Things to Do in Side: Ancient City, Canyons and Aspendos
Side, a small peninsula town on Turkey's coast near Antalya, fits a working harbour, a Roman-era street grid and the coastal Temple of Apollo into a single afternoon's walk, then opens onto day trips to Manavgat's waterfall, the Green Canyon and the amphitheatre at Aspendos. A week here gives time to see the ruins without rushing, add one or two canyon or rafting days, and still leave an evening free for the harbour restaurants. This guide sets out what to see in the ancient city, how the Manavgat boat trip works, where Green Canyon and Aspendos fit into a week, and a rough day-by-day plan.
Side's ancient city and the Temple of Apollo
Side's ancient city sits on a narrow peninsula that was once a working Roman port, and much of it is open ground you can walk without a guide. The main street runs from the city gate past the agora and the small museum to the harbour, where five columns of the Temple of Apollo stand at the water's edge. The site is flat, shaded in patches, and takes an hour or two to cover on foot, so it fits easily into a morning or late-afternoon walk from a hotel in the old town.
The Temple of Apollo dates from the second century and was rebuilt using older stonework; only part of its colonnade survives, but the position, right where the harbour wall meets open sea, is what most people photograph. Light changes through the day, so a visit timed for the early evening, when the heat drops and the harbour fills with returning boats, works well for both viewing and photographs.
Close to the temple, the Roman theatre seats several thousand and is one of the better-preserved examples on this stretch of coast; a separate ticket usually covers the theatre and the small site museum next to it. Wear flat shoes, since the stone seating and the paths around the agora are uneven in places, and bring water, as there's little shade once you're away from the harbour end.
The site museum, housed in a restored Roman bath building near the harbour, holds statues and mosaics recovered from across Side's ruins, including pieces from the agora and the temple precinct. It's a short stop, usually combined with the same ticket as the theatre, and offers shade and a seated rest partway through a longer walk around the ancient city.
The harbour, the Roman theatre and the old town
Below the temple, Side's harbour is still used by local boats and by day-trip operators, and the row of restaurants along the water serves fish and meze from late morning into the evening. The old town immediately behind the ruins is a tight grid of lanes selling leather, ceramics and jewellery, mixed in among the usual seaside souvenirs.
The Roman theatre, a short walk inland from the temple, seats around fifteen thousand and is cut into the slope rather than built up like some neighbouring sites, which keeps the lower rows cool even at midday. A joint ticket with the museum next door is usual, and both sites close earlier out of season, so it's worth checking opening times locally rather than assuming summer hours apply.
Side works well as a base rather than a day trip from Antalya, since most of the activities covered below collect directly from hotels here with a roundtrip transfer included. Staying two or three nights before adding day trips means you see the ancient city at a quieter time of day, early morning or early evening, rather than in the middle of a coach schedule.
Manavgat waterfall and the river boat trip
Manavgat waterfall sits a short drive north-east of Side, where the Manavgat river drops a modest few metres over a wide limestone shelf; it's not a tall waterfall, but the volume of water and the tree-lined banks either side make it a straightforward half-day out. Most visits combine the waterfall with a river boat trip that continues upstream past orchards and tea gardens before turning back towards the river mouth.
Boats generally leave from a jetty near Manavgat town, run for an hour or two, and stop for photographs at the falls before continuing on quieter stretches of the river. Shade is limited on board, so a hat and sun cream are worth packing, and the boats themselves are open rather than covered on most routes.
The waterfall and boat trip suit a family morning or a half-day add-on to a Side-based holiday, and several of the jeep safari and canyon tours in this area work the Manavgat river into a wider day out, combining it with lunch and a stop further along the Taurus foothills.
Green Canyon: boat tour, lunch and swim stops
Green Canyon lies inland from Side, where the Manavgat river has been dammed to form a long, narrow lake between steep, pine-covered sides; the colour that gives the canyon its name comes from mineral content in the water rather than algae or added dye. A boat trip along the lake is the usual way to see it, since road access is limited and the water itself is the main feature.
The Green Canyon Boat with Lunch & Transfer from Side runs a roundtrip transfer from Side hotels, then spends the day on the lake with a lunch stop and two or three places to swim directly from the boat. Life jackets are usually provided for the swim stops, and the water stays cool even in high summer, which makes it a popular break from the coast's heat.
Because the canyon is reached by road rather than rail or regular public transport, booking a tour with transfer included is more practical than trying to reach it independently from Side. A full day, roughly eight hours door to door, is normal once transfer time either side of the lake is counted.
Aspendos: the Roman theatre and aqueduct
Aspendos, around forty minutes from Side, holds one of the best-preserved Roman theatres on this coast; its stage building survives close to full height, and the acoustics are good enough that the theatre still hosts opera and ballet performances in summer. Entry is separate from any tour package, so check whether a visit includes the ticket or only the transfer.
Close to the theatre, the remains of an aqueduct cross the plain on tall arches, visible from the road as you approach the site; it's not usually a formal tour stop but is easy to photograph from a passing vehicle. The theatre itself takes around an hour to see properly, including the upper tiers, which give a view back over the surrounding plain.
Aspendos doesn't currently appear as a stop on the day tours running from Side, so travellers wanting to combine it with a canyon or rafting day should check with their operator directly, or treat it as a separate half-day by taxi or organised transfer from a Side hotel.
Day trips into the Taurus Mountains and Sapadere Canyon
Inland from Side, the Taurus Mountains rise quickly from the coastal plain, and several operators run jeep or buggy safaris into the foothills, mixing off-road tracks with stops at waterfalls or canyons along the way. The Jeep Safari with Off-Road, Lunch, Boat Tour & Transfer from Side covers off-road driving, a lunch stop and a short boat tour within one day, which suits travellers wanting a mix of scenery and activity rather than a single sight.
Sapadere Canyon, further east towards Alanya, is a narrower gorge with a walkway built along the canyon floor, so it suits anyone who prefers walking a canyon to driving around it. The Sapadere Canyon & Waterfall Tour with Lunch & Transfer from Side includes lunch and a stop at a cave on the return route, with transfer from Side hotels built into the day.
For a faster pace, quad and buggy safaris run similar routes through the foothills on a shorter schedule, with stops for photographs rather than long walks; these suit travellers with half a day free rather than a full one, and both the quad and buggy options include roundtrip transfer from Side.
Water sports, diving and rafting near Side
Side's own beaches are flat and sandy, good for swimming directly from the shore, but several water-based activities run as day trips rather than from the beach itself. Scuba diving is one of them: the Side Scuba Diving Adventure with Lunch & Roundtrip Transfer includes a lunch stop and transfer, and suits both first-time divers trying an introductory dive and those with existing certification.
River rafting runs on Köprülü Canyon, inland from Side, where the river narrows through a gorge with rapids rated for recreational rafting rather than expert-only sections. The Koprulu Canyon River Rafting Tour from Side includes lunch and a roundtrip transfer, and wetsuits or spray jackets are generally provided given the river stays cool even in summer.
A second, shorter rafting route runs through Tazi Canyon closer to Side, which suits travellers who want river time without the longer drive inland that Köprülü requires; this tour also includes transfer from Side hotels. Between diving, rafting and the Green Canyon boat trip, a week in Side can easily include two or three water-based days without repeating the same stretch of river or coast.
Land of Legends and a family evening
Land of Legends, a theme park and resort complex north of Side, runs a night show combining water, light and performance elements, and is reachable on a roundtrip transfer without needing to stay at the resort itself. A booking such as the The Land of Legends Night Show with Roundtrip Transfer from Side covers the transfer and show ticket as a single evening outing, which suits families with children or anyone wanting an evening activity distinct from the canyon and rafting day trips.
The show runs after dark, so it suits an evening slot on a day when the earlier hours have been kept free, rather than stacking it onto a full day trip elsewhere. Checking the show's schedule in advance is worth doing, since performances don't necessarily run every night of the week.
For families planning a week around Side, alternating an active day, such as rafting or the jeep safari, with a quieter day at the ancient city or the beach, then finishing with an evening show, spreads the pace across different types of activity rather than repeating the same format.
A sample one-week itinerary for Side
A straightforward week in Side might run as follows: day one for arrival and a first walk around the ancient city and harbour; day two for Manavgat waterfall and the river boat trip, kept to a half-day; day three for the Green Canyon boat tour with lunch and swim stops, a full day; day four kept free for the beach or a slower look at the Roman theatre and museum.
Day five could run the jeep safari into the Taurus Mountains or the Sapadere Canyon walk, both full days with lunch included; day six for rafting, either Köprülü Canyon or the shorter Tazi Canyon route, depending on how much driving time you want; day seven for Aspendos in the morning, arranged separately, followed by a quiet afternoon before departure.
This order isn't fixed, and swapping days around is easy since most of the tours collect directly from Side hotels; the main thing to avoid is booking two full-day inland trips back to back, since both involve early starts and several hours on the road each way.
Travellers staying longer than a week can add paragliding over Alanya or a second water-based day, since none of the activities above need repeating to fill extra time; travellers staying less than a week should prioritise the ancient city, one canyon trip and one evening activity, in that order.
Practical tips: when to go, what to bring, getting around
The main season for Side runs from April to October, with July and August bringing the highest temperatures and the busiest beaches; the shoulder months of May, June, September and October keep temperatures more comfortable for walking the ancient city or the Taurus foothills without cutting into pool or beach time.
Pack flat, closed shoes for the ancient city, the Roman theatre and any canyon walk, since paths are uneven rather than paved throughout; a hat, sun cream and a refillable water bottle cover most of the day trips, and a light waterproof layer is worth having for rafting or the Green Canyon boat, even in summer.
Side itself is small enough to walk between the old town, the harbour and most hotels, but the day trips covered here, Manavgat, Green Canyon, Sapadere, the Taurus Mountains and Köprülü Canyon, are all reached by road rather than on foot, so booking a tour with transfer included removes the need to arrange a taxi or hire a car for each one separately.