Explore Antalya at your own pace
A good itinerary starts with the experience you want to make time for, rather than the number of stops you can fit into a day.
This page is written in English.
Choose a direction before adding stops
Think of an Antalya itinerary as several separate days rather than one long list of places. A coastal outing, time in the city and a trip inland call for different preparation. Choose a main interest for the day—sea, history or local life—and build your list around it.
On a map, distinguish the western coastal options of Kemer, Kumluca, Finike, Demre and Kaş from Serik, Manavgat, Alanya and Gazipaşa to the east. Treat them as different routes to narrow down according to where you are staying, rather than a sequence to complete in a day.
Choosing one main stop and an optional second stop nearby leaves more flexibility. Consider your return journey from the outset; if using public transport, check the return as well as the outward connection. Before adding another place, balance the time for travel, walking and breaks.
Antalya Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate: coastal geography
Lara or Konyaaltı? Start with your coastal preferences
Lara lies along the coast east of the city centre and is associated with a sandy beach; Konyaaltı lies to the west and has a mixture of sand and pebbles. This distinction is a useful starting point, but neither beach should be treated as a single entrance.
Choose the specific place you intend to reach, not just the beach name on a map. Consider what you will carry, how far you want to walk and whether you would prefer time by the water to swimming. If accessibility or a particular facility matters, verify current details with the relevant operator or municipality.
Do not base a swimming decision on an old photograph or the reputation of a beach. Take account of the weather, sea conditions and local notices on the day. Your preferred stretch need not be someone else’s favourite: location and how you want to spend your visit also matter.
Antalya Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate: Lara and Konyaaltı
Ask different questions at Perge and Aspendos
At Perge in Aksu, colonnaded streets, an agora and a stadium offer a starting point for thinking about everyday urban life in antiquity. At Aspendos in Serik, the theatre and aqueducts draw attention to how buildings were used and how a city obtained its water.
If considering both places, bring a different question to each: how did people move through Perge, and which structures supported communal life at Aspendos? This approach can turn the visit into a more meaningful comparison than simply collecting photographs of similar stone buildings.
There is no need to fit both archaeological sites into the same day. Allow for transport and the time you want to spend walking, and consult current official visitor information before deciding. Follow the directions on site, stay out of closed areas and examine remains without moving them.
Türkiye Culture Portal: Perge Ancient City