Side and Manavgat Waterfall Day Trip from Antalya: Route and Tickets

A Side and Manavgat waterfall day trip from Antalya works as one easy day: Side is about 75 km east of Antalya's old town by road, the waterfall is only about 12 km from Side, and day tours, including both of ours, add the Roman sites of Perge and Aspendos on the way. Our Perge, Aspendos, Side and Manavgat waterfall tour from Antalya starts from $90 per person with lunch and a licensed guide. This page explains how the day fits together, how long each stop takes, what tickets cost or include, where the Manavgat river boat comes in, and which version suits your hotel.

The route at a glance

Side was the main port of ancient Pamphylia, and the road from Antalya passes Perge and Aspendos on the way. That is why the classic day combines four stops rather than two. The road distances below come from OpenStreetMap route data.

The routing times assume an empty road and no hotel pickups, so a real tour day is longer. On our tour, the return drive to Antalya at the end of the day is listed at 1 to 1.5 hours.

If you are staying in Side, Manavgat or Belek, you are already close to most of the stops. From Kemer, the drive east is long, and the boat trips and Lycian sites to the west are closer; see Antalya day trips for a resort-by-resort comparison.

A realistic timetable for the day

Our Perge, Aspendos, Side and Manavgat tour sets out the time at each stop. It gives a good picture of how much you actually see.

1. Hotel pickup, around 1 hour, collecting guests in selected parts of Antalya.
2. Perge, about 1.5 hours with the guide: the city gate, colonnaded streets, agora and Roman baths.
3. Aspendos, about 1 hour with the guide, mainly the Roman theatre.
4. Lunch, about 1 hour, a Turkish meal at a local restaurant. Included.
5. Side and the Temple of Apollo, about 1.5 hours: a guided walk and free time.
6. Manavgat waterfall, about 45 minutes with free time.
7. Return to Antalya, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

That makes a full day. Our other version, the Perge, Aspendos and Side tour, runs daily from 08:00 to about 18:00. It finishes at the Lower Düden Waterfall near Antalya instead of Manavgat, which saves time on the way home.

The site histories are on separate pages, so we will not repeat them here: see Perge ancient city, Aspendos theatre, Side ancient city and the Düden waterfalls.

Side in an hour and a half: how to use the time

Side is a small peninsula, so 1.5 hours is enough for the highlights if you plan it. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism describes Side as the main port city of ancient Pamphylia, about 8 km from Manavgat, and notes that the name means pomegranate in the old local language.

A practical order for a short visit:

• The theatre in the centre of the peninsula, which the Ministry calls the most precious monument of the ancient city. It is a ticketed site, open daily from 08:00 to 17:00, with the ticket office closing at 16:30.
• The Side Museum, set in a restored Roman bathhouse opposite the agora. It is open daily from 08:30 to 17:30, with the ticket office closing at 17:00.
• The temples of Apollo and Athena by the sea. The Ministry suggests seeing them at sunset and looking for the Medusa relief on the temple.
• The harbour and old town lanes, for a coffee or an ice cream before the bus leaves.

All opening hours here are as listed on muze.gov.tr on 6 November 2026 and can change by season. On a group tour, ask the guide at the start how much free time you have and where to meet, because Side's lanes look alike.

Manavgat waterfall: what to expect

Manavgat waterfall is not tall. Haber Gazetesi, in a July 2026 guide to the site, describes water falling from a height of about 5 m with a strong flow, and our tour page calls it a broad, low fall. The appeal is the setting on the Manavgat River. Plan on 45 minutes, which is what our tour allows.

Practical points from the same July 2026 report, which we could not check against an official municipal page, so treat the figures as a guide:

• It is run by Manavgat Municipality, not the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, so the Müzekart is not valid there.
• The report gives the 2026 adult ticket as 50 TL and 10 TL for students with ID, payable in cash or by card at the booth.
• Opening hours are given as 08:00 to 19:30 from 1 April to 31 October, and 08:00 to 18:00 in winter.

On our Manavgat tour, entrance fees to sites and attractions are not included, so you pay at each gate. If the waterfall is your main interest and you are staying in Side, it is only about 12 km away by road, and a short taxi or private transfer is simpler than a full day tour.

The Manavgat river boat: an alternative day

If you are staying in Side or Manavgat, the river boat is a different, slower way to spend a day. Civitatis describes a typical 7-hour trip: hotel pickup in Side, a boat from the Side harbour to the mouth of the Manavgat River, a cruise up the river to the river port in Manavgat town, several stops for a swim and free time at the Manavgat bazaar, then the return to Side.

The river boat does not include the ruins of Perge or Aspendos and is not part of our tours. It works best as a second day for families who have already done the sightseeing, or for anyone who wants a lazy day on the water. If you are based in Antalya city or Lara, the Side boat trips are a long way to go; our Antalya old city and Düden waterfalls boat trip tour includes a boat trip without the long drive.

Which combination is right for you

The two tours we run on this route differ in what they include. Check this before you book, because ticket costs add up across four sites.

Choose the Manavgat version if you want to see the waterfall and spend time in Side. Choose the Perge, Aspendos and Side tour if you want entrance fees covered in one price and a shorter drive back to Antalya at the end of the day.

A private car with a driver and guide makes sense if you are staying in Belek, Side or Alanya, want to change the order, or want to see the sites in the morning before the heat. We can quote that on request.

What is open and what to check before you go

Two practical points catch people out on this route.

Perge's theatre is closed for restoration. On muze.gov.tr, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism says the ancient theatre at Perge is temporarily closed to visitors until restoration work is completed. The rest of the site is open daily from 08:00 to 17:00, with the ticket office closing at 16:30. You still see the Hellenistic towers, the main street and the baths; the Ministry describes the stadium as one of the best-preserved stadiums of antiquity.

Aspendos closes at 17:00 in winter. The Ministry lists Aspendos as open daily from 08:00 to 17:00, with the ticket office closing at 16:30, and the Turkish Museums portal gives the same winter hours from 1 November to 30 April. On an independent trip, visit Aspendos earlier in the day and save Side, whose museum is open until 17:30, for later. In summer, the Aspendos theatre also hosts the annual Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival, according to the Ministry.

The opening hours above are as shown on muze.gov.tr on 6 November 2026; they change by season.

Best time of year for this day trip

Most of the day is spent outdoors on stone and gravel, with little shade at Perge and Aspendos. Long-term averages for Antalya from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM):

• April and May: average highs of 21.4°C and 25.7°C. Comfortable for walking.
• June to September: average highs from 30.8°C to 34.2°C. Start early, carry water and wear a hat.
• October and November: 26.6°C and 21.4°C on average. Good sightseeing weather, with more rainy days in November (about 7.5).
• December to March: cooler, with highs from 15.0°C to 18.0°C on average and the most rain. Fine for the ruins on a dry day.

Haber Gazetesi lists the waterfall as open all year, with shorter hours in winter, but entry can be closed for safety after heavy rain: Yeni Birlik reported a temporary closure in February 2026, when the river flooded the falls. Side is pleasant at any time, and the temples by the sea are the place to be at the end of the day.

Tours that cover this

• Perge, Aspendos, Side and Manavgat waterfall tour from Antalya: four stops with a licensed guide and Turkish lunch; entrance fees paid on site. From $90 per person.
• Perge, Aspendos and Side tour in Antalya: the three Roman cities plus the Lower Düden Waterfall, with entrance fees and lunch included. From $81 per person.
• Antalya old city and Düden waterfalls boat trip tour: Kaleiçi, the waterfalls and a boat trip in one day. From $90 per person.
• Private Antalya old town tour: your own guide for Kaleiçi and the city. From $90 per person.

More options are on our Antalya tours page. For longer trips from Side, see Pamukkale from Antalya, Side and Alanya, and for an overall plan, things to do in Antalya and our 3-day Antalya itinerary.

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