Morning: Hadrian’s Gate and Old Town Wandering

Begin your Antalya adventure in the heart of the old quarter, Kaleiçi, which translates literally as “within the castle.” Start at Hadrian’s Gate, a magnificent triple-arched marble gateway built in 130 AD to commemorate the Roman Emperor Hadrian’s visit to the city. This remarkably preserved monument stands as one of the main entrances to the old town and immediately transports visitors back two thousand years.

The gate features intricate decorative details, including ornate columns and carved capitals that showcase the sophistication of Roman architecture. Take time to examine the craftsmanship and photograph this iconic landmark before passing through into the maze of narrow streets beyond.

Once inside Kaleiçi, allow yourself to get pleasantly lost among the winding cobblestone lanes. The Ottoman-era houses, many of which have been lovingly restored and converted into boutique hotels, restaurants, and shops, create an atmosphere of timeless charm. Notice the traditional Turkish architectural elements: overhanging wooden balconies, carved wooden doors, and whitewashed walls adorned with vibrant bougainvillea.

Afternoon: Yivli Minare and Antalya Museum

After lunch at a traditional Turkish restaurant in the old town, visit the Yivli Minare, or Fluted Minaret, one of Antalya’s most recognizable landmarks. This 38-meter-tall minaret was built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I in the 13th century and features distinctive grooved brickwork that gives it its name. The minaret is part of a larger mosque complex and represents a beautiful example of Seljuk architecture.

In the late afternoon, head to the Antalya Museum, one of Turkey’s largest and most important archaeological museums. The museum houses an impressive collection of artifacts spanning from the Stone Age through the Ottoman period, with particularly strong collections from the Lycian, Pamphylian, and Roman periods. The statuary hall, featuring magnificent marble sculptures from nearby ancient cities, is especially breathtaking. Allow at least two to three hours to properly explore the museum’s extensive galleries.

Evening: Sunset at the Old Harbor

Conclude your first day with a stroll down to the historic harbor, known as the Old Marina or Roman Harbor. This picturesque marina, surrounded by ancient city walls and backed by the old town, offers spectacular sunset views. The harbor area is lined with restaurants and cafes where you can enjoy fresh seafood while watching the boats bob gently in the water and the sun sink toward the Mediterranean horizon.

Morning: Perge Archaeological Site

Dedicate your second day to exploring two of the region’s most spectacular ancient cities. Start with Perge, located about 18 kilometers northeast of Antalya. This ancient Pamphylian city, dating back to the Bronze Age, reached its zenith during the Roman period and contains some of the finest examples of Roman urban planning in Turkey.

Enter through the magnificent Hellenistic gate towers, which once formed part of the city’s defensive system. Walk along the colonnade street, where ancient wheel ruts are still visible in the marble paving stones. The street was once flanked by shops and featured a central water channel that provided both practical water distribution and aesthetic beauty.

Explore the well-preserved stadium, one of the best-preserved stadiums from antiquity, which could accommodate approximately 12,000 spectators for athletic competitions. The theater is equally impressive, with seating for about 15,000 people and remarkable acoustics. Don’t miss the agora, the ancient marketplace, and the impressive Roman baths complex, which demonstrates the sophisticated engineering and social culture of the period.

Afternoon: Aspendos Theater

After lunch, continue to Aspendos, approximately 45 kilometers east of Antalya. While the ancient city contains various ruins, including a stadium, agora, and basilica, Aspendos is world-famous for possessing the best-preserved Roman theater in the world. Built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century AD, the theater is an architectural and acoustic marvel that continues to astound visitors nearly two thousand years later.

The theater could seat between 15,000 and 20,000 spectators and was designed with such precision that a speaker on the stage can be heard perfectly even in the uppermost rows without any amplification. Climb to the top tier of seating for panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and the ancient aqueduct that once supplied water to the city.

The structure remains so well-preserved and functional that it still hosts performances today, including the annual Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival held each summer. The stage building, or scaenae frons, stands nearly intact with its elaborate architectural decoration, providing a glimpse into the grandeur of Roman theatrical productions.

Evening: Return and Relaxation

Return to Antalya in the evening, perhaps stopping for dinner at one of the restaurants along Konyaaltı Beach, where you can enjoy traditional Turkish cuisine while watching the sunset over the Mediterranean.

Morning: Upper Düden Waterfalls

Begin day three with a visit to the Upper Düden Waterfalls, located about 12 kilometers northeast of the city center. This spectacular natural wonder is formed by the Düden River, which originates in the Taurus Mountains and creates a series of cascading waterfalls before eventually plunging into the Mediterranean.

The Upper Düden Waterfall area has been developed into a pleasant park, complete with walking paths, picnic areas, and cafes. The highlight is the opportunity to walk behind the main waterfall through a cave passage, offering a unique perspective as water thunders down in front of you. The mist created by the falling water provides a refreshing respite from the summer heat, and the lush vegetation surrounding the falls creates a peaceful, green oasis.

The park also features the remains of old watermills that once harnessed the power of the cascading water, offering insight into how local communities historically utilized this natural resource. Photography enthusiasts will find endless opportunities to capture the interplay of light, water, and vegetation.

Afternoon: Lower Düden Waterfalls and Beach Time

Next, visit the Lower Düden Waterfall, located where the river makes its final dramatic plunge directly into the Mediterranean Sea from a height of approximately 40 meters. The waterfall is best viewed from a boat tour or from the beach below, where you can appreciate the full spectacle of freshwater cascading into the turquoise sea against a backdrop of dramatic cliffs.

Spend the afternoon at one of Antalya’s beautiful beaches. Konyaaltı Beach, stretching for several kilometers along the western edge of the city, offers a pebble beach with crystal-clear water and stunning views of the Taurus Mountains. The beach is well-equipped with facilities including sunbed rentals, beach clubs, restaurants, and water sports opportunities.

Alternatively, visit Lara Beach on the eastern side of Antalya, known for its golden sand and the annual Sandland sculpture festival, where artists create massive and intricate sand sculptures that remain on display for months. The beach is also home to numerous luxury resort hotels and offers a more developed, resort-style beach experience.

Evening: Beach Promenade

As evening approaches, enjoy a leisurely walk along the Konyaaltı Beach promenade. This modern walkway, separated from the main road by landscaped parkland, is a favorite spot for both locals and tourists. The path is dotted with cafes, ice cream shops, and restaurants, and offers beautiful sunset views over the sea and mountains.

Full Day Excursion to the Mountains

On your fourth day, venture into the Taurus Mountains for a complete change of scenery. This full-day excursion takes you to two remarkable sites: the ancient Lycian city of Tlos and the spectacular Saklıkent Gorge. The journey itself is part of the experience, as the road winds through mountain villages, pine forests, and offers stunning vistas of the rugged landscape.

Morning: Tlos Ancient City

Begin at Tlos, one of the oldest and most important cities of ancient Lycia, with a history spanning over 4,000 years. Perched on a rocky outcrop, the site offers commanding views over the Xanthos Valley and the surrounding mountains. The city continued to be inhabited well into the Ottoman period, creating an fascinating layering of different historical periods.

Explore the acropolis, topped by an Ottoman fortress that was used by the notorious 19th-century bandit Kanli Ali Aga. The site features impressive rock-cut Lycian tombs, including the prominent Tomb of Bellerophon, decorated with a relief depicting the hero riding Pegasus. The Roman theater, though partially ruined, still conveys the grandeur of the ancient city, and the extensive bath complex demonstrates Roman engineering prowess.

The stadium and basilica ruins add to the site’s archaeological richness, while the relative lack of crowds compared to more famous sites allows for peaceful contemplation of the ancient remains amidst beautiful natural surroundings.

Afternoon: Saklıkent Gorge

After exploring Tlos, continue to Saklıkent Gorge, one of the deepest canyons in Turkey. This natural wonder extends for about 18 kilometers through the mountains, with walls towering up to 300 meters high in places. The name Saklıkent translates to “hidden city,” and upon entering the narrow gorge, you’ll understand why it feels like discovering a secret world.

Wade through the icy mountain stream that flows through the canyon, fed by snowmelt from the Taurus peaks. The water is shockingly cold even in summer, providing an exhilarating experience. A wooden walkway extends for the first several hundred meters, allowing visitors to penetrate deep into the gorge without getting wet, though the adventurous can continue further into the canyon by wading through the stream.

The gorge is particularly impressive in the afternoon when sunlight filters down into the narrow chasm, creating dramatic plays of light and shadow on the water and rock walls. The area has facilities including restaurants built on platforms over the river, where you can enjoy fresh trout while cooling your feet in the mountain stream.

Morning: Termessos Mountain City

Dedicate the morning to exploring Termessos, perhaps the most dramatically situated ancient city in Turkey. Located within Güllük Dağı National Park at an altitude of over 1,000 meters, this Pisidian city was built in such an impregnable position that even Alexander the Great decided it was not worth the effort to conquer it.

The drive up to Termessos offers increasingly spectacular mountain scenery, and the site itself requires a fair amount of uphill hiking to reach the main ruins. The effort is absolutely worthwhile, as you’ll be rewarded with one of the most atmospheric archaeological sites imaginable. The theater, clinging to the mountainside, offers breathtaking views over a valley framed by mountains, creating what many consider the most beautiful theater setting in the ancient world.

Explore the extensive necropolis, where hundreds of sarcophagi lie scattered across the mountainside in various states of preservation. Many feature intricate carved reliefs and inscriptions in the ancient Pisidian language. The gymnasium, agora, and several temples dot the site, all constructed from the local gray limestone that characterizes the ruins.

The relative remoteness and rugged nature of Termessos means it receives far fewer visitors than other ancient sites, creating an atmosphere of discovery and allowing you to imagine how the city appeared in ancient times, commanding the mountain passes and trade routes below.

Afternoon: Karain Cave

In the afternoon, visit Karain Cave, one of the most important Paleolithic sites in Turkey and the Middle East. Located about 27 kilometers northwest of Antalya, this massive limestone cave has been inhabited intermittently for over 100,000 years, with evidence of Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens occupation.

Archaeological excavations have uncovered an extraordinary sequence of habitation layers, yielding tools, weapons, and ornaments from the Lower, Middle, and Upper Paleolithic periods. A small museum at the site displays some of the finds, including stone tools, animal bones, and a fragment of a human skull, providing fascinating insights into the lives of our distant ancestors.

The cave itself extends deep into the mountain, though only a portion is accessible to visitors. The main chamber is impressively large, and information panels throughout help interpret the significance of the various excavation levels. The setting, surrounded by pine forests with views over the surrounding landscape, adds to the site’s appeal.

Morning and Afternoon: Olympos Ancient City and Beach

Travel south along the stunning coastal road to Olympos, an ancient Lycian city nestled in a valley that opens onto a beautiful pebble beach. The journey takes you through dramatic coastal scenery, with the road winding between mountains and sea. Olympos offers a unique combination of archaeology and nature, as the ancient ruins are scattered throughout a lush valley where a stream flows down to meet the Mediterranean.

Unlike more excavated and restored sites, Olympos retains a wonderfully romantic, overgrown atmosphere. Ancient walls, buildings, and a theater emerge from thick vegetation, creating an Indiana Jones-like feeling of discovery. A Byzantine church, Roman baths, and various other structures can be explored as you follow paths through the forest of trees and wild grape vines.

The site opens directly onto a beautiful secluded beach, allowing you to combine archaeological exploration with swimming in crystal-clear water. The beach, framed by mountains and ancient ruins, offers an idyllic setting for relaxation. Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy on the beach, or visit one of the small restaurants in the nearby village of Olympos, which has developed a bohemian atmosphere popular with backpackers and alternative travelers.

Late Afternoon: Chimaera Eternal Flames

In the late afternoon, make the short journey to nearby Chimaera, known in Turkish as Yanartaş, meaning “burning stone.” This natural phenomenon consists of flames that have been burning continuously for thousands of years, emerging from vents in the rocky mountainside. The flames are fed by natural gas seeping up from deep underground and have burned since ancient times.

In ancient mythology, these flames were said to come from the Chimaera, a fire-breathing monster with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a serpent, which was slain by the hero Bellerophon riding the winged horse Pegasus. The site is reached by a moderately steep 20-minute uphill walk through pine forest.

Visit in the evening when the flames are most visible and dramatic against the darkening sky. Locals and tourists gather around the flames, which vary in size and intensity, and it’s a popular spot to roast marshmallows or make tea using the natural heat. The combination of natural wonder, ancient mythology, and beautiful sunset views creates a memorable experience.

Morning: Local Market Experience

Spend your final morning experiencing local life at one of Antalya’s vibrant markets. The location depends on the day of the week, as different districts host markets on different days. These traditional Turkish markets, called pazars, offer an authentic glimpse into daily life and the opportunity to interact with locals, sample regional produce, and perhaps purchase some souvenirs.

Wander among stalls piled high with fresh fruits and vegetables, many grown in the fertile coastal plain surrounding Antalya. The region is famous for its citrus fruits, particularly oranges, as well as pomegranates, figs, and countless varieties of tomatoes. You’ll also find stalls selling spices, nuts, dried fruits, local honey, olives, cheeses, and traditional Turkish sweets like lokum.

Beyond food, markets feature sections selling clothing, household goods, and handicrafts. Practice your bargaining skills, sample fresh fruits before buying, and enjoy the lively atmosphere of vendors calling out their wares and locals going about their daily shopping. Don’t miss trying fresh-squeezed orange juice, a specialty of the region.

Afternoon: Spa and Hammam Experience

Dedicate your afternoon to experiencing a traditional Turkish bath, or hammam. This centuries-old bathing ritual is an essential part of Turkish culture and provides the perfect way to relax after a week of sightseeing. Many hammams in Antalya cater to tourists while maintaining traditional practices.

The typical hammam experience involves several stages. You’ll begin in the warm room to acclimatize and start perspiring. Then move to the hot room, where you lie on a heated marble platform called a göbek taşı. A masseur will scrub your skin with a rough mitt called a kese, removing dead skin cells and leaving your skin incredibly smooth. This is followed by a foam massage using a large lathered cloth, then a rinse and optional oil massage.

The entire process is deeply relaxing and rejuvenating, and represents an important aspect of Turkish social and cultural life that has remained essentially unchanged for centuries. Many hammams also offer additional spa services such as aromatherapy, mud masks, and modern massage techniques.

Evening: Farewell Dinner and Reflection

For your final evening, choose a special restaurant for a farewell dinner. Consider returning to the Old Harbor area, where numerous restaurants offer excellent food with romantic waterfront settings. Alternatively, try one of the rooftop restaurants in Kaleiçi, which provide stunning views over the old town, harbor, and Mediterranean.

Savor traditional Turkish specialties you might have missed during the week: mezze platters with dozens of small dishes, fresh fish caught that day, köfte, pide, or perhaps a special regional dish like Antalya usulü piyaz, a white bean salad that’s a local specialty. Accompany your meal with rakı, Turkey’s anise-flavored spirit, or local wine from the Taurus mountain region.

Take time to reflect on the incredible variety of experiences Antalya has offered: ancient ruins spanning multiple civilizations, natural wonders from mountains to beaches, cultural immersion in markets and hammams, and the warmth and hospitality of Turkish people. This synthesis of history, nature, and culture is what makes Antalya such an unforgettable destination.