Honest Picks
A first boat day should be simple to plan, and that points at the Suluada boat tour from Side. It sails every day of the week, so it fits into any week of any holiday, and it is the shorter of our two days: about ten hours door to door against roughly twelve from Antalya.
Here is the shape of the day. Hotel pickup between 05:30 and 06:00, an optional breakfast stop at Adrasan, then the boat leaves the harbour at 09:40 and docks back at 16:00. Lunch is cooked on board — grilled fish or chicken with pasta or rice, Turkish mezes, seasonal salad, then fruit and tea. Drinks at the bar are not included. The full list sits on what is included.
Nervous about the water? Life jackets are available on request and non-swimmers are welcome — the boat anchors near the island and, where conditions allow, tender boats shuttle guests into the bay. Read our first boat trip tips before you go, and check the flat fare on the price page. If a 05:30 alarm is out of the question, compare the two in our overall pick. And if you were hoping for a half-day taster: we do not run one. Suluada is a full day from every pickup point.
The easy first choice. It runs every day, so you book the date that suits you instead of building your week around a schedule, and ten hours door to door is enough of an introduction. Pickup 05:30–06:00, the boat sails at 09:40 and docks at 16:00, lunch is cooked on board, and the minimum age is 6.
Better if the early alarm is the deal-breaker, or if you are staying in central Antalya, Kemer or Beldibi. Pickup is 08:30–09:00 and the day runs to about twelve hours. Snorkelling masks and pool floats are included, which helps a great deal on a first trip. Watch the days: Tuesday and Thursday all year, plus Saturday from April to October.
The Side departure, because it runs every day and it is the shorter of the two days — around ten hours door to door, with pickup between 05:30 and 06:00, a 09:40 sailing and a 16:00 return. If the early start worries you more than the length of the day, take the Antalya departure instead: Tuesday and Thursday all year, plus Saturday from April to October.
Yes. Non-swimmers are welcome and life jackets are available on request. The boat anchors near Suluada and, where conditions allow, tender boats shuttle guests into the bay, so you can stay on deck through the swimming stops and still see the island close up. The crossing, the coastline and lunch fill most of the day anyway.
Early, and long — we would rather say so plainly. Pickup from Side-region hotels falls between 05:30 and 06:00, the boat sails from Adrasan at 09:40, docks back at 16:00, and you reach your hotel after that: about ten hours in total. The Antalya days begin later, 08:30–09:00, but run to roughly twelve hours.
You book free online and pay on the tour day — nothing is charged in advance. The fare is €40 per adult, €30 per child aged 4–10 and free for infants 0–3, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. If the harbour authority stops departures in rough seas, we rebook you or refund you.