Day Trips from Antalya
Eight unmissable destinations within two and a half hours of Pearly Hotel & Spa — distances, drive times and what to plan for.
Antalya itself rewards three or four days of slow exploration, but the surrounding province is one of the densest concentrations of beauty and history on the Mediterranean. Within two hours of Pearly Hotel & Spa you can stand inside a Roman theatre still hosting opera, swim under a 40-metre waterfall, walk among burning rock-vents that fascinated Homer, or ride a cable car across thermal travertines that turned a Roman emperor's villa into a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The eight day trips below are the ones our reception team books and re-books most often. Each entry lists the distance from Pearly Hotel, realistic drive time, ticket price and how to get there as a private transfer, group tour or hire car.
1. Olympos & the Chimaera
Olympos is a ruined Lycian city that disappears into a pine forest along a clear mountain stream, ending at a long pebble beach (Çıralı) where loggerhead turtles nest in summer. Walking the site from the entrance to the beach takes around an hour. After dinner in Çıralı village, drive ten minutes inland and walk thirty minutes up the hill to the Chimaera — natural methane vents that have been burning out of the rock for at least 2,500 years (the inspiration for Homer's fire-breathing monster of the same name). The flames are visible at night and you can hold a stick to them. Take a head torch for the walk back. Combined entry around 300 TL.
2. Side & Manavgat Waterfall
Side is one of the most photogenic ancient sites on the Mediterranean: a small Pamphylian peninsula where the marble columns of the Temple of Apollo still stand on the cliff over the sea, while modern Side wraps around the ruins with ice-cream parlours, gelato shops and harbour-side seafood restaurants. The Roman theatre, agora and city walls are walkable in two hours. Combine with the Manavgat Waterfall 4 km north — a wide, low waterfall on the river, surrounded by restaurants with platforms over the water. Most day tours pair these two with a stop at the Aspendos theatre. Total day-tour price around 1,000–1,200 TL/person including pick-up and lunch.
3. Pamukkale & Hierapolis
Pamukkale ("cotton castle") is a series of brilliant-white calcium terraces formed by hot mineral springs flowing down a hillside. Above the terraces sits Hierapolis, a Greco-Roman spa city with a remarkably preserved theatre and necropolis. Swimming in Cleopatra's Pool — a warm thermal pool filled with submerged Roman columns — is the highlight. The drive from Antalya is long (3 hours each way) so most visitors join a 5 am pickup full-day tour returning at 9 pm, or stay overnight in Pamukkale village. Tour price around 2,000 TL/person including breakfast, lunch and entry; allow extra 60 TL for the Cleopatra's Pool swim.
4. Phaselis
Phaselis is the best day trip if you want history and a beach in the same place without a long drive. The ancient Lycian city sits on a small forested peninsula with three crescent harbours; the southern beach is genuinely one of the prettiest small beaches in Turkey, with the marble main street of Phaselis running right down to the water. Bring swimwear and a packed lunch — facilities are minimal beyond a single café at the entrance. Entry around 150 TL; combine with Olympos for a full Lycian-coast day.
5. Demre, Myra & the Church of St Nicholas
Demre (ancient Myra) was the bishopric of Saint Nicholas in the 4th century — the historical figure behind Father Christmas. The Church of St Nicholas in the town centre contains his original sarcophagus (his bones were stolen by Italian merchants in the 11th century and now rest in Bari) and impressive Byzantine frescoes. Five minutes' drive away, the Lycian site of Myra has the most spectacular rock-cut tombs on the coast — hexagonal facades carved directly into a vertical cliff face. Boat trips from nearby Üçağız visit the sunken Lycian city of Kekova, where ancient walls disappear into transparent water. Combined entry around 400 TL; day tours from Antalya cost 1,500 TL/person including lunch.
6. Saklıkent Gorge
Saklıkent (literally "hidden city") is a deep canyon cut by the Eşen river into the Bey Mountains. From May to October you can wade up the entrance of the gorge through knee-deep meltwater — at the start of the season this water is genuinely cold, so it is a wake-up activity rather than a swim. Stilted trout restaurants over the river serve cold meze plates and freshly grilled fish. Combine with a half-day at Patara Beach ten minutes further down the road (see our beaches guide). Entry around 100 TL plus 50 TL for the canyon walk.
7. Alanya & Cleopatra Beach
Alanya is dominated by a dramatic headland topped by a Seljuk castle, with the famous Cleopatra Beach of fine pale sand along its western side and the Red Tower marking the medieval shipyard at the harbour. A red-and-white cable car runs from the harbour to the top of the castle, where the ruins of Byzantine churches and Seljuk cisterns command 360° views. Boat trips from the harbour visit Pirates' Cave, Lovers' Cave and the Phosphorus Cave on the seaward side of the headland. Day tours from Antalya cost 1,000 TL/person.
8. Yörük Park Village & Aktur Park
For visitors with young children or with only half a day to spare, Yörük Park is an open-air "living museum" of southern Anatolian village life. Restored wooden Yörük (nomadic) tents, traditional looms, donkey carts and a fenced area with goats and chickens. The on-site restaurant serves village-style breakfasts well into the afternoon. Aktur Park next door has children's rides, a small zoo and an aquapark. Round-trip taxi from Pearly Hotel costs around 500 TL; allow three to four hours total.
How to Plan These Trips
For a typical week in Antalya we recommend two or three day trips, balanced so you do not have two consecutive long drives. A good week from Pearly Hotel: Day 1 arrive, swim at Konyaaltı, dinner in Kaleiçi; Day 2 Antalya city sights (Kaleiçi + Museum); Day 3 Aspendos + Side + Manavgat day tour; Day 4 rest, beach day; Day 5 Olympos + Chimaera or Phaselis + swim; Day 6 Pamukkale long day or Saklıkent + Patara; Day 7 last beach morning, depart. Our reception can book any of these as a private car or shared minibus tour. If you prefer to self-drive, hire a car from the airport on arrival day to avoid Antalya city centre parking complications; see our transport guide for car-rental tips.