Booking directly with the company that runs the tour is usually the cheapest way, because nobody adds a margin on top; marketplaces give you reviews, card payment and customer service; the hotel desk gives you convenience, and its price often includes a margin. Many excursions sold in Side are resold: a hotel desk, an agency or a marketplace takes the booking and passes it to a local operator, so the same jeep or boat can be sold at different prices on the same day.
How the price is built
The operator sets a price for the tour. Every channel between you and the operator takes its share: a marketplace takes a commission, and a hotel desk, tour rep or booth often adds its own margin to what you pay. That is one reason the same tour can cost more at the hotel than on the operator's own website.
The four ways to book, compared
- Hotel desk or tour rep: easy to arrange and pay at the hotel, with someone on site if a plan changes. It often costs more than booking direct, and you may not know who runs the tour, so ask.
- Booths in town: prices can be negotiable, but terms, insurance and pickup arrangements vary. Get the company name, what is included and the pickup time in writing.
- Marketplaces such as GetYourGuide, Viator and Tripadvisor: verified reviews, card payment, customer service and usually free cancellation up to 24 hours. The listing names the activity provider; the marketplace takes a commission from the operator.
- The operator's own website: the operator's price, direct contact with the people who pick you up, and the same free cancellation. Check that the company is a licensed travel agency (in Türkiye, a TÜRSAB number) with reviews you can verify elsewhere.
We also sell our tours on marketplaces, so the comparison is fair from our side: the reviews on our marketplace listings are for the same tours you book on seven.tours.
Five questions to ask before you pay
- Who operates the tour, and what is its licence number?
- Is hotel pickup included from my hotel, and at what time?
- What exactly is included: lunch, drinks, entrance tickets?
- Is travel insurance included?
- Until when can I cancel for free, and how is the refund paid?
Booking with Seven Tours
- Seven Tours is a licensed travel agency (TÜRSAB 14576) based in Side; our jeep safaris run on our own vehicles with our own drivers.
- Hotel pickup is included on our pickup options across the Side region: Side centre, Kumköy, Evrenseki, Çolaklı, Gündoğdu, Titreyengöl, Sorgun, Kızılağaç, Kızılot and Manavgat, depending on the tour; each tour page shows whether your hotel is covered. If your hotel is inside Side old town, you meet the vehicle at the pickup point named on the tour page, and a few tours also have a lower-priced meeting-point option.
- See the payment options for your language and currency at checkout, before you pay.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour. If you find the same Seven Tours tour cheaper elsewhere, we match the price.
More on why booking direct works, and our current prices in the guide to excursion prices in Side.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to book excursions in Side at the hotel or online?
Often online, and usually cheapest directly with the operator, because a hotel desk or rep may add a margin to the operator's price. Compare the same tour with the same pickup and the same inclusions.
Is it safe to book tours in Side directly with a local company?
Yes, if the company is licensed and has verifiable reviews. Ask for its TÜRSAB licence number, check its reviews on Google or Tripadvisor, and pay through a secure checkout rather than in cash in advance.
Can I pay for excursions in Side on the tour day?
Many local companies take cash on the day. With us, the checkout shows the payment options for your language and currency before you pay, including any amount that is paid on the tour day.
Do marketplaces cost more than booking direct?
Sometimes. A marketplace takes a commission from the operator, and that can be reflected in the price you pay; in return you get its customer service and review system. Compare the same tour with the same pickup and inclusions. On our own website the price is the operator's price, and if you find the same Seven Tours tour cheaper elsewhere, we match it.
If I book with Seven Tours and can't go, do I get my money back?
Yes, if you cancel up to 24 hours before the tour starts: cancellation is free, with a full refund of what you paid. Later cancellations and no-shows are explained on our cancellation and refund page.
What happens if it rains on the day of my tour?
Our Green Canyon and sunset jeep safaris, the Green Canyon boat trip, the quad and buggy safaris, Köprülü rafting, the Manavgat electric catamaran tour and the Green Lake boat and cabrio bus day all go ahead in the rain. We call a tour off only for a storm or when it is unsafe, and whenever we cancel, you get back everything you paid.
How do I know if my hotel is covered and what time I'll be picked up?
On each tour page, choose your hotel under "Check your pickup area": it shows whether your hotel is covered and its pickup time. The pickup area differs from tour to tour, so check it on the tour you want to book.
Is travel insurance included when I book with Seven Tours?
On most of our tours, yes: it is on the Included list of the Green Canyon jeep safari, the Green Canyon boat trip, Köprülü rafting and the quad and buggy safaris. It is not listed on the Dolphin Island boat trip, the Green Lake boat and cabrio bus day, the Sapadere Canyon day or the sunset jeep safari, so check the Included list on the tour page.
What should I bring on the day?
It depends on the tour, and each tour page has a "What to bring" list. For the Green Canyon jeep safari it suggests sunscreen, a sun hat, sunglasses, swimwear, a towel and a bandana; for Köprülü rafting, swimwear, water shoes, sunscreen and a towel; and for the quad and buggy safaris, clothes that may get dirty and sunglasses.
