Questions about the Side dolphin boat trip
The questions guests send us most, answered from the operator's own record. Something missing? Ask on WhatsApp.
Questions
All questions
What time does the boat leave and come back?
The boat leaves at 10:00 and is back at the harbour around 16:30–17:00. Your hotel transfer runs before and after those two times.
What time will you pick me up?
Each hotel has its own pickup time, so there is no single time to publish. We message yours the evening before, by phone or WhatsApp.
Is lunch included?
Yes — lunch comes off the grill on deck: chicken, with rice or pasta, a fresh salad and bread. Drinks are bought separately.
Will we definitely see dolphins?
No one can promise it. The boat sails into waters where wild dolphins and Caretta caretta sea turtles live, and on a lucky day they come close. We never sell a sighting.
What do children pay?
Children aged 2 to 10 pay €15. Under 2, they travel free. From 11, the full fare of €21 applies.
Can I take a baby?
Yes — children under 2 travel free. Bring sun protection and shade for them; a boat day is long and bright.
Can we swim with the dolphins?
No. This is not a swim-with programme and nobody touches or feeds the animals. You swim at the anchor stops; dolphins, if they appear, stay wild.
Where are the swim stops?
At the Boğaz river mouth, where river and sea meet; at Dolphin Island (Yunus Adası); and one last stop before the boat heads home.
Do I have to swim?
No. Swimming is your choice at every stop. Non-swimmers enjoy the deck, the lunch and the view.
Are drinks included?
No. The bar on board sells cold soft drinks and alcohol; an optional all-inclusive drinks package is offered too. Bring euros in cash.
What is the foam party?
On the way home the music comes up and foam fills part of the deck. Join in or stay out of it — it is fun, not compulsory.
What should I bring?
Swimwear and a towel, sunglasses, strong sun cream — and a few euros in cash if you want something from the bar.
Are photos included?
No. Professional photos are offered on board as an option, paid separately.
Is the boat insured?
Yes. The record states a fully insured boat, a licensed captain and a certified crew and equipment, and full-day travel insurance is in your fare.
Where do you collect from?
Every hotel in the Side belt — Gündoğdu, Çolaklı, Evrenseki, Kumköy, Side, Sorgun, Titreyengöl, Kızılağaç, Kızılot — and Manavgat town.
Can you collect me from Alanya, Belek or Antalya?
The standard pickup does not reach those resorts. Ask us with your hotel and date and we tell you what can be arranged.
How do I pay?
On the day, in euros, in cash. We take no money online and never ask for a card number.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Cancelling costs nothing until 48 hours before departure; a short WhatsApp note or a reply to the confirmation e-mail does it.
Is it suitable for limited mobility or a wheelchair?
It depends on the boat and the day, so ask us before you book and we check it with the operator.
Is there a dress code?
No. Swimwear on board, something light over it, and shoes that are easy to slip off.
How many people fit in a booking?
One booking takes up to 20 guests. Travelling as a larger party? Ask us and we arrange it.
Do I get a confirmation?
At once, on screen, with a reference. Give an e-mail address and you also get it in writing.
Can I book for tomorrow?
Online, the first date you can pick is tomorrow. For a seat today, message us on WhatsApp and we check what is possible.
Who runs this?
The trip is sold by Murat Atalay Travel Agency, which holds TÜRSAB travel agency licence number 11294.
When does the dolphin boat run?
Every day from 1 April to 15 November, as long as the weather allows. There are no sailings between mid-November and the end of March, and the booking calendar only offers dates in the season. If the sea is too rough on your day, we contact you.
Ready when you are
Book the dolphin boat from your hotel
- What
- A full-day boat trip from Side: river cruise, three swim stops, BBQ lunch on deck, Dolphin Island and a foam party.
- Where
- Pickup from your hotel anywhere on the Side coast, Gündoğdu to Kızılot, and in Manavgat town.
- Price
- Aged 11 and over: €21 · Aged 2 to 10: €15 · Under 2: free
Full price details → - Boat times
- The boat leaves at 10:00 and is back at the harbour around 16:30–17:00.
- Included
- Hotel transfer, BBQ lunch, foam party and music, guiding on board, travel insurance. Drinks are extra.
- When
- Every day from 1 April to 15 November, weather permitting. No sailings in winter.
- Terms
- Euros on the day, nothing online. Cancel for free until 48 hours before.
- Page updated
Murat Atalay Travel Agency TÜRSAB licensed travel agency No. 11294
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.