Yacht hire in Side: four charters, three boarding points

Start with your group size

Side is the one area in this catalogue with a choice of four, so the quickest way to narrow it down is to count heads. Children count as guests on every boat, and every price is a starting price for the whole boat, not per head.

• —Up to 12: the Kumköy yacht (from €490, transfer included) or the VIP boat from the Manavgat River (from €545, transfer at extra cost).
• —Up to 25: the luxury motor yacht from Side harbour (from €640).
• —Up to about 50 people: the wooden gulet from the Manavgat River (from €750).

The four charters, one paragraph each

Luxury motor yacht, Side harbour. Boarding is by steps in the harbour in Side, so it is not suitable for wheelchair users. The day lasts about 6 hours along the coast past the Temple of Apollo and the old town seen from the sea, with swim stops in sheltered bays. On request the whole programme moves to the evening so you return at sunset. A VIP hotel transfer is available on request at extra cost, and in bad weather the captain postpones or cancels free of charge. Details: the luxury motor yacht.

VIP boat, Manavgat River. Available on request, and it may be a wooden boat or a yacht; the category changes the final price, so treat €545 as the starting price for the whole boat. About 6 hours: down the river to where it meets the sea for the first swim and lunch, then along the Side Peninsula to a bay near the Temple of Apollo or toward the turtle island area, as the group decides with the captain. A transfer is optional, at extra cost, from Kumköy, Evrenseki, Kızılağaç and nearby areas.

Wooden gulet, Manavgat River. The big-group option: up to about 50 people, about 7 hours on the water, from the river to the delta and along the Side peninsula. Decoration can be arranged with 2–3 days' notice. Boat rental on the Manavgat River covers it in full.

Kumköy yacht. The one Side-area charter with the hotel transfer in the price (round trip from the Kumköy and Side area), about 7 hours from pickup to drop-off, with snorkelling gear on board. More in yacht rental in Kumköy.

Where you stay in Side, and what to tell us

• —Side old town: the motor yacht boards at the harbour in Side, so this is the stay where the boat is in your own neighbourhood. Tell us if you would still like the VIP transfer, which costs extra.
• —Sorgun: ask us to confirm that your Sorgun hotel falls inside the Kumköy and Side area for the Kumköy yacht's included transfer. For the river boats and the motor yacht, transfer is on request at extra cost.
• —Titreyengöl: the realistic choice is between the Kumköy yacht with its included transfer (once we confirm your hotel counts as the Side area) and the river boats, where the transfer is extra. Tell us which way you are leaning and we give you the transfer cost before you commit.
• —Çolaklı: not named on any of our transfer records. Tell us your hotel and which charter you want, and we confirm whether a transfer is possible and what it costs before you book.
• —Kızılot: not named on our transfer records either. If your group is big enough for the gulet, getting everyone to the river is the main thing to sort out, so ask about a transfer for the whole party in one message.
• —Kızılağaç: one of the areas the VIP boat's optional transfer lists, at extra cost. For the other three charters, ask.
• —Evrenseki: also on the VIP boat's optional transfer list. If the Kumköy yacht's included transfer tempts you, ask whether your Evrenseki hotel counts as the Kumköy and Side area; that is not stated on the record.
• —Gündoğdu: not named on any transfer record. If the motor yacht appeals, its VIP hotel transfer is on request at extra cost; for the rest, ask before booking.

Food and drinks differ more than the prices

If drinks matter to your group, this list will decide more than the price gap will. Gulet or motor yacht compares the two larger boats line by line.

• —Motor yacht: lunch or dinner, menu agreed in advance; onboard bar; one bottle of spirits may be brought.
• —VIP boat: lunch included (fish, grilled chicken or meatballs, meze and salads, depending on the boat); all drinks excluded.
• —Gulet: lunch prepared for the group; boat bar; one bottle of spirits may be brought.
• —Kumköy yacht: freshly prepared lunch; drinks not included.

Booking in Side

Choose the boat, date and guest count on its page and send the request; the team confirms it, and it is pending until then. Nothing is paid online: you pay in euros on the day, and cancellation is free up to 48 hours before the start. The pickup time, where there is a transfer, is confirmed after booking.

To see all four next to the Kundu and Alanya options, use the comparison page. For the river-and-temple route itself, read the Manavgat River and Side by boat.

Questions guests ask

Keep reading

• Kumköy yacht rental: the catalogue's lowest starting price, read line by line
• Boat rental on the Manavgat River: board on the river, swim where it meets the sea
• Gulet or motor yacht: the wooden river boat against the harbour yacht