Side · Manavgat river · Dolphin Island
The dolphin boat from Side
A whole day on calm water: down the Manavgat river to the open sea, a swim where cold river water meets the warm Mediterranean, lunch grilled on deck, then out to Dolphin Island, where wild dolphins and sea turtles live. Seeing them is a chance, never a promise — the swims, the lunch and the sea are certain.
Aged 2 to 10: €15 · Under 2: free
- Hotel pickup and return included
- Boat leaves 10:00, back 16:30–17:00
- BBQ lunch on deck included
- Swim stops at the river mouth and the island
- Nothing paid online — euros on the day
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours before
Murat Atalay Travel Agency TÜRSAB licensed travel agency No. 11294
The short answers
- What is the Side dolphin boat trip?
- One full day aboard a single boat: collected at your hotel, down the Manavgat river to open water, a first swim where the river runs into the sea, BBQ lunch on deck, a long swim at Dolphin Island (Yunus Adası), a last dip, then music and foam on deck as the boat heads back to harbour.
- Will we see dolphins?
- Maybe. Wild dolphins and Caretta caretta turtles — a protected species — live in the waters this boat crosses, and some days they come close. They are wild, so nobody can promise it, and we will not. Read our honest guide to the odds.
- Do you collect me from my hotel?
- Yes. The round trip from your hotel is in the price for the whole Side belt, from Gündoğdu to Kızılot, and Manavgat town. See every pickup area.
- What does €21 include?
- The transfer, the boat day with professional guiding on board, a BBQ lunch of grilled chicken with rice or pasta, salad and bread, the foam party with music, and full-day travel insurance. Drinks are bought at the onboard bar.
- What time does the boat leave?
- Casting off is at 10:00, and the boat returns to harbour around 16:30–17:00. Your hotel pickup comes before that — we message the exact time the evening before, since it differs from hotel to hotel.
- What do children pay?
- Children aged 2 to 10 pay €15; under 2 they travel free. From 11 the full fare applies.
- Do I have to swim?
- No. There are three swim stops and nobody has to go in — you can stay on deck in the sun or the shade. If you do swim, bring your own swimsuit and towel.
- Are drinks included?
- No. A bar on board sells cold soft drinks and alcohol, and an optional all-inclusive drinks package is offered on the boat. Lunch itself is in the price.
- How do I pay?
- Nothing online. Reserve your places here and settle the fare in cash, in euros, when the trip happens. Cancelling is free until 48 hours before.
- How do I book?
- Pick a date and the number of guests, find your hotel in the list, add a phone number and confirm. A reference appears at once; the pickup time follows the evening before.
Before you book
Fixed now, and confirmed later
Three short lists: what your fare pays for, what only becomes certain after you reserve, and how payment works.
In the price
- Round-trip hotel transfer from Side and nearby areas
- Lunch from the grill on deck: chicken with rice or pasta, a fresh salad and bread
- The foam party, music and all the entertainment on board
- Professional guiding on board
- Full-day travel insurance
Confirmed after booking
- Your pickup time. Each hotel gets its own; we message yours the evening before. The boat itself casts off at 10:00.
- The sea on the day. The crew runs the stops to suit the weather and the water; the swims, the lunch and the island are the plan.
- The wildlife. Dolphins and sea turtles are wild. Whether they show up is not something anyone can book.
How the money works
- No surprises at the end. No booking fee and no extra charge for the transfer.
- Pay on the day, in euros. Nothing is taken online.
- Cancel for free until 48 hours before departure.
- Children aged 2 to 10 pay €15; under 2 travel free.
The day
How the day runs
Eight moments between your hotel and the drive back, in the order the crew plans them. The boat's own times are the only clock times we print.
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Pickup at your hotel
An air-conditioned vehicle comes for you; we message the exact time the evening before.
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Down the river
The boat leaves at 10:00 and cruises out along the calm Manavgat river towards the sea.
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First swim at the river mouth
At Boğaz, where the river opens into the sea, the boat anchors: cold fresh water on one side, warm salt water a few strokes away.
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BBQ lunch on deck
Chicken from the grill with rice or pasta, a fresh salad and bread, served on board. Drinks from the bar cost extra.
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Dolphin Island
Out into open water to Yunus Adası for a long swim. Wild dolphins and Caretta caretta turtles live here — on a lucky day they pass by.
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One last swim
A final stop in the clear water before the boat turns for home.
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Foam party on the way home
The music comes up and the deck fills with foam. Dance, or sit back in the breeze.
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Back to the harbour
Back in harbour around 16:30–17:00; then the drive back to your hotel.
The order can shift with the weather and the sea. Dolphins and sea turtles are wild: a sighting is a gift of the day, not part of the programme.
Price
The fare, and everything it covers
Per person and by age, straight from the rows the form charges. Your lunch and the hotel transfer sit inside that figure.
- Paid in euros on the day; nothing taken online
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours before
- No booking fee, no transfer surcharge
Side Dolphin Island Boat Trip
Price per person
| Aged 11 and over | €21 |
|---|---|
| Aged 2 to 10 | €15 |
| Under 2 | free |
| Hotel pickup and return | included |
Hotel pickup
Where we collect from
Every resort on the Side coast, listed from west to east, plus Manavgat town. Wherever you stay on that list, the transfer costs nothing extra.
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Gündoğdu
11 hotels on the list
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Çolaklı
24 hotels on the list
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Evrenseki
28 hotels on the list
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Kumköy
32 hotels on the list
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Side
50 hotels on the list
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Sorgun
13 hotels on the list
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Titreyengöl
17 hotels on the list
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Kızılağaç
13 hotels on the list
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Kızılot
10 hotels on the list
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Manavgat
Not on the list? Type the hotel's name and the operator confirms the pickup
Your pickup time arrives the evening before, set for your particular hotel. The boat casts off at 10:00, so expect a morning pickup.
Further afield — Alanya, Belek, Antalya? Ask us and you get a straight answer.
Book
Reserve your places on the boat
Pick a date, count your guests, choose the hotel, add a number to reach you on. No card, no deposit — you pay on the day itself.
- A reference on screen at once
- The pickup time reaches you the evening before
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours before
Murat Atalay Travel Agency TÜRSAB licensed travel agency No. 11294
Prefer to ask first? +90 536 603 75 84
On the water
The river and the sea
Frames from the operator's own boat day. Dolphins are not in these pictures, and we do not borrow anyone else's.
Guides
Plan the day, know the sea, find your area
Short, practical reads based on the operator's record: how the day unfolds, what the island and the river mouth are, the honest odds on dolphins, who the trip suits, and how pickup works where you stay.
Guides
Plan the day
- The day, stop by stop From the hotel to the river, the river mouth, lunch, Dolphin Island and the foam party home — what happens at each stop.
- How booking works Reserving in five quick screens, with no card and payment in euros on the day — and what reaches you straight away versus the evening before.
- The three swim stops Fresh and salt water at the river mouth, the long swim at the island, the last dip — and how to enjoy them if you don't swim.
- What to bring Swimsuit, towel, sun cream, sunglasses, a little cash for the bar — and what to leave at the hotel.
- Lunch and drinks on board What the BBQ lunch is, what the bar sells, and how the optional drinks package fits in.
- The foam party What happens on deck on the way home, who joins in, and how to stay out of it.
- What costs extra Drinks, the drinks package, the photos, souvenirs: everything that is not in the fare, said plainly.
Guides
Who it suits
- With children What a child pays, who travels free, and what a day at sea asks of small children and their parents.
- For couples A quiet seat at the bow, the swims, lunch on deck — and how to make it your day rather than the party's.
- For groups A single booking holds up to 20 people, and larger parties are arranged on request: how groups reserve, pay and get collected.
- Is it safe? An insured boat, a licensed captain, a certified crew, travel insurance in the fare: what the record says and what to tell us.
- First boat trip, or an older guest Never been on a day boat, a little unsure in the water, or travelling with grandparents? What to know before the morning.
Guides
The sea and its wildlife
- Will we see dolphins? An honest answer: they live here, they are wild, nobody can promise them — and the day is worth it either way.
- Caretta caretta sea turtles The protected loggerhead turtles of these waters: what they are, why they are protected, and how to behave if one surfaces.
- Dolphin Island (Yunus Adası) The island the trip is named after: what it is, why the boat anchors there, and what the swim is like.
- Where the river meets the sea The Boğaz river mouth: cold fresh water and warm salt water side by side, and why it is the first swim.
- The Manavgat river by boat The calm first stretch of the day: from the river out to the open Mediterranean.
- Watching wild dolphins well How to be a good guest when wild animals come close: distance, quiet, no feeding, no chasing.
Guides
Decide
- Is it worth it? What €21 buys, what costs extra, and the guest who comes back pleased — or would be happier elsewhere.
- Wild dolphins or a dolphin show? A chance meeting at sea, or a show in a pool: two different days, and how to choose honestly.
- Book here, with a hotel rep, or online? What changes — and what does not — when you book the same boat day in different places.
Guides
Where we collect from
- From Side town Staying in Side itself: the pickup is in the fare and the booking form knows the hotels.
- From Kumköy Kumköy sits right next to Side on the west: the free pickup, and the hotels the booking form already lists.
- From Evrenseki Staying in Evrenseki, on the coast between Çolaklı and Kumköy: free pickup and the hotels the form recognises.
- From Çolaklı Staying in Çolaklı, west of Side: how the free pickup works and which hotels the form already lists.
- From Sorgun Sorgun is the first resort east of Side: the free pickup, and the hotels the booking form already lists.
Questions