Manavgat Waterfall
Page update - Apr 6, 2023
What is the Manavgat Waterfall interesting for tourists? How to get there? How much do you have to pay to see it? What things to do there? Read the answers on this page.
Prices and other information on this page were updated in April 2023. The price of admission has increased. The shuttle bus fare has gone up. Food and drinks prices at the local eateries have gone up. Not surprising, given the catastrophic fall of the Turkish currency.
Brief description
Manavgat waterfall is located 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) north of the border of the Manavgat town, 6 kilometers (3.6 miles) from the town center. It is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) north from the resort town of Side. It is about 70 kilometers (44 miles) east away from Antalya.
The waterfall is only 3-4 meters (10-13 feet) high, but wide, about 40 meters (130 feet). The water flow is fast in this place, an enjoyable noise of waterfall is present, and water forms a beautiful foam. The place is pleasant, even peaceful. See the photo near, click on the photo to enlarge to full screen.
We do not see the point of coming there specially. However, if you come to Manavgat for shopping, bazaar, pharmacy or other things, it is interesting to come there. The more so as it is only a 10-15 minute ride from the town by dolmus (shuttle bus). We will speak about how to get there in detail below.
Tourists delight the waterfall from viewing platforms. You can sit at a cafe and drink tea or coffee to the sound of falling water. The prices are obviously high: tea from 10 lira, coffee from 25 lira, a simple sandwich or pancake from 50 lira. For the current exchange rates of the lira against the US dollar, Euro, UK pound and other currencies, see our review "Turkish lira".
There's a Starbucks. There used to be a McDonalds (not a proper one, but rather a McCafe), but it has been closed recently.
There is a little branch off the river near the waterfall that is fenced off for tourists. You can "soak your feet" in the cold mountain water. They turn on the lights at night.
Many locals come there on weekends and holidays, so it is not recommended for tourists to come. For the calendar of public holidays, see our page "Holidays in Turkey - calendar and descriptions".
Second waterfall upstream
If you walk 250 meters (800 feet) upstream the river, there is a second waterfall. It is about the same size, but there are no crowds of tourists. You can also see it for free. See the photo near, click on the photo to enlarge.
How to get there
There are two options - by taxi and by dolmus (shuttle bus).
By taxi.
Taxi drivers in Side almost never agree to drive on the taximeter. Although theoretically they are obliged to use the meter and ride at the official rates, which you can find in our review "Taxis in Turkey". You'll have to bargain with the taxi drivers.
Below is a table with approximate trip costs from different resort areas near Side.
| From where | Trip cost |
| Colakli | 20-28 USD |
| West Beach | 10-20 USD |
| East Beach | 10-15 USD |
| Kizilagac | 15-18 USD |
| Kizilot | 19-22 USD |
| Cenger | 22-27 USD |
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to negotiate these prices with taxi drivers. Sometimes you have to pay more.
By dolmus (shuttle bus).
There is no direct shuttle bus to the waterfall from the beach hotels, so you have to take two dolmuses with interchange. The first thing you should do is to take a dolmus or bus to Manavgat. Ask at the reception in your hotel about the place the shuttle buses to Manavgat stop.
In Manavgat, get off at Antalya Caddesi (Antalya Street). Look out for McDonalds and Burger King. There, you get on a dolmush labeled 'şelale' ('waterfall' in Turkish). After 10-15 minutes you are there. The interval between dolmus rides is 15 minutes.
The price of a Dolmus ride is 7 Turkish liras (the price has been increasing since October 2022). For the current exchange rates of the lira, see our review "Turkish lira".
Entrance fee
10 Turkish liras.
You can pay 1 dollar or 1 euro.
Opening hours
The waterfall itself: 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The paid part: from 8 am to 7:30 pm (8:00 to 19:30) in the summer season; from 8 am to 6 pm (8:00 to 18:00) in the winter season.
Important and useful tips
- The water level in the Manavgat River rises in winter and spring. The viewing platforms are flooded, and the waterfall itself sometimes even ceases to exist under high water. Fortunately, this doesn't happen in summer, but in April and May it is quite likely;
- If you rent a car, you'll have to pay 5 liras parking fee;
- There are souvenir shops near the waterfall, but we don't recommend buying anything from them as the prices are high. The best place to buy souvenirs and gifts is Manavgat, where the prices are lower and the variety is wider. Read our in-depth review "The best gifts from Turkey" to find out what to buy and the prices.
Enjoy your trip to the waterfalls, and read our interesting pages about Turkish resorts (see the list of the pages below).
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