After years of running jeep safaris out of Side and Alanya, we know the questions before guests finish asking them. Here are the real ones, not the polished marketing versions, with the same answers our crews give at the pickup gate.
Do I drive the jeep myself?
No, and on these tours that is a feature, not a limitation. Every 4x4 in the convoy is driven by a professional local driver, on all three tours: the Side Taurus Mountains safari, the Alanya Dim River safari and the night safari. Nobody in your group needs any off-road experience, everyone gets to join the water fights, and nobody has to watch the road instead of the view.
Where do you pick up from?
From the main entrance gate of your hotel, at no extra charge. The Side tours cover Side itself plus Kumköy, Çolaklı, Evrenseki, Gündoğdu, Sorgun, Titreyengöl, Kızılağaç and Kızılot. The Alanya safari covers the whole strip: Kestel, Mahmutlar, Oba, the centre, Konaklı, Payallar, Türkler, Avsallar, İncekum and Okurcalar.
What time is pickup?
The day safaris collect you in the morning after breakfast time and return you in the late afternoon; the night safari collects you in the late afternoon so you keep the whole day for the beach. Because the exact minute depends on where your hotel sits on the convoy's route, your personal pickup time is confirmed to you after booking: so you are never guessing at the gate.
Can we bring children? What are the age rules?
The day safaris are built as family days out. On the Side safari, children aged 7–12 pay the reduced child price (€9), the 0–6 band travels free, and kids ride with an adult. On the Alanya safari, infants up to 3 ride free and children from age 4 pay the child rate (€17), always accompanied by their parents. The night safari is different: it is designed for guests aged 12 and over: for younger kids, the daytime safari is the right choice. Our family guide goes deeper on this.
Will we get wet?
In summer, almost certainly. Water fights between the jeeps are a tradition on all three routes, and each tour has a swim stop: Oymapınar on the Side route, the mountain-cold Dim River in Alanya, Green Lake on the night safari. Staying dry is technically possible but rarely achieved. Bring a dry change of clothes and a waterproof pouch for your phone; the full list is in our packing guide. Winter departures on the Side route use covered jeeps and skip the water games.
Is food really included?
Yes, on every tour. The Side day safari includes lunch at a lakeside restaurant by Green Canyon; the Alanya safari includes lunch on platforms over the Dim River; the night safari serves dinner on board the catamaran. Drinks are ordered and paid separately on all three.
What are the optional extras, and can we skip them?
Everything optional is optional and paid locally: the one-hour Green Lake boat trip (€5 per person) and the Manavgat Waterfall entrance on the Side route, the mini zoo during the village break, and the Dim Cave on the Alanya route. Skip them all and the included day is still complete. The full breakdown is in our prices guide.
How rough is the ride?
It is a sightseeing-paced convoy, not extreme off-roading: but the mountain tracks are unpaved, bumpy and dusty in places. If you have back or neck problems, tell our team before boarding. We do not recommend the Alanya route for pregnant guests, and the night safari is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments.
What languages do the guides speak?
On the Side day safari, guiding is available in English, German and Russian, as well as Turkish.
Do I have to pay anything when I book?
No. Reservation is free: no deposit, no prepayment. You pay on the day of the tour. This is how we run every tour as Atalay Tours, a direct local operator: you see the jeep before you part with a single euro.
What if our plans change?
Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure. Weather on this coast rarely stops a safari, summer rain is brief, and the Side route simply switches to covered jeeps in the cooler months, but if a tour ever cannot run, you have paid nothing in advance, so there is nothing to claw back.
Which safari should we choose?
Staying around Side with kids: the Taurus Mountains day safari. Staying in Alanya: the Dim River safari. Travelling as adults or with teens and want the party version: the night safari with dinner and catamaran cruise. And if you are weighing the jeep day against everything else the area offers, our complete local guide to Side excursions lays the whole menu out.