Best Day Trips from Antalya

By the Klemio team · Updated June 10, 2026

Antalya works unusually well as a base. In one day you can reach Roman ruins, mountain sites, river canyons, Lycian tombs, and coastal towns, but the good trips are not all equally easy. The mistake is treating the map as flat. It is not.

The easy Antalya day trips are Perge and Side. Perge works by tram to Aksu plus a walk or taxi. Side and Manavgat work by bus, with the usual coastal-road patience. The trips I like more, Termessos and Köprülü Canyon, are much better with a car, driver, or organized transfer.

Do not turn the ancient sites into a checklist. Pick one ruin-heavy day, one water or mountain day, and one town-and-coast day. Antalya can be hot, buses can be slow, and a rushed loop of Perge, Aspendos, and Side is more tiring than it looks on paper.

1. 1

   Termessos Archaeological Site

   about 45 min to 1 hr by car from central Antalya

   This is the Antalya day trip I would fight for. Termessos has the best setting of the nearby ruins, high in Güllük Mountain National Park, with a theatre facing forest and rock instead of resort sprawl. Perge is easier, Aspendos has the cleaner theatre, but Termessos feels like a place you earn.

   Getting there: Go by rental car, taxi, or private driver. Buses and minibuses on the Korkuteli road can leave you near the turnoff, but the site is still several uphill kilometres away, so that is a poor plan unless you are ready for a hard walk or have a taxi arranged. Inside the site, expect uneven paths and climbing.

   Best for: Hikers, archaeology fans, and travelers who want one ancient site with real landscape drama.

   Termessos Archaeological Site guide
   
2. 2

   Perge Archaeological Site

   about 35-60 min by tram plus walk or taxi, depending on where you start

   Perge is the easiest proper ancient city from Antalya. The stadium area, baths, gates, and long colonnaded street make the city plan easy to read without a long road day. It is not as wild or memorable as Termessos, but it wins on effort-to-reward.

   Getting there: Take the AntRay tram toward Aksu or Expo and get off in the Aksu area, then walk roughly 2 km or take a short taxi to the ruins. A car or guided trip also works, especially if you pair Perge with Aspendos.

   Best for: First-time visitors, families, and travelers without a car.

   Perge Archaeological Site guide
   
3. 3

   Aspendos Archaeological Site

   about 45 min to 1 hr by car, longer by bus via Serik

   Aspendos is a theatre trip. That is the honest version. The theatre is huge, clear, and still impressive even if you have seen plenty of Roman sites. The surrounding ruins are worth a look, but they are not the reason to come. If you want a full ancient-city wander, choose Perge or Termessos instead.

   Getting there: Drive east from Antalya, or take a bus toward Serik and continue by taxi or local minibus if one lines up with your timing. There is usually no simple direct public bus to the theatre entrance from Antalya. The easiest plan is Perge plus Aspendos by car or organized tour.

   Best for: Roman architecture, short visits, and travelers who want one big sight rather than a long ruin walk.

   Aspendos Archaeological Site guide
   
4. 4

   Side and Manavgat

   about 1.5-2.5 hr by bus or car, depending on traffic and transfers

   Side is touristy. That does not ruin it. The appeal is that the ruins sit right inside the modern town and by the sea, so the day has more variety than another fenced archaeological site. The Temple of Apollo by the harbor is the obvious stop, and Manavgat adds a river break nearby if you want to make the day longer.

   Getting there: Take a bus from Antalya’s bus station toward Manavgat, then use a local minibus or taxi for Side if your bus does not go there directly. Driving is simpler. A packed Perge, Aspendos, and Side tour can work, but I would only do it if you accept that each stop gets clipped.

   Best for: A mixed day of ruins, lunch, sea views, and a town stroll.

   

5. 5

   Köprülü Canyon National Park

   about 1.5-2 hr by car or tour transfer

   This is the best non-ruin day trip from Antalya. The canyon and Köprüçay River give you a cooler, rougher day than the coast, and rafting is the usual reason to go. The catch is the tour scene. Some trips are loud and conveyor-belt efficient, so this is great if you want activity, less great if you want quiet nature.

   Getting there: Use a rafting tour with pickup, or drive toward Beşkonak if you want control over timing. Public transport is not a clean same-day option for most travelers.

   Best for: Rafting, hot-weather escapes, groups, and travelers who need a break from stone ruins.

   

6. 6

   Olympos and Çıralı

   about 1.5-2 hr by car or bus to the area, plus local transfer time

   Olympos is looser and more overgrown than the polished Roman sites east of Antalya, and that is the point. You get ruins, trees, a streambed, and the beach near Çıralı in one day. It is better as a slow day than as a race to add every nearby stop.

   Getting there: Drive southwest on the D400, or take a bus or minibus toward Kumluca, Kaş, Olympos, or Çıralı and connect down from the main road if needed. A car makes it much easier to add the Yanartaş flames after dark, but that turns the trip into a late return.

   Best for: Beach-plus-ruins travelers, slower days, and people staying on the western side of Antalya.

   Olympos and Çıralı guide
   
7. 7

   Myra and Demre

   about 2.5-3.5 hr each way by car or bus

   Myra is worth seeing for the Lycian rock tombs and theatre, but it is the one day trip here I hesitate to recommend from Antalya. The road time is heavy. Do it if Lycian history matters to you or if you are joining a long Demre, Myra, and Kekova boat tour. Otherwise, save it for a night in Kaş, Demre, or along the Lycian coast.

   Getting there: Drive the D400 coastal road toward Demre, or take a bus from Antalya bus station toward Demre or Kaş and continue locally to the site. Organized day trips often combine Myra with St. Nicholas Church and a Kekova boat outing. That is same-day feasible, but it is a long day with an early start.

   Best for: Lycian tombs, ancient history completists, and travelers who can tolerate a serious road day.

   Myra and Demre guide
   

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