Why Start in Antalya
Antalya Airport (AYT) is only about 20 minutes (13 km) from the city center, with fixed-price transfers from €36 fanning out along the whole Riviera — Belek at 36 minutes, Side at an hour, Alanya at about 1 hour 36. That makes Antalya the natural base for the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Its airport is one of the country's busiest, handling holiday traffic from across Europe, and the resorts, ruins and mountains of the region fan out on either side. The city blends a working Turkish metropolis with a tourist coast: an atmospheric old quarter above a Roman harbor, modern beaches and marinas, and the Taurus range as a constant backdrop.
In Antalya: What to See and Eat
Antalya's heart is Kaleiçi, the walled old town — a maze of restored Ottoman mansions, boutique hotels and cafés tumbling down to a horseshoe Roman harbor, entered beneath the marble Hadrian's Gate of AD 130. Above it, the fluted Yivli Minaret marks the skyline, and the excellent Antalya Museum holds Roman statuary from nearby Perge. A transfer to the city center takes around 15 minutes from the airport.
The city has beaches at both ends — pebbly Konyaaltı under the mountains to the west, sandy Lara to the east — and the Düden waterfalls tumble straight into the sea nearby. For food, the old town and harbor serve mezze, grilled fish and the slow-cooked lamb the region is known for; come hungry and stay late.
Antalya is also a springboard for one of the densest concentrations of ancient cities in the Mediterranean. The colonnaded streets of Perge, the mountain ruins of Termessos high in the Taurus, and the seaside columns of Phaselis are all within a day's reach — most of them far quieter than the famous sites of western Turkey. A cable car up Tünektepe and a stroll along the clifftop Karaalioğlu Park round out an easy day in and around the city.
What to See Along the Coast
About 1 hour east (64 km). An hour east, Side wraps a Greco-Roman town around a headland: a grand ancient theater, a temple of Apollo whose columns stand right on the water, and sandy beaches on both sides — ruins and resort in one. The Kumköy strip just west adds long sands and family hotels. Transfers: Side · Kumköy
Belek ~36 min from the airport (33 km). Turkey's golf and luxury-resort capital, with manicured courses and all-inclusive hotels along the sand. Just inland stands Aspendos, whose Roman theater is among the best preserved in the world and still hosts summer performances. Transfer: Antalya Airport to Belek
About 57 minutes west (58 km). West of the city, where the pine-clad Taurus foothills meet the sea, Kemer is a greener, cooler resort coast — a base for stretches of the Lycian Way trail, the eternal flames of the Chimaera and the seaside ruins of Olympos. Transfer: Antalya Airport to Kemer
About 1 hour 36 east (125 km). Further east, Alanya is crowned by a vast Seljuk castle on a rocky peninsula, with the octagonal Red Tower guarding the harbor and the famous Cleopatra Beach below — a lively, long-established resort town. The Türkler beaches lie just before it. Transfers: Alanya · Türkler
Inland from the coast, the Köprülü Canyon national park is the Riviera's adventure playground — whitewater rafting on the Köprüçay river through a pine gorge, reached via the villages of Çandır and Ürkütlü. Transfers: Çandır · Ürkütlü
Kundu ~21 min (14 km) — the closest resort strip to the runway. East of the city, the Kundu and Lara strip is lined with the Riviera's biggest themed resort hotels, steps from a long sandy beach — the easy-going, all-inclusive heart of an Antalya holiday. Transfer: Antalya Airport to Kundu
Airport to Resort: Times and Prices
Private transfers out of Antalya Airport start from €36 for a saloon car — one of the lowest rates on the Mediterranean — fixed at booking, with minivans for seven, a business van for eight and a minibus for sixteen. The times below are normal-traffic estimates from the live route pages; against a charter coach that loops a dozen hotels, the direct ride wins the first hour of the holiday back.
Antalya center ~20 min (13 km) · Kundu ~21 min (14 km) · Çandır ~26 min (28 km) · Kumköy ~28 min (23 km) · Belek ~36 min (33 km) — from €36. All Antalya Airport routes
Kemer ~57 min (58 km) · Side ~1 h (64 km) · Ürkütlü ~1 h 08 (88 km) · Türkler ~1 h 25 (107 km) · Alanya ~1 h 36 (125 km) — all fixed price, hotel door to hotel door. Book a route
The Antalya coast is long — Kemer is about 45 minutes west, Alanya over two hours east. Decide whether you want mountains and pines (west) or the big resorts and ruins (east) before you pick a hotel, and let the transfer take the strain on arrival.
Where to Stay: Old Town, Sand or All-Inclusive
Kaleiçi, the walled old town, is the character option — Ottoman houses turned boutique hotels above the Roman harbor, 20 minutes from the runway. The all-inclusive heartlands split by taste: golf and five-star spas at Belek, family sand at Lara and Kundu, mountains-meet-sea scenery at Kemer. Side layers ruins over resort life — temples at the beach bar — and Alanya anchors the far east with its castle rock and long value-first seafront.
When to Go
April–May and September–October are ideal — hot sun, warm sea and fewer crowds. July and August are very hot and busy. The shoulder months are best for the ruins and for hiking the Lycian Way; spring is also prime rafting season in Köprülü Canyon. Winter stays mild on the coast and is good for city sightseeing.
Getting There and Around
Direct flights connect Antalya Airport (AYT) to cities across Europe, especially in summer. The airport is just east of the city, with motorway access to the resort coast in both directions.
Resorts stretch for hours along the coast, and after a charter flight nobody wants to wait for a coach that stops at ten hotels. A pre-booked private transfer takes you straight to your hotel in Belek, Side or Alanya — fixed price, child seats on request, no surprises. The driver meets you at arrivals with a name board, tracks your flight, and waits up to 60 minutes free after landing; cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup. For a Perge-Aspendos ruins loop or a Köprülü rafting day, the hourly service keeps a driver on call at a fixed price.
How much does a private transfer from Antalya Airport to the city center cost?
A private transfer from Antalya Airport (AYT) to the city center starts from €36. The price is fixed at booking — no meter and no surge pricing.
How long is the transfer from Antalya Airport to Belek or Side?
Belek's resort strip is about 36 minutes (33 km) from Antalya Airport and Side about 1 hour (64 km). The city center itself is around 20 minutes (13 km).
How do I get from Antalya Airport to Kemer or Alanya?
Kemer, under the Taurus cliffs west of the city, is about 57 minutes (58 km) from the airport, from €36. Alanya, at the far eastern end of the Riviera, takes about 1 hour 36 minutes (125 km).
Can I request child seats for a family transfer in Antalya?
Yes — add child seats as a special request during booking. Minivans seat up to seven and the business van up to eight, so families with resort luggage travel in one car.
What happens if my flight to Antalya is delayed?
Your flight is monitored in real time and the pickup adjusts automatically, with 60 minutes of free waiting after landing. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup.
Plan the easy part first: book a private transfer from Antalya Airport and start your Turkish Riviera holiday without the stress.
