Quick answer: the quad safari route behind Side runs on forest roads and dirt trails in the Taurus foothills — packed dirt, loose dust, wheel ruts, mud pits and shallow water-splash stops. It is real off-road, not a paved loop around a field, and roughly 1.5–2 hours of the three-hour door-to-door tour is actual riding. That is why you come back filthy — and why the showers at our base are part of the plan, not an afterthought.
What off-road actually means here
Plenty of visitors picture a tidy circuit inside a fenced field. That is not what we run. Our convoys leave the coastal plain behind Side and climb into the pine-covered foothills on tracks used by forestry vehicles and village traffic. The ground changes every few minutes, there is no asphalt to cruise along, and the dust is real Anatolian topsoil. None of it is extreme — beginners ride it on every departure — but it is unpaved from start to finish.
Surface by surface: how a quad handles each
A quad is a single-rider machine: handlebar throttle, your own body weight effectively part of the suspension. Every change of surface arrives through the bars and you answer with hands and hips. Here is what is under you on the Side quad safari.
| Surface | How it feels | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Packed dirt | Fast and smooth, a hard dry farm track | Steady throttle, eyes up the trail |
| Loose dust | Fine powder hanging behind the rider ahead | Keep your gap; ease off, do not grab the brake |
| Ruts and washboard | Hardened grooves; the bars chatter | Relax your elbows, let the quad track the groove |
| Mud pits | Deep, brown, the bit everybody films | Momentum beats speed: commit and stay straight |
| Shallow water | Stream crossings the guides pick deliberately | Follow the guide's line: slow in, steady across |
Whether you ever stand on the pegs is your guide's call on the day. Most guests ride the whole route seated and love it.
How our guides set the pace
Terrain only becomes a problem when a group spreads out, so we do not let it. A departure carries a maximum of 40 guests, one guide leads and another sweeps the back, and the pace follows the least confident rider. First comes a safety briefing and a supervised test drive at our base — the point where we see who is comfortable at the controls. Drivers must be 16 or over with ID at the base; passengers join from age 6, securely belted behind the driver. Nobody is pushed into driving, and guests with back or neck issues should take the passenger seat from the start.
The same track, two different characters
This route is countryside, not a fixed product, so it changes with the calendar. In high summer the ground bakes hard and dust dominates: long powdery sections where your gap to the rider ahead matters most, and water stops that feel like the best idea of the day — see our guide to riding in the Side summer heat. After rain the same tracks turn dark, heavy and slippery, the mud pits get far more generous, and the day is messier and often better: that is the mud-day version of the tour. We never cancel over dust or mud: we ride the ground as it is and the guides set the pace.
Why you finish dirty
There is no version of this tour where you come back clean: dust settles in your hair, mud dries on your calves, your shoes need a rinse. That is exactly why changing cabins and showers at our base are included rather than sold as an extra — you wash the Taurus off and change into dry clothes before the transfer home. Goggles, bandanas, drinks and a photo and video service are sold at the base; the shower is not, because it is already yours.
Quad or buggy on this ground?
Both machines run the same tracks, so the choice is about how you meet the terrain, not where you go: the quad gives you individual control, your own throttle and your own weight settling the machine through a rut. If you would rather sit side by side behind a steering wheel with a roll cage and belts, the Side buggy safari at 30 EUR per adult and 18 EUR per child is the better answer.
Practical details
- Tour: Side Quad ATV Safari, 25 EUR adult and 15 EUR child, infants free, about three hours door to door.
- Included: hotel transfer, safety briefing, supervised test drive, helmet, changing cabins and showers.
- Pick-up: Side centre, Kumköy, Evrenseki, Çolaklı, Gündoğdu, Sorgun and Titreyengöl; morning or afternoon, exact time confirmed at booking.
- Bring: a full change of clothes and closed shoes you do not mind ruining.
Frequently asked questions
Is the terrain too difficult for a first-time rider?
No. It is unpaved and genuinely off-road, but first-timers ride it on every departure. The supervised test drive happens before the convoy leaves, and the group speed follows the least confident rider.
Will I really get muddy, or is that just marketing?
Really. The mud pits and shallow crossings are deliberate stops, not accidents. Assume everything you wear comes back stained and pack a full change of clothes.
What if I do not feel safe once we are on the trail?
Tell a guide. One rides at the front and one at the back, so someone is always in reach. You can slow down or move to the passenger seat and stay with the group.
How much of the day is actually spent riding?
Around 1.5 to 2 hours of the roughly three-hour tour. The rest is transfer, briefing, test drive and the shower stop — our hotel-to-hotel walkthrough follows the sequence step by step.
If real dirt tracks, dust and mud pits in the Taurus foothills sound like your kind of afternoon, the Side Quad ATV Safari is 25 EUR per adult and 15 EUR per child, hotel transfer and showers included. Book free now and pay on the day.