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Voykit pocket guide · Türkiye (Turkey)
Manavgat
Base in Side or the beach strip, not Manavgat town: come here one half-day for the waterfalls, then leave.
Manavgat is a modern market town on the Pamphylia plain, midway between Antalya and Alanya, and most visitors only pass through it on the way to the beach strip around Side. The town itself has a broad, fast river, a 3 m waterfall 6 km north, a handful of modern mosques and little old fabric. Treat it as a half-day and a transport stop, and sleep by the sea.
- Country
- Türkiye (Turkey)
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and crowds), school holidays
- Stay
- 1–3 (1 in town, or 3 on the Side strip) nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TRY
- Money
- Currency is the Turkish lira (₺, TRY). About ₺56 to €1 in late September 2026 — check; inflation was still in the double digits, so prices rise several times a year.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₺900–1,500 excl. bed · Mid ₺1,500–2,800 excl. bed · High ₺2,800+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom sell tourist SIMs at airports (passport needed); they are dearer than in town shops — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Lokanta / simple café: Leave the coins or round up.; Sit-down restaurant: 5–10% in cash, even if the card machine does not offer a tip; check for a 'servis' charge first.; Taxi: Round up to the next ₺10–50.; Hamam: 10–15% to the attendant (tellak/natır).; Guide / driver day: €10–20 for a guide, €5–10 for a driver per day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₺50–100.
- Water
- Tap water is treated and chlorinated but tastes of it; locals buy bottled or 19-litre dispenser water. Restaurants charge for bottled water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; squat toilets (alaturka) in older mosques and bus stops. Public toilets (WC) cost ₺10–30 — carry coins or small notes. Most toilets have a bidet spray; paper goes in the bin in older buildings.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea | ₺40–90 |
| Pide, kebab or a plate of meze | ₺150–350 |
| Beer: bar / supermarket can | ₺120–200 / ₺60–100 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | ₺250–400 |
| Dolmuş ride | ₺30–60 |
| Waterfall entry | adult ₺20, child ₺10 |
| River boat trip | ₺400–800 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AYT · Antalya Airport
- 75 km (47 mi) west; transfer by bus, dolmuş or taxi — journey time check47 mi (75 km) west; transfer by bus, dolmuş or taxi — journey time check
Typical fares
- Antalya Airport → Manavgat/Side
- bus or dolmuş, about 75 km (47 mi); journey time checkbus or dolmuş, about 47 mi (75 km); journey time check
- Manavgat → Side, dolmuş
- about 15–20 min (check)
- Manavgat → Antalya, bus
- about 1 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable. Dolmuş and local buses link the town, both bus stations, the waterfalls (signed Şelale - Sarılar) and Side. Long-distance coaches use Manavgat Otogar west of town; the dolmuş station east of the centre is the one for Antalya-bound white coaches.
See and do
Known for
- Manavgat Waterfalls
- Manavgat river and boat trips
- Gateway to Side
- Köprülü Canyon
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Side | Dolmuş or local bus south, about 15–20 min | About 30 min |
| Köprülü Canyon | Car or tour from Side/Manavgat, up into the mountains | 1–1.5 h |
| Lyrbe | Car to Bucakşeyhler village, then walk about 1 km (0.6 mi)Car to Bucakşeyhler village, then walk about 0.6 mi (1 km) | About 1 h |
| Alanya | Bus east on the D400 | check |
| Antalya | Bus west, every 30 min | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Manavgat town centre
- Cheap, local and walkable, but no beach and no reason to stay more than a night.
- Side and the beach strip
- 20 km (12 mi) of resort hotels and pensions; the usual base, a short dolmuş ride from Manavgat.12 mi (20 km) of resort hotels and pensions; the usual base, a short dolmuş ride from Manavgat.
- Sarılar / waterfall road
- Quiet area near the falls; accommodation availability check — only useful if you have a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Merhabamer-hah-BAH |
| Thank you | Teşekkürlerteh-shek-kewr-LER |
| How much is it? | Ne kadar?neh kah-DAR |
| The bill, please | Hesap, lütfenheh-SAP lewt-FEN |
| Where is the bus stop? | Otobüs durağı nerede?oh-toh-BEWS doo-rah-UH neh-reh-DEH |
| Help | İmdateem-DAHT |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Merhaba' (hello) or 'Selamün aleyküm' in conservative areas; cheek kisses between friends of the same sex; avoid: Offering a hand to a conservative woman first — wait for hers
- Mosques: Covered clothing, headscarf for women, shoes in hand, quiet voice; avoid: Walking in front of people praying; visiting during Friday midday prayer
- Hospitality: Accept tea or at least a sip; bring sweets or pastries to a home; avoid: Refusing food repeatedly; showing the soles of your feet
- Politics and history: Listen; let hosts raise it; avoid: Opinions on Atatürk, the Kurdish issue, Armenia or Cyprus with people you just met
- Ramadan: Eat discreetly in conservative towns during the day; avoid: Eating, drinking or smoking in front of fasting people in small towns
- Gestures: A slight upward head nod with a tut means 'no'; avoid: The OK hand sign (can be read as rude) and a thumb between fingers
- Dress in town: Shorts are fine in Istanbul and resorts; longer clothes in the interior and east; avoid: Swimwear away from the beach
- Names: First name plus Bey (men) or Hanım (women): 'Ahmet Bey'; avoid: Using the surname alone
Scams and watch-outs
- Two bus stations: long-distance coaches do not sell the short Antalya or Alanya hops there.
- Taxi drivers may take you to the small rapids at the north edge of town instead of the main falls: agree the destination first.
- The city museum has been closed; check before walking there.
- July and August heat and midday sun on the beach strip.
Manavgat is a normal working town and feels safe by day and evening. The real risks are summer heat, river currents on boat trips, unlit ruins at Lyrbe and unposted bar bills: ask the total before you sit.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Manavgat yet. Suggested stay: 1–3 (1 in town, or 3 on the Side strip) nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Manavgat Waterfalls
- Manavgat river and boat trips
- Gateway to Side
- Köprülü Canyon
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Manavgat municipality: www.manavgat.bel.tr/
- Antalya provincial culture and tourism office — Manavgat Waterfalls: www.kulturportali.gov.tr/turkiye/antalya/gezilecekyer/manavgat-selalesi
- Wikivoyage: Manavgat, revision 5334390 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5334390
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Manavgat
Bu adrese, lütfen
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- All emergencies112
No embassies here; consulates-general are in Antalya and Istanbul, embassies in Ankara.
Carry small lira notes; many small shops and dolmuş drivers prefer cash.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/manavgat). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.