Two Tours, One Emerald Reservoir
If you have been comparing Green Canyon trips, you have probably noticed something odd: there are two tours with exactly the same price tag. The Green Canyon Catamaran Tour lasts 2.5 hours, the Green Canyon Boat Tour lasts 4.5 hours, and both cost €33 per adult and €18 per child aged 3 to 11. Both cruise the same emerald reservoir behind Oymapinar Dam near Manavgat, and both include time to swim in cool, crystal-clear mountain water. So which one should you book? Here is the honest side-by-side answer.
The Quick Answer
Short on time, travelling with small children, or keen to keep most of your day free? Book the 2.5-hour catamaran tour. Want the full experience — a longer, slower cruise with a freshly prepared lunch served on board? Book the 4.5-hour boat tour. The price is identical, so your decision really comes down to two things: how long you want to be on the water, and whether lunch matters to you.
What Both Tours Share
Before we get into the differences, it is worth seeing how much these two trips have in common:
- The same setting: both sail the calm, sheltered reservoir of Oymapinar Dam — one of the region's largest reservoirs — between pine-covered canyon walls. This is a lake, not the sea: no waves and no seasickness, just still emerald water.
- The same prices: €33 per adult and €18 per child (ages 3–11) on either tour, with direct pricing and no hidden fees.
- A proper swim stop: the water is mountain-fed and refreshingly cool even in high summer. Our guide to swimming in Green Canyon covers what that feels like.
- Hotel pickup: both tours collect guests every day from Side, Manavgat, Kumkoy, Evrenseki, Sorgun, Titreyengol, Colakli, Kizilagac and Gundogdu; daily from Alanya during the summer season; and on Mondays and Thursdays from Belek and Antalya.
- The same booking terms: instant confirmation, payment on the day of the tour with no prepayment, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
In other words, you are not choosing between a "good" tour and a "budget" tour — you are choosing between two formats of the same day out. For the story of the canyon itself, see our guide to Oymapinar Dam and Green Canyon.
The Catamaran Tour: Short, Easy and Family-Friendly
The catamaran tour is the compact version of Green Canyon. In 2.5 hours you cruise the emerald water, take in the canyon scenery, and cool off with a swim before heading back to your hotel.
That shorter format is its biggest strength. You get the postcard views and the unforgettable swim without committing your whole day — ideal if your schedule is already full or you want to keep time free for the beach. It also suits families with toddlers and young children: 2.5 hours sits comfortably within a small child's attention span, and the flat, calm reservoir means nobody has to worry about motion sickness.
The trade-off is food. There is no lunch on the catamaran tour, so plan to eat before pickup or after you return. If a meal on the water is part of your idea of a boat trip, keep reading.
The Boat Tour: The Full Green Canyon Experience
The 4.5-hour boat tour stretches the same scenery into a proper half-day outing and adds the one thing the catamaran does not offer: a freshly prepared lunch served on board while you float between the canyon walls.
The extra time changes the feel of the trip. Instead of a highlights reel, you get a slow, unhurried cruise with more time to swim, more time to photograph the pine-covered slopes, and a relaxed meal in the middle of it all. If Green Canyon is one of the reasons you chose this part of Turkey — or if you have read our post on what to expect at Green Canyon and want all of it — this is the version to book.
The only real cost is time: the boat tour becomes the main event of your day. For most guests, that is exactly the point.
Which Green Canyon Tour Is Right for You?
Choose the catamaran tour if…
- You are short on time and want the canyon without giving up a full day.
- You are travelling with toddlers or young children who do best on shorter outings.
- You would rather eat at your hotel or a restaurant of your own choosing.
- You want a calm, low-effort activity between busier excursion days.
Choose the boat tour if…
- You want the longest possible time on the emerald reservoir.
- A freshly prepared lunch on board sounds like the heart of a boat day.
- You prefer a slower pace with unhurried swimming.
- Green Canyon is a bucket-list stop and you want the complete experience.
Same Price — So Where Is the Catch?
There is none. Both tours cost €33 per adult and €18 per child, and neither hides extra charges behind the headline number. The catamaran gives you the essentials in a time-efficient package; the boat tour gives you nearly twice the hours plus lunch. Which one is "better value" depends entirely on what you value more: free time or on-board time. For the full cost breakdown, our Green Canyon tour price guide goes through it line by line, and Is Green Canyon worth it? answers the bigger question.
How to Book Either Tour
Booking works the same way for both trips. Choose your date, receive instant confirmation, and pay on the day of the tour — there is no prepayment. Plans change on holiday, so cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, and if you have a question first, we reply quickly on WhatsApp.
Hotel pickup is included across the region: browse tours from Side, Kizilagac, Evrenseki, Gundogdu, Alanya or Belek, or see all our tours in one place. New to the canyon altogether? Start with our complete guide to the Green Canyon boat tour from Side.
FAQ
Do the catamaran and the boat tour cost the same?
Yes. Both are priced at €33 per adult and €18 per child aged 3 to 11, with no hidden fees on either tour. The difference is the format: the boat tour lasts 4.5 hours and includes a freshly prepared lunch served on board, while the 2.5-hour catamaran tour does not include a meal.
Do both tours follow the same route?
Both cruise the same emerald reservoir behind Oymapinar Dam, so the scenery — still green water framed by pine-covered canyon walls — is shared. The boat tour simply spends almost twice as long on the water, which means a slower pace, more time for swimming and a lunch break on board.
Can I switch from one tour to the other after booking?
In most cases, yes. Send us a message on WhatsApp and we will rearrange your booking. Because cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, switching between the catamaran and the boat tour is straightforward as long as you let us know in time.
Is lunch included on both tours?
No — this is the single biggest difference between the two. Only the 4.5-hour boat tour includes a freshly prepared lunch served on board. The 2.5-hour catamaran tour does not include food, so plan your meals around the trip.
Which tour is better with young children?
Most families with toddlers pick the 2.5-hour catamaran tour, since it fits neatly within a young child's patience. The water is calm on both tours — it is a lake, not the sea, so there are no waves and no seasickness to worry about. Children aged 3 to 11 pay €18 on either tour.