Plan your day · 4min read

Is the Green Canyon worth it from Side?

Quick answer

For most Side guests, yes — if what you want is a quiet nature day rather than a party. For €33 per adult (€20 for a child aged 3–11) you get hotel pickup and return, 4.5 or 2.5 hours by catamaran on a calm, spring-fed lake between canyon walls, swimming breaks, a fishing opportunity, soft drinks on board and an open buffet lunch, with nothing paid online. It is less worth it if you want loud music, the sea, or an afternoon at the hotel: whichever option you choose, the return journey begins at around 15:00, so it takes the whole day.

We run this tour, so read this with that in mind — but the honest answer is more useful to you than a sales line, and a guest who booked the wrong day does not come back. Here is how to tell whether the Green Canyon is the right day of your Side holiday.

What the price actually buys

The headline figure is per person and it is the whole day: the coach from your hotel and back, a professional guide, the catamaran cruise, swimming breaks, a fishing opportunity, soft drinks on board, an open buffet lunch and passenger travel insurance. Drinks ordered at the restaurant are extra. There are no shopping stops on the way — the operator confirmed it — so the day you pay for is spent at the canyon, not in a showroom.

Payment happens on the tour day. You reserve online, nothing is charged, and you can cancel free of charge up to 48 hours before the start.

Who it suits

Families, because the lake has no waves and children aged 3–11 travel at a reduced rate. Couples and older guests who want scenery rather than animation. Anyone who has done the beach for three days and wants to see the Taurus mountains up close. Photographers, for the colour of the water against the pine walls.

You want calm water and a slow day: worth it.
You want to swim somewhere that is not the sea: worth it.
You travel with children and want a day that needs no planning: worth it.

Who should pick something else

If your idea of a boat day is music and foam, book a harbour trip in Side instead — the canyon catamarans have no party deck. If you only have half a day free, the canyon will not fit, whichever option you choose: the morning pickup and the return at around 15:00 leave no room for much else. And if you are hoping for warm water, the reservoir is freshwater and noticeably cooler than the sea.

4.5 or 2.5 hours — the value question

Both options cost the same from Side and include exactly the same services. The 4.5-hour option gives you more of the canyon for the same day and the same money; the 2.5-hour option is the same day with a shorter cruise, for guests who would rather spend less time on deck in the sun. Neither brings you back to Side earlier.

Questions on this page

Is the Green Canyon tour a tourist trap?

It is a popular excursion, but there are no shopping stops on this tour and the day is spent at the canyon. What you pay covers pickup, the cruise, guiding, swimming breaks, soft drinks on board, lunch and insurance; drinks at the restaurant are extra.

Is a full day too long with children?

The day starts with a morning pickup and the return journey begins at around 15:00 on both options, so its length does not change. What you can shorten is the time on the water: the 2.5-hour option keeps the cruise short, at the same price.

Ready to book?