Why Aspendos stands out
Aspendos has the best-preserved Roman theatre anywhere in the world — not a picturesque ruin you have to mentally reconstruct, but a genuinely complete structure with near-perfect acoustics, still used for performances today. Most visitors who've seen other Roman ruins in Turkey say Aspendos is the one that actually took their breath away.
What's there
The opera & ballet festival
Through the summer, the Aspendos International Opera & Ballet Festival stages performances inside the ancient theatre itself — if your dates line up, this is a special way to experience the site rather than a straightforward daytime visit. Book well ahead, as tickets for a working 1,800-year-old Roman theatre don't stay available long.
Getting there
Aspendos is roughly 45 minutes east of central Antalya, close enough to Side to combine both into one day. Most visitors go by taxi-for-the-day, organised tour, or rental car; there's no direct, simple public transport link, so factor that into your plan.