Photo: Prodronemovie, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

New Year in Antalya: what it is actually like

Antalya at New Year is a city break with mild days, not a beach holiday. The sea is 19°C, most of the resort strips are shut, and the celebrating happens in the city and in the hotels that stay open. If you know that going in, it is one of the better-value weeks of the year on this coast.

What the week is actually like

Expect about 17°C by day and 7°C in the evening, with roughly twelve rainy days spread across December — and rain here arrives in heavy bursts with sunny spells between, rather than drizzling all day. The sea is around 19°C: swimmable for the determined, not for a holiday.

The other thing to plan around is the light. At the end of December the sun comes up at about 08:00 and sets at about 17:40, so the useful part of the day is short and dinner happens in the dark. Days do start lengthening again straight after the solstice, but you will not notice it in a week.

Month by month figures are on our weather page, and what winter is like more broadly in the winter guide.

New Year's Eve is the big night, not Christmas

This surprises most first-time visitors. The lights, decorated trees and gift-giving you see in late December belong to New Year, not to Christmas: 31 December is the night Turkey celebrates, and 1 January is a public holiday. Christmas Day is an ordinary working day.

In practice that means two things. Hotels that stay open through winter usually put on a gala dinner on the 31st, and it is often charged separately or built into a minimum stay — worth asking exactly what is included before you book rather than discovering it at reception. And the city itself is busy on the night: restaurants book out, and so do the hotels in Kaleici.

One honest note on Christmas: if that is what you are looking for, Demre has a connection worth the drive — the church of St Nicholas, the fourth-century bishop behind Santa Claus. See Demre and Kekova.

Where to be

Antalya city

The obvious base, and the only one that behaves normally in winter. Kaleici's restaurants and bars are open, the archaeological museum is one of the best in the country, and the old town is at its most pleasant without summer crowds. See Antalya and the city guide.

Alanya

A little milder than Antalya in winter, which is why the long-stay winter crowd clusters there. The castle, the harbour and the Tuesday markets all carry on, and enough restaurants stay open to have a choice: Alanya.

Belek, Side and Kemer: think twice

These are resort strips rather than towns. Most of the big hotels close or run a reduced programme from November, and what is outside the hotel gate in August is shuttered in January. If a package looks unusually cheap for New Year in Belek, check that the hotel is genuinely open and that there is somewhere to eat other than the buffet.

What to do in those days

Ancient sites with nobody in them. Perge, Aspendos and Termessos in January are a different experience from the same sites in August — cool enough to walk properly and quiet enough to hear yourself think: ancient sites.

Snow in the morning, sea air in the afternoon. The Saklıkent ski centre on Bakırlı Dağı is about 45 km northwest of Antalya and its season runs roughly December to April, depending on snow. It is genuinely possible to ski in the morning and be back by the water for the afternoon — see the winter guide.

The everyday things. Weekly markets run all year and are at their most local in winter (market days); citrus and pomegranates are in season; and the Düden waterfalls are at their fullest after the winter rain.

Booking notes

December and January are low season everywhere on this coast — except for these two weeks, when city hotels fill and rates for the New Year nights rise. Book the nights around the 31st earlier than the rest of the trip.

Two questions worth asking before you pay: is the hotel actually open, and is the gala dinner included, extra or compulsory. Both catch people out at New Year specifically.

Flights are thinner in winter across the whole coast, but Antalya keeps far more winter routes than Dalaman or Gazipaşa, which are largely seasonal. If you are weighing airports, see which airport to fly into.

Frequently asked questions

Can you swim in Antalya at New Year?

The sea is around 19°C at the turn of the year — cold enough that most people will not want more than a few minutes, although hotel pools are often heated. Air temperatures of about 17°C by day make it good walking weather rather than beach weather.

Are the hotels open at New Year?

In Antalya city and Alanya, yes. Along the resort strips — Belek, Side, much of Kemer — many large hotels close or run a reduced programme from November to March. Check that the specific hotel is open for your dates rather than assuming the area is.

Is Christmas celebrated in Antalya?

Not as a holiday. The trees, lights and gifts you see in late December are for New Year, which is the celebration in Turkey; 25 December is an ordinary working day and 1 January is the public holiday. Some hotels with international guests do mark Christmas.

Is a New Year gala dinner compulsory?

It varies by hotel, and it is one of the things most worth asking. Hotels that stay open usually hold a gala dinner on 31 December; it may be included, charged separately, or required along with a minimum stay. Get it in writing before booking.

Is New Year a good time to visit the Turkish Riviera?

For a city break with mild days, empty ancient sites and low prices outside the two festive weeks, yes. For a beach holiday, no — that is May to October. See our best time to visit guide.