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
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.
Nice ride unfortunately the cave is closed due to construction.
The bus driver was nice on time and very friendly. Unfortunately, the lake in the cave was closed. Work was being carried out. Because of this, for us the trip was a little less interesting. Still nice villages and an old mosque seen. Had a lovely lunch.
A worthwhile day trip
Even though the cave boat tour was closed, the visit see the traditional button houses and mosque was a fantastic experience.
Lovely mountains
The trip begins with a pick up by the tour guides, at your selected location. This was swift and on time, the driver came out to greet us and check if we were coming along. The tour guide then explained the itinerary, and briefly mentioned that the lake/boat/ cave part of the trip is closed. We then continued with the trip up to the taurus mountain. It would have been useful to know beforehand how to dress appropriately for the occasion, as myself and my family dressed in preparation for a boat trip, and ended up quite cold in the top of the mountain, however the views were absolutely spectacular. The tour guide explained the history of the different parts of the mountain and kept us all well informed of what was coming up. The guide spoke in German and English throughout. We enjoyed a very delicious lunch at a turkish restaurant, however it would be nice to have a wider selection of meals rather than just chicken or kebabs. To end the trip we headed to a small village where we explored an old school, mosque and visited a family running a business in their home. We enjoyed a free tea and the family were very nice hosts! Overall, the trip ended up being pleasantly enjoyable but it was disappointing that the main attraction was cancelled without notice.