From what age children can join
The age rule on the Side tour is simple: children aged 4 to 11 come along at the child fare, and from 12 the adult fare applies. For children under 4 the rafting is not recommended, and there is no infant tier on this departure – we would rather write that here than have you find out at the riverbank.
What counts is the age on the day of the tour, because it decides the fare and the safety equipment. Book each child in the age band that fits. If you are travelling with a child under 4, message us on WhatsApp before you book; we will tell you honestly what is possible on your day rather than make a promise the operator does not cover.
What the family day costs and what is included
Rafting from Side costs €18 per adult and €12 per child aged 4 to 11. A family of two adults and two children therefore sees its full price on the tour page before booking – the only payments at the base are the optional extras below, a wetsuit among them.
The price includes the round-trip transfer from your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle, a trained guide in every raft, the safety briefing and practice session, helmet, life jacket and paddle, accident and activity insurance, and lunch by the river. Drinks are always extra, for children too, as are water-shoe hire, a wetsuit if you hire one, and professional photos and video. Nothing is charged online – you pay on the day of the tour, in cash or by card.
Safety for children on the river
Rafting is an activity on moving water, and white water stays white water – with children too. What carries the family day is the supervision: a trained guide sits in every raft and stays with you the whole way down, and helmet and life jacket are fitted to every guest before boarding, children exactly like adults.
Before the water there is a briefing – how to hold the paddle, the commands, how to sit, what to do if you fall in – followed by a practice session on calm water, so the first rapid is not the first time you have paddled together. Children hear the same commands as the adults. They do not need to be able to swim: the life jacket keeps them afloat and the guide is in the boat.
The health restrictions apply to children as they do to adults: not with asthma or a similar respiratory condition, not with a serious heart condition, not with a severe back or mobility problem, and not after a recent operation. If you are unsure about a child, ask us before you book – not at the river.
How the family day runs
You are collected from your hotel in Side or one of the surrounding resorts, generally at around 08:00 to 08:30; your exact time depends on the hotel and is confirmed personally after you book. The drive goes up through Manavgat into Köprülü Canyon National Park. At the base there are changing areas, toilets, showers and secure storage for your things.
After equipment, briefing and practice come the 12 kilometres on the Köprüçay, with swimming stops where the guide judges it safe. Lunch is served at the restaurant on the bank. You are normally back at your hotel at roughly 16:30 to 18:30 – the return moves with group size, the operator's schedule, traffic and the river. With children, allow the whole day and plan nothing after it.
- Hotel pickup, approximately 08:00–08:30
- Drive into Köprülü Canyon National Park
- Changing, equipment fitting, briefing, practice session
- 12 km of rafting on the Köprüçay with swimming stops
- Lunch by the river (drinks extra)
- Showers, changing, return drive – roughly 16:30–18:30
What to pack for the children
Children best put their swimwear on under their clothes at the hotel. Add a towel, a full change of dry clothes for the drive back, and sunscreen. The most important item is footwear: it must fasten to the foot and be able to get completely wet – water shoes, trainers or sandals with a heel strap. Flip-flops are not allowed on the river; anyone who arrives without suitable shoes can rent or buy water shoes at the base.
Phones, wallets and the dry clothes stay in the secure storage at the base while you are on the water. What you do not need: your own life jackets or helmets. The operator provides the equipment and fits it to each child.
Lunch, drinks and waiting time
The lunch by the river is included for everyone, children too. Drinks are not – not at lunch and not during the day, and that applies to every guest. A full day at the base is also not back-to-back activity: between arrival, rafting and the drive back there is time by the river, at the restaurant or in the shade. With children it helps to know that in advance and to bring something to keep them busy.
Families and combo packages
Every one of the rafting packages from Side carries the same child rule for ages 4 to 11. For families the zipline is often the gentlest step up: anyone who would rather not fly at the platform waits by the river, at no extra cost and at the unchanged package price. On quad and buggy a child can ride as a passenger instead of steering; the jeep safari asks nobody to drive anything. The prices are on each package's own page.
How to book the family day
On the rafting from Side page you choose the date, enter each guest in their age band and give us your hotel, room number and a phone number so we can confirm the pickup. We come back by WhatsApp or email with the confirmation and your pickup time. Nothing is charged now; you pay on the day of the tour. If you want to clear something up first – a child with a health condition, a child under 4, a larger family – message us and a person answers.