Walk through Hadrian's Gate and you are immediately in Kaleiçi, the old quarter, where narrow streets run down between Ottoman houses toward the harbour. At the far end, the Hıdırlık Tower stands above the water, and on a clear evening the piers below fill with people watching the light go off the bay.
Antalya suits travellers who want a city with a beach and a deep past in the same day: Roman gates and Seljuk mosques in the morning, ruins and waterfalls in the afternoon, and a harbour to sit beside at night. It also works as a base for the ancient cities of Pamphylia and for the Lycian Way, which approaches the city from the west and ends at the climbing village of Geyikbayırı in the mountains.
This guide covers the sights within the city and the sites close enough for a half-day or day trip, with practical notes on timing, tickets and what to combine with what.
Top things to do in Antalya
1. Hadrian's Gate
Hadrian's Gate, known in Turkish as Üçkapılar, "three gates", was built in 130 AD for the visit of Emperor Hadrian. It may have been ceremonial rather than a practical thoroughfare, since it was bricked up within the city walls — which is precisely why it survived, and it was only rediscovered when the walls crumbled in the 1950s.
It is the natural starting point for exploring Kaleiçi, so pass through it rather than photographing it and turning back, and let the old quarter open up in front of you.
2. Fluted Minaret Mosque
The Fluted Minaret Mosque (Yivliminare Camii) on Cumhuriyet Cd is an elegant six-domed mosque built under Seljuk rule in 1230 and rebuilt in 1373 by the Hamidids. Its minaret rises 38 m.
Opposite the mosque is the Dervish Lodge Museum, once the home of the Mevlevihane, the "Whirling Dervishes"; it is open Tuesday to Sunday 08:30–17:30 and free. A short walk east brings you to the Clocktower (Saat Kulesi), which dates from the 9th century AD, and facing it the Tekeli Mehmet Paşa Mosque, built in the 17th century and named for a military commander appointed Grand Vizier in 1595 who died ten days later.
3. Sehzade Korkut Mosque
Sehzade Korkut Mosque, also called the Broken Minaret Mosque or Kesik Minare Cami, on Civlek Sk, was first built as a Roman temple in the 2nd century AD and in later centuries went back and forth between religions. The minaret was added in the early 13th century during one such conversion, and in 1800 it was the only part to survive a fire. The mosque lay in ruins until it was rebuilt from 2018 and reopened in 2021.
Pair it with the harbour, which is a short walk away, and with the Toy Museum (Oyuncak Müzesi) by the harbour, open Tuesday to Sunday 09:00–18:00 and free.
4. Harbour piers
The harbour piers have pleasant views over the Old Town and the sunset. Boat trips leave from the harbour as well.
If you take a boat trip, never believe the first price offer or the stated departure time. On the south side of the harbour, at Civelek Sk 20, the Ethnographic Museum shows traditional arts and crafts, open daily 08:30–17:30 and free. The Iskele Mosque by the harbour is compact, almost a kiosk.
5. Hıdırlık Tower
Hıdırlık Tower on Hıdırlık Sk was built by the Romans in the 2nd century AD with a square base and a circular upper storey, serving as a bastion and lighthouse. It is accessible around the clock and free.
Its present name indicates that it is the site of Hıdırellez on 5/6 May, a religious spring festival. Come here at the end of a walk through Kaleiçi, when the light is low over the water.
6. Antalya Museum
The Antalya Museum on Konyaaltı Cd 88 is one of Turkey's largest, with 5,000 items illustrating the history of the Mediterranean and Pamphylia regions, and a further repository of some 25,000 items not on display. Take the tram to Müze.
Opening hours vary by season: April to September daily 08:30–20:00, October to March Tuesday to Sunday 08:30–18:00. Adult admission is 340 TL. It sits west of the city, about 1 km from Antalya Stadium, so it can be combined with a match day if Antalyaspor are playing at home.
7. Perge
Perge, off Perge Yol in Aksu, is an extensive set of ruins from a city that had its heyday in the 2nd to 3rd century AD under the Romans. The site has a colonnaded agora, a theatre, a stadium, a temple to Artemis and two churches.
It is open daily 08:00–19:30, adult admission 250 TL. Because it is a large site, go earlier in the day rather than squeezing it in before closing.
8. Aspendos
Aspendos, about 40 km east near Serik, is a Graeco-Roman city whose centrepiece is a well-preserved amphitheatre seating 7,000. There is also 2 km of aqueduct, which siphoned water over rises, plus a stadium, baths, basilica, agora and nymphaeum.
It is open daily 08:00–17:00, adult admission 340 TL, and you can reach it by Bus 10 from Serik. One kilometre downstream near the modern highway is the Eurymedon Bridge, rebuilt in wonky fashion in the 13th century when the Roman original washed away. Aspendos is also the area where certified hot air balloon flights operate, typically at sunrise and lasting about an hour; book in advance through a local tour operator, as weather affects availability.
9. Düden Lower Waterfalls
The Düden Lower Waterfalls on Lara Cd are where the Düden River plunges 40 m into the sea.
They sit on the Lara side of the city, so combine them with the Lara beach strip, where the Aqua parks Waterhill, Park Aqua, Wet & Wild and Trendy Lara are all strung out along the coast. Sandland (Kum Heykel Müzesi), the sand sculpture park on Lara Cd, is open daily 09:00–23:00, lit up at night, with adult admission 250 TL and child 125 TL.
10. Antalya Aquarium
The Antalya Aquarium on Dumlupınar Blv 502 in Konyaaltı is a huge aquarium with display tanks and a long viewing tunnel, open daily 09:00–23:00. Adult or child admission is 950 TL. Bus 56 serves it.
Next to the Aquarium is Akturpark funfair, open daily 18:00–02:00, where you pay per ride with no overall admission charge. Waterhill aqua park is opposite the Aquarium.
11. Atatürk House Museum
The Atatürk House Museum on Fevzi Çakmak Cd 11 is a rebuilt mansion showing memorabilia of Atatürk's times; he stayed in Antalya in 1930, 1931 and 1935. It is open daily 08:30–17:30 and free.
It sits within the old quarter, so it fits naturally into a walk that also takes in the mosques and the Clocktower.
12. Murat Paşa Mosque
The Murat Paşa Mosque on Milli Egemenlik Cd was commissioned in 1570. It has a high dome and beautiful Seljuk calligraphy within.
Several other old mosques are close by and easy to fold into the same walk: the Müsellim Mosque, 200 m north of the Fluted Minaret Mosque, built in 1796; the Balibey Mosque at the corner of Ismet Paşa Cd and 403rd Sk, built in 1485; and the Sheik Sinan Mosque at the end of Değirmenönü Cd, "windmill street", built in 1590.
13. Karatay Medresi
The Karatay Medresi, 100 m southwest of the Clocktower, was a religious school built in 1250. It has since become populated by cafes and shops, so it is only worth a brief look.
Treat it as a pause rather than a destination, and use it as a coffee stop between the Clocktower and the harbour.
14. Düden Upper Waterfalls
The Düden Upper Waterfalls are where the Düden River emerges from karstic tunnels to fall 20 m.
They are further out than the lower falls, so plan them as a separate trip rather than trying to see both in one rushed circuit.
15. Kurşunlu Waterfall
Kurşunlu Waterfall on Kurşunlu Cd in Aksu, northeast of Antalya on the D685, is set in a woodland park. The waterfalls are impressive in flow but dry to a trickle in summer. A firm path leads you past the best views, though it is not suitable with restricted mobility. There are refreshment stalls and a café or restaurant on site.
It is open daily 08:30–19:30. If you are visiting in the dry season, adjust your expectations toward the woodland walk rather than the water.
16. Tünek Tepe
Tünek Tepe, on Kemer Yolu in Konyaaltı, is a hilltop of 618 m with great views over the city and coast. It is reached by gondola cable car, though you can drive or even hike up. Food and drink at the top station are a silly price.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–19:00. Note that the cable car collapsed in April 2024 and was closed at that point, with a listed fare of 400 TL; check the current status before relying on it and be prepared to drive or walk instead.
17. Antalya Zoo
The Antalya Zoo (Antalya Hayvanat Bahçesi) in Kepez is a large, spacious zoo park, open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00. Parking is 20 TL per car, and the tram stops at Fatih.
Because it is in Kepez rather than on the coast, give it its own half-day rather than trying to tack it onto a harbour itinerary.
18. Lycian Way
The Lycian Way stretches from Fethiye in the west along the Lycian coast to approach Antalya in the east, ending at the village and climbing centre of Geyikbayırı up in the mountains.
If you are walking any section of it, treat Geyikbayırı as the Antalya end of your route and build in time in the city before or after.
19. Golden Orange Film Festival
The Golden Orange Film Festival is held in October.
If your trip coincides with it, plan your evenings around screenings and keep daytime hours for the old quarter and the ruins.
20. Aksu Dolphinarium
The Aksu Dolphinarium on Tesisler Cd 318 in Aksu is open daily 09:00–18:30, with sea lions and dolphins performing at 11:00 and 15:00. There are extra charges to swim with them or to have a dolphin take a photo of you.
People may wish to consider the ethics of such attractions before visiting.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Hadrian's Gate and walk into Kaleiçi. Continue to the Fluted Minaret Mosque and the Dervish Lodge Museum opposite it, then the Clocktower just east and the Tekeli Mehmet Paşa Mosque facing it. Take a brief look at the Karatay Medresi 100 m southwest of the Clocktower, then visit the Sehzade Korkut Mosque on Civlek Sk.
Afternoon. Walk down to the harbour piers for the views, and if time allows step into the Ethnographic Museum on the south side or the Toy Museum by the harbour. Finish the old quarter with the Hıdırlık Tower, then take the tram to Müze for the Antalya Museum.
Evening. Return to the harbour piers for sunset, which is the best light over the Old Town. If you have energy left, the Antalya Aquarium stays open until 23:00 and Akturpark funfair next to it opens at 18:00.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see the waterfalls?
Kurşunlu Waterfall is impressive in flow but dries to a trickle in summer, so the shoulder seasons give you more water. The Düden Lower Waterfalls plunge 40 m into the sea and the Düden Upper Waterfalls fall 20 m where the river emerges from karstic tunnels.
Do I need to book hot air ballooning in advance?
Yes. Certified balloon flights operate near Aspendos, typically at sunrise and lasting about an hour, and you should book in advance through a local tour operator because weather conditions can affect availability. All commercial balloon operators are licensed and regulated by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Is the Tünek Tepe cable car running?
The cable car collapsed in April 2024 and was closed at that time. You can also drive or hike up to the 618 m hilltop, and the top station's food and drink are a silly price.
How do I get to the Antalya Museum?
Take the tram to Müze. Opening hours are April to September daily 08:30–20:00, and October to March Tuesday to Sunday 08:30–18:00, with adult admission at 340 TL.
Pick your dates around the season you want — waterfall flow, festival October, or a quiet spring walk through Kaleiçi — and start building the trip from the old quarter outward.