History · Antalya · Turkey
7 historic sites to see in Antalya
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Philippe-Minh Nguyen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Kaleiçi old town, Hadrian's Gate and Yivli Minaret. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 9–11 hours across 3 areas; 4 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 9–11 hours
- Areas
- Kaleiçi, Konyaaltı and Aksu
Historic sites in Antalya
Neighbourhood · Kaleiçi
1.Kaleiçi old town
It runs downhill from the Clock Tower and Hadrian's Gate to a horseshoe harbour under cliffs, now full of gulets and tour boats.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Historic site · Kaleiçi
2.Hadrian's Gate
Its paving still shows ruts worn by cart wheels, now covered by protective glass in places.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Iconic
- Architecture
Religious site · Kaleiçi
3.Yivli Minaret
It stands at the top of the old town beside a mosque, a Mevlevi dervish lodge and Seljuk tombs.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Iconic
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Museum · Konyaaltı
4.Antalya Museum
It is about 2 km west of Kaleiçi on the nostalgic tram line.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Historic site · Aksu
5.Perge
Visitors walk through a Hellenistic gate flanked by round towers onto a long colonnaded street with a water channel down its middle, past Roman baths, an agora and one of the best-preserved stadiums in Anatolia. Many of the statues in the Antalya Museum came from here.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Historic site · Kaleiçi
6.Broken Minaret (Kesik Minare)
It is a quiet corner of Kaleiçi where layers of the city's history are visible in one structure.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
Museum · Kaleiçi
7.Suna and İnan Kıraç Kaleiçi Museum
Displays recreate traditional Antalya home life and wedding customs, and the church holds a collection of Çanakkale and Kütahya ceramics.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Art
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Kaleiçi | Kaleiçi old town, Hadrian's Gate, Yivli Minaret, Broken Minaret (Kesik Minare) and Suna and İnan Kıraç Kaleiçi Museum | Half a day + 15 minutes + 30 minutes + 20 minutes + 45 minutes |
| Konyaaltı | Antalya Museum | 2–3 hours |
| Aksu | Perge | 2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 4 free, 1 low cost, 2 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Kaleiçi old town; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Kaleiçi): Kaleiçi old town → Hadrian's Gate → Yivli Minaret, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Kaleiçi and Konyaaltı): Broken Minaret (Kesik Minare) → Suna and İnan Kıraç Kaleiçi Museum → Antalya Museum, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Aksu): Perge, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 16°C (61°F), about 9 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cool and showery with sunny spells; citrus season in the markets and very quiet ruins.
- January: highs of 15°C (59°F), about 11 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Mild but wet, with snow on the Taurus peaks; good for museums and ancient sites with few visitors.
- December: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 11 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Mild and wet with short days; a quiet time for Kaleiçi, the museum and nearby ruins.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Kaleiçi — Walled old town of Ottoman houses, boutique hotels and the old Roman harbour
- Konyaaltı — Long pebble beach and seafront park with Taurus Mountain views
- Belek — Golf courses and large all-inclusive resorts on a sandy coast
More of Antalya
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Antalya?
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.
+Which of these are free in Antalya?
Kaleiçi old town, Hadrian's Gate, Yivli Minaret and Broken Minaret (Kesik Minare).