Things to Do in Side, Turkey — A Car-Driver's Guide for 2026 Walking the Old Side Ancient City — Park First, Then Explore on Foot Free vs Paid Inside the Ancient City Side Theatre Restoration Sunset at the Temple of Apollo — When to Arrive in 2026 Beaches You Can Reach by Car (4–15 km Radius) Family & Water Attractions — Water Planet, Green Canyon, Manavgat River Water Planet Aqua Park Green Canyon (Yeşil Kanyon) Manavgat River Boat Aspendos Opera & Ballet Festival — Evening Trips from Side (14 Sept – 1 Oct 2026) Tickets and Gate Times Driving from Side — and Why You Cannot Use the Dolmuş Practical Notes for the Festival Driving Practicals & Common Scams Around Side Four Scams to Refuse Politely A One-Day "Things to Do" Plan by Car (May–June 2026) Home › Things to Do Things to Do in Side, Turkey — A Car-Driver's Guide for 2026 Side has four distinct activity zones for a driver — the pedestrianised ancient city, a 4–15 km beach corridor, family and water attractions inland toward Manavgat, and the Aspendos Festival evenings from September. The old town is car-free under Antalya UKOME decree 2019/12-706, the strongest beaches sit 4–15 km outside town, and the Aspendos Antik Tiyatrosu is a 50-minute drive west. A rental car is the practical way to reach all four — start with an Antalya airport pickup, then use this guide to move cleanly between parking, beaches, attractions, and the festival. Walking the Old Side Ancient City — Park First, Then Explore on Foot The historic peninsula of Side is fully pedestrianised. Antalya Büyükşehir UKOME issued decree 2019/12-706 on 25 December 2019, and Manavgat Belediyesi enforces the restriction with barriers at the western entrance. Drivers must park outside the peninsula and continue on foot. The most practical option is the Side Otogar lot — also called the "Westgate" — at the peninsula entrance opposite the ancient theatre, approximately 36.7720°N, 31.3845°E. From the lot it is a flat 700-metre walk to the Temple of Apollo. Parking is paid at the official booth on entry; user-reported 2024–2025 rates were 100–150 Turkish Lira for a full day. Confirm the 2026 rate at the booth. The SİDE'MWAY electric shuttle tram runs between the otogar and the old town square — daytime service 08:00–19:00 and evening service 19:00–04:00. The original 2.5 TL fare predates 2026; the current fare is posted on board. Free vs Paid Inside the Ancient City Several major ruins are free to view — the state agora, Vespasian Gate, monumental fountain (Nymphaeum), city walls, and the colonnaded main avenue (portikli yol). For ticketed sites, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (operated by DÖSİMM) sells: Site Foreign Adult (2026) Notes Side Müzesi €5 Restored Roman bathhouse, statues and sarcophagi Side Örenyeri (archaeological site) €7 Enclosed ruins access Combined ticket (Tek Bilet) €10 Both above sites Side Antik Tiyatro CLOSED Restoration ongoing per muze.gov.tr (May 2026) Side Theatre Restoration The Side Antik Tiyatro is currently closed for restoration, confirmed by muze.gov.tr in May 2026. Do not budget the former €17 entry fee — check the official site (muze.gov.tr) before visiting for reopening status. Sunset at the Temple of Apollo — When to Arrive in 2026 The Temple of Apollo is Side's signature sunset stop. Five Corinthian columns face directly west over the Mediterranean, so the monument turns into a clean silhouette at golden hour. Antalya province uses UTC+3 year-round with no daylight saving, so the planning is simple. Arrive at the Side otogar at least 45 minutes before the listed golden-hour start — that gives time for the 10-minute walk and a position before the crowd builds in the final 15 minutes. Date (2026) Sunset Time Golden Hour Start Park at Otogar By The strongest light is the 30–40 minutes before sunset, not after. The site becomes busiest in the final quarter-hour as photographers gather at the columns. The Manavgat Belediyesi repaved the entrance avenue (portikli yol) in 2019–2020 with traverten and bej mermer flagstones, so the walk is smooth and stroller-friendly end-to-end. Beaches You Can Reach by Car (4–15 km Radius) Side's walkable beaches are only the start. A rental car opens up better stretches — from Kumköy in the west to Kızılağaç in the east — where parking is easier and the shoreline is less compressed by hotel rows. At resort-heavy beaches like Evrenseki and Çolaklı, public access is limited; the five below are the driver-friendly choices with straightforward access and free public entry. Sorgun is the strongest natural choice — pine forest backs the entire stretch and the final 1 km of access is dirt track that filters out coach traffic. Kumköy is the family-friendly default with shallow water and free street parking. Kızılağaç, 15 km out, is the most undeveloped option. Beach From Side Sand Type Entry Parking Vibe For longer drives — Alanya 60 km east, Antalya Kaleiçi 75 km west, or Köprülü Canyon — see our companion guide on day trips from Side. Family & Water Attractions — Water Planet, Green Canyon, Manavgat River The inland area around Side rewards drivers. Public transport to all three of these stops is thin or non-existent — a rental car is the practical option. The Manavgat Şelalesi sits 13 km north of Side via the D400 and is a low, wide cascade rather than a high drop, but the flow is strong and the tea gardens make it a comfortable one-hour stop. Water Planet Aqua Park Kızılağaç, 17 km east of Side. The Mediterranean coast's largest waterpark — 24 slides, 7 pools, wave pool, ocean views from a pine-forest setting. Adult ticket: ~600–800 TRY (verify at gate). Free on-site parking. Green Canyon (Yeşil Kanyon) 30 km north at Oymapınar Dam — boat tours through the narrow canyon on emerald reservoir water. Standard 3-hour package includes lunch and swimming stops. Per person: ~750–1,000 TRY. Paid lot at the main pier. Manavgat River Boat 2-hour cruises depart from piers in Manavgat town, running to the river mouth and the open sea. Easy to combine with the waterfall in one half-day. Combine with: Manavgat Monday market, riverside trout lunch. Aspendos Opera & Ballet Festival — Evening Trips from Side (14 Sept – 1 Oct 2026) Aspendos sits about 50 minutes west of Side by car and hosts the 33rd International Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival from 14 September to 1 October 2026. The setting is the headline — major operas and ballets staged inside one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the Mediterranean, capacity 15,000. The 2026 detailed programme is published by Devlet Opera ve Balesi (DOB) closer to August. Recent editions featured Turandot, Tosca, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and La Traviata. Tickets and Gate Times Performances start at 21:00. Gates open around 19:30. DOB does not admit latecomers until the first interval, so arrival time matters. Book through the official portal operabale.gov.tr or the licensed reseller biletinial.com — both accept foreign Visa and Mastercard with 3-D Secure. A box office also operates at the Side Antik Tiyatro Turizm Danışma Bürosu. Driving from Side — and Why You Cannot Use the Dolmuş Take the D400 west, follow the signed turn-off before Belek, and use the official paid parking lot 200–300 metres from the theatre entrance on flat asphalt. Tour-bus traffic backs up after 19:30 — arrive by 20:00 to avoid the queue. The last public dolmuş from Belkıs leaves around 21:00, before performances end, so driving yourself or booking a hotel transfer (Vigo Tours, Talyatur — pickup ~18:45) is the only viable way back. Practical Notes for the Festival Stone seats are unforgiving — vendors outside the gate sell foam cushions for ~50–100 TRY. Bring a light jacket or shawl. September evenings cool quickly after sunset. Free admission for engelli (disabled) ID-holders and over-65s under Law 2022. For accessible lower-row seating, contact the DOB Antalya office: +90 242 244 24 41. No formal dress code; smart casual is the local audience norm. Driving Practicals & Common Scams Around Side The Side region is straightforward to drive, but the rules are strict and the scams are predictable. The main route is the D400 highway, a modern dual carriageway linking Antalya and Alanya. The speed limit on divided sections is 110 km/h for cars, dropping to 70 km/h or 50 km/h through Serik, Belek, and Manavgat town centres. The route is monitored by EDS sabit radarlar (fixed speed cameras). As of March 2026 the national tolerance was reported as a flat 6 km/h over the posted limit (down from the previous 10%). The Turkish General Directorate of Highways (KGM) publishes accident black-spot data at yol.kgm.gov.tr/kazakaranoktaweb. For full route detail, see our Side driving and parking tips. Four Scams to Refuse Politely Parking touts: Pay only at the official barrier-controlled Manavgat Belediyesi otogar lot at the entrance to Side's old town. At rural sites and lay-bys, men in yellow vests demanding 50–100 TRY for "parking assistance" are illegal. Restaurant menus without lira prices: In the harbour area, refuse menus that do not list prices in TL. Transparent pricing is the standard; opaque menus are a known channel for inflated bills (recurring TripAdvisor complaint 2024–2026). "Free city tour" hotel offers: These are usually shopping trips disguised as sightseeing, with long stops at carpet, leather, or jewellery showrooms; mark-ups of 200–400% are common. Taxi meter not running: Always confirm the taksimetre is switched on before departure. Flat fares offered by the driver are typically higher than metered. A One-Day "Things to Do" Plan by Car (May–June 2026) A practical sample day showing how a rental car connects Side's old town, the beach corridor, and an inland stop without backtracking. 09:00 — Park at the Side otogar (Westgate). Walk into the old town. Free ruins (agora, Vespasian Gate, Nymphaeum, portikli yol) and morning light at the Temple of Apollo (low light, no crowds). 10:30 — Side Müzesi: €5, ~45 minutes inside the restored Roman bathhouse. 11:30 — Drive 4 km west to Kumköy Beach. Free entry, free street parking. Beach + lunch. 14:30 — Drive 6 km east to Sorgun Beach. Use the dirt tracks through pine forest for the quieter stretches. 17:00 — Drive 13 km north to the Manavgat Şelalesi. Tea or coffee at a riverside café. 19:30 — Return to the Side otogar. Walk back into the old town for sunset at the Temple of Apollo (golden hour ~19:50 in mid-June). 21:00 — Dinner in the historic harbour area. Ruins are lit after dark. The total drive on this day is under 30 km — well within the fuel range of any rental class, and short enough that even a Renault Clio or Fiat Egea suits the route. Compare Side Car Rental Deals