Antalya Travel Guide

Antalya is the largest city on Turkey's Mediterranean coast and one of its main holiday destinations. The Taurus Mountains rise straight behind it, which gives the bay its view and keeps the climate warm. Most visitors come for the beaches, but within a 90-minute drive there are some of the best-preserved Roman sites in the country.

Why visit Antalya

The old town, Kaleici, is a maze of Ottoman houses and narrow lanes that runs down to a small Roman harbour. You enter it through Hadrian's Gate, built in the 2nd century AD. The Antalya Museum holds one of the best collections of Roman statues in Turkey, most of them from Perge. Outside the city you have the theatre of Aspendos, still used for performances, the ruined cities of Perge, Side and Termessos, the Duden waterfalls dropping into the sea, and boat trips to the sunken city of Kekova.

How many days you need

Three days lets you see the old town and museum, do one ancient-sites day and one boat or nature day. Our private Antalya tours can be arranged the same way. With a week you can add the Lycian coast: Demre, Myra and Kekova, Olympos or Kas.

Best time to visit

The sea is warm enough to swim from late May to October. April, May, October and early November are good for sightseeing, with warm days and fewer crowds. July and August are very hot, often over 35°C with high humidity, and the resorts are full. Winter is mild and rainy; it is a good time for the ruins but not for the beach.

Getting there from Istanbul

Antalya Airport (AYT) is one of the busiest in Turkey, and flights from Istanbul take about 1 hour 15 minutes. The airport is roughly 20 minutes from the city centre and closer to Lara, but 45 minutes to over an hour from Belek, Side or Kemer. Overnight buses from Istanbul take around 11 to 12 hours. Our 8-day Istanbul and Antalya tour package combines both cities.

Top experiences

• Walking Kaleici and Hadrian's Gate. See our private Antalya old town tour.
• The Roman theatre of Aspendos, one of the best-preserved in the world, and the colonnaded streets of Perge. Our Perge, Aspendos, Side and Manavgat tour covers these in one day.
• The Lower Duden waterfall, which drops off a cliff into the sea.
• Kekova's sunken ruins by boat, and the Church of St Nicholas in Demre. See our Demre, Myra and Kekova private tour.
• Termessos, a mountain city at over 1,000 metres that Alexander the Great chose not to attack.
• Boat days to Suluada island and Adrasan.

Where to stay

Kaleici for small boutique hotels in the old town. Lara for large beach resorts east of the city. Konyaalti for a long pebble beach and city-beach life on the west side. Belek for golf and all-inclusive resorts. Side and Kemer are separate resort towns further along the coast. Browse our Antalya hotels.

What to eat

Antalya's own version of piyaz is a white bean salad with tahini, usually served with sis kofte (grilled meatballs). Try hibes, a spicy tahini dip, and fresh fish in the old harbour. Citrus fruit grows everywhere here; fresh orange juice is cheap and good in winter and spring.

Practical tips

• Distances are larger than they look: Kas is about 3.5 hours by road, Side over an hour.
• Many all-inclusive resorts are far from the city; if you want to explore, stay in or near Antalya itself.
• Carry water and a hat at the ancient sites, which have little shade.

See all our Antalya tours.