Kurze Antwort
Shared boat trips are quoted per person; private charters are quoted per boat. We explain how to compare the two fairly by dividing the boat price across your group, with a worked example and a clear comparison table for trips in the Side, Manavgat and Antalya region.
Shared boat trips are quoted per person: you pay a seat price and share the boat with other guests. Private charters are quoted per boat: one flat price hires the whole vessel for your group. To compare them fairly, divide the private boat price by the number of people in your party, then set that figure next to the per-person seat price. That single sum tells you which costs less.
Why the two prices look so different
When you browse boat trips in Side and along the wider Antalya coast, you'll see two kinds of numbers, and they aren't measuring the same thing. A shared sea trip advertised at "from EUR 20 per person" is a seat on a boat we fill with other guests. A private yacht quoted "on request" is a price for the entire vessel, whether two of you turn up or twelve. Comparing EUR 20 against a per-boat charter figure head-to-head is the mistake most people make, and it usually makes the private option look far more expensive than it works out to be in practice.
We run both models across Side, Manavgat, Antalya, Alanya, Belek and Kemer, so we quote both ways every day. The fix is simple arithmetic, and once you've done it once you'll never misread a charter quote again.
Shared boats: priced per person
Shared trips are the default for most holidaymakers, and they're where our cheapest prices sit. Because the running cost of the boat is spread across everyone aboard, the per-seat price stays low. Our approximate 2026 starting bands look like this:
- Little Pirates from about EUR 20 per person — a family-friendly sea trip for kids.
- Side boat and dolphin trips from about EUR 20–25 per person.
- Pirate boat from about EUR 23 per person.
- Green Canyon on the Oymapinar reservoir from about EUR 28 out of Side, rising to about EUR 54 from Antalya as the transfer distance grows.
- Island days such as Suluada about EUR 42–68 per person.
- Disco-yacht nights about EUR 48–68 per person.
These are approximate starting bands, not fixed quotes — the live price sits on each tour page and can vary by season and departure point. If a shared trip suits your group, the Side pirate boat trip is one of our most popular starting points; book your seats straight from that page.
Private charters: priced per boat
Private yachts and gulets are quoted per boat on request, not per seat. You hire the whole vessel, so the price doesn't change when one more person joins — it's the same figure for the boat regardless of whether your group is small or full. That's the key difference: with a shared trip, adding people adds cost; with a private charter, adding people (up to the boat's capacity) spreads a fixed cost more thinly.
Because the boat price is a single number, the honest question isn't "is the charter dearer than a seat?" It's "what does the charter cost each, once we split it?" That's the number that lets you compare like with like.
How to compare the two fairly
Here is the only method you need:
- Take the per-boat charter price.
- Divide it by the number of people in your group.
- Compare that per-person figure against the shared seat price.
Below a certain group size the shared trip wins on price. Above it, the private charter can match or beat the per-seat cost — and you get the whole boat, your own schedule and no strangers aboard. The break-even point depends entirely on your group size, which is why we always quote the per-boat figure and let you do the division for your own party.
A worked example
Let's use round numbers to show the mechanics. Say a shared sea trip is EUR 25 per person, and a private charter is quoted at EUR 300 for the boat. For a group of ten people:
- Shared: 10 × EUR 25 = EUR 250 total (EUR 25 each).
- Private: EUR 300 for the boat ÷ 10 = EUR 30 each.
At ten people the shared option is cheaper per head. But push the group to twelve and the private charter falls to EUR 25 each (EUR 300 ÷ 12) — level with the shared seat, plus you get the boat to yourselves. Drop to six people and the charter jumps to EUR 50 each, so the shared trip clearly wins. Same two prices, three different answers — all decided by how many of you are splitting the boat.
The figures above are illustrative round numbers to show the method, not a live quote. For real prices, check the tour page or ask us for a per-boat charter figure and divide it by your own group size.
Comparison table: per person vs per boat
| Feature | Shared trip (per person) | Private charter (per boat) |
|---|---|---|
| How it's priced | Per seat | Flat price for the whole boat |
| Who's aboard | You plus other guests | Your group only |
| Cost as group grows | Rises with each person | Stays the same up to capacity |
| Best for | Couples, small groups, budget trips | Larger groups, families, private occasions |
| To compare fairly | Use the seat price as-is | Divide boat price by your group size |
| Example starting point | Shared sea trips from about EUR 20 | Yachts and gulets quoted on request |
Where you depart from changes the price
One thing that trips people up: the same style of trip can carry a different starting price depending on your resort, mostly because of transfer distance. Green Canyon is the clearest example — from about EUR 28 out of Side but around EUR 54 from Antalya, since the coach has further to travel to the Oymapinar reservoir. If you're staying further along the coast, browse the trips leaving from your area first; our boat trips from Antalya hub lists what departs near you. Wherever you are, guests are picked up from their hotel in the morning; the exact time is confirmed the day before and varies from hotel to hotel.
Which should you book?
For a couple or a pair of friends, a shared trip almost always wins on price and is the easiest way to get on the water. For a family or a group of eight-plus who want the boat to themselves, run the division sum — a private charter often lands close to the shared per-head figure while giving you your own space and pace. Either way you book online and pay on the tour day, so there's no upfront risk in comparing your options. Take a look across all our boat trips and see which model fits your party.
Frequently asked questions
Is a private boat always more expensive than a shared trip?
No — it depends on your group size. A private charter is a single per-boat price, so the more people you split it across, the less it costs each. For small groups the shared per-person trip is usually cheaper; for larger groups the charter can match or beat it once you divide the boat price by everyone aboard.
How do I compare a per-person price with a per-boat price?
Divide the per-boat charter price by the number of people in your group, then compare that figure against the shared seat price. That converts the boat price into a per-head number so you're comparing like with like.
Why does the same trip cost more from some resorts?
Mainly transfer distance. Green Canyon, for instance, starts from about EUR 28 out of Side but around EUR 54 from Antalya because the coach travels further. The per-person starting bands on each tour page reflect the departure point.
Do I pay when I book?
No. You book online and pay on the tour day. Guests are picked up from their hotel in the morning; the exact time is confirmed the day before and varies from hotel to hotel.
Where do I find the exact price for my trip?
On the individual tour page. The prices we quote here are approximate starting bands to help you compare per-person against per-boat; the live figure sits on each product page and can vary by season and group size. For a private charter, ask us and we'll send a per-boat quote for you to divide by your group.
Ready to compare? Head to our full boat trip listings, pick the trips near your resort, and check the live per-person price — or ask us for a per-boat charter quote and split it across your group.