Classic Route or Zoo Route: Which Side Jeep Safari to Book
Same jeeps, same price, same lunch, one stop apart. Here is what the zoo stop changes, what it costs on site, and how to decide in a minute.
Short answer
Book the zoo route if meeting the lion cubs matters to someone in your party — it is the classic day with the zoo stop added, at the same €20 fare, with the zoo ticket paid at the gate. Book the classic route if you would rather keep that time for the water and the viewpoints, or if the idea of a captive-cub photograph is not for you.
What is identical
- The fare: €20 per person aged 11 and over, €10 for children aged 2 to 10, under 2 free.
- The length: about 8 hours from your hotel gate and back.
- The route: the Roman bridge, the off-road sections through the riverbeds, the orchards, the aqueducts, the Green Lake viewpoint, the swim and pancakes at Oymapınar, the dam, the canyon viewpoint, lunch by the lake, the village mosque.
- The extras: the optional boat trip after lunch and the programme-dependent waterfall stop, both paid on the spot.
What is different
| Classic route | Zoo route | |
|---|---|---|
| Zoo stop | No — the classic day never goes there | Yes — with the lion cubs |
| Money on the spot | Boat and waterfall, if you take them | Boat, waterfall and the zoo ticket, if you take them |
| Time at the stops | More of it on the water and at the viewpoints | Some of it at the zoo |
| Who it suits | Guests who came for the mountains | Guests who came for the cubs |
Deciding with children
With children, the question usually answers itself: if they have seen the cub photographs, they want the zoo route. The ticket is bought at the gate for each person who goes in, and the price is the zoo's — we do not quote it. Nobody is obliged to enter; a parent who prefers to wait at the jeeps can.
One honest caveat: whether a cub is out on your day is the zoo's decision. We cannot promise the photograph, only the stop.
Deciding without children
Many couples and groups take the classic day and spend the zoo time on the boat instead — the optional hour on Green Lake costs €5 a head and is the quietest part of the day. Guests who feel strongly about animals kept for photographs should book the classic route; the day loses nothing for it.
Can I change my mind?
Yes. Switching between the two routes is not a date change: up to 48 hours before the start, a message on WhatsApp is enough, because both leave from the same hotels at the same sort of time. Pick one now, book it, and tell us if the other wins the argument at dinner.
