Antalya

Decide before booking whether you want the walled Old Town of Kaleici or a Konyaalti or Lara beach base, because a Lara all-inclusive sits a 30-minute taxi from the harbour.

Written by the Departly editorial team Reviewed against GOV.UK on 7 Jun 2026

Find hotels in Antalya Tours & tickets

Best length

7 nights for a beach week; 3-4 for the Old Town and ruins

Airport

Antalya (AYT), ~13km east of the centre

Airport to centre

AntRay tram ~30 min (~42₺ / £0.70); taxi ~25-35 min

Best base

Kaleici Old Town for character; Lara/Konyaalti for the beach

In short

Antalya at a glance

Antalya is the capital of Turkey's Mediterranean coast and the busiest UK beach destination in the country, but it is really two trips in one: the walled Ottoman Old Town (Kaleici) tumbling down to a harbour, and a long strip of resort beaches at Konyaalti and Lara either side of it. Decide which you want before you book, because a Lara all-inclusive is a 30-minute taxi from the Old Town, and use Antalya as a base for the Roman ruins at Aspendos and Perge rather than treating it as a city break.

The short version

Stay in Kaleici (the walled Old Town) for character and walkability, or a Lara/Konyaalti resort for an all-inclusive beach week — they are very different holidays 10-12km apart.
The AntRay tram from the airport to the Old Town is about 42₺ (~£0.70) on an AntalyaKart and takes ~30 minutes; ignore the taxi touts unless you have heavy luggage.
The big-hitter sights are out of town: book a half-day to the Roman theatre at Aspendos (€15) and the ruins at Perge, not just the harbour.
Antalya is one of the cheapest Mediterranean beach trips going for UK travellers — a mid-range week lands well under a Spanish equivalent.
May, June, September and early October are the sweet spot; July and August are 34°C and packed, and your GHIC does not work in Turkey (inherit the Turkey entry rules).

Antalya confuses first-time visitors because the name covers two very different places. There is Antalya the city — Kaleici, a walled Ottoman quarter of cobbled lanes and timber houses spilling down to a Roman harbour, with Hadrian’s Gate at the top and one of Turkey’s best archaeology museums a tram ride away. And there is Antalya the beach destination — a 20km string of resort hotels along Konyaalti to the west and Lara and Belek to the east, which is what fills Jet2 and TUI flights from the UK all summer. They are 10-12km apart and you should decide which one you are booking before you pay, because a Lara all-inclusive is a half-hour taxi from the Old Town, and a Kaleici guesthouse is not a beach holiday.

The smart move depends on what you want. For character and history, stay in or beside Kaleici for three or four nights and use the city as a base for the coast’s Roman ruins — the still-working theatre at Aspendos and the ruined city of Perge are both easy half-days, and the museum makes sense of both. For a classic sun-and-pool week, book a Konyaalti or Lara resort and accept that you will see the Old Town once, on a taxi day. Either way Antalya is one of the cheapest Mediterranean beach trips a UK traveller can take.

Two practical things to sort before you fly. The airport tram (AntRay) costs about 42₺ (~£0.70) on an AntalyaKart and beats the taxi touts into the centre, so you rarely need a transfer unless you have heavy cases or a resort booking out east. And because Turkey is outside the EU, your GHIC does not work here — travel insurance with medical cover is essential, not optional. The structured planning below — where to stay, the airport options, a realistic week in pounds, and the best months — picks up from here.

Plan your Antalya trip

Where to stay in AntalyaNeighbourhoods & hotel areas

Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.

Top things to do in Antalya

Antalya Aquarium

Antalya Aquarium on the Konyaaltı waterfront is built around the world's longest acrylic tunnel — 131 metres, with sharks and rays passing overhead. Buy the plain aquarium ticket only: the Snow World ice room, WildPark and 5D cinema are sold as paid add-ons and most visitors find them filler. Tourists are charged in euros (around €55 an adult), which makes it pricey for a 1–2 hour visit, so treat it as a rainy-afternoon or kids-in-tow option rather than a headline sight.

1–2 hours €55

Check tickets Read the guide

Hadrian's Gate

Hadrian's Gate is free and never closes, so there's no ticket to plan around — the only real decision is timing. Built in white marble around 130 CE to mark Emperor Hadrian's visit to the city that year, it's a three-arched triumphal gateway you walk straight through to enter Kaleiçi old town. Come at dusk when it's floodlit and the cart-rut grooves in the original paving under the glass walkway catch the light, look up at the carved coffered ceilings, then keep walking into the old town rather than treating the gate as a standalone stop.

10–15 min

No tickets required Read the guide

Where to stay first

The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.

Kaleici (Old Town)

££ mid-range

The walled Ottoman quarter and the best base if you want Antalya the place rather than Antalya the beach resort: boutique guesthouses in restored mansions, the harbour and the sights on foot, and proper evenings. The honest trade-off is small rooms, some street noise and a stair-and-cobble layout that is hard with big cases or limited mobility.

Best for: First-timers, couples, character over a beach

Browse hotels City centre

Konyaalti

£ value

The long pebble beach immediately west of the centre, backed by the Taurus mountains and an easy tram ride from the Old Town. Better value and more local than Lara, family-friendly with parks and a promenade, and the pick if you want beach plus easy access to the city rather than a sealed resort.

Best for: Families, value, beach with the city in reach

Browse hotels ~5km west, on the tram

Lara

£££ premium

The premium resort strip east of the airport, where most of the big five-star all-inclusives sit on a long sandy beach. This is the classic UK package base — brilliant if you want everything on site and never to leave, but it is a 25-30 minute taxi back into the Old Town and feels like an international resort bubble, not Turkey.

Best for: All-inclusive beach weeks, families who want everything on site

Browse hotels ~12km east

Belek

£££ premium

Further east again, the golf-and-luxury-resort zone near Aspendos — manicured, expensive and almost entirely about the hotel and the course. Choose it only if golf or a self-contained luxury week is the point; it is a long way from any real town.

Best for: Golf, high-end all-inclusive, families wanting a sealed resort

Browse hotels ~35km east

Airport to city centre

Antalya airport transfer options
Option	Time	Cost	Book ahead?
AntRay tram (T1A) to the centre	~30 min	about 42₺ (~£0.70) on an AntalyaKart; the card itself is a one-off 100₺	Cheapest reliable option; runs every ~15 min
City bus (600/800)	~40-50 min	about 42₺ / £0.70 on an AntalyaKart	Same fare as the tram, but slower and less luggage-friendly
Havas shuttle bus	~45 min	about 130₺ / £2	Useful if your stop is on the route
Taxi or pre-booked transfer	~25-35 min	roughly €20-€35 to the centre; more to Lara/Belek	Worth it with luggage or for a Lara resort

Pre-book a door-to-door transfer

When to go

Sweet spot: May, June, September and early October are the sweet spot: sea at a swimmable 23-28°C, daytime highs in the mid-20s to low-30s, the Roman ruins bearable to walk, and prices below the July-August peak. The swimming season stretches May to December because the sea stays above 20°C, so a late-autumn beach week still works.

July and August are the package peak — 34°C, busy beaches and the highest prices, and a brutal time to walk Aspendos or Perge in the open sun. Spring and autumn are kinder for sightseeing and better value, though sea temperatures only really climb from late May. Winter is mild (15-18°C) and cheap, good for the Old Town and the ruins, but the beach resorts wind down and some charter routes pause.

What it costs

Off-peak UK return flights to Antalya start around £45-£70 booked ahead in April, May, June, September and October; July and August follow package-holiday pricing and climb well above that. TUI flies direct from Manchester and many regional airports; Jet2, easyJet and Pegasus run direct routes from London. Many people do better on an all-inclusive package than buying flights and a five-star hotel separately — compare both.

Daily budget per person

Budgetcheapest £25-£40 / day

Mid-range £55-£85 / day

Comfortable £140-£200+ / day

Lokanta / kebab meal off the tourist drag	200-360₺ / £3-£6
AntalyaKart single tram ride	~42₺ / ~£0.70 (card itself a one-off 100₺)
Antalya Museum entry	~90₺ / ~£1.50
Aspendos theatre (foreign visitor)	€15 / ~£13
Perge ancient city entry	250-300₺ / £4-£5

Sample trip: A 7-night Old-Town-and-ruins trip for one person, mid-range and out of high season, comes to roughly £550-£800 all-in: about £70-£160 on an off-peak flight, ~£280-£420 on a Kaleici guesthouse, ~£120-£160 on food and drink, ~£15 on tram travel, and ~£60-£90 on the museum plus a guided day trip to Aspendos and Perge. Booked as an all-inclusive Lara package, a 7-night beach week often starts nearer £350-£500 per person — which is why so many UK travellers go that way.

Antalya is one of the cheapest Mediterranean beach destinations for UK travellers, but two things still catch people out. Harbour-front and Hadrian's Gate restaurants charge a tourist premium — walk two lanes inland for the same meze at a third of the price. And because of Turkish inflation, many tourist businesses now quote in euros; pay in lira on a fee-free card where you can.

Book the essentials

Where to stay

Browse staysvia Booking.com

Also in Turkey

BodrumAegean Coast CappadociaCentral Anatolia FethiyeTurquoise Coast IstanbulMarmara

See the full Turkey guide

Antalya FAQs

Should I stay in Antalya Old Town or a beach resort?

They are two different holidays. Kaleici, the walled Old Town, is best for character, walkability and a city-with-a-harbour feel — choose it for a 3-4 night trip built around the sights and the Roman ruins. The Lara and Konyaalti beach strips are for a 7-night beach week; Konyaalti is closer to the city and better value, Lara is the premium all-inclusive zone but a 25-30 minute taxi from the Old Town.

How do I get from Antalya Airport to the centre?

The AntRay tram (line T1A) runs from the airport into the centre in about 30 minutes for roughly 42₺ (~£0.70) on an AntalyaKart, every 15 minutes or so — it is the cheapest reliable option. Buy the AntalyaKart (a one-off 100₺) at the tram-stop kiosk on arrival. City buses cost the same but are slower, and a taxi or pre-booked transfer runs about £20-£30 to the centre and more out to the Lara and Belek resorts. With heavy luggage or a resort booking, a transfer is worth it.

Do I need a visa for Antalya, and does my GHIC work?

British citizens need no visa for a holiday in Turkey of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, but your passport must be valid for at least 150 days from arrival with a blank page. Crucially, your UK GHIC/EHIC is NOT valid in Turkey — there is no reciprocal healthcare, so travel insurance with medical cover and repatriation is essential. See the Turkey entry-requirements guide and confirm on GOV.UK before you travel.

Is Antalya worth more than a beach holiday?

Yes, if you base yourself near the Old Town. Some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the Mediterranean sit within an hour of Antalya — the theatre at Aspendos (still used for summer opera, ~45km east) and the ruined city of Perge are both easy half-day trips, and the Antalya Museum ties them together. Treat it as a base for the coast's history, not just a sun lounger.

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