Our Altinbesik Cave and Ormana village tour from Side is a day in the Taurus Mountains, where people still live in old houses of stone and Lebanon cedar, built without a single nail. We stroll through Ormana, have lunch in the village and then take a boat across the underground lake of Altinbesik Cave, past stalactites, stalagmites and natural stone arches.
We pick up guests from hotels in Gündoğdu, Çolaklı, Evrenseki, Kumköy, Side, Sorgun, Titreyengöl, Kızılot and Kızılağaç.
Book your seat online with no prepayment — you pay on the bus on the day of the tour.
Altinbesik Cave and Ormana village tour from Side at a glance
- Hotel pickup: 08:30–09:30
- Back at your hotel: 16:30–17:30
- Itinerary: a viewpoint above Green Canyon, the village of Ormana, lunch, an old mosque and a boat trip on the lake inside Altinbesik Cave
- Payment: cash on the bus ($, €, ₺)
Tour programme
- 08:30–09:30 | Hotel pickup
We pick you up at the hotel gate, by the security post, just past the barrier. We’ll put the exact pickup time for your hotel on your e-ticket once your booking is confirmed.
- Viewpoint above Green Canyon
The bus climbs a mountain road to 1,200 metres. A photo stop above the Green Canyon lake.
- Ormana village
A mountain village of old houses built of stone and cedar. The guide tells you about village life and local traditions.
- Lunch
A choice of chicken shish kebab or baked trout with salad. Drinks are extra.
- Old Ottoman mosque
A talk from the guide about the mosque, then free time for photos.
- Altinbesik Cave: a 20–25-minute boat trip
An inflatable boat trip across the underground lake, among stalactites, stalagmites and natural stone arches. The entry ticket and the boat trip are included in the price.
- 16:30–17:30 | Back to your hotel
The bus comes down from the mountains to the coast and takes you back to your hotel.
The guide may change the order of stops, but nothing is left out of the programme.
How does the Altinbesik Cave and Ormana village tour from Side work?
Pickup at your hotel gate, then into the Taurus Mountains
We pick up guests at the hotel gate, by the security post, just past the barrier, between about 08:30 and 09:30. We’ll put the exact pickup time for your hotel on your e-ticket once your booking is confirmed. Then we leave the coast for the Taurus Mountains.
Green Canyon from a viewpoint 1,200 metres up
Our first stop is a viewpoint. On a clear day you can see the Green Canyon lake below, with Altinbesik Cave National Park all around it. On this tour you see the lake only from above, from the viewpoint. There’s time here to photograph the panorama.
Ormana: houses of stone and cedar, built without a single nail
From there a winding mountain road takes us to the small village of Ormana. What sets it apart are its houses, put together from stone and Lebanon cedar without a single nail. Many of them have stood for centuries.
As we walk through the village, the guide tells you how people live here, how they make a living and which traditions they keep.
Village lunch: chicken shish kebab or baked trout
Lunch is right here in the village, with two dishes to choose from: chicken shish kebab or baked trout with salad.
An old Ottoman mosque and free time for photos
After lunch we drive on to an old Ottoman mosque. The guide tells you about it, and then you’re free to look around and take photos.
Altinbesik Cave by boat: stalactites, stalagmites and stone arches
The day ends at Altinbesik Cave, whose name means “golden cradle”. It runs deep into a mountain with reddish slopes.
Before boarding, an instructor gives a safety briefing, hands out life jackets and helps everyone into the inflatable boat, which seats 10 people.
The boat crosses the underground lake on the cave’s first level, the lake that feeds the Manavgat River, past stalactites, stalagmites and natural stone arches. The water is very cold, and the air in the cave stays at around 16 °C all year round.
Back at your hotel
After the cave we board the bus and head back down to the sea. Guests are usually back at their hotels between 16:30 and 17:30.
It’s a day in the mountains: Green Canyon seen from above, a traditional village and a boat ride on an underground lake.
Book your seat online with no prepayment. You pay for the tour on the bus on the day.
Tour video
See what the day looks like
Press Play twice to start the video.
What is included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Lunch: chicken shish kebab or baked trout with salad
- Entry ticket to Altinbesik Cave National Park
- Inflatable boat trip on the cave lake
- Insurance
- Guide
What is not included
- Drinks during the tour
- Personal expenses: photos, souvenirs and other purchases
What to bring
- A light jumper — it’s around 16 °C in the cave
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Drinking water for the journey
- Phone or camera
- Cash for drinks and personal expenses
Distance to Ormana
- Kızılot to Ormana: 82 km, about 1 hour 5 minutes
- Kızılağaç to Ormana: 82 km, about 1 hour 5 minutes
- Titreyengöl to Ormana: 97 km, about 1 hour 15 minutes
- Sorgun to Ormana: 97 km, about 1 hour 15 minutes
- Side to Ormana: 97 km, about 1 hour 15 minutes
- Kumköy to Ormana: 104 km, about 1 hour 25 minutes
- Evrenseki to Ormana: 106 km, about 1 hour 25 minutes
- Çolaklı to Ormana: 108 km, about 1 hour 30 minutes
- Gündoğdu to Ormana: 112 km, about 1 hour 30 minutes
Distances and travel times are based on Google Maps and are intended as a guide. The actual journey time depends on traffic and on how long it takes to pick up guests from other hotels.
Discounts
- Book at least 7 days in advance — 4% off
- Book at least 30 days in advance — 5% off
- $1 off for each person in your booking who follows our Instagram (@goldwaytravel)
- Discounts can’t be combined: choose either the early booking discount or the follower discount, whichever saves you more
FAQ about the Altinbesik Cave and Ormana village tour from Side
How much does the Altinbesik Cave and Ormana village tour from Side cost?
Adults $40, children 3–10 $35, children 0–2 free. Includes hotel transfer, lunch in Ormana, cave entry, the boat trip and a guide.
How do I book the Altinbesik Cave and Ormana village tour from Side?
Choose the date and the number of adults and children in the “Online Booking” form; the total is worked out automatically. In the form that opens, enter your full name, hotel, WhatsApp number and email, then send it. No prepayment: you pay on the bus on the day of the tour. Once your booking is confirmed, we send you an e-ticket with the exact pickup time via WhatsApp or Telegram. For step-by-step instructions with pictures, see
“How to book and pay on the bus”.
What time is hotel pickup?
We pick up guests at the hotel gate, by the security post, just past the barrier, between about 08:30 and 09:30. We’ll put the exact pickup time for your hotel on your e-ticket once your booking is confirmed.
What time will we be back at the hotel?
Guests are usually back at their hotels between 16:30 and 17:30. The exact time depends on where your hotel is, on traffic and on the pace of the group.
How long is the boat trip in the cave?
The inflatable boat trip across the underground lake takes 20–25 minutes and is included in the price. Before it starts, the instructor explains the safety rules and hands out life jackets.
Is lunch included in the price?
Yes, lunch in Ormana is included in the price: a choice of chicken shish kebab or baked trout with salad. Drinks are extra.
Will it be cold in the cave?
The air in the cave stays at around 16 °C all year round, and the lake water is very cold, so it’s worth bringing a light jumper.
What do I need to pay for separately?
Drinks, photos, souvenirs and other personal expenses are paid for separately.
Will a child aged 0–2 have their own seat on the bus?
No. Children aged 0–2 don’t get a seat of their own on the bus: they travel on an adult’s lap.
What will we see on the tour?
Altinbesik Cave
Altinbesik means “golden cradle” in Turkish. The cave was discovered in 1966, and it still hasn’t been fully explored.
It is a horizontal cave on three levels, about 2,500 metres long. On the tour you visit the first level and cross the underground lake, whose water feeds the Manavgat River.
Ormana village
Ormana is a small mountain village where old houses of stone and cedar are still lived in today.
Green Canyon viewpoint
The viewpoint is 1,200 metres up. On a clear day you get a panoramic view of the Green Canyon lake and the Altinbesik Cave National Park around it.
