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Antalya travel guide
A compact, visual guide to Antalya’s must-see history, nature, museums, and easy ways to get around.
Excursions and entertainment in Antalya
Do you want to find out why Turkey’s Antalya region and its resorts are among the most popular in the world? What draws travelers besides charming beaches, flower-lined streets, cosy cafés, and Eastern sweets? Here’s a concise review of the most interesting attractions and unmissable places in Antalya—this fascinating Mediterranean city you can easily explore on your own.
The sights and most beautiful places to visit in Antalya turn the region into a center not only for beach breaks but also for cultural tourism: about 14 million travelers arrive here annually. The city rose on the site of ancient settlements and has lived through two millennia under Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman influence—so it’s rich in historical landmarks. Beyond self-guided strolls through the historic Kaleiçi quarter and around the city (where natural features also await), you can visit the city’s Archaeology Museum. It holds a collection of ancient artifacts unearthed at Perge, Aspendos, and Termessos—whose ruins survive and are open to visitors.
What to do in Antalya beyond all-inclusive? Think museums, theme parks and waterparks, markets and malls, restaurants and clubs, coastal scenery, the aquarium, zoo, and dolphinarium.
Antalya city map
Antalya sits in a picturesque bay on the Mediterranean coast in southern Turkey. Legend says that in 195 BC the ruler Attalos ordered his men to find the most beautiful spot in the land—and founded the city there.
Most major sights string along the coastline, where you’ll also find this modern metropolis’ center. There’s little point delving deep inland—you’ll mostly see residential districts. The suburbs of Antalya are more enticing: visit waterfalls, ride a cable car up the mountain, or explore the ruins of ancient cities.
Antalya’s beaches are varied enough to deserve their own article; note there’s a handy city beach map that doubles as a guide for active beachgoers.
Getting around is simple by public transport as well as taxi—pick up an Antalyakart (top-up at kiosk machines at stops) and tap in for trams and buses.
Weather in Antalya
Spring & autumn are ideal for sightseeing at +18–+23 °C. By March, fruit trees and tulips are blooming—coastal walks are dreamy.
Summer is hot: plan museums and malls in the day; explore Kaleiçi or take harbor cruises in the mornings and evenings.
Winter stays mild (rarely below +15 °C), prices are friendlier, and crowds thin—great for museums and city strolls.
What can you do in and around Antalya year-round? Here are X reasons to fall in love with Antalya.
Historical and cultural highlights
Kaleiçi Old Town
Antalya’s historic quarter is free to enter and full of impressions. Kaleiçi’s narrow, winding lanes preserve the city’s story in stone: parts of the ancient land wall survive. A Roman-era harbor and settlement once stood here; today you’ll mainly see Ottoman-period houses, mosques, baths, and mansions. By day Kaleiçi fills with visitors; by evening locals crowd the cafés. The area is still residential yet keeps its old-world charm.
Hadrian’s Gate
This marble triumphal gate in classical style was built in AD 130 to honor the Roman emperor Hadrian. It’s one of Antalya’s most photographed spots. The triple-arched monument is well preserved because it was walled up within the city fortifications for centuries and only revealed in the 20th century (part of the marble paving was also uncovered). Symbolically, the gate separates Old Town and the newer city—an Instagram classic.
Yivli Minaret
Among Antalya’s most visible landmarks is the 38-meter-tall Yivli Minaret, built in the 13th century in Islamic architectural tradition: eight semi-cylinders rise on a square base, with a staircase inside leading to the upper gallery. Nearby stand a mosque, chapel, and Ottoman-period tombs; the Kale Gate—an entryway to Old Town—is close by.
Hıdırlık Tower
This massive 14-meter-high tower from the 2nd century AD likely formed part of harbor defenses and served as a lighthouse; today it’s a scenic viewpoint with panoramas of the Mediterranean and Old Town. Locals flock to lively Tabakhane Street beside it—where café tables spill outdoors and Turkish coffee is brewed in sand from early morning. Karaalioğlu Park and the Atatürk House Museum are nearby.
Ancient city ruins
If you love classical art and open-air archaeology, Antalya’s surroundings deliver: the ruins of Aspendos (35 km), Termessos (34 km), and Perge (18 km) preserve monumental temples, market squares, aqueducts, and acropolis fragments. These cities flourished under Rome and Hellenistic culture before Seljuk raids and earthquakes took their toll. The ancient theaters are especially well preserved.
Antalya Archaeology Museum
When beach time starts to feel samey and you want a symbolic sweep of Turkey’s past, you don’t have to go far—the country’s finest archaeology museum is right here. Founded during World War I to protect heritage from looting, today it spans 13 galleries and holds over 12,000 artifacts. Expect marble sarcophagi and statues, mosaics and ceramics, jewelry, household items, and coins.
Suna & İnan Kıraç Kaleiçi Museum
Near Hadrian’s Gate in Kaleiçi, two restored buildings funded by the prominent Koç family house a charming ethnographic museum. One Ottoman-era home exhibits clothing, furniture, and daily-life objects from the late 19th century; a former Orthodox church hosts rotating cultural exhibitions and events.
Toy Museum
Looking for a free kid-friendly stop? The municipality sponsors a delightful toy museum showcasing items from around the world—over 3,000 antique dolls, teddy bears, tin soldiers, robots, and Barbie dolls.
Natural sights around Antalya
Düden Waterfalls
Mountainous Turkey dazzles with flora and unique natural monuments—the Düden waterfalls among them. Within Antalya’s orbit, the river forms upper and lower falls. A natural cave behind the upper cascade lets you watch water thunder past; the surrounding greenery is beloved for picnics. The lower Düden tumbles from a cliff straight into the sea—an unforgettable photo backdrop.
Karain Cave
One of Turkey’s largest show caves—studded with stalagmites and stalactites—lies about an hour’s drive from Antalya. Prehistoric people lived here in the Paleolithic; in the Hellenistic era it hosted religious rites (inscriptions survive on the walls). The otherworldly caverns wow visitors of all ages, and the entrance museum’s artifacts are a treat.
Köprülü Canyon
Craving active adventures? Head to Köprülü Canyon National Park. The mountain river Köprüçay carves seven canyons along its course, the largest plunging to a depth of 400 m. It’s a hotspot for white-water rafting and trout fishing, with ecotourism trails through pine, cypress, and eucalyptus forests. Don’t miss the ancient Roman Oluk Bridge (27 m high), still in use.
Atatürk Park
Right on the Mediterranean beside popular Konyaaltı Beach, this park delivers lush landscaping and sweeping, photo-worthy views of blue sea and encircling mountains. Expect plenty of cafés and restaurants plus stages for concerts and cultural events.
Wrap-up
It’s hard to list every sight in one article—Antalya wears many faces and is rich in ethnography, culture, history, and geography. What’s certain: tourism infrastructure, dining, and transport are well developed. You can cover the headline sights in a short summer getaway—and stretch to the suburbs if you’ve got more than a day. The city keeps routes and services visitor-friendly, which is a big part of its charm.
Antalya is one of Turkey’s most beautiful, well-organized regions, greeting travelers with quintessential hospitality. Don’t put off your Mediterranean escape—your dream trip is a click away.
