Köprülü Canyon Rafting and Canyoning with Lunch Side
4.8 (504 reviews) from travellers who booked this experience
Overview
Spend a full day in Köprülü Canyon National Park on a shared rafting and canyoning adventure. You paddle a 14 km course on the Köprüçay River, then follow a guided canyoning trek of about an hour and a half through natural pools and limestone rock formations. Safety gear, guides, a riverside lunch and insurance are included. Depending on the option, we collect you from your hotel in Side, Alanya, Antalya, Belek, Serik or Kemer, or you meet the team at the base. It suits active beginners and friends.
Highlights
- 14 km rafting course on the Köprüçay River with professional guides
- Guided canyoning trek of about 1.5 hours through natural pools and limestone formations
- Setting inside Köprülü Canyon National Park in the Taurus Mountains
- Helmet, life jacket and insurance included
- Riverside lunch at the base after the activities
- Suitable for beginners, no previous experience needed
- Choice of an option with hotel pickup from Side and other resorts, or meeting at the base
Full Description
Köprülü Canyon National Park
Köprülü Canyon National Park lies in the Taurus Mountains inland from Side, where the Köprüçay River has cut a deep gorge through limestone. Cliffs rise on both banks, pine forest covers the slopes, and the water runs clear and cold from the mountains. The park is also known for the Roman Oluk Bridge over the river and for the ancient city of Selge in the hills above.
Many travellers ask whether a Köprülü Canyon day trip from Side is worth it. If you like being active outdoors, the answer is yes: the scenery is far wilder than the coast, and the air is noticeably cooler in summer. The drive from the coast takes a good while depending on your pickup point, so our programme starts early.
Rafting on the Köprüçay River
The Köprüçay River, known in antiquity as the Eurymedon, gives one of the best rafting runs in the region. Your course follows about 14 km of river, with calm stretches for photographs and lively rapids that need everyone to paddle together. The guide steers from the back of the raft and calls the commands, so no experience is needed.
River levels change with the season. Spring brings snowmelt and stronger water, while summer is gentler and warmer, which makes it popular with first-timers. If you are searching for rafting in Side or a Köprülü rafting tour with hotel transfer, this day covers it. Water shoes and gloves can be bought or rented at the base if you do not bring your own.
Canyoning through pools and limestone
Canyoning means moving on foot and by swimming through a canyon, and here the guided trek lasts around an hour and a half. You walk and wade along the river, step through natural pools and pass smooth limestone walls shaped by water over thousands of years. Where the route allows it, you slide, jump or swim, always following the guide's instructions.
Your helmet and life jacket stay on for the whole trek. You do not need to be an expert swimmer, but you should feel comfortable in cold water and on uneven, wet rock. Canyoning at Köprülü is a good choice if you want more than a rafting ride, and the combination of the two activities in one day is what makes this tour popular.
Lunch at the riverside base
After the river, the group returns to the base next to the Köprüçay for a freshly cooked riverside lunch. It is a relaxed hour to dry off, swap stories and look at the photographs, which are available to buy separately as photo and video packages.
Lunch is included, but drinks at the base restaurant are not. Plan to bring a change of clothes and a towel, because you will be wet. Depending on the option you choose, the return transfer then takes you back to your hotel in the afternoon, while guests who meet at the base travel back on their own.
Itinerary
- Hotel pickup or meeting at the baseIn the transfer option we collect you from your hotel in the morning, around 07:00 or 08:00; in the other option you meet the team at the base at about 10:00.
- Drive to Köprülü Canyon National ParkA scenic drive of around an hour and a half from the coast into the Taurus Mountains, depending on your pickup point.
- Safety briefing and equipmentThe guides explain the programme and the paddling commands, and you put on your helmet and life jacket.
- Rafting on the Köprüçay RiverA 14 km rafting course with rapids, calm stretches and swimming stops.
- Canyoning trekA guided trek of about 1.5 hours through natural pools and limestone rock formations.
- Riverside lunchLunch at the base next to the river, with time to rest and change.
- ReturnIn the transfer option you are driven back to your hotel in the afternoon; in the other option the tour ends at the base.
What's included
- Rafting on a 14 km course of the Köprüçay River
- Guided canyoning trek of about 1.5 hours through natural pools and limestone rock formations
- Professional guides
- Helmet and life jacket
- Riverside lunch
- Insurance
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Drinks at the base restaurant
- Photo and video packages
- Water shoes and gloves (available to buy or rent)
- Personal expenses
Not suitable for
- Pregnant women
- Guests with serious back, neck, heart or joint problems
- Young children below the minimum age for rafting and canyoning
- Guests who cannot follow the guides' safety instructions
Meeting point
With the hotel transfer option, we pick you up from your hotel in Side, Alanya, Antalya, Belek, Serik or Kemer, normally between 07:00 and 08:00, and confirm the exact time after booking. With the option without transfer, you meet the team at the base at around 10:00 and arrange your own transport; the meeting point is confirmed after booking.
Important information
- Wear swimwear under comfortable clothes and bring a towel and a full change of dry clothes.
- Bring sun cream, a hat and sunglasses, and shoes that can get wet and stay on your feet.
- Water shoes and gloves can be bought or rented at the base if you do not bring your own.
- Lunch is included; drinks at the base restaurant, photo and video packages and personal expenses are extra.
- Leave valuables at your hotel, and use a waterproof case if you want to carry a phone.
- Rafting and canyoning have minimum age and fitness requirements for safety, so contact us before booking with young children.
- River conditions and the route can change with the season and the weather, and the guides decide on the day.
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to what travellers ask us most, before they book.
How much does the Köprülü Canyon rafting and canyoning tour cost?
The price depends on the option you choose, with or without hotel transfer. The booking panel on this page shows the current price for each option.
Is hotel pickup included?
It depends on the option. The transfer option includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Side, Alanya, Antalya, Belek, Serik or Kemer. The other option does not, and you travel to the meeting point yourself.
How long is the tour?
The option with hotel transfer takes about 8.5 hours from pickup to drop-off, and the option without transfer takes about 8 hours from the meeting time.
What is the difference between the two options?
The activities, equipment, guides, lunch and insurance are the same. The difference is transport: one option includes return transfer from your hotel, while the other starts at the base with a later meeting time.
Is rafting at Köprülü Canyon suitable for beginners?
Yes. The guides brief the group and steer the raft, so no experience is needed. You should be comfortable in water and able to follow instructions.
Is it suitable for children?
There are minimum age and fitness requirements for rafting and canyoning. Please contact us before booking if you are travelling with young children so we can confirm what applies.
What should I wear and bring?
Wear swimwear under comfortable clothes and bring a towel, dry clothes, sun cream and shoes that can get wet. Water shoes and gloves can be bought or rented at the base.
Is lunch included?
Yes, a riverside lunch is included in both options. Drinks at the base restaurant are not included.
What is the best time of year for rafting at Köprülü Canyon?
Spring has the strongest water because of snowmelt, and summer is warmer and calmer. Both seasons are popular, and the guides adapt the route to the river level.
Can I book for today or tomorrow?
Choose your date in the booking panel. If it shows as available you can book it, but last-minute dates depend on availability and on the transfer schedule.
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