On our diving trip from Side you swim among sculptures on the seabed. The second dive is at the Side Underwater Museum, the first in Turkey, where about 110 statues stand underwater, from Poseidon to whirling dervishes. You don’t need any experience or certificate: the instructor stays beside you on every dive.
We pick up guests from hotels across the Side area and drive them to Side harbour. Book your seat online with no prepayment — you pay on the bus on the day of the tour.
Diving trip from Side at a glance
- Hotel pickup: 08:30–09:30
- Back at your hotel: 16:30–17:30
- Yacht departs from: Side harbour
- Number of dives: 2
- Dive depth: 5–8 metres
- Second dive: at the sculptures of the Side Underwater Museum
- Length of each dive: 15–20 minutes
- Diving experience: not needed
- Lunch: included in the price
- Payment: cash on the bus ($, €, ₺)
Tour programme
- 08:30–09:30 | Hotel pickup
We pick up guests 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. Then the bus heads for Side harbour.
- Arrival at Side harbour
Guests board the yacht, and the day at sea begins.
- Setting sail
The yacht heads for the dive sites along the coast. The instructor chooses the site of the first dive on the day, taking into account the weather, sea conditions and the safety of the group.
- Dive and safety briefing
The instructors explain how to breathe underwater, how to use the equipment and which hand signals are used during the dive.
- Equipment fitting
The instructor helps you find equipment in your size. Diving equipment, including a wetsuit, is included in the price.
- First dive
15–20 minutes with the instructor in a calm bay, at a depth of 5–8 metres. That’s enough time to get used to breathing underwater before the dive at the sculptures.
- Free time on the yacht
While one group dives, the other guests swim in the sea, sunbathe and relax on board. There’s a toilet on board and a place to change.
- Lunch on board
Chicken or fish, with pasta or rice and a fresh vegetable salad. Lunch is included in the price; drinks are extra.
- Second dive at the Underwater Museum sculptures
Another 15–20 minutes with the instructor at a depth of 5–8 metres. About 110 sculptures stand on the seabed, among them a statue of Poseidon and a model of the Temple of Apollo.
- Back to Side harbour
On the way you can look through the photos and videos taken during the day. They’re paid for separately, and you don’t have to buy them.
- 16:30–17:30 | Back at your hotel
Times are approximate and depend on where your hotel is, traffic, the weather and the overall pace of the group.
If you’d rather not dive, you can spend the time on the yacht swimming, sunbathing or relaxing on board.
How does the diving trip from Side work?
Hotel pickup and transfer to Side harbour
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 the bus heads for Side harbour.
Leaving Side harbour
Once you’re on the yacht, the day at sea begins.
The yacht leaves Side harbour and follows the coast to the dive sites. The instructor picks the spot for the first dive on the day, based on the weather, the swell and the safety of the group.
Briefing and dive preparation
Before the first dive the instructors explain in detail how to breathe underwater, how to handle the equipment and which hand signals are used during the dive. Then the instructor finds equipment in your size and helps you get ready to go down.
First dive in the bay
You go down with the instructor to 5–8 metres for about 15–20 minutes. That’s enough time to get used to breathing underwater before the dive at the sculptures. Underwater it goes quiet and your movements slow down, with rocks, shafts of sunlight and shades of blue all around you, and often fish too.
Free time on the yacht
While one group is underwater, the other guests relax on the yacht: they sunbathe, swim in the sea or watch the coastline. You don’t have to dive: you can simply spend the day on the yacht off the Side coast. There’s a toilet on board and a place to change.
Lunch on board
After the first part of the programme, lunch is served on the yacht: chicken or fish, with pasta or rice and a fresh vegetable salad. While guests have lunch, the yacht heads for the site of the second dive.
Second dive: the Side Underwater Museum
The second dive is at the sculptures of the Side Underwater Museum, 5–8 metres down. The figures on the seabed are made from a material that is safe for marine life. Sea creatures gradually settle on them, and the museum is turning into an artificial reef.
You dive with the instructor. After the first dive, breathing and moving underwater are easier, so you can take your time looking at the sculptures.
Return trip to Side harbour
After the dives the yacht heads back to Side harbour. On the way you can relax on deck and, if you like, look through the photos and videos taken during the day. They’re sold separately and only if you want them.
Return to your hotel
At the harbour the bus is waiting to take guests back. You’ll be back at your hotel between about 16:30 and 17:30. The exact time depends on where your hotel is, traffic, the weather and the overall pace of the group.
Our diving trip from Side gives you two dives with an instructor, plus swimming and lunch on the yacht, and the second dive is at the sculptures of the Underwater Museum. It suits first-time divers too.
Book your seat online with no prepayment. You pay for the tour on the bus on the day.
What is included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Yacht trip
- Two scuba dives (diving rate only)
- Instructor
- Diving equipment, including a wetsuit
- Lunch on the yacht
- Insurance
What is not included
- Drinks during the tour
- Photos and videos (optional)
- Personal expenses
What to bring
- Swimwear
- Towel
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Drinking water
- Camera or phone for photos on board
- Cash for drinks, photos, videos and personal expenses
Distance to Side harbour
- Sorgun to Side harbour: 5 km, about 10 minutes
- Side to Side harbour: 5 km, about 10 minutes
- Kumköy to Side harbour: 5 km, about 10 minutes
- Titreyengöl to Side harbour: 8 km, about 15 minutes
- Evrenseki to Side harbour: 8 km, about 12 minutes
- Çolaklı to Side harbour: 10 km, about 15 minutes
- Gündoğdu to Side harbour: 13 km, about 20 minutes
- Kızılağaç to Side harbour: 16 km, about 20 minutes
- Kızılot to Side harbour: 20 km, about 25 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.
Video of our diving trip
See what the day looks like
Press Play twice to start the video.
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 diving from Side
How much does diving from Side cost?
With two dives $35, without diving $25, children aged 0–2 free. The price includes hotel transfer, the yacht, an instructor, diving gear and lunch.
How do I book the diving trip 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”.
Can I go diving with no experience?
Yes. Diving from Side is suitable for beginners, and no certificate is needed. You don’t need to be able to swim either. Before the dive the instructors explain breathing technique, the safety rules and the basic hand signals used underwater, and an instructor goes down with you.
Can two of us come if one wants to dive and the other doesn’t?
Yes. For the guest who isn’t diving, choose the “Child (3-11)” category. On our website this category is used as the rate for guests who aren’t diving, whatever their age.
This rate is for anyone who isn’t planning to dive and would rather spend the day on the yacht swimming, sunbathing and relaxing on board.
Can a certified diver join the tour?
Yes, certified divers can join the tour. But this is a group programme, not a separate tour for divers with a certificate.
They dive on the same terms as everyone else in the group: with an instructor, along the shared route and under the programme’s rules.
How many dives are included?
The programme includes two scuba dives. The first is in a calm bay, the second at the sculptures of the Side Underwater Museum. Each dive lasts 15–20 minutes.
What is the Side Underwater Museum?
The Side Underwater Museum is Turkey’s first underwater museum and opened in 2015. About 110 sculptures stand on the seabed: a statue of Poseidon, a model of the Temple of Apollo, whirling dervishes, figures from ancient mythology and scenes from caravan life.
The sculptures are made from a material that is safe for marine life. Over time sea creatures settle on them, and the museum becomes an artificial reef. The tour’s second dive takes place beside these sculptures.
What is the minimum age for diving?
Scuba diving is allowed from age 12. Children aged 3 to 11 can come only without diving, at the no-diving rate. Guests under 18, whether they dive or not, can come on the yacht only with their parents. Children aged 0 to 2 travel free, on an adult’s lap with no seat of their own.
Who should not go diving?
Diving is not recommended for pregnant women or for people with respiratory, heart or circulation problems, musculoskeletal conditions or disorders of the central nervous system. If you have any doubts about your health, please check with your doctor before the tour.
Where do the dives take place?
The first dive takes place in a calm bay near Side. The instructor chooses the exact spot on the day, taking into account the weather, sea conditions and the safety of the group.
The second dive is at the sculptures of the Side Underwater Museum, which lies off the coast in the Manavgat area.
What can I see underwater?
On the first dive you can usually see fish, sea urchins, starfish and the underwater landscape of the Mediterranean. The second dive takes place at the sculptures of the Side Underwater Museum: statues, figures and architectural pieces on the seabed.
What time of year is best for diving?
The most pleasant time to dive is from May to September, when the sea is usually warm. The tour also runs in other months if the weather allows.
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, traffic, the weather and the pace of the group.
Are photos and videos included in the price?
No, photos and videos are paid for separately. During the tour a photographer may take pictures and film the guests. At the end of the tour they show you what they’ve shot and tell you the price if you’d like to buy anything.
If you buy photos or videos, take the photographer’s phone number so you can get in touch after the tour if you need to.
