Two fares, one buggy, one route
There are only two ways to join this safari: behind the wheel or in the seat beside it. The person who steers is the driver and pays €30. The person who rides along is the passenger and pays €15. That is the whole price list for the Short route, and it applies to every departure — 08:00, 11:00 or 13:00 — which are the times the activity sets off, not the times a shuttle reaches your hotel.
Both roles share everything else. You travel in the same round-trip transfer, sit through the same registration and briefings, follow the same guide and finish at the same changing cabins and showers. The dust, the forest tracks, the uneven ground and the water-splash stops come to both seats; mud turns up when conditions allow and is never promised. The only real difference is whose hands are on the wheel and whose feet are on the pedals.
There is no third category. Children have no price of their own and every seat carries a fare: anyone who climbs into the shuttle and onto the course is either a driver or a passenger on the booking.
What the buggy passenger price in Side includes
A passenger at €15 is not getting a cut-down version of the day. That fare buys the shuttle from your hotel and back again from any of the nine pickup areas, a helmet for the entire ride, both the information and safety briefings, a professional guide on the route, insurance where the operating policy provides for it, and the base's changing cabins and showers.
Some things are extra for every guest, whichever seat they choose. Goggles and a bandana can be bought on site. Meals and drinks fall outside the fare too, as do any photos or clips the base team shoots for you. We have no prices for these items to quote, so bring a little cash if you think you will want them.
- Driver: €30 per person, at the wheel for the whole route after the practice drive
- Passenger: €15 per person, riding with a driver on the same route
- Both: transfer, helmet, both briefings, guidance, cabins and showers
- Neither: goggles, bandana, food, drinks, photos — available or sold at the base
Who is allowed in each seat
To drive you must be 16 or older, and the base checks an ID to confirm your age. Nobody asks to see a licence either — you need no driving licence here, as every metre of the safari is on a private off-road course and none of it on public roads. The buggy is automatic — a steering wheel and two pedals — so there are no gears to learn.
Passengers can be from 6 years old. Anyone aged 6 to 15 joins as a passenger alongside a driver; from 16 a guest can choose either seat. Children under 6 cannot be booked. Nobody under the influence of alcohol or drugs takes part in any role, and the passenger seat is not a way round that rule.
How to decide which seat suits you
Most people know straight away. If you are unsure, these questions usually settle it. None of them is a test, and you can talk it over with us on WhatsApp before you book.
- Do you want to control the buggy yourself, or would you rather watch the forest go by? Wanting either is a good reason.
- Are you comfortable steering on loose, bumpy ground while following a guide and keeping a safe distance? Drivers are expected to do exactly that.
- Is there a back or neck issue to think about? The vehicle shakes on rough ground; ask us first, and the passenger seat may be the better fit.
- Are you travelling with someone aged 6 to 15? They ride as a passenger, so an adult or a guest of 16 or over drives.
- Is budget the deciding factor? The passenger pays €15 and sees the same route.
When the plan changes at the base
Once the vehicle has been explained, each driver completes a short practice drive ahead of the main safari. During that short run the guide watches every driver, and the decision on who continues at the wheel for the full route is theirs alone. This is a genuine assessment, not a box to tick, and it exists so the group can move along the course at an appropriate pace.
Should the guide rule against you driving, or should you lose the appetite for it after the trial, nobody sends you home. You simply take the seat beside a driver for the same route, and you are charged as a passenger. Because payment happens on the tour day, the fare you pay reflects the seat you actually take.
One practical point for pairs: a passenger needs a driver beside them. If two friends both booked as drivers and one moves to the passenger seat, the other one drives. If something unusual comes up, the guide sorts it out on the spot.
Putting drivers and passengers in one booking
The booking form counts drivers and passengers separately, and it will not accept more passengers than drivers. Two adults who both want to drive book two drivers. A parent driving with one child aged 8 books one driver and one passenger. A single adult travelling with two children is a case the form cannot cover on its own, so send us a WhatsApp message first and we will look at the options with you.
Bookings open from tomorrow onwards; for a seat today, write to us on WhatsApp. No card details are taken and nothing is charged online — you pay the driver and passenger fares in person on the day of the safari. Cancelling is free up to 48 hours before the start, which leaves room to swap a role or two while you make up your minds.
Reach us on WhatsApp at +90 536 603 75 84; your reservation sits with Murat Atalay Travel Agency, a TÜRSAB member under No. 11294.