison of what each choice does to a seven-night holiday.
| Trips in the week | Who it suits | Days on the water | Rough spend (per person) | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 trip | First-timers, families with young children, packed itineraries | 1 of 7 | From ~EUR20–54 | You only see one side of the coast; easy to wish you'd done a second |
| 2 trips | Most people — our default recommendation | 2 of 7, spaced apart | Roughly EUR50–110 combined | Almost none; this is the balanced week |
| 3 trips | Boat enthusiasts, groups whose whole holiday is the water | 3 of 7 | From ~EUR70–150+ | Early mornings add up; less time for pool, town and rest |
Price ranges are approximate 2026 starting bands to help you plan. The exact, current price for any trip is on its own tour page. Ready to compare? Start on our tours page.
How to space them across seven nights
Spacing matters more than most people expect. A boat day starts early, so stacking two together means two early alarms and two late-afternoon returns in a row, and you'll feel it.
A simple rhythm that works: arrive and settle for a day, do your relaxed sea trip mid-week, leave a couple of days for the pool, town and just doing nothing, then do the adventurous trip. Keep your final full day free of any trip — packing and check-out are enough.
Departure points and getting to the boat
Where you're staying shapes what's easy. We depart from several bases, so a trip from Antalya or Alanya can suit some hotels better than a Side departure. If you're near the eastern resorts, start with the boat trips from Alanya hub to see what leaves closest to you; Side, Antalya and Belek each have their own hub too.
For every trip, a hotel transfer is arranged. Guests are picked up from their hotel in the morning; the exact time is confirmed the day before and varies from hotel to hotel. You don't need to organise your own way to the harbour.
What to bring and how payment works
None of our trips need much kit. Bring swimwear, a towel, sun cream, a hat and a little cash for drinks and small extras. Green Canyon is cold freshwater and the sea is warmer salt water, so if you feel the cold, that's worth knowing before the canyon day.
You book online and pay on the tour day. Drinks are usually pay-on-board rather than all-inclusive, which is why a little cash is handy. If you have dietary needs — vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free or any allergy — tell us when you book and we'll pass it to the specific boat you're on; check the tour page or ask us to confirm what that boat can do, as it varies.
Should you ever do private instead?
If you're a family or a group and want the boat to yourselves, a private yacht or gulet can replace one of your two shared trips rather than adding a third. You keep the same one-relaxed-plus-one-adventurous balance, just with more space and a schedule that's yours. Private trips are priced per boat on request, so tell us your group size and date and we'll quote it.
Our recommended one-week plan
If you want a plan to copy: do one relaxed sea trip and one Green Canyon cruise, put two or three days between them, and keep your arrival and departure days trip-free. That's the version we'd book for our own families. When your dates are set, pick your two from our boat trips in Side and the rest — transfer, timing, dietary notes — we'll sort with you before the day.
Frequently asked questions
Is one boat trip enough for a week's holiday?
It can be, especially if your week is already busy or you're travelling with young children. One well-chosen trip gives you a proper day on the water. That said, most people find they have room for a second, which is why we suggest two.
Can I do two boat trips on consecutive days?
You can, but we don't recommend it. Both days start with a morning pickup and finish in the afternoon, so back-to-back trips mean two early starts in a row and little rest between. Leaving a two- or three-day gap makes each trip feel like its own event.
Which two trips should I pick?
Our default pairing is one relaxed sea day and one adventurous trip. A common combination is a sea trip such as the Side pirate boat with the Green Canyon freshwater cruise. Suluada is a strong alternative for the adventurous slot if you'd rather stay on the sea.
How much should I budget for two trips?
As a rough guide for 2026, two shared trips together tend to land somewhere around EUR50–110 per person, depending on which trips you pick. These are starting bands only — the live price for each trip is on its tour page.
Do I need to arrange my own transfer to the boat?
No. A hotel transfer is arranged for every trip. Guests are picked up from their hotel in the morning; the exact time is confirmed the day before and varies from hotel to hotel.
Two trips, spaced apart, one relaxed and one adventurous — that's the week we'd plan. When you're ready, compare the full range and book your boat trips in Side online, and pay on the day.