Antalya Day Trips by Private Car with Driver

The Antalya coast is full of places worth a day out: Roman cities, waterfalls, canyons, cable cars and harbour towns. With a private car, the driver takes you there, waits while you visit and brings you back at the time you choose. There is no coach schedule, no hotel-by-hotel pickup round and no shopping stop you did not ask for. This guide covers the classic day trips from Antalya, Belek, Side and Kemer, with distances and practical tips.

How a day trip with a driver works

• The driver waits and brings you back. Book the outward journey on the booking form and choose “Return” with the time you want to leave. The driver waits while you visit and drives you back at that time.
• Fixed price, shown before you pay. Both legs are paid together, with a discount on the return leg. The fare is per vehicle, not per person.
• The car: a private Mercedes Vito for up to 6 passengers. Child seats are free on request; give the children’s ages when you book.
• Several stops in one day (for example Perge, Aspendos and Side): write the plan in the booking notes, or email [email protected] for one fixed price for the whole day.
• Transport only. Our drivers are not tour guides. Entrance tickets and guides are not included; check opening times and prices with each site before you go.

Distances at a glance

Times are for normal traffic without stops. From Belek or Side, sites to the east are closer; from Kemer, sites to the west are.

East of Antalya: Perge, Aspendos, Side and Manavgat

Perge

The easiest major ancient site to reach: about 17 km from Kaleiçi and only 7.5 km from the airport. Allow about two hours for the Hellenistic gate towers, the colonnaded street with its water channel, the baths and one of the best-preserved stadiums in Anatolia. There is very little shade, so go at opening time or in the late afternoon. With a late flight, you can check out, visit Perge with your luggage in the car and continue to the airport ten minutes away.

Aspendos

One of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world, with an aqueduct nearby, about 10 km from Belek. Perge in the morning and Aspendos before lunch make an easy half day. See Aspendos from Antalya.

Side

Here you can walk from a Roman theatre to a sandy beach in five minutes. The ancient city covers a small peninsula with the Temple of Apollo at its tip; the museum is housed in Roman baths. The old town is largely pedestrian, so the driver drops you at its edge. A classic day: Aspendos in the morning, Side in the afternoon, sunset at the temple and dinner by the harbour, with the driver taking you back after dinner. The fixed fare from Antalya Airport to Side is €65 per vehicle if you want to stay there.

Manavgat waterfall

Not tall, but wide and powerful, with tea gardens and shaded paths just north of Manavgat town and 8 km from Side. Combine it with a river boat trip, the weekly market or the ruins of Side.

Köprülü Canyon

Inland from Side, the national park is best known for rafting on the Köprüçay river. A Roman bridge is still in use, and higher up lies the ancient city of Selge among rock formations (about 104 km, 2 hours from Antalya). It is a full day from Antalya and an easy one from Side or Belek (about 50 minutes). Book the rafting with an operator and the transport with us; list wet bags and gear in the booking notes.

West of Antalya: Phaselis, Tahtalı and Olympos

The D400 coast road west of Antalya runs through tunnels and pine forests to Kemer, then past mountains that drop straight into the sea. Sit on the left going west for the views.

• Phaselis: an ancient harbour city in pine woods near Tekirova, with three small bays for a swim. See Phaselis from Antalya.
• Tahtalı cable car: to over 2,000 metres above Kemer. Go up early, before cloud gathers on the summit. See the Tahtalı cable car.
• Olympos and Çıralı: ruins along a stream in a wooded valley and a long, quiet beach. See Olympos and Çıralı.

Phaselis and the cable car fit into one day; Olympos makes a second.

Long days and overnight trips

Myra, Demre and the sunken city of Kekova

Myra’s Lycian rock tombs and the church of St Nicholas are in Demre, about 146 km from Antalya. Kekova’s sunken city can only be seen from the water: boats leave from Üçağız (about 192 km from Antalya, 30 minutes from Demre) and stop at Kaleköy, ancient Simena, below its castle. From Antalya it is a long day; with a night in Kaş, it is a relaxed one. See Myra from Antalya.

Kaş, Kaputaş Beach and Patara

Kaputaş is a small cove of white pebbles and turquoise water at the foot of a gorge between Kaş and Kalkan, reached by a long staircase from the road. Patara, west of Kalkan, has one of the longest beaches in Türkiye, protected for nesting turtles and closed in the evening, with a Lycian city behind it. Both are more than three hours from Antalya, so stay at least one night in Kaş or Kalkan and visit from there. From Antalya Airport the fixed fare to Kaş and Kalkan is €120 per vehicle; see Kaş airport transfer.

Saklıkent Gorge

A narrow gorge inland from Fethiye: a wooden walkway, then wading upstream through cold, fast water between rock walls hundreds of metres high. Bring shoes that can get wet. It is about 2 hours 50 minutes from Antalya but only an hour from Kaş or Kalkan and 45 minutes from Fethiye, so it works best from there. The ski centre in the mountains above Antalya is also called Saklıkent; make sure you book the right one.

Pamukkale

The white travertine terraces and the ruins of Hierapolis are about three hours from Antalya each way. Leave around 07:00 and allow at least four hours there: the terraces are walked barefoot, and the Antique Pool has a separate ticket. You are back in Antalya in the evening. If you are staying in Side or Alanya, or travelling with children, a night in Pamukkale is more relaxed, with the terraces at sunset and early morning.

Cappadocia is not a day trip

Göreme is about 500 km from Antalya, roughly six and a half hours by road. Go for two or three nights: travel by private car via Konya (lunch and the Mevlana Museum), and fly home from Kayseri or Nevşehir or book the car back. Balloon flights take place in Cappadocia at sunrise, weather permitting.

Family days

• Aqualand and Dolphinland at the west end of Konyaaltı beach: about 7 km from Kaleiçi. Some visitors skip animal shows for welfare reasons; check the current programme with the venue.
• Antalya Aquarium in Konyaaltı, about 20 km from the airport, good on very hot or rainy days. Combine it with the beach park or the Tünektepe cable car.
• The Land of Legends in Belek: a theme park and water park with evening shows. See the Land of Legends.
• Düden waterfalls: the upper falls in a shaded park about 13 km from the airport, and the lower falls dropping into the sea near Lara.

At closing time, taxi queues at the parks are long and drivers may be reluctant to take wet children. With a booked return, your car is waiting. Pack dry clothes for the drive back.

Outdoor days

• Climbing at Geyikbayırı, about 25 km west of Antalya, with hundreds of sport-climbing routes.
• The Lycian Way: we drop you at the trailhead and collect you at the end of the section. See the Lycian Way.
• Rafting in Köprülü Canyon (above) and, in winter, skiing at the Saklıkent ski centre, about an hour from the city.

The Vito takes 6 passengers and 6 large items. List climbing bags, rafting gear or skis in the booking notes so we can check they fit. Pickups are available at any hour for early starts.

Boat days, gulets and yacht charters

Many boat days start from harbours along the coast: Kemer marina (about an hour from Antalya Airport, €50 per vehicle), Kaş (€120) and, further west, Fethiye and Göcek (€160 from Antalya, or under an hour from Dalaman Airport). For a gulet or blue cruise, give us the harbour, the boat’s name and the embarkation time. Soft bags are easier to stow on board. For 7–12 guests, two Vitos travel together; larger groups can ask for a minibus quote.

A three-day plan

• Day 1: Perge and Aspendos, lunch in Belek.
• Day 2: Side’s theatre and museum, the Manavgat waterfall, sunset at the Temple of Apollo.
• Day 3: Phaselis and the Tahtalı cable car, or Olympos and Çıralı.

Tips

• In summer, visit open-air sites at opening time or in the late afternoon; most have little shade.
• Bring water, a hat, sun cream and sturdy shoes.
• Check opening times and ticket prices directly with each site.
• Plan with the clock: the time you choose for the return is when the driver is ready to leave.

More from Antalya: Termessos, Karain Cave, waterfalls and beaches, getting around Antalya with a driver and Antalya airport transfers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the driver wait while we visit?

Yes. Book the outward journey with a return at the time you want to leave; the driver waits and brings you back.

How is the price calculated?

Per vehicle, by route and distance, shown on the booking form before you pay. The return leg is discounted.

Can we visit several places in one day?

Yes. Write the plan in the booking notes, or email [email protected] for one fixed price for the day.

Is a guide included?

No, the service is transport only. Entrance tickets are not included.

How many people fit in the car?

Up to 6 in one Mercedes Vito. For larger groups, book two cars or ask for a minibus quote.

Is Pamukkale a day trip from Antalya?

Yes, a long one: about three hours each way. A night there is more relaxed.

Can we do Cappadocia in a day?

No. It is about six and a half hours each way; plan two or three nights.