Sapanca Lake & Mahmudiye Tour: Waterfalls, Wildlife, Cable Car

Four landscapes tour: wildlife park, mountain village, cable car, extreme sports option

This guided tour from Istanbul visits Sapanca Lake and the Mahmudiye area over 13 hours, combining wildlife viewing at ViaSea Lion Park and Aquarium with stops at a traditional village, waterfalls, and optional activities like zipline and cable car rides. Pickup from central Istanbul hotels, lunch, and a professional English-speaking guide are included. Extreme sports and cable car tickets are booked separately at each stop.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore nature and adventure activities

• Visit ViaSea Lion Park and Aquarium
• Lunch at traditional village restaurant
• Zipline break and waterfall view
• Drive ATV safari and try zipline and swing
• Optional cable car ride with photo time
• Visit Sapanca Lake for nature views
• Taste and try local products

The experience

The day starts at ViaSea, one of Europe's largest wildlife parks, where lions, tigers, jaguars and other big cats live in habitats designed to resemble their natural surroundings. A guided tour walks you through the park, then into the aquarium section with its tunnel tank and close views of sharks, stingrays and tropical fish. From there the route heads to Mahmudiye, a small village built around a river and waterfalls, where lunch happens in a traditional restaurant.

After lunch, the itinerary splits into optional stops. A 30-minute break at a waterfall gives time to watch the water and photograph it. Zipline rides are available separately. Next is an activity area with ATV safari, another zipline option, and a gigantic swing: all bookable on site. Then comes a cable car ride (25 minutes round trip with 20 minutes at the top for photos), which the guide helps arrange. The final stop is Sapanca Lake itself, a tectonic freshwater lake and the second largest in the Marmara province, where you spend 45 minutes and can taste local products before the drive back to Istanbul.

The tour runs 13 hours total and travels in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional licensed guide speaking English, Arabic or Turkish. Two purchase options let you choose between activities included or just pickup and lunch. Everything else (the wildlife park, the village, the lake and the guide) stays the same.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off from central Istanbul hotels.
• professional guided service in English, Arabic or Turkish.
• mixed grilled lunch with salad and soft drink.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the full 13-hour day.

Options for this experience

2 options

Includes pickup and lunchGuide in English, Turkish or Arabic · 09:00Pickup is included, and lunch too

With Full ActivitiesGuide in English, Turkish or Arabic · 09:00Lion Park, cable car, zipline and single-seat ATV quad activities are included, along with lunch and pickup

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 13h, runs every day at 09:00, from US$ 19.39 per person, with a live guide in English, Arabic and Turkish and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (6 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 5 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 25

Live guideEnglish, Arabic and Turkish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 89

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Travel with Nehir

Is this one for you?Pick the full-activities option to do zipline, cable car, and ATV in sequence. Choose lunch-and-pickup if you want to minimize spending and skip the extreme sports.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Arabic and Turkish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 17 years); Child (3 to 5 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What animals will I see at ViaSea wildlife park?

ViaSea is one of Europe's largest lion parks, home to lions, tigers, jaguars and other big cats in habitats designed to resemble their natural environment. The aquarium section features sharks, stingrays and tropical fish in a large tunnel tank and themed sections.

Is the cable car ride over Sapanca Lake included in the tour price?

The cable car is not included. Your guide will help you buy a ticket at the stop. The ride takes 25 minutes round trip, and you'll have 20 minutes at the top for photos and views before returning.

What happens at Mahmudiye village?

Mahmudiye is a small village with a river and waterfalls where the tour stops for lunch at a traditional restaurant. After eating, you have a break to see the waterfalls and photograph them. Zipline rides are available separately if you want them.

Are ATV and zipline activities included?

No, both are optional and priced separately at each location. The tour includes stops at these activity areas, and your guide helps arrange tickets if you want to participate. Zipline costs 350 TL per person. ATV safari costs about 25 euros per person.

How much time do I spend at Sapanca Lake?

You'll have 45 minutes at Sapanca Lake, the second largest freshwater lake in the Marmara province. During this time you can taste and try local products before heading back to Istanbul.