Antalya is far more than just another coastal city. It’s a launchpad for some of the most diverse and rewarding day trips you can experience in Turkey. For digital nomads and slow travelers, it’s not just the reliable wifi, relaxed pace, or sea breeze cafés that make it a perfect place to base yourself for a while—it’s the sheer variety of adventures that start right on your doorstep.
One of the most compelling things about Antalya is how quickly you can shift from one kind of landscape—or century—to another. One day might find you cruising the turquoise coastline by boat, stopping to swim in sapphire coves or kayak over sunken ruins; the next, you could be standing in a Roman amphitheater, hiking a section of the Lycian Way, or soaking in the white terraces of Pamukkale. Within just a few hours’ radius, Antalya offers a rare and thrilling confluence of natural wonder, ancient history, and rich local culture.
For digital nomads especially, this flexibility is invaluable. You can work from a sunny coworking terrace during the week, and then head out on a weekend to explore something entirely different—without needing to hop on a plane. Whether you’re craving mountains or ruins, waterfalls or thermal springs, Antalya’s geography places you in a network of unforgettable places to explore. These aren’t just check-the-box excursions—they’re experiences you can weave into a lifestyle rooted in curiosity, movement, and meaning.
What follows is a curated list of our personal favorite day trips from Antalya. We’ve taken them all ourselves, and each is paired with its own in-depth post (or multiple posts) to help you go deeper.
Pamukkale and Hierapolis
If there’s one day trip from Antalya that feels like stepping into another world, it’s the journey to Pamukkale and Hierapolis. Located about three hours inland by van, this UNESCO-listed site rewards the distance with something truly unforgettable: glowing white travertine terraces cascading down a hillside, filled with pale turquoise thermal pools that look almost too perfect to be real. Pamukkale (which translates to “cotton castle”) is one of Turkey’s most iconic natural wonders, and it’s a place that still feels like it belongs to myth as much as to geology.
What makes this trip especially unique is the way it pairs natural beauty with ancient grandeur. Just above the terraces lies Hierapolis, a sprawling Greco-Roman city that once served as a spa destination for ancient elites. You can walk through time here—past colonnaded streets, necropolises, temples, and one of the most impressive amphitheaters in Turkey. There’s even a museum on-site featuring statues, sarcophagi, and that distinctive spiral serpent sculpture linked to ancient healing deities. It’s a powerful reminder that this part of the world has been drawing visitors to its mineral-rich waters for thousands of years.
Statues, spiral motifs, and a grand amphitheater—Hierapolis is ancient history on a dramatic scale
Today, that same magic still pulls people in. The guided tour from Antalya (which includes lunch) allows plenty of time to roam the travertines barefoot, peer into the ruins of Hierapolis, and—if the Cleopatra Pools are open—swim among submerged columns in warm mineral waters. Despite being a long day, this trip is one of the most rewarding ways to see both natural and cultural heritage in one go.
Kekova, Myra, and the Church of St. Nicholas Church
This day trip from Antalya feels like several journeys in one: across time, across belief systems, and even across land and sea. Visiting Kekova, Myra, and the Church of St. Nicholas in a single day offers a layered look at the region’s ancient past, early Christianity, and surreal maritime landscapes.
Start with Kekova, where a boat cruise carries you over the glassy waters above the Sunken City. Earthquakes long ago submerged this Lycian settlement, and what’s left behind are stone staircases and half-drowned ruins visible just beneath the surface—ghostly and astonishing. The boat ride itself is tranquil, but it carries with it the quiet weight of long-forgotten lives, now gently lapped by the Mediterranean.
Stairs descend into the sea at Kekova’s Sunken City, where kayaks float above ancient ruins
From the water, head inland to Myra, an ancient city famed for its dramatic rock-cut tombs carved directly into the cliff face. These tombs, stacked in rows like theatrical backdrops, are among the most striking ancient sites in Turkey—both for their scale and for their seamless integration with the landscape. Nearby, the Roman amphitheater adds another architectural layer, still standing proud with centuries of weather behind it.
The theater at Myra and the Lycian rock-cut tombs etched dramatically into the cliffside
The final stop is a surprise in palette and presence: the Church of St. Nicholas, patron saint of children and travelers (and the historical basis for Santa Claus). The church’s frescoes and icons are remarkably vibrant, infusing the space with life and color you might not expect in such an unassuming setting. For those curious about early Christian heritage or just seeking unexpected beauty, this stop lingers.
All of it is accessible on this guided day tour from Antalya, which takes care of logistics and lets you focus on the wonder. With minimal effort and maximum reward, it’s one of the most well-rounded excursions available.
Termessos
Not every ancient city needs crowds to feel monumental. Termessos, high in the Taurus Mountains, is one of the few archaeological sites near Antalya that remains almost untouched by mass tourism—and that’s exactly its power.
This half-day trip is a hiking tour, leading you up switchbacks into the pine-covered hills, where broken columns and crumbling walls peek through the underbrush. At its summit: a vast amphitheater carved into the mountain, its stone seats now overlooking nothing but forests, ridgelines, and wind. There are no cafés, no gift shops, no blaring speakers—just stillness.
Tucked high in the mountains, Termessos rewards visitors with silence, solitude, and sweeping stonework
Termessos isn’t included in many tour packages, precisely because it’s not commercially developed. But for travelers looking for a quieter, more reflective experience of Turkey’s layered past, this is a rare kind of escape. Ancient, remote, and surrounded by wild nature, it rewards those who make the climb.
We thoroughly enjoyed this hiking tour.
Perge, Aspendos, and Side
For those wanting to dive deep into Turkey’s classical past without straying too far from Antalya, this day trip is a dream. It’s a full itinerary of antiquity, combining three of the region’s most celebrated ancient cities with the refreshing calm of the Manavgat Waterfalls.
Perge is the first stop, a vast and surprisingly well-preserved ancient city. Walking along its colonnaded streets, you can still see the outlines of bathhouses, agoras, and towers. The scale is immense, but it’s the fine details—like inscriptions and sculpted stones—that bring Perge to life. The sense of quiet here, despite its former grandeur, makes it easy to imagine the rhythms of everyday life in a once-thriving Roman outpost.
In Perge, ancient infrastructure and unexpected flora offer quiet moments of colour and continuity
From there, the tour heads to Aspendos, home to one of the most intact Roman theaters in the world. Built in the 2nd century, this amphitheater still stuns with its acoustics and symmetry. Even empty, it feels alive—its rows of seats curving around a massive stage where echoes linger and stone holds memory. For anyone with a love of architecture or performance, Aspendos is a highlight.
Then it’s on to Side, a coastal city where ancient ruins blend seamlessly into modern life. Here, crumbled temples stand steps from the sea, and the half-standing columns of the Temple of Apollo glow golden at sunset. It’s a place where you can wander past ancient gates and stumble onto a Roman road without planning to. There’s time to explore the waterfront, grab a meal, or simply sit among the stones and watch the horizon.
The final stop is the Manavgat Waterfalls—a green, shaded reprieve after a day of sun-soaked stone.
This tour from Antalya offers an elegant mix of nature and culture in a single day.
Suluada
Sometimes the best day trip from Antalya is one where you do almost nothing at all—and that’s exactly what makes a boat trip to Suluada so special. Nicknamed “the Maldives of Turkey,” this tiny, uninhabited island is known for its bright turquoise waters, white-pebble shores, and untouched feel. It’s not hype: the color of the sea here really is that vivid.
Departing from Adrasan, about 90 minutes from Antalya, the full-day boat tour includes lunch on board and several swimming stops, including at Suluada and a few other nearby coves. You can lounge in the shade, sun yourself on the deck, or swim in crystal-clear water—all without needing water shoes, hiking boots, or a plan.
After days spent exploring ruins, climbing amphitheaters, or walking barefoot over travertines, this tour was our reset button: sea, salt, and sun.
Vegan options?
We found that all of these tours offered vegan-friendly lunches, and it wasn’t something we had to stress about. Meals are typically served at lokantas—simple, local kitchen-style restaurants where you can point to what you want, and staff are usually happy to explain which dishes are vegan. In most cases, we were offered a mix of beans, eggplant or zucchini stews, bulgur pilaf, and salads. Just let your guide or server know in advance, and you’ll be well looked after.
Other tours
The trips we’ve listed above were our absolute favorites—each one offered something unique, and they’re listed in the order we personally enjoyed them. If your time in Antalya is limited, this would be our suggested starting point. That said, there are plenty of other excellent tours worth looking into, especially if you’re staying closer to the city. For nature lovers, there’s the Green Canyon Boat Trip. For something more local, you can explore Antalya’s own highlights with a Düden Waterfalls, Old Town, and Boat Tour, or take a slower-paced Old Town Walking Tour that includes dessert tasting. Whether you’re heading far or staying close, there’s no shortage of ways to explore.
Making the most of your time in Antalya
What makes Antalya such a standout base isn’t just the city itself—it’s the way it opens up access to such a wide range of landscapes, histories, and experiences. Whether you’re drawn to the sea or the mountains, crave slow walks through ancient ruins or long swims in turquoise coves, this region gives you the freedom to follow all those threads. For travelers who love a mix of ocean, archaeology, hiking, and heritage, there are few places more rewarding.
If you’re a digital nomad or planning a longer stay, we’d recommend aiming for at least six weeks to two months in Antalya. That gives you time to balance work, community, and exploration without feeling rushed—and to take full advantage of the many day trips, weekend excursions, and slow afternoons that make this place so easy to love.
