Altınbeşik Cave & Ormana Village Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore Altınbeşik Cave's stunning formations
- Cruise through the cave's underground waters
- Discover the charm of Ormana Village
- Enjoy a traditional Turkish lunch
- Experience a guided adventure in nature
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Altınbeşik National Park Entrance Fee
- Inflatable Boat Tour in Altınbeşik Cave
- Hotel Pickup and Drop-off
- Guiding Service
- Lunch
- Drinks
- Personal Expenses
Itinerary
Your exploration begins in the morning, when our team members will pick you up from your hotel. You will travel towards İbradı city of Antalya with a comfortable bus. During the bus ride through Taurus Mountains there will be some stops for photos. Another stop will be made at a traditional coffee shop at a village.
Side Village Tour continues with a stop at the Altınbeşik Cave or Golden Cradle Cave. It is located in Altinbesik National Park and is one-of-a-kind scenery for nature lovers. The cave is the biggest underground lake in Turkey and the third in the European continent. Inside you can observe natural bridges of unique beauty. It is worth to mention that inside the cave the temperature in 16 degrees in all seasons. This natural wonder forms the biggest underground lake in Turkey and the third biggest of Europe. There is no better way to explore the cave than a boat trip. You will enjoy a 30 minutes trip within this spectacular cave with the use of inflatable boats. These boats have a capacity of 10 people.
After the cave exploration, your excursion continues with a lunch break at a traditional local restaurant in the village of Ormana. The menu options include stewed fish, grilled chicken or Turkish pizza as well as yoghurt and salad.
The restaurant that you will be having lunch at, it is situated at the backyard of a Buttoned House. By the end of your lunch, you will have the opportunity to visit the house as it a great example of traditional architecture. Their name, Buttoned Houses, is due to their architectural style. In fact, the materials used for their construction contained no cement or mortar. In that village, there are more than 300 houses of this kind.
The next stop of your Side Village Tour is at a very important place with a long history. You will have the opportunity to visit a 300-years old Mosque. You will be surprised by the hospitality that the locals will showcase by opening the doors of their sacred place.
With a last stop at a village called Sarıhacılar, you will then start your return trip with a bus towards Side. By the afternoon, your will arrive back at your hotel full of beautiful memories and experiences.
Important information
Know before you book
- This tour is not wheelchair accessible.
- Stroller access is available; please inform the operator in advance.
- Service animals are allowed; notify the operator beforehand.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes suitable for uneven terrain.
- Bring a camera to capture the stunning landscapes and cave formations.
- Carry a light jacket, as temperatures inside the cave can be cooler.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Stroller Accessible
- Infants Required On Laps
Traveler reviews
Altinkbesik Cave
Very enjoyable day , guide very professional , lunch was great , trip included tea with local family , would highly recommend .
Bait & switch? Assure they actually are doing tour you pay for!
So they were not running this English speaking tour because the cave was not open but they let it be booked and did not tell me this would be a completely different tour. When picked up bus was full of people for a German tour, I kept hearing the names of places that were not supposed to be on my tour. So I raised my hand x2 to ask about where we were going and what actually he was saying about where we were. He repeatedly brushed me off, saying he would explain in English after he did German. He did not do a few sentences in & then translate at all. Finally said we would have a stop and let me ask him about the cave, at which time he explained that wasn’t open so this was a tour elsewhere … not places I wanted to go or would have signed up to go. Had I been told I would have booked a different tour for my one day in this area! Told him I wanted to go back to my hotel & not do this tour. He called a taxi from the restroom stop but I had to pay like 20-25€ to get back. By the time I was back of course it was too late to hop on a tour to some place else I wanted to go in the area. They did refund my tour expense but I still was not able to see the things I had stopped in the area to see which was one of the national parks. They messaged with me day before & could easily have said we aren’t running this tour now do you want to do this instead. :(
The most beautiful trip to the real Turkey
This excursion exceeded all expectations! Pickup, communication, food... everything was great. Our tour guide Mehmet shared many impressive pieces of information. That was very interesting. The breaks in between were always at the right time. The food was very delicious. Our conclusion: If you go on an excursion, then definitely this excursion with Mehmet. Thank you very much for the lovely day!
All in all, a successful experience
The excursion was quite interesting; one gets to know the country and its people a little, learns quite a bit about the older and newer history of the region, and the best part is the inflatable boat tour in the cave. However, the tour drags on a bit, as it takes quite a long time to travel.
Poor. Not what was promised.
Was promised caves. Didn’t receive the cave. Was driving around for 4 hours of the trip. Was boring, all was in German. Didn’t help the English with speaking. Would not book and avoid this company. Asked for 50% refund. Was only refunded £10.