Two Days in Antalya: Old Town Lanes, Roman Stone, and a Waterfall Finish

By the Klemio team · Updated June 10, 2026

Antalya works best if you do not cram the first day. Spend it in Kaleiçi and along the cliffs, then use the second day for Perge and Aspendos. That gives you the old town, one waterfall, and a proper ruins day without turning the trip into a road slog.

This plan keeps the first day mostly walkable, because Kaleiçi gets worse when you treat it like a checklist. The lanes are uneven, the signs can be patchy, and that is part of the appeal. Start early, before the tour groups and shop calls make the old town feel flatter.

For the second day, I would choose Perge and Aspendos over a long run to Myra or Olympos. Myra and Olympos are possible from Antalya, but they eat too much of a two-day trip. Termessos has the better setting, but Perge plus Aspendos is the smarter first-time pairing if you want less hiking and more archaeology.

Kaleiçi, Hadrian's Gate, and the Waterfall Cliffs

1. Morning

   Start at Hadrian's Gate, the Roman gate by Atatürk Boulevard and Kaleiçi. It is an open street monument, so you do not need to plan around tickets or a timed entry. Do not treat it as a quick photo stop. Look at the worn stone under the arches, then walk downhill into the old town toward the harbor.

   Hadrian's Gate guide

   
2. Late morning

   Stay in Kaleiçi for coffee, narrow streets, and the old harbor views. The area can feel polished for visitors in places, but it still works if you keep moving away from the loudest restaurant rows. I would not try to tick off every lane. Pick one route down and a different one back up.

   Kaleiçi guide

   
3. Afternoon

   Head to the Lower Düden side of Düden Waterfalls, where the river drops from the cliffs into the sea. City buses and taxis can get you there from central Antalya, but routes change, so check Antalyakart or ask locally before you go. It is not a quiet nature escape. The payoff is the odd, very Antalya mix of city park, sea cliffs, and a river suddenly ending in open water.

   Düden Şelalesi guide

   
4. Evening

   Return to Kaleiçi for dinner, but choose a side street rather than the most obvious harbor-facing tables. The harbor is prettier for a walk than for a careful meal. If you want one last view, go back toward the cliff paths after sunset instead of sitting in the busiest part of the old town.

   Kaleiçi guide

   

Perge and Aspendos, Then Back to the Coast

1. Morning

   Go to Perge first. It sits near Aksu, close enough to Antalya for an early start, and the site needs unhurried walking. The colonnaded street, baths, stadium, and gates make more sense when you read them as pieces of a city, not as isolated ruins. In hot months, this is the stop I would protect from the afternoon sun.

   Perge Archaeological Site guide

   
2. Afternoon

   Continue to Aspendos near Serik. The theater is the reason to come, and it is one of the rare famous ruins that earns the attention. Perge is better for wandering. Aspendos is better for one clean visual punch. See both and the contrast is obvious.

   Aspendos Archaeological Site guide

   
3. Late afternoon

   Do not add another distant ruin unless you are using a driver and still have energy. The Antalya Museum would normally be the neat ending to this route, especially after Perge, but it has been closed for redevelopment since 2025 and is expected to reopen around the end of 2026. Treat it as a future add-on, not a firm stop for now.

   Antalya Museum guide

   
4. Evening

   Finish with a simple coast walk in Antalya. After a day of Roman roads and stone seating, the city feels less like a resort base and more like a place built over older routes. Keep dinner easy. This is not the night for chasing one more landmark.

Practical tips

• Do Perge and Aspendos by car, driver, or a well-run day tour if you want the day to feel clean. Public transport can work for Perge, and Aspendos is possible with extra changes via Aksu or Serik, but combining both by bus is fiddly for a short trip.
• In warm months, put exposed archaeological sites early. Shade is limited at Perge and Aspendos, and distances inside the sites feel longer than they look on a map. Antalya heat can turn a good plan into a stubborn mistake.

Antalya itinerary: FAQs

Plan the rest of your trip

• All things to do in Antalya
• Kaleiçi
• Hadrian's Gate
• Antalya Museum
• Düden Şelalesi
• Kurşunlu Waterfall Nature Park
• Perge Archaeological Site