Things to Do in Antalya

Antalya in a nutshell

Antalya gets treated as a beach resort, and the beaches are genuinely good, but the city itself has a walkable Roman-and-Ottoman old town, waterfalls inside the city limits, and some of Turkey's best-preserved ancient ruins within an hour's drive. Most first-time visitors underestimate how much there is to do outside the hotel pool.

Below is everything worth doing, grouped by how much time you actually have — not a giant undifferentiated bucket list.

If you only have half a day: Kaleiçi & the harbour

Start at Hadrian's Gate, the triple-arched Roman gateway built for Emperor Hadrian's visit in AD 130, then walk into Kaleiçi, the old town. Narrow lanes of restored Ottoman houses lead down to the old harbour, now a small marina where boat trips depart. The Yivli Minare (Fluted Minaret), Antalya's most recognisable landmark, sits at the top of the old town and is worth the short detour.

Round it off at the clifftop parks above the harbour — Karaalioğlu Park and the Atatürk Culture Park area both give you the classic view down over the marina to the Beydağları mountains.

With a full day: add the waterfalls or a beach

The Düden Waterfalls come in two forms: the Lower Falls, which drop straight off a cliff into the Mediterranean (best seen from a boat trip), and the Upper Falls, a shaded park you can walk right up to and even behind. Either is an easy half-day add-on.

Alternatively, spend the afternoon at Konyaaltı or Lara beach — both are a short taxi or tram ride from the centre and give you the mountain-backed coastline Antalya is known for.

Museums and ancient sites

• Antalya Museum (Antalya Müzesi) — one of Turkey's best archaeology museums, with finds from Perge covering 3,000 years, including an exceptional gallery of Roman-era statuary.
• Aspendos — about 45 minutes east, and the best-preserved Roman theatre anywhere, still used for opera and ballet performances in summer.
• Perge — a sprawling, walkable Roman city with a colonnaded main street, stadium and baths, roughly 40 minutes from the centre.
• Termessos — a mountaintop city the Romans never managed to conquer, reached via a steep path inside Güllük Dağı National Park; the setting is as memorable as the ruins.

See the full day trips guide for how to combine these without renting a car.

With kids: theme parks & the aquarium

Land of Legends in Belek is Turkey's largest theme and water park, roughly 40 minutes from central Antalya. Closer to the centre, the Antalya Aquarium has one of the longest underwater viewing tunnels in the world and works well as a rainy-afternoon option (rare as those are).

Active & outdoor

Full guides: Köprülü Canyon · Boat Trips · Tünektepe Cable Car · Saklıkent Gorge

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