Gulet or motor yacht: the wooden river boat against the harbour yacht
Choose the gulet for a big group and a river start: a traditional wooden boat for up to about 50 guests from the Manavgat River, about 7 hours on the water, from €750 for the whole boat. Choose the motor yacht for up to 25 guests boarding in Side harbour, about 6 hours, from €640, with an evening option on request.
Two very different boats on the same stretch of coast
Both charters show you the Side peninsula and the Temple of Apollo from the sea, so the scenery is not what separates them. What does is the boat, where you step on board, how many you are and how you want the day to run.
The gulet is a traditional wooden boat in the river-boat style, boarding on the Manavgat River. The motor yacht boards by steps in the harbour in Side. If you have heard the word gulet and pictured a traditional wooden deck rather than a modern yacht, that is the honest difference in feel; we do not publish engine, length or speed figures for either boat, because they are not on our record.
Side by side: the facts on record
- Starting price for the whole boat: gulet from €750; motor yacht from €640.
- Group size: gulet up to about 50 guests; motor yacht up to 25.
- Where you board: gulet on the Manavgat River; motor yacht in the harbour in Side, by steps, not suitable for wheelchair users.
- Time on the water: gulet about 7 hours; motor yacht about 6 hours.
- Route: the gulet goes down the river to the delta for the first swim, then along the Side peninsula with the Temple of Apollo in view, to bays the group picks from the captain's suggestions. The motor yacht runs along the coast past the Temple of Apollo and the old town of Side, with swim stops in sheltered bays.
- Food: gulet lunch prepared for the group; motor yacht lunch or dinner with a menu agreed in advance.
- Drinks: both sell drinks at the bar, and on both you may bring one bottle of spirits.
- Transfer: gulet on request at extra cost; motor yacht VIP hotel transfer on request at extra cost.
- Extras: on the gulet, decoration with 2–3 days' notice and your own playlist on the music system; on the motor yacht, the whole programme can move to the evening on request, and in bad weather the captain postpones or cancels free of charge.
When the gulet is the right call
Pick the gulet if your party is larger than 28, because no other boat in this catalogue takes more. It also suits groups who want the river as part of the day: you board on the Manavgat River, ride it down to the sea and swim at the delta before you reach the open coast.
Families and friends planning a celebration have a practical reason too: the gulet is the only boat with decoration on record, arranged when you ask 2–3 days ahead, and you can play your own music. See the gulet's page for the live price and boat rental on the Manavgat River for the river side of things.
When the motor yacht makes more sense
Pick the motor yacht if you are staying in or near Side old town and want to board close by, or if you would rather spend the day in the evening light: on request, the programme shifts so the boat returns at sunset. A menu agreed in advance also gives you more control over what is served, lunch or dinner.
With up to 25 guests and a starting price of €640 for the whole boat, it is also the lower starting figure of the two for a group that fits. One limitation to weigh: boarding is by steps, so it is not suitable for wheelchair users. Details are on the motor yacht's page.
A third option for small groups
If you are 12 or fewer, there is also the VIP boat from the Manavgat River, from €545. It may be a wooden boat or a yacht, and that category changes the final price, so ask which you would get. Its lunch is included, but all drinks are excluded. Yacht hire in Side puts all the Side-area boats together, and large-group yacht rental helps if your numbers are still changing.
Ready to choose your yacht?
Pick the boat and the date — nothing is paid online, you pay on the day.
Questions guests ask
What is a gulet?
A traditional wooden Turkish boat. The one in this catalogue is a river-boat style wooden gulet that boards on the Manavgat River and takes up to about 50 guests.
Can we take the gulet out in the evening instead of the day?
An evening programme is not on record for the gulet. The Side motor yacht is the one that can move its whole programme to the evening on request. Ask us if you want an evening on the gulet.
Can a wheelchair user come on the gulet or the motor yacht?
The motor yacht is not suitable for wheelchair users, because boarding is by steps. Accessibility on the gulet is not on record, so tell us what is needed and we will check before you book.