Quad or buggy: the real difference
Both machines run the same safari on the same day, and it is worth being clear about where that day actually happens: not in Belek itself, but out in the Aspendos area, on the natural ground either side of the Köprüçay river, roughly 35-40 minutes from the Belek hotels depending on where you are staying. Quad or buggy, you cross the same shallow river sections, ride the same forest tracks and cover the same open ground. What changes is your position on the trail. On a quad you sit astride the machine, feet on the boards, hands on the handlebars, and you work with it through every rut — it is the more physical of the two. In a buggy you climb into a seat, pull the belt across and steer with a wheel, with a frame above you and a second seat beside you.
That single difference drives everything else on this page: who takes the controls, who can come along for the ride, how easily you can talk to the person next to you, and what you pay. Work through the criteria below, pick the one that fits your group, and book whichever you prefer — the Quad Safari Tour from Belek or the Belek Buggy Safari Adventure Tour. Nothing else about the day changes.
- Quad — ridden astride, handlebars, one passenger sits behind the driver
- Buggy — a two-seater you sit inside, steering wheel, driver and passenger side by side
- Same route, same door-to-door programme of roughly 4 to 4.5 hours, same inclusions
Riding the quad: astride, hands on the bars
The quad is the flagship of this site and the machine most people picture when they imagine an off-road safari in the Aspendos countryside. You steer with handlebars, your weight shifts with the trail, and you look straight out over the bars with nothing between you and the dust. Before the tour starts everyone takes a compulsory test ride, and that test ride is what decides who drives: complete it successfully and you take the controls of your own quad, and if you do not pass it — or you would simply rather not drive — you ride along as a passenger at half the driver price instead. No driving licence is needed for any of it, because this is a private off-road course and not a public road. That is how every departure works here, and swapping seats is always better than pushing through a ride you are not enjoying.
Quad drivers must be 16 or over — 16- and 17-year-olds included — and need to carry ID with them on the day so we can check that age; it is an age document, not a driving licence. The passenger seat behind the driver has no age of its own, but it always has a fare: whoever sits there pays half the driver price, child or adult. The one honest caveat is that we do not recommend the safari for children under 4, who can find it hard to hold on safely for the length of the ride. One passenger per machine, no more. If you want the quad entirely to yourself with nobody behind you, that is possible as a single-quad supplement; ask us for the current amount before you reserve, because we do not publish it. The full age detail for both machines lives on our age limits page.
Riding the buggy: side by side with a wheel
The buggy is a two-seater with a proper seat, a belt and a steering wheel, and that changes the social side of the tour completely. You and your partner, friend or child sit next to each other instead of one behind the other. You can talk over the noise, point things out, and ask the guide about swapping places at a stop if you both want a turn at the wheel. For anyone who dislikes the idea of straddling a machine for a couple of hours, the buggy is the easier fit.
The buggy follows the same driving rule as the quad: no licence is needed, because this is an off-road course and not a public road, drivers are 16 or over, and the compulsory test ride before the tour is what decides who drives. Guests who complete it successfully drive their own buggy; anyone who does not pass it, or who prefers the passenger seat, rides along at half the driver price. The person beside you is belted into a seat of their own instead of holding on behind you, and that is the single biggest reason families travelling with a smaller child end up choosing the buggy. Under 4 we do not recommend the safari on either machine, because a small child can find it hard to hold on safely. The seat beside you is charged either way — half the driver price, whoever fills it. If you are not sure whether your child fits, message us before you reserve and we will tell you honestly.
Price side by side
Both tours come in a Short and a Long version, and the price you see is per driver. Anyone riding along pays exactly half the driver price. There is no child rate and no free seat: everyone who gets on the transfer and joins the safari is paid for, whatever their age and whether they drive, ride along or simply come to watch. The seat sets the price, not the age.
In practice the buggy costs €5 more than the quad on both versions. Two people sharing one short quad pay €45 together; two people sharing one short buggy pay €52.50. On the long tour the same pairs pay €57 and €64.50. Nothing is taken online — you reserve free of charge and pay in euros on the tour day, and you can cancel free up to 24 hours before departure. Our price page lists every combination in a single table.
- Quad Short Tour, 1.5-2 hours of riding — €30 driver, €15 passenger
- Quad Long Tour, 2.5-3 hours of riding — €38 driver, €19 passenger
- Buggy Short Tour, 1.5-2 hours of riding — €35 driver, €17.50 passenger
- Buggy Long Tour, 2.5-3 hours of riding — €43 driver, €21.50 passenger
What is identical on both tours
This is the part people usually get wrong when they compare: apart from the machine and the price, the two tours are the same product. The same Köprüçay river sections and the same forest trails, the same open off-road ground in the Aspendos area, same guide, same rest stop, same door-to-door programme of roughly 4 to 4.5 hours including your hotel transfer, the safety briefing, the compulsory test ride, the ride itself and the drive back. Exact timings shift with where your hotel sits, so pickup is confirmed after booking rather than promised in advance.
Not included on either tour: protective goggles, which are sold on site as an optional extra; photo and video service; drinks and snacks at the rest stop; gratuities; the single-quad supplement on the quad; and personal expenses. The hotel transfer, on the other hand, is included in the price on both tours and it reaches well beyond Belek itself: it covers Belek, Kadriye and Boğazkent, Lara, Kundu, Antalya, Muratpaşa and Konyaaltı, and the Side stretch of the coast through Manavgat, Evrenseki, Kumköy, Çolaklı, Gündoğdu and Kızılot, with no surcharge from any of them. Staying outside that coastal belt? Tell us before you reserve and we will say honestly whether we can reach you.
- Experienced guide and a full safety briefing before anyone starts an engine
- Round-trip hotel pickup and drop-off included in the price — from Belek and Kadriye to Lara, Kundu, Antalya, Konyaaltı and the Side coast
- The machine with fuel, a helmet
- Liability insurance for the duration of the activity
Dust, mud and how each one feels
The route follows the Köprüçay through the Aspendos area — shallow river crossings, dusty forest tracks and open terrain — with muddy sections where conditions allow. We never promise mud, because it depends on the weather and on the state of the ground that particular week. Dust, on the other hand, is a certainty. This is a real, active outdoor adventure rather than a scenic drive on tarmac, and both machines finish the day looking like it.
On the quad you are fully exposed to all of it, which is exactly why some guests want the quad. In the buggy you sit inside a frame, but you are still in the open air and you will still come back marked by the trail. Either way, dress for it: old or comfortable clothes, closed shoes — flip-flops and slippers are not suitable here — and a change of clothes waiting at the hotel or in the car. Sunscreen, water and a bandana are all worth bringing. Goggles are the one item worth buying on site if you did not pack sunglasses.
Which one should you book?
There is no better machine, only a better fit for your group. This is how we actually advise guests who message us before they reserve.
The choice is not permanent either. If you enjoy the short version, the long one is the same trail with more time in the saddle or the seat, and you can come back for it. First-timers usually want to know whether they will cope at all — our beginners page answers that in detail, and the honest short version is that the briefing and the compulsory test ride exist precisely so the question is settled before the group sets off — nobody rides out on a machine they have not shown they can handle.
- Riding solo and want the full hands-on experience — the quad, and consider the single-quad supplement so nobody sits behind you
- A couple who want to sit together and talk — the buggy, side by side, one wheel, one belt each
- A family with a younger child — the buggy, because your child sits belted in beside you rather than holding on behind you; every seat is paid for, so a family of four pays for four, and under 4 we do not recommend it
- A group of friends — split across both machines; you all run the same route together anyway
- Unsure about taking the controls at all — book either tour and ride as the passenger at half price; the compulsory test ride comes first either way, and nobody has to drive
How to book either tour from Belek
Reserving takes a minute and costs nothing. Pick your machine, pick Short or Long, tell us how many drivers and how many passengers you are, and we confirm the pickup once we know your hotel. That transfer is included in the price all along the coast — Belek, Kadriye and Boğazkent, Lara, Kundu, Antalya, Muratpaşa and Konyaaltı, and the Side stretch through Manavgat, Evrenseki, Kumköy, Çolaklı, Gündoğdu and Kızılot — with nothing extra to pay for it. Only a hotel outside that list has to be checked first, so tell us where you are staying and we will answer honestly. No card is taken online and no deposit is charged — you pay in euros on the day, and free cancellation stands until 24 hours before departure.
If you are still torn, message us on WhatsApp at +90 536 603 75 84 and describe your group — ages, how many want to drive, where you are staying — and we will tell you plainly which machine suits you. We answer in English, German, Russian and Polish. Otherwise go straight to the Quad Safari Tour from Belek if you want the handlebars, or to the Belek Buggy Safari Adventure Tour if you want the seat beside you.