TÜRKİYE IN COLOUR · CITY GUIDE
🏖️ Antalya in Colour
Old town, ancient theatres and the turquoise sea
by Fatih Koçoğlu, born in Şanlıurfa, raised in Istanbul
Antalya is much more than beach hotels. Behind the cliffs is Kaleiçi, an old town of Ottoman houses and bougainvillea. Around it are some of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world, waterfalls that fall into the sea, and mountains that keep snow until May. Three days, three faces of the Turkish Riviera.
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At a glance
- Best time
- April to June and September to November. July and August are very hot (35–40 °C).
- How long
- Three days in the city. Add days for the coast (see our Turquoise Coast guide).
- Airport
- Antalya Airport (AYT), about 20 minutes from the centre by taxi or tram.
- Getting around
- Trams and buses with the AntalyaKart. For the ancient sites, rent a car or take a tour.
- Where to stay
- Kaleiçi for charm and evenings, Konyaaltı or Lara for the beach.
The itinerary
DAY 1 · Kaleiçi, the old town
Roman gates, Ottoman lanes and a sunset over the cliffs
- 09:00
Hadrian's Gate
A triple marble arch built for Emperor Hadrian's visit in 130 AD. You still walk on the Roman road through it.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 09:30
Kaleiçi lanes
Wander the narrow streets of white and wooden Ottoman houses covered in pink bougainvillea, with small shops and courtyard cafés.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 10:30
Yivli Minare (Fluted Minaret)
The symbol of Antalya, a 13th-century Seljuk minaret of red brick with turquoise tiles.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 11:00
Old Harbour and a boat trip
The Roman harbour full of wooden boats. Take a short trip to see the Lower Düden Waterfall falling straight from the cliffs into the sea.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 13:00
Lunch: piyaz and şiş köfte
Antalya's own piyaz is made with tahini. Eat it with grilled köfte, the city's classic lunch.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 14:30
Antalya Museum
One of the best archaeology museums in Türkiye: the marble gods and emperors of Perge, in a beautiful Hall of Statues.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 17:30
Hıdırlık Tower and Karaalioğlu Park
A Roman tower on the cliff edge, and a park with the best sunset over the sea and the mountains.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›
DAY 2 · Ancient cities and waterfalls
Perge, Aspendos and Düden
- 09:00
Perge
A large Roman city 20 minutes from Antalya: a stadium for 12,000 people, baths and a long colonnaded street.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 11:00
Aspendos Theatre
The best-preserved Roman theatre in the world, built in the 2nd century and still used for concerts. Stand in the middle of the stage and speak softly, the back rows will hear you.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 13:00
Lunch by the Köprüçay river
Riverside restaurants near Aspendos serve fresh trout and gözleme.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 15:30
Upper Düden Waterfall
A green park where you can walk behind the waterfall through a small cave.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 17:30
Lara Beach or Lower Düden
Swim, or see the waterfall drop 40 metres into the sea from the top of the cliffs.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›
DAY 3 · Mountain and sea
From 2,365 metres down to a Roman beach
- 09:30
Olympos Cable Car to Tahtalı
A cable car takes you to the top of Mount Tahtalı, 2,365 metres above the sea, about 1 hour from Antalya. On a clear day you see the whole coast. Take a jacket, even in summer.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 12:30
Phaselis
A Roman port city in a pine forest with three small bays. Walk the ancient street, then swim among the ruins.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 16:30
- 19:30
Got more time?
- +
Termessos
A Pisidian city high in the mountains that even Alexander the Great could not take. The theatre hangs on a cliff.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - +
Side
A Roman town on a peninsula with a Temple of Apollo on the sea. 1 hour east.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - +
- +
Kurşunlu Waterfall
A quiet forest waterfall with turquoise pools, 30 minutes from the city.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›
🍽️ What to eat and drink
- PiyazWhite beans with tahini, lemon and egg, the Antalya way.
- Şiş köfteLong grilled köfte on skewers, always with piyaz.
- HibeşA spicy tahini and lemon dip, found only in this region.
- TandırLamb slow-cooked in a pit oven until it falls apart.
- Fresh orange juiceAntalya is orange country, and the juice is everywhere and cheap.
- GözlemeHandmade flatbread from the village women at markets and roadside stops.
✅ Good to know
- Visit the ancient sites in the morning. There is little shade, so bring water and a hat.
- The nostalgic tram along the coast is a cheap and easy way to move around the centre.
- In summer, Aspendos hosts an opera and ballet festival in the Roman theatre. Check the programme.
- The sea is warm enough for swimming from May until early November.
🗣️ Speak a little Turkish
Locals light up when you try. Tap a phrase for audio and a full lesson.
- Merhaba!mehr·hah·bahHello!Listen
- Teşekkür ederim.teh·shehk·kewr eh·deh·reemThank you.Listen
- Lütfen.lewt·fehnPlease.Listen
- Bu ne kadar?boo neh kah·dahrHow much is this?Listen
- Tuvalet nerede?too·vah·leht neh·reh·dehWhere is the toilet?Listen
- Hesap lütfen.heh·sahp lewt·fehnThe bill, please.Listen
- Burası çok güzel!boo·rah·suh chohk gew·zehlThis place is beautiful!Listen
- Afiyet olsun!ah·fee·yeht ohl·soonEnjoy your meal!Listen
▶ Video lessons
Turkish guides for your trip
What's next
Next destination⛵ Bodrum🧭 Türkiye travel essentials
Istanbulkart, taxi apps, airport transfers, tickets, a SIM, money, 112 and the official e-Visa — plus the Turkish phrases you need.
🎁 Get all 13 guides free
All thirteen “Türkiye in Colour” PDF guides in one go: itineraries, Google Maps links, food and phrases for the whole country.
Information checked in November 2026. Opening hours, ticket prices and visiting rules change often, so check the official site before you go.
More destinations
- 🕌 IstanbulThree days in the city on two continents
- 🎈 CappadociaFairy chimneys, cave churches and balloons at sunrise
- ⛵ BodrumWhite houses, a crusader castle and the bays of the Aegean
- 🌊 İzmirThe Aegean city, Ephesus and the windmills of Alaçatı
- 🫒 Aegean TownsAncient cities, olive groves and white villages by the sea
- 🪂 Fethiye & ÖlüdenizRock tombs, the Blue Lagoon and a ghost village
- 🐢 Turquoise CoastLycian tombs, sunken cities and the bluest water in the Mediterranean
- 🐟 ŞanlıurfaGöbekli Tepe, the City of Prophets and my hometown
- 🍯 Southeast TürkiyeMesopotamia: mosaics, stone cities and the best food in the country
- ⛰️ Eastern AnatoliaMount Ararat, a lost medieval capital and a church on an island
- 🕋 Central AnatoliaRumi's Konya, Ankara, colourful Eskişehir and the Hittite capital
- 🍃 Black SeaGreen mountains, tea fields and a monastery on a cliff
Photo credits
- Kaleiçi harbour, Antalya, Türkiye — Cobija, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Konyaaltı Beach, Antalya, Türkiye — FingerWiki, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kaleiçi old town, Antalya, Türkiye — Sharon Hahn Darlin, CC BY 2.0
