When to go to Antalya?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with real weather records
Best time: April to June and September to October
At a glance
Why go to Antalya?
Antalya is not just the gateway to the resort hotels of the Turquoise Coast. The city has a complete historic centre, Kaleiçi, enclosed within Roman and Byzantine walls, with its harbour cut into the cliff, its wooden Ottoman houses and a fluted 13th-century minaret that serves as a landmark. You can easily spend two days on foot here, between Hadrian's Gate, the cobbled lanes and the terraces of the old harbour, without ever getting into a car.
The geography does the rest. The city sits on a travertine terrace some thirty metres above the sea, facing the Beydağları, whose peaks top 3,000 metres and hold their snow until May. Two karst rivers tumble over this cliff or just beside it, at the Düden Falls. The upshot: you swim at Konyaaltı in the morning while the ski resort of Saklıkent, about fifty kilometres away, keeps running for a good part of the spring.
Finally, ancient Pamphylia can be explored on short excursions. Perge is 18 km away, Aspendos and its intact Roman theatre 45 km, Side and its seafront Temple of Apollo 75 km, and Termessos, perched at around 1,000 metres in the mountains, 35 km. Few Mediterranean cities gather so many major sites within an hour's drive, with an international airport that receives direct flights from Europe for much of the year.
Map of Antalya: what is where?
The map shows the 5 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- Kaleiçi and old harbour
- Düden Falls
- Perge
- Aspendos
- Konyaaltı
How much does a trip to Antalya cost?
Turkey remains cheap for a traveller paying in euros, and Antalya is no exception outside the Lara resorts. Public transport, meals and Kaleiçi guesthouses cost little. Admission to the ancient sites, now priced in euros for foreigners, is the item that weighs most over a week.
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €45-70/day | Guesthouse in Kaleiçi, piyaz and kebab, tram and dolmuş, one ancient site every other day |
| Comfort | €90-150/day | Boutique hotel, car for two days, fish at the old harbour, admission to the major sites |
| Premium | €250+/day | Lara resort or boutique hotel with pool, private guide for Pamphylia, boat trips |
The Turkish lira depreciates fast, so change money as you go rather than all at once. Exchange offices in the centre offer better rates than the airport. Cards are accepted everywhere, but cash machines often charge a fixed fee: withdraw larger sums and decline the conversion into your own currency offered on screen.
Is Antalya safe?
Antalya is a safe city, including in the evening in Kaleiçi and on the Konyaaltı promenade. Reported incidents are mostly scams: taxis that refuse to use the meter, hostess bars in the centre where the bill explodes, money changers with vague rates. Pay in Turkish lira and check the amount shown before confirming a card payment, as the conversion offered by the terminal is expensive. On the coast, swimming is supervised on the municipal stretches, but currents strengthen as soon as the wind picks up in the afternoon. At the ancient sites, the real risk is the heat: over 35°C in July and August, with no shade at Perge or Aspendos. The region is seismic, so the instructions posted in hotels are worth a quick read on arrival.
What to see and do in Antalya
- Kaleiçi old town
- Hadrian's Gate
- Düden Falls
- Konyaaltı beach
- Ancient site of Perge
- Aspendos theatre
- Köprülü Canyon
Kaleiçi and the old harbour
The historic centre fits within its ramparts, on the travertine cliff, and ends in a Roman harbour turned yacht marina. The cobbled lanes are lined with overhanging Ottoman houses, restored from the 1980s onwards and converted into guesthouses, workshops and cafés. The fluted Yivliminare minaret, raised under Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad, serves as a landmark. The Clock Tower marks the northern entrance, Hadrian's Gate the eastern one. Allow half a day on foot, plus time on the terraces.
Düden Falls
Two separate waterfalls bear this name. The upper one, 12 km to the north, drops 20 metres into a pool ringed by plane trees, and you can walk round behind it through a cavity carved out behind the curtain of water. The lower one plunges into the sea from a 40-metre cliff at Lara, and is best seen from a park above it or from a boat leaving the old harbour. The river rises from Taurus springs, and its flow drops markedly at the end of summer when irrigation draws water upstream.
Perge
The former capital of Pamphylia, 18 km from Antalya, stretches over nearly a kilometre. Two round Hellenistic towers mark the entrance, then a colonnaded street runs towards the hill with a water channel down the middle of the roadway. Around it, the Roman baths keep mosaic floors under shelters, the agora its square plan, and the stadium its seating for 12,000 people. Saint Paul preached here on his first journey. There is not a single tree on the site, so bring a hat and a water bottle.
Aspendos
Some 45 km to the east stands the best-preserved Roman theatre in the Mediterranean. Built around 160 by the architect Zeno under Marcus Aurelius, it still has both levels of its stage wall, which explains its intact acoustics: a coin dropped on the orchestra floor can be heard from the back rows. Its conversion into a Seljuk caravanserai in the 13th century saved it from being dismantled stone by stone. Further up, the 15 km aqueduct and its pressure towers remain visible from the road.
Konyaaltı and the Beydağları
The city's western beach, seven kilometres of grey pebbles between the cliff and the Beydağları range, whose Tahtalı peak rises to 2,365 metres and can be reached by cable car from Kemer. The water reaches 27-28°C in August and drops back to around 17°C in February. The promenade, redesigned in 2020, is lined with cycle lanes, showers and cafés, with the aquarium and the Tünektepe cable car close by. Water shoes make getting into the sea much easier.
How many days, and which itinerary?
Three days are enough for Kaleiçi, the Düden Falls and one ancient site. Five days leave time to add Aspendos, a day of rafting on the Köprülü and a beach day without watching the clock.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable Antalya guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of Turkey
Antalya in 3 days
Day 1: Kaleiçi on foot, Hadrian's Gate, the Clock Tower, down to the old harbour and sunset from Karaalioğlu Park. Day 2: Konyaaltı beach in the morning by tram, the old harbour market in the afternoon, the Tünektepe cable car at the end of the day. Day 3: Perge at opening time, then Aspendos and its theatre, returning by the coast road. A dolmuş from the otogar serves both sites, while a hire car saves about two hours over the day.
Antalya and Pamphylia in 5 days
The three-day core, then a day at the Düden Falls, the upper one to the north in the morning and the lower one at Lara in the afternoon, returning by boat to the old harbour. Fifth day, your choice: rafting in the Köprülü Canyon, transfers included, or the climb to Termessos, a Pisidian city perched at around 1,000 metres in a national park, whose theatre opens onto the valley. Both can be done as day trips from the city.
The Lycian coast from Antalya (10 days)
Three days in Antalya, then the road west: Olympos and its pebble beach beneath the ruins, the flames of the Chimaera burning at night on the flank of Tahtalı, Kaş and its diving trips, Kekova and its sunken ruins seen by kayak, Fethiye and the Ölüdeniz lagoon. About 250 km in total on a slow mountain road, best done in a hire car, allowing two nights per stop so you do not spend your days behind the wheel.
Getting there and getting around
The airport is 13 km from the centre. The AntRay tram links it to the city centre for the equivalent of one euro with the AntalyaKart card, a taxi costs around €15-20, and hotel shuttles mainly serve the Lara and Belek districts.
In town, two tram lines, buses and dolmuş minibuses cover most needs. The AntalyaKart card is sold at station machines and topped up in instalments. It cuts the fare considerably compared with a single ticket bought on board.
For the ancient sites, dolmuş minibuses leave the otogar for Perge, Aspendos and Side, with decent frequencies until early afternoon. Return services thin out after 17:00, which pushes many visitors towards a hire car.
Allow €30-45 a day for a small car outside high season. The D400 runs along the coast, fast but busy between Antalya and Alanya, with numerous average-speed cameras and paid parking across almost the whole centre.
Where to stay in Antalya?
Kaleiçi is full of Ottoman houses converted into guesthouses and small hotels: €35-70 a night with a courtyard, an orange-tree garden and breakfast served outdoors. It is the best choice for sightseeing on foot, provided you accept the noise from the terraces until late.
Around Konyaaltı, seafront hotels and apartments offer more space for €60-110. The tram links the district to the centre in a quarter of an hour, the beach is at the bottom of the street and prices drop sharply from November.
Lara, to the east, is lined with large all-inclusive resorts with water parks, from €120 to €300 full board. The format suits families, but it cuts you off from the historic centre, 12 km away, and means a bus ride for every outing.
Kaleiçi's boutique hotels, often around ten rooms in a 19th-century mansion with a pool in the courtyard, cost between €90 and €180 outside July and August. Book early for the long spring weekends, as they go fast.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in Antalya?
Fish is eaten at the old harbour and in Konyaaltı, often by weight: grilled lavrak or çipura for around €15-25 a plate, with meze and raki. Ask the price per kilo before choosing your fish, as the difference from one place to the next is real.
Antalya piyaz is the local speciality: white beans, tahini, hard-boiled egg and lemon, served with grilled köfte. You will find it for €5-8 in the kebapçı of the centre and around the market, often as a set with ayran.
Turkish breakfast is taken the traditional way in the gardens of Kaleiçi or up in the hills towards the springs: olives, cheeses, jams, menemen and warm bread, €8-15 per person, served until mid-morning.
Citrus from the plain, pomegranates and oranges squeezed to order, sells for €1-2 a glass all over town. Pomegranate season runs from October to January, orange season from December to March, and the taste follows.
Entry requirements
Visa-free for 90 days in any 180 with a passport, for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about Antalya
When is the best time to visit Antalya?
April to June, then September and October: 25-30°C, sea between 22 and 26°C, ancient sites comfortable all day. July and August often exceed 35°C with high humidity, and prices rise. Winter stays mild, around 15°C, but brings most of the rain from November to February.
How many days should you allow?
Three days cover Kaleiçi, the Düden Falls and one ancient site. Five days let you add Aspendos, the Düden Falls and a day of rafting on the Köprülü. Beyond that, Antalya serves as a base for the Lycian coast to the west, or for Side and Alanya to the east.
How much do the sites cost to enter?
Museums and sites run by the Turkish ministry list their prices in euros for foreign visitors: allow around €15 for Perge or Aspendos and around €20 for the Antalya Museum. A regional pass covers several sites over seven days and pays for itself from three visits.
Can you visit Perge and Aspendos without a car?
Yes. Dolmuş minibuses leave Antalya's otogar for Aksu for Perge and for Serik for Aspendos, with a short walk or a local taxi for the last stretch. Services thin out after 17:00, so set off early. Organised excursions often combine both sites and Side in the same day.
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