3 days in Antalya

Day by day

1. Day 1: Kaleiçi old town and Hadrian's Gate

   Kaleiçi old town, Hadrian's Gate and Yivli Minaret, then The Land of Legends in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Kaleiçi old town

      Antalya's walled historic quarter is a maze of lanes lined with Ottoman houses with wooden bay windows, walled gardens and Roman fragments built into the walls.

   2. Late morning

      Hadrian's Gate

      Enter Kaleiçi through the gate from Atatürk Avenue for the classic first view of the old town.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Antalya-style piyaz

      Köfte-and-piyaz restaurants around the Kalekapısı and city-centre streets; ask for 'piyaz ve şiş köfte'.

   4. Afternoon

      Yivli Minaret

      The fluted brick minaret, built in the early 13th century under the Seljuks and decorated with turquoise tiles, is the symbol of Antalya.

   5. Evening

      The Land of Legends

      Stay for the evening show; many hotels in Belek and Lara run transfers.

2. Day 2: Antalya Museum and Konyaaltı Beach

   Antalya Museum, Konyaaltı Beach and Antalya Aquarium, then Kaleiçi in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Antalya Museum

      Allow at least two hours and start with the sculpture halls and the sarcophagus gallery before you tire.

   2. Late morning

      Konyaaltı Beach

      A 7 km sweep of pebble beach west of the centre, backed by a beach park with cafés, playgrounds and cycle lanes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Şiş köfte

      Long-running köfte restaurants in the city centre, where locals lunch.

   4. Afternoon

      Antalya Aquarium

      Check which zones are included before buying; the basic aquarium ticket is enough for most families.

   5. Evening

      Kaleiçi

      Bars with live Turkish and rock music, courtyard pubs and terraces above the old harbour.

3. Day 3: Old harbour boat trip and Karaalioğlu Park and Hıdırlık Tower

   Old harbour boat trip, Karaalioğlu Park and Hıdırlık Tower and Broken Minaret (Kesik Minare), then Konyaaltı seafront in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Old harbour boat trip

      From the old Roman harbour, wooden tour boats run short trips along the cliffs to see the Lower Düden Waterfall pour into the sea, plus longer cruises with swimming stops in bays to the west.

   2. Late morning

      Karaalioğlu Park and Hıdırlık Tower

      Come at sunset with a glass of tea from one of the park's cafés; the light over the Taurus range is superb.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Hibeş

      Meze restaurants and fish restaurants in Kaleiçi and the city; it is rarely found elsewhere in Turkey.

   4. Afternoon

      Broken Minaret (Kesik Minare)

      The ruined building beside this truncated minaret has been a Roman temple, a Byzantine church and an Ottoman mosque in turn; a fire in the late 19th century left the minaret broken.

   5. Evening

      Konyaaltı seafront

      Beach bars and lounges in the beach park, busiest on summer evenings.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Suna and İnan Kıraç Kaleiçi Museum (Kaleiçi): Pair it with lunch in a nearby courtyard restaurant; it takes under an hour and is a good escape from the midday heat.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Kaleiçi keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Konyaaltı ($$) suits families, beach and budget. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 19–29 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.6 hours in December to 14.7 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Antalya
• 2 days in Antalya
• 5 days in Antalya

Questions travellers ask