Day trips from Belek and Side: what is worth it
Within an hour of Belek and Side there is a Roman theatre still in use, a complete Roman city, a canyon for rafting and one of Türkiye's best museums. Here is each trip with honest driving times, costs and whether a tour or a hire car makes more sense.
Aspendos
The best-preserved Roman theatre in the world, built around 160 AD and still in use for the opera and ballet festival each summer. Climb to the top row for the acoustics test, then walk up behind the theatre to the aqueduct and basilica ruins that most tour groups skip. Combine with Perge or Side in one day.
Perge
A whole Roman city 15 km east of Antalya: colonnaded main street with the water channel down the middle, stadium for 12,000, baths, agora and the Hellenistic gate towers. Little shade, so go early. The finds are in the Antalya Archaeological Museum, worth adding on the same day.
Side ancient city
The old town sits on a peninsula with the Temple of Apollo at the tip, a 15,000-seat theatre in the middle and the modern bazaar threaded through the ruins. Best at sunset: the temple columns against the sea, then dinner in the harbour. The theatre and museum charge entry; the rest is free to wander.
Köprülü Canyon rafting
14 km of grade I–II rapids on the Köprüçay river through a national park: fun, cold, safe for children from about 6. Tours include transfer, lunch and a guide per raft; the price is low because operators earn on photos and drinks. The Roman Oluk bridge at the start is worth the stop.
Antalya Old Town (Kaleiçi) & Düden waterfalls
Ottoman houses, Hadrian's Gate, the old harbour and the Yivli Minaret, all walkable in two hours; add the archaeological museum (one of Türkiye's best) and the Lower Düden waterfall dropping straight into the sea at Lara. Easy by car or taxi; the tram runs from the museum to Kaleiçi.
Termessos
A Pisidian mountain city at 1,000 m that Alexander the Great gave up besieging. The theatre hangs over a gorge; the necropolis is scattered through pine forest. Steep paths, proper shoes, no facilities, and almost no crowds. Best in spring and autumn.
Pamukkale & Hierapolis
White travertine terraces and a Roman spa city, genuinely spectacular, but 3.5–4 hours each way. Coach tours leave at 5–6 am and return around 9 pm with roughly three hours on site. If you can, stay a night in Pamukkale instead and see the terraces at sunrise without the crowds.
Driving times are for daytime traffic from the centre of each resort, checked 8 October 2026. Entry fees at state-run sites are paid by card only (no cash) and rise each year; tour prices are per person including transfer, usually without entry fees. All figures are estimates.
Our suggestion for a week
If you have a week in Belek or Side and two days for trips: one day Perge in the morning, Antalya Archaeological Museum at midday, Kaleiçi and the harbour in the afternoon; the other day Aspendos early, then rafting or Manavgat. Side itself is an evening, not an excursion. Termessos is for a third day and for people who like to walk.
Practical notes
The ruins have little shade; from June to September start early and be done by 11 am. Bring water, a hat and proper shoes, as the ancient paving is slippery. Dogs around the sites are common and harmless. Tour sellers in hotels and along the beach promenade offer the same tours at very different prices; booking online is usually cheaper and cancellable.
For getting from the airport see our transfer guide; for the best time of year, the weather guide.
Frequently asked questions
Should I book a tour or hire a car?
For Aspendos, Perge, Side and Antalya Old Town a hire car (from about €30 a day) or a taxi for the day is cheaper and more flexible than a group tour once there are two or more of you. For rafting and Pamukkale the tour wins: transfer, equipment and logistics are included and the drive is long.
Can I pay cash at the ruins?
No. State-run sites (Aspendos, Perge, Side theatre, Termessos, Hierapolis) have been card-only since 2023. The Turkish Museum Card is for residents only; visitors can buy the Museum Pass Mediterranean, which pays off from three or four sites.
Is Pamukkale doable as a day trip?
Doable yes, advisable only just. From Belek or Side it is 3.5–4 hours each way; the coach leaves at 5–6 am and returns around 9 pm. To see the terraces without the crowds, stay one night in Pamukkale instead.
What is the best day trip with children?
Rafting in Köprülü Canyon (from about age 6) and the Manavgat river boat trip with a swim stop. Aspendos works with children too because the theatre impresses and the visit is short; Perge is big, shadeless and hard work for kids.
Is Cappadocia worth it from Belek?
Not as a day trip: over 600 km each way. Two-day tours with an overnight coach ride and fly-in packages exist. If Cappadocia matters to you, plan two or three nights there.