7 best day trips from Antalya

Day trips compared

The day trips

45 km · About 45 minutes by car

1.Aspendos

Aspendos is famous for its Roman theatre, built in the 2nd century AD and one of the best-preserved anywhere, with its stage building almost intact and seating for thousands. The hill behind holds the ruins of the ancient city and a long Roman aqueduct on the plain.

Getting there

Car, taxi or organised tour

Best for

Culture, First-timers, Families

75 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by car or bus

2.Side

The ancient harbour city of Side sits on a peninsula with a large Roman theatre, colonnaded streets and the seafront columns of the Temple of Apollo, now surrounded by a resort town. Combine it with Aspendos and the Manavgat Waterfall on the way.

Getting there

Car, tour or intercity bus to Manavgat

Best for

Culture, Families, Beach

35 km · About 45 minutes by car

3.Termessos

High in the mountains of Güllük Dağı National Park, Termessos was a Pisidian city Alexander the Great chose not to besiege. The ruins, scattered through forest at about 1,000 metres, include a theatre perched above a gorge and a necropolis of tumbled sarcophagi. Expect a steep, rocky walk up from the car park.

Getting there

Car or taxi

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays

55 km · About 1 hour by car

4.Phaselis

An ancient Lycian port city in pine forest, with three small harbours, a paved main street, a theatre and a Roman aqueduct. You can swim from the coves between the ruins.

Getting there

Car, or bus towards Kemer and Tekirova

Best for

Beach, Culture, Couples

80 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by car

5.Olympos and the Chimaera flames

The overgrown ruins of Lycian Olympos line a stream down to the beach, and above Çıralı village the Chimaera (Yanartaş) is a hillside where natural gas vents have burned for thousands of years. The flames are most impressive after dark, after a 20–30-minute walk up.

Getting there

Car or intercity bus to the Olympos junction

Best for

Quiet stays, Beach, Couples

150 km · About 2 hours 30 minutes by car

6.Myra and Kekova

At Demre, the Lycian rock tombs of Myra are carved into a cliff face, and the Church of St Nicholas honours the bishop behind the Santa Claus legend. From nearby Üçağız, boats glide over the partly submerged ruins off Kekova Island to the castle village of Kaleköy (Simena).

Getting there

Car or organised tour

Best for

Culture, Couples

90 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by car

7.Köprülü Canyon

A national park where the Köprüçay River runs through a gorge spanned by a Roman stone bridge; it is the region's main white-water rafting spot, with gentle stretches suitable for beginners. Further up the mountain road lie the ruins of Selge.

Getting there

Car or rafting tour

Best for

Families, Quiet stays

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• City buses run to Konyaaltı, Lara, the Düden waterfalls and residential districts, and intercity coaches from the otogar reach Side, Kemer, Olympos and beyond.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask