5 Days: Antalya and the Coast

Five days from an Antalya base adds Pamukkale, 250-300km out, to the Perge, Aspendos, Side, Termessos and Olympos run. Same spine as the 4-day plan , one more day added. Going longer? See the 6-day plan , which starts an overnight run to Kas.

Book these before you go

Day Focus Distance / Drive Time
1 Perge and Aspendos 18km and 47km, 20-45 min each
2 Side 76km, 1-1.25 hr southeast
3 Termessos 37-39km, 40-45 min northwest
4 Olympos and the Chimaera 80-85km, about 1.5 hr south
5 Pamukkale and Hierapolis 250-300km, 3.5-4 hr north

Day 1: Perge and Aspendos

Morning

Drive 18km/20-30 minutes east to Perge, the closest ruin on this coast: a colonnaded main street, a stadium, and a bath complex.

Afternoon

Continue 30km/15 minutes to Aspendos, the single best-preserved Roman theatre standing anywhere. Entry runs roughly 700 TRY ($15/13 euros), free with the MuseumPass . It still hosts the Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival every September (2026 dates: Sept 10-29).

Evening

Back in Antalya for dinner.

Day 2: Side

Morning

Drive 76km/just over an hour southeast to Side, a working beach town built directly around a Roman theatre and harbor.

Afternoon

Walk the open town for free; the theatre is the ticketed piece, exact current fee unconfirmed across sources, verify on site.

Evening

Sunset through the Temple of Apollo’s columns on the harbor point, then the hour back to Antalya.

Day 3: Termessos

Morning

Drive 37-39km/40-45 minutes northwest into Guillik Dagi National Park. Go early, the gates reportedly close by mid-afternoon.

Afternoon

Entry runs roughly 100-120 TRY ($2-3/2 euros, verify on site). Steep, shadeless walk to the mountaintop ruins, wear proper shoes and carry extra water.

Is Termessos Worth the Climb If You Only Have Time for One Ruin?

Yes, for anyone who doesn’t mind the hike. Termessos beats Perge on drama and crowd-free ruins alone, real elevation and none of the tour-bus traffic Perge sees by midday. Background on the site sits on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism site .

Evening

Back in Antalya by late afternoon.

Day 4: Olympos and the Chimaera

Morning

Drive 80-85km/about 1.5 hours south through Kemer to Olympos, ruins and a real beach on the same stretch of sand.

Afternoon

Split the afternoon between the ruins in the pine trees and the beach. Entry fees and the access point vary by whether you start from Cirali or the Olympos end, verify on site.

Is the Chimaera Hike Worth Doing After Dark?

Yes, it’s the one stop on this route built specifically for evening. The Chimaera’s natural gas flames barely register in daylight; after dark they glow visibly against the bare rock above Cirali, which is the entire point of the detour.

Evening

Hike the short trail to the Chimaera flames after dark, then drive back to Antalya, or stay overnight in Cirali.

Day 5: Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Morning

Pamukkale is 250-300km/3.5-4 hours north, the longest drive on this route. A packaged day tour typically runs a roughly 5am pickup; driving yourself means an early departure from Antalya to make it worth the trip.

Afternoon

The white travertine terraces and the Hierapolis Roman ruins and archaeology museum run roughly 30 euros combined entry, Cleopatra’s Antique Pool swim adds about 6 euros more. Hierapolis-Pamukkale’s inscription details are on the official UNESCO listing .

Is a Single-Day Pamukkale Trip Worth the 7-Hour Round Trip?

It’s a real grind but it works. A commercial day tour’s roughly 5am-to-8pm window leaves genuine hours on-site, just not a leisurely visit. If you can spare a sixth day, an overnight in Pamukkale or Denizli turns the same terraces into an actual relaxed stop rather than a box ticked from a moving car.

Evening

Long drive back to Antalya if you’re doing this as a single day; budget for arriving late and skip plans for a big dinner out.

Book the Pamukkale tour or your rental car days ahead, this is the one leg of the trip where a late booking means paying resort-season prices for whatever’s left.