€45, and what a seat buys
A deep sea fishing trip from Side costs €45 per person. That is a seat on a small boat capped at 12 guests, with return hotel transfer, all professional rods, lines and fresh bait, a Turkish breakfast of simit and hot tea on deck, and the captain's hands-on help for about six hours door to door. There is no deposit: reservation is free and you pay on the day of the tour.
Along the coast, the Alanya fishing trip costs €50 per adult and €35 per child aged 4 to 11, with infants up to 3 free. The extra €5 buys a hot lunch on board and a swim stop in a sheltered bay.
What the €45 already includes
- Return hotel transfer from your Side-region hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle — a real cost that many advertised fishing prices leave out
- All fishing equipment: professional rods, lines and fresh bait, supplied by the captain. You may bring your own tackle, but nothing is required
- Breakfast on deck: simit and freshly brewed hot tea as the lines go out
- The captain's guidance — baiting, casting, reeling in and handling the fish safely, which matters more than any piece of kit if you have never fished
- A deliberately small boat. Twelve guests maximum, so there is deck space and the captain's attention to go around
What is not in the price
- Lunch and any additional meals — this is a morning trip that finishes before a proper lunch
- Cold drinks and extra beverages, which are on sale on board
- Personal expenses and tips for the crew
You are fully welcome to bring your own snacks, meals and cold drinks aboard, which is the cheapest way to run the day. Bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a camera as well; there is very little shade on a fishing deck.
Children and age bands
Our tour notes for the Side boat state that the price is the same for every guest regardless of age, because capacity is strictly limited to 12 passengers — a seat is a seat. The booking system also carries a reduced child fare of €32. Those two statements do not agree with each other, so rather than pick a side we will say plainly: ask us to confirm your children's rate when you book, and we will tell you the fare that applies to your date before you commit to anything. Since you pay on the tour day and nothing is taken up front, you are never out of pocket while that is confirmed.
The Alanya boat has no such ambiguity: €50 adult from 12, €35 for children aged 4 to 11, infants 0 to 3 free.
Why some fishing prices you see are lower — and some are far higher
Three things move the number, and none of them is mysterious.
Boat size. A seat on a 12-guest boat costs more per head than a seat on a boat carrying thirty. You are buying elbow room and the captain's time, and that is exactly what the small cap is for. If the lowest possible number is your priority, a big boat will beat us.
Whether transfer is inside the price. A quoted price that starts at the harbour is not comparable to one that starts at your hotel door. Ours starts at your hotel.
Whether it is a per-seat ticket or a private charter. Hiring an entire boat privately costs several times a per-seat fare. Both of our fishing trips are sold per seat only, so if you want the whole boat to yourself these are not the products to book.
Who should not spend €45 on this
- Poor sailors. Open water off Side can be choppy. If you are reliably seasick, that €45 buys a difficult morning.
- Anyone who wants to swim. The Side trip has no swim stop. Take the Alanya boat, or a proper swimming boat trip instead.
- Late risers. Pickup is early in the morning — that is when the fish and the light cooperate.
- Anyone expecting a guaranteed trophy. A catch of some sort is close to routine. Its size is not.
- Groups wanting a party. This is a calm, quiet boat, and it stays that way.
How it compares with a day on the water elsewhere
For context on the same coast, a full-day swimming and sightseeing cruise is a different sort of purchase — our guide to what a Side boat trip costs breaks that down, and which Side boat trip to choose lines them up. If you are still deciding between resorts, see Side or Alanya for a fishing trip.
When you are ready, the Side deep sea fishing trip and the Alanya fishing day both reserve free and are paid on the day. Everything else running from your resort sits on the Side excursions page.