Day trips from Antalya, and when to take them
The country around Antalya is full of ancient cities and waterfalls. Some trips are gentle enough for a recovering patient; others are better left until your teeth are finished. Here is how to choose.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026Easy trips from Antalya include Perge, about 20 minutes from the airport, and the Roman theatre at Aspendos, about 40 minutes away, both mostly on level ground. Termessos involves a steep mountain climb, and boat trips mean sun and spray, so save them for after your treatment. In the days after surgery or extractions, avoid long days in the heat, swimming and alcohol, and stay within reach of your clinic.
Antalya sits in one of the richest landscapes for ancient sites anywhere in the Mediterranean. Within an hour of the city there are Roman theatres, stadiums, aqueducts, mountain cities and waterfalls. If your treatment leaves you with free days, or you are staying on after it, a day trip can be the highlight of the visit.
The question is when. A trip that is easy for a healthy holidaymaker can be hard work for someone two days after implant surgery. This article groups the best-known trips by how demanding they are, and suggests when in your treatment they fit. Distances are from the Turkish tourism authority, Go Türkiye, and driving times from OpenStreetMap road data in free-flowing traffic.
A rule of thumb
| Stage of treatment | What suits it |
|---|---|
| Day of surgery and the next day | Rest. No trips. |
| Days 2 to 4 after surgery | Short outings in the city, early or late in the day |
| Waiting for teeth to be made | Easy half-day trips, if your dentist agrees |
| After crowns or veneers without surgery | Most day trips, with care for new teeth |
| Treatment finished | Anything, including boat trips and mountain walks |
Your dentist knows your treatment; ask before you plan anything in the first week.
Easy trips
Perge
Perge was one of the great cities of ancient Pamphylia, and Go Türkiye puts it about 18 km east of Antalya. From Antalya Airport, it is roughly a 20-minute drive. The site is spread out on mostly level ground, with a colonnaded street, a stadium, a theatre that held around 12,000 people, mosaic floors and city gates. Many of the statues found here are now in Antalya Museum, so the two make a good pair.
There is little shade, so go early in the morning, wear a hat and take water. You can see the main sights in an hour or two.
Aspendos
The Roman theatre at Aspendos is among the best preserved in the Mediterranean world, according to Go Türkiye, and it is genuinely remarkable to stand inside it. It is about 45 km east of the city, roughly 40 minutes from the airport by road. The theatre itself is easy to visit; the aqueduct, about a kilometre long, is a short drive away. Allow half a day.
The Düden waterfalls
Antalya has two well-known waterfalls on the Düden river. The upper falls are in a park on the northern side of the city, with shaded paths and a walkway behind the water. The lower falls drop straight into the sea at the Lara end of the city and are best seen from the clifftop park or from a boat. Both are close to the centre and easy to visit in an hour or two.
Moderate trips
Side
Side, about 80 km east of Antalya on a small peninsula near Manavgat, has a colonnaded street, temples by the sea and a theatre, all mixed in with a busy resort town. It is easy walking but a longer journey, about an hour each way. Better once you are past the first days of healing.
Phaselis
Go Türkiye places Phaselis about 58 km south-west of Antalya, near Kemer. It is a former port with three harbours and ruins among pine trees by the sea. The walking is easy, but the drive takes about an hour, and the beaches will tempt you to swim, which you should not do until your dentist says so.
Demanding trips: save these for later
Termessos
Termessos is a dramatic mountain city in a national park, about 30 km north-west of Antalya and famous for resisting Alexander the Great. Reaching the main ruins means a steep, uneven climb on rocky paths, often in the heat. It is a wonderful visit for someone fit and well, but not one to attempt soon after surgery or if walking is difficult.
Boat trips and the coast
Boat trips from Antalya’s old harbour visit the cliffs and the lower Düden falls; longer trips along the coast stop for swimming. They mean hours in the sun and sea spray, and the swimming stops are the main attraction. Save them for after your treatment, or for a later holiday.
Lycian sites
Further west, Olympos, Myra, Kekova and Xanthos are among the most beautiful places on the coast, but they are two to three hours or more from Antalya each way. They are not suitable for a treatment week.
Getting there
Most visitors reach the ancient sites by taxi, by private driver or on an organised tour. A driver for half a day gives you the most control: you can leave when you are tired, stop for water and shade, and get back in time for an evening appointment if needed. Group tours are cheaper but run to a fixed timetable, often combining several sites in one long day, which is harder going when you are recovering. Public transport reaches some sites, but usually with a walk at the end.
If you go with a tour, choose a short one, and check what time it returns. Avoid full-day tours in the first week after surgery.
In the heat
Antalya is hot from late spring to early autumn, and the ancient sites have little shade. Heat makes swelling more uncomfortable and dehydration more likely, and some painkillers and antibiotics can make you more sensitive to the sun. Go first thing in the morning, take more water than you think you need, and turn back if you feel unwell.
For any trip, tell the clinic coordinator where you are going and when you expect to be back.
Practical tips for any trip
- Check with your clinic that you have no appointment that day and that the trip suits your stage of treatment.
- Keep your phone charged and on. Appointments can move.
- Go early. Most sites have little shade; mornings are cooler and quieter.
- Take water, sunscreen and a hat, and any painkillers your dentist has advised.
- Pack soft food if you are still on a soft diet; roadside cafés may not have suitable options.
- Use a reputable driver or tour. Your hotel or clinic can usually recommend one.
- Carry photo ID. GOV.UK says carrying ID is a legal requirement in Turkey.
If you feel any throbbing, bleeding or increased swelling during a trip, stop, rest in the shade and drink some water. If it does not settle, head back and call your clinic; it is better to cut a visit short than to push on.
Above all, keep the plan flexible. A day trip is easy to move; a missed fitting can delay your treatment by days.
Combining treatment and holiday sensibly
Many patients find that the best plan is to do the treatment first and the holiday afterwards. In a two-trip implant plan, the first trip is usually busier and more tiring, with surgery; the second trip, to fit the final teeth, is often easier and leaves more time to explore. If you want to see the sights properly, the second trip may be the time to do it.
Whatever you plan, remember why you came. A missed appointment because a coach was late back from a day trip can delay your treatment. Our article what to avoid after treatment lists the activities to hold off on.
Common questions
How far is Perge from Antalya?
The Turkish tourism authority puts it about 18 km east of the city. From Antalya Airport it is roughly a 20-minute drive.
Can I visit Aspendos after implant surgery?
Not in the first days. Once your dentist is happy and you feel well, a morning visit on a cool day is reasonable. It is about 45 km east of the city.
Is Termessos suitable for older visitors?
It involves a steep, uneven climb in a mountain national park. It is best for people who are fit and walking comfortably, and not soon after surgery.
Are boat trips a good idea during treatment?
Better afterwards. Sun, sea spray and swimming are not advised after surgery or extractions until the wounds have healed.
Sources
- Go Türkiye: Antalya, things to see
- OSRM / OpenStreetMap: driving times
- NHS: wisdom tooth removal (aftercare after an extraction)
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
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