Antalya in a weekend
48 h route4 stopsBest: April-June and September-October. In August the plan is the beach, full stopUpdated July 2026
Antalya has an expectations problem: it’s sold as a beach destination and it’s actually the gateway to the best-preserved Roman coast in the Mediterranean. Both fit in 48 hours, but you have to commit on day two.
The formula: Saturday in Kaleiçi and the museum, both on foot. Sunday out of town, at Aspendos and Side. What doesn’t work is squeezing the ruins between swims: they’re 45 and 75 kilometres away and there’s no shortcut.
The route, stop by stop
4 STOPS- 01
Friday night: the old harbour
The first night warms up down at the harbour: fish for dinner with the wooden boats in front and the lit wall above. Paying for the view is part of the deal.
Afterwards, climb into Kaleiçi through the alleys. The courtyards of the Ottoman houses are bars and you can’t see them from the street: you have to walk in.
If you’re staying in Lara or Belek, count on a taxi each way with a motorway in between.
- 02
Saturday: all of Kaleiçi, and the museum
The big day, all on foot: Hadrian’s Gate from the year 130, the Seljuks’ fluted minaret, the maze of Ottoman houses and the Roman harbour. Start at nine, before the sun turns the slopes into a problem. Leave the Antalya Museum for the hottest hours, it has air conditioning and two hours of Perge marbles, and close at the Hıdırlık tower with the sunset over the Bey mountains.
- 03
Sunday: Aspendos and Side
Aspendos first, 45 kilometres east: its 2nd-century theatre is the best-preserved Roman one in the Mediterranean, with the stage wall intact and seating for more than fifteen thousand. It’s still used for opera and ballet, which says plenty about how it was built.
Then Side, thirty kilometres further on: a village built inside an ancient city, with the columns of the temple of Apollo on the point, facing the sea.
They pair up in one day because they’re on the same road. Without a car it means an organised tour.
- 04
The alternative: Konyaaltı or Lara
If day two isn’t ruins, it’s beach, and you have to choose. Konyaaltı is west, pebbled, with the Bey mountains dropping into the water right behind it, and it’s the locals’ beach, with its park and promenade.
Lara is east, sandy, and it’s where the big resorts are.
If you’re staying there you already have it, and the Lower Düden waterfall is next door, falling off the cliff straight into the sea.
Frequently asked
How many days do you need for Antalya?
Two days cover the essentials: one for Kaleiçi and the Antalya Museum on foot, and one for Aspendos and Side. With three or four you can add Perge, Termessos and the Düden waterfalls, and still have beach time.
Can you see Aspendos and Side on the same day?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing: they sit on the same road east of Antalya, 45 and 75 kilometres out, and they fit into one day with a car. Without a car, the practical route is an organised tour.
Is Antalya just a beach destination?
No. It’s the base for the best-preserved Roman coast in the Mediterranean: Aspendos, Perge, Side, Termessos and Phaselis are all within 100 km, and the old town itself is a walled Roman harbour.