The day built around the children
Kids' Pirate Programme in Side: River, Face Paint and a Foam Party
A pirate day written around the children: face paint, a treasure map, a villain to catch, a dip where river water runs into the sea and a foam party to finish. Here is the whole day, the one-fare rule and what you pay for separately.
Short answer
The kids' pirate programme costs €23 for every guest aged 2 and over — parents and grandparents pay the same as the children — and nothing for anyone under 2. The ship sails at 10:00 from the Side departure dock, the day lasts about 6 hours, and the hotel transfer, the kids' lunch, face painting, the foam party and travel insurance are in the fare. There is no online payment; the euros change hands on the morning of the trip.
Murat Atalay Travel Agency TÜRSAB licensed travel agency No. 11294
At a glance
- What
- The children's pirate programme: down the river to a swim at the river mouth, face painting, pirate games, a kids' lunch and a foam party.
- Where
- Fetched from your hotel anywhere along the Side belt — Gündoğdu through to Kızılot, plus Manavgat.
- Price
- Aged 2 and over: €23 · Under 2: free
Full price details → - How long
- About 6 hours. The ship sails at 10:00.
- Included
- Hotel transfer, kids' lunch, foam party, the animation team with face painting, travel insurance. Bar drinks, extra snacks and photos are not.
- Pickup
- We confirm your pickup time the day before, by phone or WhatsApp. With it we tell you where to wait at your hotel.
- When
- The ship sails at 10:00. Book ahead in high season — the kids' programme fills quickly. Ask about a date on WhatsApp.
- Terms
- Euros, settled on the day. No fee to cancel until 48 hours beforehand.
- Who
- Made for children; mums and dads can happily join in with the games and the swim. Everyone aged 2 and over pays one fare.
- Page updated
The day
How the kids' programme runs
The ship sails at 10:00 from the Side departure dock and goes gently down the river to the river mouth. Everything below is in the fare apart from drinks from the bar, extra snacks and photos.
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Pickup at your hotel
We send the time the day before; an air-conditioned vehicle then fetches you at your hotel.
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Casting off at 10:00
The pirate ship leaves the Side departure dock; your transfer is timed to get you there.
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Gently down the river
The ship heads slowly down the river towards the sea.
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A swim at the river mouth
Where cold fresh river water meets the warm salty sea, the ship stops for a swim break.
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Free face painting
The animation team paint the children's faces, free of charge, and they turn into pirates.
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The treasure map and the pirate Ferhat
A treasure map hunt, a tug-of-war, and the chase to catch the pirate Ferhat.
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Kids' lunch on board
Spaghetti, chicken fingers and fish fingers. Drinks from the bar are not included.
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The foam party
A foam party on deck with music, the Halay and children's dances.
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Back to your hotel
Once the ship is back, the drive home ends at your hotel.
Mums and dads can happily join in with the games and the swim. Your hotel transfer is timed around the ship's 10:00 sailing and confirmed the day before.
Price
The kids' programme: price and contents
Each figure below comes straight from the booking system — the very numbers the form charges. Both lunch and your hotel pickup are covered; anything left out is listed further down.
Kids' Pirate Programme
Price per person
| Aged 2 and over | €23 |
|---|---|
| Under 2 | free |
| Hotel pickup and return | included |
- Settle up in euros on the day — no online payment
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours before
- No booking fee, no transfer surcharge
Worked examples
- Two adults:€46
- Two adults and a child of 9:€69
- Two adults with children aged 7 and 2:€92
In the price
- Your ride from the hotel and home again in a cool, air-conditioned vehicle, anywhere in the Side belt
- Kids' lunch: spaghetti, chicken fingers and fish fingers
- The foam party and dance entertainment on board
- Professional guides, the animation team and free face painting for the children
- Travel insurance for every guest for the trip
Not in the price
- Drinks from the bar on board, alcoholic or not
- Extra snacks beyond the lunch menu
- Photos and video shot by the professionals during the animations
Bar drinks, snacks and photos are all optional; the day is complete without them. Want to know what they cost? Message us on WhatsApp before the trip.
How the day runs
This is the order of the day. Times between the steps are not published, because the crew sets the rhythm on board.
- Pickup from your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle, then on to the Side departure dock.
- The ship casts off at 10:00 and goes gently down the river.
- At the Manavgat river mouth, cold fresh river water runs into the warm salty sea, and the ship stops for a swim.
- Face painting is free: the children come out of it as pirates.
- The games begin — a treasure-map hunt, a tug-of-war and the chase to catch the pirate Ferhat.
- The kids' lunch is served on board.
- The foam party: music, the Halay and children's dances on deck.
- The transfer returns everyone to the hotel.
One fare, whatever the age
There is no child discount on this day, and it is better said here than discovered at the booking form. Everyone from age 2 upwards pays €23: the toddler, the teenager, the parent and the grandparent alike. Under 2, the seat is free.
So a family of two parents and two children aged 2 or more pays 4 × €23. Bring a baby along as well and the bill does not change, because the baby rides free.
If a separate, lower child fare matters to your budget, look at the pirate boat trip along the coast, which charges adults and children differently. The prices page sets both days out side by side.
What the €23 covers — and what it does not
| In the fare | Paid separately on board | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting there | Round-trip hotel transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle | — |
| Food | The kids' lunch: spaghetti, chicken fingers, fish fingers | Extra snacks beyond the lunch menu |
| Drink | — | Bar drinks on board, soft or alcoholic |
| Entertainment | Foam party and dancing; professional guides and the animation team | — |
| Face painting | Free for children | — |
| Pictures | — | The crew's professional photos and video |
| Cover | Travel insurance for every guest for the trip | — |
Who this day suits
It is themed for children from start to finish. A child who enjoys being painted, chasing a pirate across the deck and dancing in foam will get the most out of it. Grown-ups can take part in the games and the swim rather than watch from the side — and since you have paid the same fare, you may as well.
It is less of a fit if your party is mostly adults, or if the youngest dislikes loud music and a crowded deck; the foam party is the finale, not a side room. For parents of very small children, the toddlers and babies guide goes through what to plan for children under 2, and the foam party guide covers what to dress them in.
Booking and paying
Choose a date from tomorrow onwards in the kids' programme booking form, enter each guest by age, and tell us your hotel and area. There is no card step, and no money moves until you travel.
Plans move on holiday. If yours do, cancel at least 48 hours before the trip and you owe nothing. The day before you sail, your pickup time reaches you by call or WhatsApp, set for your hotel — that is the only place a pickup time comes from.
In high season the kids' programme fills quickly, so book ahead if you have a particular date in mind. One booking takes up to 20 guests; a bigger party is an enquiry rather than a form.
Two pirate days
The pirate boat trip or the kids' programme
One operator, one pirate ship, two different days. Not sure which suits your family? Read <a class="link" href="/en/pirate-boat-or-kids-pirate-programme-side">pirate boat trip or kids' programme</a>.
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The day along the coast
Side Pirate Boat Trip
A family day on the pirate ship along the Side coast: a crew dressed as pirates, children in pirate costume, games and a hunt for treasure, swim stops in the sea and lunch on board.
€20 per person aged 11+ · About 6 hours
See the pirate boat trip -
The day built around the children
Kids' Pirate Programme
Down the river to a swim at the river mouth, with faces painted for free, a map to follow for treasure, a tug-of-war, a children's lunch and a foam party with music. One fare for every guest aged 2 and over.
€23 per person aged 2+ · About 6 hours
Book your places
Book
Reserve places on the kids' programme
Pick a date, say how many, choose your hotel, add a phone number. No card and nothing up front — the fare is paid on the day.
The pirate ship
The river mouth and the deck
The operator's own pirate ship, photographed on ordinary trip days.
Questions