If you have one day, do Olympos + Mt Chimaera. Two days, add Myra + Kekova. Three or more, rent a car and add Termessos + Phaselis. Self-drive beats tours for anything beyond a single site — €25–40/day rental is much cheaper than two tour seats, and Termessos has no popular tour anyway.
Skip Aspendos / Side / Perge if your interest is specifically Lycia — those are Pamphylian, not Lycian, and worth a separate day if Greco-Roman amphitheatres draw you. Patara, Xanthos, and the western Lycian core are too far from Antalya for sensible day-tripping; if those interest you, fly into Dalaman or move base mid-trip.
The 6 day trips, ranked
1. Olympos + Mt Chimaera (Yanartaş)
The classic Antalya-to-Lycia day. Drive 80 km south-west on the D400 to the Olympos turn-off. The valley descends to a pine-shaded archaeological site with Lycian tombs, a Roman theatre, and a beach where the river meets the sea. Free entry to the site (small parking fee). After the ruins, drive 10 minutes north to Çıralı and the Mt Chimaera (Yanartaş) car park, then walk 30 minutes uphill to the eternal flames — natural methane vents burning out of the rock. Best at dusk for the visual effect.
If you want to stay overnight (the better option), see our Antalya → Olympos transfer page. Treehouse pensions in Olympos run €25–50 per person including breakfast + dinner.
2. Myra + Kekova sunken city
The most iconic Lycian day from Antalya. Drive 130 km west on the D400 to Demre / Myra. At Myra: a cliff face of rock-cut Lycian tombs and a Roman theatre — one of the most photographed Lycian sites. Adjacent is the Church of St Nicholas (St Nick’s original parish, before he became a Western Christmas figure). Then drive 30 minutes south to Üçağız harbour and take a 2-hour boat trip over the sunken city of Kekova — earthquake-submerged Lycian houses visible through clear water, glass-bottom boats included. Most boats stop at Simena (Kaleköy) for a swim and a climb up to the medieval castle.
Long day. Tours leave Antalya around 7am, return 7–8pm. Self-drive is the same timing but you can extend the swim or the castle climb.
3. Termessos mountain fortress
The most underrated ancient site on the southern coast — and rarely a tour-bus stop because the access road is too steep. Drive 35 km north-west of Antalya into Güllük Dağı National Park. From the upper car park, walk 1 hour through pine forest up to a Lycian-Pisidian mountain fortress at 1000m. Theatre carved into the cliff, ruined temples and gymnasium, panoramic views back to the coast. Bring water and good shoes — the path is rocky.
Counter-intuitively, the entry fee is one of the lowest of any major Turkish ruin (~€4) because the site is hard to reach. Open until sunset. Termessos is the day trip that makes serious archaeology travellers feel they’ve seen the real Lycia.
4. Phaselis ancient harbour
The shortest classic-Lycia day from Antalya. 60 km south-west on the D400. Phaselis is a Lycian-Greek-Roman harbour town with three small bays, a Roman aqueduct, theatre, and ruins running along the shore. The water is clear; bring swim gear. The setting — pine forest, three small beaches, ruins emerging from the trees — is the most photogenic of the easy day trips.
Often paired with Olympos in a single tour day. Self-drive: stop at Phaselis for the morning (cooler), eat lunch in Tekirova, then continue to Olympos in the afternoon.
5. Köprülü Canyon (rafting + Selge)
Strictly Pamphylia, not Lycia, but worth listing for completeness. East from Antalya into the Taurus Mountains. The Köprülü canyon has white-water rafting (class 2–3, family-friendly), Roman ruins of Selge above the canyon, and a pleasant trout-restaurant lunch culture. Tours bundle transport + raft + lunch for €30–50; the raft alone runs €25–35 if you self-drive.
The non-rafting alternative is to drive up to Selge (rough road) for the ancient theatre carved into a hilltop — empty of tourists, dramatic Mediterranean panorama from the seats.
6. Aspendos + Side ruins
Pamphylian, not Lycian — but worth a day if Greco-Roman amphitheatres are your thing. Aspendos has the best-preserved Roman theatre in the Mediterranean, capacity 12,000, still hosting the Aspendos Opera Festival in summer. Side is a coastal town built on top of the ruins of an ancient port, with Apollo’s temple at the harbour at sunset. Combine the two in one day; both are east of Antalya on the way to Manavgat.
Skip if your interest is specifically Lycia. Choose Termessos or Olympos instead.
Tour vs self-drive — honest comparison
| Factor | Group tour | Self-drive (rental car) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost (2 people, 3 days) | €240–480 | €90–150 + fuel + entries |
| Flexibility | Fixed schedule | Anywhere, any pace |
| English-speaking guide | Included | None — bring your own knowledge or audio guide |
| Lunch | Usually included (set restaurant) | Eat where + when you want |
| Number of stops/day | 2–3 (rushed at each) | 1–4 (your choice) |
| Termessos accessible? | Rarely on tour menus | Yes |
For 1–2 day trippers, a tour is fine — you skip the parking, the language, the navigation. For 3+ day trippers, the rental economics dominate and the flexibility is real value.
By season — when to do which trip
The drive times above are normal-traffic figures. Real schedules shift with the season:
| Trip | April–May, Sept–Oct (best) | July–August (peak) | November–March |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympos + Chimaera | Ideal — beach swim possible | Hot at midday; do early or evening | Mild, much quieter; flames more visible at dusk |
| Myra + Kekova | Ideal — flat sea for boat | Boat overcrowded; book early | Boats reduced; check schedule |
| Termessos | Perfect hiking weather | Avoid — exposed climb in 35°C+ | Sometimes muddy underfoot but doable |
| Phaselis | Swim + ruins combo works | Beachy, busy, fine | Pretty but no swim |
| Köprülü rafting | April–May best (cold, full-flow) | July–August very busy, water lower | Closed (river too cold) |
| Aspendos + Side | Ideal — opera season May–Sept | Hot at midday; sunset visit | Open, very quiet |
Where to base in Antalya
Most day-trippers stay in Antalya old town (Kaleiçi) rather than the beach hotels in Lara — Kaleiçi has Roman walls, Hadrian’s Gate, harbour-side restaurants, and a small-town feel inside the larger city. Pension rooms €40–80, boutique hotels €80–150. Konyaaltı (the city beach district) is fine but suburban; Lara is hotel-strip-only.
The drive-time advantage of Kaleiçi: it’s 5 minutes from the D400 west exit, so all six day trips start a few minutes faster than from Lara.
How to book
Or browse transfer operators if you only need point-to-point rides.
Frequently asked
What are the best day trips from Antalya to Lycia?
Olympos + Mt Chimaera (1h30 drive), Phaselis (50 min), Termessos (45 min), Myra + Kekova (2h, full day), Aspendos + Side (45 min, technically Pamphylia), Köprülü Canyon rafting (1h45).
Should I rent a car or take a tour?
For 1–2 sites: tour. For 3+ sites or flexibility: rent a car (€25–40/day plus fuel + entries). Self-drive opens up Termessos which isn’t on tour menus.
Is Olympos worth a day trip?
Yes for the eternal flames at Mt Chimaera (best at dusk). Or stay overnight at an Olympos treehouse pension — see our Antalya → Olympos transfer.
Myra + Kekova day length?
Full day, 12+ hours. Drive 2h each way, plus the Myra ruins, St Nicholas church, and a 2-hour boat trip over the sunken city of Kekova.
Is Termessos worth visiting?
Yes — most underrated ruin on the southern coast. Mountain Lycian-Pisidian fortress at 1000m, dramatic, no crowds, low entry fee. 45 min drive + 1h walk up.
Patara or Xanthos as a day trip from Antalya?
Possible but very long — 3h each way. Better to fly into Dalaman or move base to Kaş / Kalkan for the western Lycian core.