A short history of Antalya
Hadrian's Gate · Photo: Cobija, CC0Walking the narrow lanes of Kaleiçi, you suddenly realise you're passing under a Roman gate. Hadrian's Gate was built for the emperor's visit in AD 130, and its three arches still stand. The city itself was founded in the 2nd century BC by Attalos II, king of Pergamon, and was called Attaleia.
The Seljuks took Antalya in 1207. The Yivli Minaret rising above the harbour dates from their time, and its fluted red brick stands out from many parts of the city. A little further on is the Kesik Minaret, a church built on a Roman-era structure and later turned into a mosque, and it takes its name from the minaret shortened in a 19th-century fire. It reopened for worship in 2022 after a long restoration.
At the southern end of Kaleiçi, beside Karaalioğlu Park, stop at Hıdırlık Tower, a round Roman tower that fills up at sunset. Most of the old town's mansions with wooden bay windows date from the late Ottoman period, and as tourism grew many became guesthouses and small hotels.
Antalya neighbourhoods
Balbey, just north of the old town, is far calmer than the walled streets, with stone houses (some of them restored) and small cafés. Meltem sits next to Akdeniz University, and its student cafés and cheap eateries suit anyone who wants to see the city's everyday side.
Belek, to the east, is a resort area full of golf courses and all-inclusive hotels, more for resting than for sightseeing. To the west, on the road to Kemer, Göynük Canyon makes a cool summer walk and a chance to get in the water, though weekends are busy.
Further south-west, beyond Kemer, Çıralı is a quiet village with a long beach where sea turtles nest and the ancient city of Olympos next door. At nearby Yanartaş, the flames that rise from the rocks look far more striking once it gets dark.
Where to stay
- Kaleiçi (Old Town): The walled old town, with boutique hotels and a short walk down to the harbour.
- Konyaaltı: A long pebble beach with mountain views, linked to the centre by tram.
- Lara: A sandy beach lined with large hotels, close to the airport.
- Işıklar / Hadrian’s Gate: Just outside the old town, near the shopping street and tram stops.
When to visit Antalya
July and August in Antalya are tough: 34-38 °C by day, with high humidity. Hotel prices peak, and the Konyaaltı and Lara beaches fill up from the morning. In these months save sightseeing for mornings and evenings and spend midday in the shade or the sea.
May-June and September-October are much nicer, with days of 25-32 °C, warm sea and slightly lower prices. The Golden Orange Film Festival is usually held in autumn, and in September the theatre at Aspendos hosts an opera and ballet festival, so check the programme in advance.
Winter is mild, about 14-17 °C by day in January. Few people swim, but the old town and ancient sites are free of crowds and you'll see snow on the peaks of the Beydağları.
Food culture in Antalya
For lunch, most locals in Antalya head to a piyaz place. The piyaz here isn't the one you may know: boiled white beans are coated in tahini, lemon and vinegar, and come with grilled şiş köfte. In the old restaurants just outside the walls, this pair is still the favourite meal.
On a meze plate you'll meet hibeş, a thick spread of tahini, lemon and spices. Thanks to the citrus orchards, fresh orange juice is on every corner, and bergamot jam tends to end up in your bag on the way home.
In summer dinner starts late, and the terraces above the harbour fill up after 8 pm. Prices at the view restaurants in Kaleiçi are a bit inflated, and you'll find the same food cheaper a few streets out. If service isn't included, people leave 5-10 per cent.
Antalya trip budget
Karaalioğlu Park · Photo: BigSugarDaddy, CC BY-SA 4.0In Antalya the season sets the budget more than anything, and the same hotel can cost twice as much in August as in April. For one person, a day in 2026 adds up to about 2,500-4,000 TL (guesthouse, piyaz and köfte), 6,000-10,000 TL (a decent city hotel) and 15,000 TL and up (sea-view hotel, dinners out). Accommodation is included in all three.
Trams and buses take the Antalyakart or a contactless card, and each trip runs about 20-35 TL in 2026. Tickets for sites such as Perge and Aspendos are sold to foreign visitors in euros, about 15-25 € in 2026. Turkish citizens buy a lira ticket or use the Müzekart.
Wandering Kaleiçi, looking down at the cliffs from Karaalioğlu Park and swimming at Konyaaltı's public beach are free. Umbrellas and sunloungers cost extra.
Prices are approximate as of October 2026.
Hidden gems and overlooked spots in Antalya
- Upper Düden Waterfall — Cool break inside the city: a shady park and a cave path that runs behind the falls. (visit ≈ 45 min)
- Perge — Well-preserved ancient city close to town, with a colonnaded street, stadium and Hellenistic gates. (visit ≈ 120 min)
- Aspendos Theatre — One of the best-preserved Roman theatres anywhere, and it still hosts performances in summer. (visit ≈ 90 min)
- Termessos — Ancient city hidden in mountain forest on Güllük Dağı, with a dramatic hilltop theatre. (visit ≈ 180 min)
- Kurşunlu Waterfall — A tiered waterfall framed by green pools and a forest trail, a break from the city crowds. (visit ≈ 60 min)
- Tünektepe Cable Car — A cable car from the end of Konyaaltı to a hilltop with views of the bay, the city and the mountains. (visit ≈ 60 min)
- Karain Cave — A huge hillside cave used since the Palaeolithic and among Anatolia's oldest traces of settlement, with a small museum. (visit ≈ 75 min)
- Phaselis — An ancient port city with three harbours in a pine forest, plus an aqueduct, a main street and coves for a swim. (visit ≈ 150 min)
- Güver Canyon — A lookout terrace in Döşemealtı over a deep rocky gorge, well away from the crowds. (visit ≈ 45 min)
- Sillyon — Ruins of a Pamphylian city on a flat-topped rock near Serik, far less visited than Perge or Aspendos. (visit ≈ 90 min)
- Antalya Toy Museum — Small municipal museum of vintage and modern toys, a good stop for families with children. (visit ≈ 40 min)
- Side Ancient City — Small town on a peninsula, woven through Roman ruins: a theatre and the seaside columns of the Temple of Apollo. (visit ≈ 180 min)
- Olympos Ancient City — Ivy-covered Lycian ruins among pines and bay trees, running along a stream down to a beach. (visit ≈ 150 min)
- Chimaera Flames (Yanartaş) — Natural gas flames that have burned from the rocks above Çıralı for millennia, best seen at dusk. (visit ≈ 60 min)
- Beldibi Cave — Stone Age rock paintings were found in this rock shelter on the Kemer road, one of the region's key prehistoric sites. (visit ≈ 30 min)
Getting from the airport to Antalya
- Antalya (AYT): AntRay tram ≈ 50 min; taxi ≈ 25 min
Getting around
Trams link the old town, Konyaaltı and the airport; pay with Antalyakart or a contactless card. The old town itself is for walking.
Classic places to eat
- Piyazcı Ahmet: Antalya-style bean salad with tahini and grilled köfte, unchanged for years.
- Parlak Restaurant: An old restaurant near the old town, known for chicken grilled over coals and meze.
- Hisar Restaurant: Dining on a terrace in the old walls, above the harbour.
- Seraser: Mediterranean cooking in an old mansion.
- Şişçi Ramazan: A classic for Antalya-style grilled köfte.
Romantic views
- Hıdırlık Tower (Sunset): Sunset over the sea and mountains beside a Roman-era tower.
- Karaalioğlu Park (Evening): A shady clifftop park facing the sea.
- Old Harbour (Evening): Boats and evening lights in the old harbour.
- Lower Düden Falls (Sunset): Where the waterfall drops off the cliff into the sea.
Football stadiums in Antalya
- Akdeniz University Stadium: Home of Antalyaspor
Good to know before visiting Antalya
- Fine: Insulting the memory of Atatürk, the Turkish flag or state symbols is a criminal offence.
- Fine: Exporting antiquities is banned; keep receipts and, for old carpets or objects, ask for a museum export certificate.
- Fine: Photographing military zones and facilities is prohibited; obey "military zone" signs.
- Fine: Smoking is banned indoors and on public transport; lighting fires in forests in summer is fined.
- Warning: Carry your ID or passport; police may ask for it at checks.
- Warning: Shops and kiosks may not sell alcohol between 22:00 and 06:00.
- Emergency: 112
- Plugs: C/F, 230V
- Tap water: Tap water is treated, but most people drink bottled or jug water.
- Tipping: A 5–10% tip is common in restaurants; round up taxi fares.
Sources: UK FCDO — Foreign travel advice: Türkiye, T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı — Resmî e-Vize, Wikivoyage — Turkey · For information only; rules change, check official sources before you go. Last checked: 2026-10
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