Almost every rafting day sold in Side ends up on the same water: the Köprülü Canyon river, fed by the Taurus Mountains and busy with paddles all summer long. At Atalay Tours we run two different ways to spend that day, and guests regularly ask us which one they should book. The answer is that neither is "better", they are built for different travellers. Here is how the two compare, with real prices and no sales talk.
The two tours at a glance
- Köprülü Canyon Rafting Tour from Side, €20 per adult, €12 per child. A dedicated rafting day: 12 kilometres of class II–III river, swim stops, riverside lunch and two-way hotel transfer in air-conditioned vehicles. Listed duration is 7 hours.
- Side Rafting and Jeep Safari Combo Tour, €28 per adult, €17 per child. The same approximately 12-kilometre rafting stretch, wrapped inside an open-top jeep day with an off-road safari leg through the Beşkonak countryside. Also listed at 7 hours.
Both are bestsellers, both include lunch and all rafting safety equipment, and both come with our standard terms: free reservation, payment on the day of the tour, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Option 1: the dedicated rafting day
This is the classic. You are collected from your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle, briefed by certified guides at the rafting base, and then spread across 6–8-person boats, each with its own guide. The 12-kilometre route mixes lively class II–III rapids with calm turquoise pools where you can swim, entirely optional rock-jumping spots, and a stretch beneath 2,000-year-old Roman stone bridges. A home-style lunch in the shade by the river closes the day before the drive back to Side.
The €20 adult price includes route entrance fees, full equipment (life vest, helmet, paddle), guiding and the return transfer. What is not included: water-resistant footwear (available to rent or buy on site), the optional professional photo and video package, and drinks: our rafting prices guide breaks down those small extras honestly so nothing surprises you.
Who it suits best
- First-timers: the whole day is structured around the river, with an unhurried briefing and a guide in every boat.
- Families: the child rate is €12, the rapids are thrilling yet family-safe, and the transfer is a cool, comfortable coach ride rather than an open jeep.
- Couples and slower travellers, more time in the water and at the swim stops, no rush to a second activity.
Option 2: the rafting and jeep safari combo
The combo squeezes two adventures into one day. Powerful open-top jeeps pick you up at your hotel, so the adventure starts the moment you leave, wind in your face on the road to Beşkonak. After the rafting run, with its swimming breaks and cliff-jumping spots, the excitement moves back onto land: an off-road drive through riverbeds and rugged terrain around the canyon, then lunch served in the middle of nature before the jeeps drop you home.
Two details from the tour terms worth knowing: guests aged 4–11 count in the child category (€17), and in line with international safety standards the rafting activity is not recommended for children aged 0–4. As with the rafting-only day, professional photos and extra drinks are optional paid extras: the operator's own listing states there are absolutely no hidden costs beyond that.
Who it suits best
- Thrill-seekers, rapids plus dust-kicking off-road driving in a single ticket.
- Short-stay visitors: if you only have one free day for the canyon, this is the most efficient way to see it from both the water and the land.
- Groups of friends: the open jeeps set a louder, livelier tone from the first minute.
Value: what the extra money actually buys
Put side by side, the maths is simple. An adult pays €20 for the rafting day or €28 for the combo: a difference of €8 that buys the entire jeep safari leg and the open-top transfer experience. For children the gap is €12 versus €17. Since both tours run the same length of day and both include lunch, equipment and guiding, you are only paying for the added activity, not for a repackaged version of the same thing.
The trade-off is comfort versus intensity. The rafting-only day travels in air-conditioned vehicles and keeps its focus on the river; the combo trades that cool ride for open jeeps and a rougher, dustier, more adrenaline-forward day. Neither choice is wrong: it depends entirely on who is in your group.
Quick decision guide
- First rafting trip ever? Take the dedicated rafting tour.
- Travelling with younger children? The rafting-only day is the gentler frame; remember the combo's rafting is not recommended for ages 0–4.
- One day, maximum adventure? Book the combo.
- Watching the budget? €20 for a full guided day with lunch and transfer makes the rafting tour one of the best-value excursions on the coast, see the full price breakdown.
- Still unsure about safety, swimming or what to bring? Our rafting FAQ answers the questions we hear most.
Booking either tour
Both tours run every day of the week, all year round. Reservation is free, you pay on the day of the tour, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, so if your plans shift, you lose nothing. After you book, we confirm your hotel pickup personally the evening before, so you never have to guess where or when to be ready. And if you are still deciding how rafting fits into your wider holiday, our complete local guide to Side excursions puts both days in context alongside everything else worth doing from town.