Canyoning, Canyoneering and Canopy Tours Explained

Three adventure words often confuse travellers: canyoning, canyoneering and canopy. They appear on the same tour lists, sometimes even in the same package, yet they describe quite different experiences. Did you know that two of them actually mean the same thing and only differ by where in the world you hear them?

Canyoning and Canyoneering

Canyoning is the European name for travelling down a gorge by walking, swimming, sliding, jumping and abseiling. In the United States the same activity is called canyoneering. Some people use canyoneering for drier, desert canyons and canyoning for wet ones with waterfalls, but in practice the two terms describe one sport.

Typical techniques

• Walking and scrambling over rocks and through shallow water
• Swimming across pools in a wetsuit
• Natural slides down smooth rock into deeper water
• Jumps into pools that the guide has checked first
• Abseiling down a rope beside waterfalls on more technical routes

What Is a Canopy Tour?

A canopy tour takes place above the ground rather than inside a gorge. Participants move between platforms in the treetops or across a valley on cables, using a harness and pulley. Many people use canopy and zipline as the same word; strictly speaking, a canopy tour is a series of zip lines and platforms, while a zipline can be a single long cable.

Which One Should You Choose?

If you like water and do not mind getting wet and a little tired, canyoning is the better choice. If you prefer speed and views without swimming, a canopy or zipline ride is easier and shorter. Neither requires previous experience when you book a guided tour.

Trying them near Antalya

Around Köprülü Canyon you can combine both: a canyoning walk through a narrow gorge and a zipline ride, often on the same day as rafting. Canyoning tours here are open to participants aged 8 and over.

A quick checklist before you book

Ask the operator how long the route is, whether swimming is required, what the minimum age is and which equipment is included. A good company will answer clearly and provide helmets, wetsuits and harnesses that fit properly.