Rafting as a Sport: A Beginner's Guide to the Basics

Rafting tours and prices: Antalya rafting tours in Köprülü Canyon

Rafting is a sport anyone can try, yet first-timers often feel unsure about how it works. This page sums up the basics of rafting as a sport in plain words: how a raft moves, what the guide does, how hard it is and how to stay safe. Each section is short and links to a page where we go into more detail.

How Rafting Works

In rafting, a group sits along the sides of an inflatable boat and paddles down a river together. The paddlers provide the power, while a guide steers and calls out short commands so everyone paddles at the right moment. For a definition and the names used for the sport, read what rafting is called.

A Team Sport

Unlike many water sports, rafting is about the whole boat rather than one person. The raft only goes where the guide wants when the crew paddles in time, which is why friends, families and company teams enjoy it so much. On our tours each boat carries 10 to 12 people and one certified guide, and our guides speak six languages, so the commands are easy to follow.

How Hard Is It?

Rivers are graded by difficulty, and the Köprüçay route in Köprülü Canyon is a good choice for beginners: children can join from the age of 5 and non-swimmers can take part by telling their guide. Read more about Köprüçay rafting difficulty.

Staying Safe

Every rafter wears a helmet and a life jacket, and the trip starts with a safety briefing on the shore. The guide explains the commands and what to do in the boat, and you practise them before setting off. See rafting safety in Köprülü Canyon and our health rules.

Time, Clothes and Words

A rafting trip on our 14 km route takes about 3 hours; read how long rafting takes. For clothing and shoes, see our rafting guide, and to understand the words you will hear on the river, use our rafting glossary. With these basics, rafting as a sport is easy to enjoy from your very first trip.