Horse riding in Side costs €40 per rider for the guided one-hour ride, and hotel pickup and drop-off across the Side area is included in that figure — you are not charged a transfer on top. Reservation is free, you pay on the tour day, and you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before.
That is the whole answer. The rest of this page is the detail behind it: what the €40 actually buys, the two things that can add to it, and an honest look at whether an hour in the saddle is worth the same as a full day out elsewhere in our catalogue.
What the €40 includes
- Return hotel pickup and drop-off in the Side area, in an air-conditioned vehicle
- A guided ride with professional instructors, who stay with the group from start to finish
- A short riding lesson before you set off — how to sit, steer and stop
- Riding helmet and safety equipment
- A horse matched to your build and confidence by the instructors, not handed out at random
The route runs on soft paths through pine forest at a walking pace, opens into countryside, and finishes with a stretch along the Mediterranean shoreline. The beach section is the reason most people book, and it is part of the standard ride, not an upgrade.
What is not in the price
- Food and drinks. Nothing is served on this outing — bring water.
- Photos and video. A professional set is available to buy; your own phone costs nothing.
- Personal expenses.
There is one variable worth knowing before you compare us with anyone else: hotels in some outlying resort areas may carry a small transfer supplement. If you are staying at the far edge of the region, ask when you book rather than on the morning of the ride.
Is €40 for one hour good value?
Set against the rest of our catalogue, it looks expensive per hour, and we would rather say so than dance around it. Our Side jeep safari is a full eight-hour day with lunch at a lakeside restaurant for €18 per adult and €9 for children aged 7–12. On a pure euros-per-hour basis, riding loses badly.
What you are paying for is a different thing entirely. A horse is a one-rider-per-animal activity with an instructor-led lesson, a helmet fitting and a guide riding alongside you the whole way. There is no economy of scale to pass on: a coach seats fifty, a horse seats one. Guests who book it are not buying a cheap day out; they are buying the shoreline stretch with the sea beside them and a photograph they keep.
Booking a rider under 18
Our price list carries a single rider rate of €40. The minimum age is generally six, with the final call made by the guide on the day, and young or nervous riders can have a staff member walk alongside holding the horse's head for the whole ride. If you are booking for children, confirm the rate for them at the time of booking rather than assuming a discount.
Who should not book this ride
Plainly, because a refund is worse for both of us than an honest paragraph:
- Anyone over roughly 100–110 kg (220–240 lbs). That is the recommended maximum rider weight, and it exists for the horses' welfare, not as a formality.
- Pregnant guests, and anyone with serious back or mobility problems. The ride is not suitable, and we will say so rather than take the booking.
- Experienced riders expecting to gallop. A faster stretch may be offered where the ground and the group allow, at the guide's discretion. It is a possibility, never a promise. If a canter is the whole reason you are booking, you may be disappointed.
- Anyone who wants a full day out for their money. This is a part-of-the-day outing. Most guests are back at the hotel with time to spare, which suits some holidays and frustrates others.
Practical points that affect the day, not the price
Pickup is from your hotel's main entrance gate at the security checkpoint, not the lobby, and the exact time is confirmed to you rather than published as a fixed hour — it depends on where you are staying. Rides run daily year-round, with morning and late-afternoon departures that keep you out of the hottest part of a summer day. Wear long trousers and closed shoes; sandals are not usable in a stirrup. Bring sunscreen, a hat and water.
If the weather turns, the ride can be moved or refunded in full. That is the operator's own policy, not an insurance product you have to claim against.
Where it fits in a Side week
Riding pairs well with a lazy day rather than a big one. Guests who want the countryside behind Side at full scale — Roman bridges, Green Canyon viewpoints, a lakeside lunch, water fights between the vehicles — take the jeep safari instead and spend the morning of the riding day on the beach. Booking both in the same week works better than choosing between them.
Read what a jeep safari actually costs for the full-day comparison, the jeep safari with children if you are travelling as a family, and which Side excursion to choose if you are still building the week. To reserve the ride itself, go to the Side horse riding page — free reservation, pay on the day.