The short packing list
All three boat days we run from Belek need more or less the same kit, and none of it is specialist. Swimwear under a light shirt or dress, a towel, proper sun protection and shoes you can trust on a wet deck will carry you from the hotel pickup to the drop-off at the end of the day.
The days do differ. The pirate galleon is a swimming and sunbathing day, so swimwear and non-slip footwear matter most. The Manavgat market day is a walking and shopping day, where comfortable shoes and cash in Turkish Lira or Euro count for more than your towel.
- Swimwear, put on at the hotel before pickup
- A towel (the tour guidance asks you to pack your own)
- High-factor sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses
- Non-slip footwear for moving around the deck
- Cash for the on-board bar, tips and anything you buy
- Something light to throw on for the deck and the drive back
- On the market day: comfortable walking shoes and cash in Turkish Lira or Euro
Non-slip shoes are a safety item, not a style choice
The tour guidance is blunt about this one: wear non-slip footwear for moving around the deck. It is the only thing on the list that exists for safety rather than comfort. A deck that has had wet swimmers, sea spray and a foam party across it all day is genuinely slippery, and smooth-soled pool slides are the worst possible choice on it, especially while the boat is under way.
Deck shoes, trainers with a grippy sole or sandals with a textured tread and a heel strap all do the job. Once the boat is anchored you may well end up barefoot anyway; put the shoes back on before it moves off again. One honest note: the galleon day is listed as not ideal for guests with limited mobility, so message us before booking if that applies to anyone in your group and you will get a straight answer.
What to wear on the pirate galleon day
The Alibaba galleon day begins with a morning pickup from your Belek hotel and a drive to Side Harbour, where the boat is moored. That transfer is included both ways in the price of €25 for adults and €12.50 for children aged 4 to 11, with infants aged 0 to 3 travelling free. You are on the water for around six to seven hours, so dress for a full day outdoors rather than for a short outing.
Wear your swimwear from the hotel. You swim straight off the deck, and there is a foam party and pirate animation on top of that, so do not plan on staying dry. Over it, put on something light you do not mind getting damp. The barbecue lunch is served on board and included, and the sun deck is where a good part of the day happens, which is exactly why a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen belong in your bag rather than in your hotel room.
Bring your own towel. The packing guidance for this day asks you to, so plan on yours rather than on one being handed to you.
The Green Canyon day is freshwater, and cool
This is the day people misjudge. The Green Canyon cruise does not go out into the Mediterranean at all. It runs on the freshwater reservoir behind the Oymapınar Dam near Manavgat, a deep-green, calm lake between pine-clad cliffs, reached from Belek by an inland drive in an air-conditioned vehicle. Door to door it is about eight hours, and the price is €42 for adults and €25 for children aged 4 to 11.
Two things follow for your bag. This is deep reservoir water and our own tour notes describe it as refreshingly cool, so if you feel the cold, a second towel and a dry top for afterwards are worth the space. And the guidance for this particular day adds sunglasses to the usual list and asks for comfortable shoes for boarding and short walks, so the sturdier pair is the right pair here. If you do not swim, you do not need to pack anything different, because non-swimmers can happily relax on the open deck for the whole cruise.
The Manavgat market and river day: shoes and cash
The market and river day is the outlier, because it is not a swimming trip. The boat part is a calm cruise on the Manavgat River aboard a traditional wooden riverboat, past reed-lined banks and greenery, and the rest of the day is spent in one of the biggest open-air markets on the Antalya coast. Adults pay €43 and children aged 4 to 11 pay €30.
Pack for walking rather than for the water. Comfortable shoes genuinely matter in the busy market lanes, and cash in Turkish Lira or Euro is what you will need for spices, textiles, leather goods and anything you decide to haggle over, because your own purchases are not part of the tour price. A hat and sunscreen are on this day's own list too, since an open-air market at midday offers little shade. One planning note: the market runs on Mondays and Thursdays, so this is an outfit for a Monday or a Thursday — they are the only two days the tour goes out.
How much cash to bring, and in which currency
The tour itself is paid in euros on the day of the trip. Nothing is charged online, no card details are taken when you reserve, and you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before departure. The cash in your pocket is therefore for the extras, not for the booking.
On the galleon, drinks from the on-board bar are not included, and neither are tips for the crew and guide or the photo and video service. On the Green Canyon cruise, drinks and refreshments on board sit outside the price in the same way. On the market day, drinks with lunch and everything you buy are yours to settle. We cannot sensibly quote you a figure, because it depends entirely on how thirsty you are and how much you enjoy a market, but small notes are far easier to spend than large ones.
What to leave in your hotel room
A day on the water is a wet day. Between the swimming breaks, the foam party and ordinary sea spray, most things in an open bag end up damp, and salt water is unkind to electronics, leather and paper. We do not promise a dry, lockable place to store valuables on board, so the safest plan is to travel light and leave behind anything that must not get wet or must not go missing.
In practice that means jewellery, a second phone, laptops and tablets, cards and documents you will not need, and any bag you would hate to see marked by salt. Phones and cameras come along with almost everyone, but bring them on the understanding that you are looking after them yourself. If you would rather not risk your own camera, the on-board photo and video service is a paid extra you can decide about on the day.
Packing for children
Children aged 4 to 11 pay €12.50 on the galleon day, exactly half the adult fare of €25, and infants aged 0 to 3 travel free. Pack for them as you would for a long beach day: swimwear on before you leave, a hat that actually stays on, sunscreen reapplied after every swim, and shoes with a grippy sole instead of the soft pool slides most children live in on holiday.
The item parents thank themselves for is a dry change of clothes for the ride home. There is pirate animation and games for children on board, and between the foam party and the swimming breaks, few children stay dry for long. On the Green Canyon day the reservoir water is cool, which makes a warm dry top afterwards especially welcome.