How to Get to Antalya in Turkey (Türkiye)

If you’re planning your trip to Antalya, a popular holiday destination along the Turkish Riviera, or Turquoise Coast of Türkiye, then you might want to know how to get there from certain destinations.

We spent six weeks in Türkiye, and travelled across the country using all main methods of transport, such as long-haul buses, minibuses (dolmus), trains and planes. We arrived to Antalya from Fethiye, another well-visited city along the coast. Then, from Antalya, we carried on further east to Cappadocia, the land of ‘fairy chimneys’ and hot air balloons.

In this guide, we thought we’d summarise how to reach Antalya from many popular tourist destinations within the country such as Istanbul, Selcuk, Pamukkale (Denizli), Fethiye and Cappadocia. We’ll detail the different modes of transport you can take from each of these places, and provide you with links to the websites we used to check timetables and ticket price information.

How to Get to Antalya from Popular Places in Turkey (Türkiye)

The main methods of reaching Antalya are by flying, taking a bus or hiring a car. There are no direct train services to Antalya, although you could travel by train up to a certain point before switching to a bus.

We personally like to travel across a country by public transport whenever possible. It’s normally more affordable and environmentally friendly then flying. For shorter stays, we also like to hire a car, which we generally recommend if you want more freedom.

Below we’ll discuss how to reach Antalya from many major tourist destinations such as Istanbul, Selcuk, Pamukkale (Denizli), Fethiye and Cappadocia. At the end, we’ll also detail how you can get to the city centre / old town from the main bus terminal and the airport.

Travelling to Antalya from Istanbul

By Plane. The quickest way to get to Antalya from Istanbul is to fly. You can fly direct from either Istanbul Airport (IST), or Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW), to Antalya Airport (AYT). Both Pegasus and Turkish Airlines operate daily flights between the two cities.

From the airport, you can travel to the city centre by taxi, the Havas airport shuttle bus, public bus or tram.

By Bus. If you’re not in a hurry and don’t want to fly, then you could consider taking a bus from Istanbul. Long distance buses to Antalya leave from multiple locations in Istanbul such as Alibeyköy Otogari, Esenler Otogari, or Istanbul Dudullu. They are all quite far from each other, so make sure to double check which terminal your bus departs from before leaving.

Our go-to websites for checking bus operators, timetables and ticket prices are either Busbud or Flixbus. The bus journey can take anywhere from 12 to 14 hours. The bus drops you off at Antalya Bus Station. To travel to the city centre from the bus station you can use taxis, a local bus or the AntRay tram.

By Car. If you want to have a road-trip, then you can always hire a car in Istanbul and drive all the way to Antalya. It should take about 9 hours without stopping, so allocate a whole day for your trip, including some stops.

Travelling to Antalya from Fethiye

Fethiye and Ölüdeniz are also popular holiday destinations along the Turquoise Coast of Türkiye. If you’re heading to Antalya for a few days after paragliding above the Blue Lagoon like we did, then we recommend getting a bus between the two cities.

By Bus. A bus will get you to Antalya from Fethiye in 3-3.5 hours, which is quick and efficient. Buses leave from Fethiye Bus Station, which you can get to on a local minibus (dolmus). Then, they’ll drop you off at Antalya Bus Station (Antalya Otogari). Check either Busbud or Flixbus for timetables and bus operators.

By Plane. The closest airport to Fethiye is Dalaman Airport (DLM), located about 50 km to the west of Fethiye. Since it would take you about an hour just to get to the airport, we don’t think flying to Antalya from Fethiye would be any quicker or more affordable than taking the bus.

By Car. If you want to enjoy a road-trip along the Turquoise Coast then we suggest hiring a car and driving all the way to Antalya. Driving between the two places takes about 5 hours via the scenic route. However, we recommend stopping at a few places along the way, such as Kas, so make sure to allocate a full day for your drive. If you’re in a rush, then the shortest route is only about 3 hours.

How to Get to Antalya from Cappadocia (Goreme)

After enjoying a hot air balloon ride and the unique landscapes of Cappadocia, you may be heading to the Turkish Riviera next. Luckily, it’s easy to travel between Antalya and Cappadocia.

By Plane. The quickest way to get to Antalya is to fly. There’s currently one direct flight per day between Kayseri Airport (ASR) and Antalya Airport (AYT). This means that from Cappadocia (Goreme), you’ll need to travel to Kayseri Airport first using a local bus from the bus station. The bus journey normally takes about an hour or so, as does the flight.

From Antalya airport, you can travel to the city centre by taxi, on the Havas airport shuttle bus, public bus or tram.

By Bus. A longer alternative is to take the bus. There are a few day-time and night-time buses leaving from Goreme bus station to Antalya. The bus takes about 9 to 10 hours, and will drop you off at Antalya Bus Station (Antalya Otogari). Check either Busbud or Flixbus for timetables and bus operators.

We actually travelled from Antalya to Cappadocia by bus during our six week long backpacking trip across the country. Whilst it took the majority of the day to get to Göreme, the landscape was incredible and you’ll be given a few stops along the way where you can grab something to eat. However, if you want to save on a night’s accommodation, then opt for the night bus.

By Car. If you want to have a road-trip, then you can always hire a car and drive all the way to Antalya. It should take between 7 to 8 hours without stopping, so you’ll probably be driving for the majority of the day once you include some stops.

How to Get to Antalya from Selcuk and Ephesus

Selcuk and the ancient city of Ephesus are also very popular places to visit along the Turquoise Coast.

By Plane. The closest airport to Selcuk is Izmir Airport (ADB). There are a few direct flights between the two cities. To get to Izmir Airport, take either the Izmir-Selcuk train, or a Havas shuttle bus from Selcuk.

By Bus. There are a few direct buses operating between Selcuk and Antalya. Long-haul buses depart from Selcuk Bus Stop (Selcuk Otogari) and arrive at Antalya Bus Station (Antalya Otogari). The journey is about 12-hour’s long, and you can opt for a day-time or overnight bus. Check either Busbud or Flixbus for timetables and bus operators.

By Car. If you want to go on a road-trip, then we suggest hiring a car and driving all the way to Antalya. The fastest route would take you about 5 or 6 hours. However, you can always break it up and spend a few days in places like Fethiye and Kas for the ultimate Turkish coastal road-trip.

How to Get to Antalya from Pamukkale and Denizli

If you’ve just visited the unique travertine pools of Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis, then you’ll first need to get from Pamukkale to Denizli. There are a few ways to do that, which we’ve detailed in our dedicated Pamukkale travel guide.

By Bus. Once you’re in Denizli, the only viable option to travel to Antalya is by bus. Luckily, there are regular daily services between the two cities leaving from Denizli Bus Station. The journey time is between 3 to 3.5 hours. The bus will drop you off at Antalya Bus Station (Antalya Otogari). Check either Busbud or Flixbus for timetables and bus operators.

Note that there are no trains between Antalya and Denizli. There are also no direct flights between the two cities.

How to Get to Antalya City Centre and Old Town (Kaleici)

Once you’ve arrived at either Antalya Airport (AYT) or Antalya Bus Terminal, the next step will be to reach the city centre, or the old town (Kaleici).

Note. Before you use public transport in the city, you’ll need to buy an Antalyakart, which allows you to travel on all available modes of transport. The card costs 35 TL, and you can then just top it up to cover as many journeys as you’ll need during your stay. Learn more about the Antalyakart here.

Tram. From the main bus terminal, take either tram T1A or T1B. If you’re coming from the airport, then take T1A to the city centre. Depending on where you’re staying, you can get off in multiple places. See the AntRay tram map here.

Bus. From the bus terminal (Otogar), you can take bus 600, TC93 or TL94 to the city centre. If you’re flying, then take either bus 600 or 800. Bus 600 travels between the bus station and the airport via the city centre, although it only operates in the early hours. Bus 800, on the other hand, travels between the airport and the city centre and runs much more frequently. See up-to-date information here.

Airport Shuttle. Havas operates a shuttle bus service between the airport and the city centre. The buses leave from the domestic arrival terminal. Shuttles leave every hour and take about 45 minutes to reach the centre, depending on traffic. Read more up-to-date information here.

Taxi. Of course, if you’re arriving at unsociable hours, or have a lot of luggage and don’t fancy taking public transport, then we recommend getting a taxi from the airport or bus station to your accommodation.

Final Thoughts on How to Get to Antalya in Turkey (Türkiye)

Thanks to Antalya being a popular destination with visitors, we found it easy to reach despite not having train connections. We were travelling from Fethiye at the time, and found our bus journey to be pretty straightforward. It was also very quick and efficient to get to the city centre and the old town area after we’d arrived at the bus station.

From Antalya, we were travelling on to Cappadocia on a daytime bus. Whilst it was a long journey, the landscape was really beautiful and made us feel like we’d seen way more of the countryside than we would’ve done had we flown.

Have you ever been to Antalya before? Let us know where you came from and how you got there. If not, then we hope that this guide has given you a good idea of how to plan your own journey to this beautiful spot in Turkey (Türkiye).