Antalya 3-Day Itinerary

This plan assumes you're staying in or near Kaleiçi between spring and autumn. It keeps the ruins for the cool morning hours and the sea for the afternoons.

Day 1: the old town

Morning. Breakfast in a Kaleiçi courtyard, then walk the old town from Hadrian's Gate to the Yivli Minare, following our Kaleiçi route.

Midday. Down İskele Caddesi to the harbour. Take the one-hour boat trip along the cliffs to the Lower Düden waterfall.

Afternoon. Lunch outside the walls, then rest through the heat. An hour at Mermerli beach if you want a swim.

Evening. Walk south along the cliff to Hıdırlık Tower and Karaalioğlu Park for sunset. Dinner in the old town.

Day 2: Perge and Aspendos

Early start. Drive or take a tour east. Be at Perge when it opens and walk the colonnaded street before the sun gets high.

Late morning. On to Aspendos, about 40 minutes further. Sit in the theatre's upper rows, then walk up to the aqueduct if the heat allows.

Lunch. The riverside restaurants near Aspendos along the Köprüçay serve grilled trout and fish. There's also an old Seljuk bridge nearby.

Afternoon. On the way back, stop at the Kurşunlu waterfall for shade and a walk in the woods. Back to the hotel by late afternoon.

Evening. A simple dinner of piyaz and şiş köfte in the streets north of the old town.

Day 3: the sea and the city

Morning. Konyaaltı beach, early, before the pebbles heat up. Or, for a different angle on the coast, one of the cliff platforms towards Lara, described in our beaches guide.

Afternoon. Upper Düden waterfall in its park on the north side of the city, then an hour or two in the shade.

Evening. Ride the nostalgic tram along the seafront, then a last dinner with a view. Order hibeş, the local tahini dip, to start.

With more time

Add Termessos on a cool morning, or give Side a full day with a swim below the Temple of Apollo. With a fifth day, drive south to Phaselis and Olympos, or ride the cable car up Tahtalı if the sky is clear.