The hour, and the outing around it
How long is the horse riding in Side?
One hour is the riding. Roughly 3 hours is the outing. Both numbers are honest and they measure different things, and knowing which is which is the difference between a relaxed day and a scramble to a dinner sitting.
€40 per rider
- Hotel pickup and return included
- About an hour in the saddle
- Nothing to pay online — you pay on the day
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
You spend about one hour on horseback. The whole outing — hotel pickup, the drive out, meeting the horses, helmets and briefing, the ride, and the journey home — takes about 3 hours door to door. Plan your day around the 3 hours, not around the hour.
Where the time actually goes
Nobody advertises the briefing, and the briefing is the reason the hour goes well. Here is the honest shape of the outing, with the parts that are easy to forget.
| Part of the day | Roughly | What is happening |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup and the drive | the first stretch | A vehicle collects you and drives inland to the riding centre. How long depends entirely on which hotel you are in. |
| Arrival and meeting the horses | a short while | You are looked at, sized up and paired with a horse. Not chosen at random, and not rushed. |
| Helmet and briefing | a few minutes | Helmet fitted, then the basics: sitting, steering, stopping — and what to do when the horse ahead of you stops. |
| In the saddle | about 1 hour | Pine woodland at a walk, then out towards the shoreline and back. |
| Dismount and the drive home | the last stretch | Off, thank the horse, back in the vehicle, back to your hotel. |
We publish no minute figure for the drive. It depends on your hotel, the coast road and the day.
Why the hour is an hour
It is long enough to stop being nervous and start looking around, and short enough that a person who has never ridden gets off comfortable rather than sore. Most first-timers find the first ten minutes are spent thinking about the horse and the remaining fifty looking at where they are.
It is also about right for the horses. An hour of walking work with a beginner on board, several times in a day through a hot season, is a workload the animals can carry well. A longer standard ride would look generous on a website and be worse for everybody in it.
Planning the rest of your day around it
- Coming back for a meal? Allow 3 hours from pickup, plus time to shower. You will come back dusty.
- Flying out that day? Do not. Ride the day before and keep the airport day clear.
- Booked something else the same day? One activity per day is the sensible rule on this coast in summer, and this is a morning or an afternoon, not an hour.
Rides run through the day and the riding centre sets which departure you are on. Your pickup time is confirmed with your booking — see pickup and transfer.
Can the hour be longer?
Not as the standard ride. What exists instead is a private ride, where the riding centre puts a group together for you and the length is part of what you agree with it. That is arranged rather than booked, and priced per booking.
There is no two-hour ride on the standard booking, but the riding centre can arrange two hours on request — ask when you book and the centre quotes it. The €40 buys the hour.
Booking
Book your ride
Pick a date, tell us how many of you are riding and where you are staying. Nothing is charged online — you pay at the riding centre on the day.
Questions guests ask
How long does it take?
About an hour on horseback. Door to door — collection, the road out, the introductions, the briefing and the road home — allow roughly 3 hours away from your hotel.
How much does horse riding in Side cost?
€40 per rider for the standard hour, and a child pays the same as an adult. Return transfer from your hotel in the Side area is included in that. You pay at the riding centre on the day — nothing is taken online when you book.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, from the ten Side resort areas — Gündoğdu through Side itself and east as far as Kızılot and Çenger. Your exact pickup time depends on which hotel you are in, and it is sent to you before the day.
Do I need riding experience?
No. Most guests on this ride have never been on a horse. The staff pair you with a suitable horse, explain how to sit, steer and stop, and a guide rides with the group the whole way.
What happens if the weather is bad?
Horse riding is outdoors. In heavy rain, a storm, extreme heat or unsafe ground the riding centre may change the route, move the time or reschedule you. Safety and the horses' condition come before the timetable.