Every street agency in Side sells “the best safari”, which makes the actual choice harder, not easier. Here is the honest version. We operate every tour on this page ourselves, the same local team, the same hotel pickup network, no middlemen, so we have no reason to push you toward the wrong one. The right pick depends on who is riding, how much of your day you want to spend, and how much adrenaline you want.
The short answer
- First quad, half-day plan: the classic Side Quad ATV Safari from €25, your own machine, back in time for the pool.
- Couple or parent and teen who want to share: the Side Buggy Safari from €30, side-by-side seats in one vehicle.
- Best value for a full day: the Side Rafting and Quad Safari Combo at €30, two adventures and lunch for the price of the buggy.
- Maximum thrill in one day: the 3-in-1 Rafting, Zipline and Quad from €38.
- Small children or non-drivers in the group: the Side Jeep Safari from €18, all the mountain scenery, someone else drives.
Side Quad ATV Safari, the benchmark (€25 adult / €15 child)
This is the tour most people mean when they say “quad safari”: hotel pickup, a safety briefing from certified instructors, a supervised test drive, then one and a half to two hours of real off-road riding through forest trails, mud and water in the Taurus foothills. The whole outing takes roughly three to four hours door to door, with three daily sessions, morning, late morning and early afternoon, so it slots around a beach day easily. Helmets are mandatory, and the base has showers and changing cabins so the mud stays at the track, not in your hotel room.
No experience is expected: that is exactly what the briefing and test lap are for. The instructors watch every rider on the practice circuit first: if you control the machine confidently, you drive; if you would rather not, you simply ride as a passenger. Minimum age to drive solo is 16, and passengers from age 6 ride securely belted. There are also two route options: the standard Off-Road Forest Track, or the River Side Track with more water crossings at a different price, ask us on WhatsApp when you reserve.
Side Buggy Safari, share the seat (€30 adult / €18 child)
Same briefing-and-test-drive system and the same one and a half to two hours of driving over a roughly 4-hour outing, the difference is the machine. A buggy seats two side by side with a steering wheel instead of handlebars, so a couple, or a parent with a child from age 6 securely belted next to the driver, share the whole ride in one vehicle. Drivers who feel more at home with a wheel and pedals than with motorbike-style controls usually prefer it too. It costs a little more than the quad; whether that is worth it comes down to whether you want to ride together or race each other. Our quad safari prices guide breaks the numbers down line by line.
Side Rafting and Quad Safari Combo, the value pick (€30 adult / €18 child)
Here is the honest arithmetic: for the same €30 as the buggy you get a roughly 7-hour day in Köprülü Canyon National Park, 12 kilometres of white-water rafting with river guides, plus a quad stage along the riverbanks and forest paths, with lunch included. If you were planning to do both activities separately anyway, the combo is simply cheaper. The trade-off is the length: it is a full day out, not a half-day, so it suits guests who would rather have one big adventure day than two short ones.
3-in-1 Rafting, Zipline and Quad: for thrill-seekers (€38 adult / €23 child)
The full menu in one roughly 8-hour day: up to 12 kilometres of rapids, a 400 to 800 metre zipline flight across the canyon, a 40-minute quad safari and a riverside lunch, with hotel transfers and safety gear included. This is the one we recommend to groups of friends and adrenaline collectors. Be honest about fitness, though: because of its intensity this combo is not recommended for pregnant women, small toddlers, or anyone with severe back, mobility or heart conditions. If that rules someone in your party out, book them onto the jeep below and meet for dinner with competing stories.
Side Jeep Safari: the no-driving alternative (€18 adult / €9 child)
Not a quad tour at all, and that is exactly why it belongs here. An open-top 4x4 convoy climbs out of Side past a Roman bridge and ancient aqueducts to the Green Canyon viewpoints, with a swim break, village pancakes, a lakeside lunch included and the famous summer water fights between jeeps: roughly 8 hours, professional drivers, zero driving from you. Adults pay €18, children aged 7 to 12 pay €9, and children up to 6 go free. That makes it the natural pick when the group includes kids too small for a quad passenger seat, or anyone who wants the mountains without the handlebars.
Prices and time, side by side
- Quad Safari: €25 adult / €15 child, half-day, your own machine.
- Buggy Safari: €30 / €18, half-day, two share one machine.
- Rafting + Quad Combo: €30 / €18, full day, lunch included.
- 3-in-1 Rafting, Zipline, Quad: €38 / €23, full day, lunch included.
- Jeep Safari: €18 / €9, under-7s free, full day, lunch included, passenger only.
Booking works the same for all five
Reservation is free, you pay on the tour day, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before, so you can hold a spot while you decide and lose nothing if plans change. Hotel pickup is included on all of them, and the exact pickup is confirmed with you personally, typically the evening before. Still weighing it up? Our quad safari FAQ answers the questions we hear daily, our guide to the best time of the season helps you pick the day itself, and what else pairs well with an adventure day is in our complete local guide to Side excursions.