How to Visit the Ancient City of Perge from Antalya

A popular day trip from Antalya is to the Ancient City of Perge. Located just outside the popular holiday destination, this site is included on the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List. In this guide, we’ll share everything you might need to know before your visit to Perge from Antalya in Turkey (Türkiye).

We’ve included information on opening times, entry fees, and the benefits of having a Museum Pass. You can also read about how to get to the site, the best times to visit and what to wear. In addition, we’ve also listed some of the highlights within Perge that you shouldn’t miss when exploring the site.

About the Ancient City of Perge

Located about 20km to the northeast of Antalya, Perge is a fantastic half day trip from the city. As you can imagine, the ancient city of Perge has a long history and was probably founded around 100 BC. However, most of the ruins you’ll see today are from the Roman period.

It became an important centre of Christianity, and was also a major city during the Byzantine era. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, it was abandoned.

Thanks to the significance of the ruins, and the artifacts found through excavations, Perge is included on the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List. Many of the statues found at the site are exhibited in the Antalya Museum, which is definitely worth visiting.

How to Get to Perge from Antalya

Since Perge is located pretty close to the city, it’s easy to access the site on different modes of transport.

Public Transport. If you’re like us and want to visit independently, then you can always travel to Perge from Antalya using public transport. We hopped onto the T1B tram in the city centre, and traveled all the way to the Aksu stop. See the AntRay tram map here. From the tram stop, it’s another 1.5km to Perge. We chose to walk it, but you could also take a taxi.

We visited Kursunlu Waterfalls first, so we took bus MK80 from Demirciler Çarşısı bus stop, which dropped us off at the Kurşunlu Şelalesi stop. From there, we took bus MK81 to Perge. The bus dropped us off at this bus stop and we walked the rest of the way to the site.

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 as needed for any journeys you make during your stay. Learn more about Antalyakart here.

By Car. If you want to visit on your own but don’t fancy using public transport, you can always hire a car for the day using this company. It only takes about 20 minutes to get to Perge by car, depending on the traffic. Having a hire car is also a great option if you want to visit other places in the area such as Kursunlu Waterfalls, Sillyon, and the Aspendos ruins.

By Organised Tour. As always, if you don’t want to drive or rely on public transport, then we suggest booking on an organised tour to visit Perge from Antalya. This tour visits Perge, the Aspendos Ruins and the city of Side, as well as Manavgat Waterfalls.

Other Things to Know Before Visiting Perge from Antalya

Perge Entry Fee and Opening Hours

The site is open every day between 8:30AM and 7PM during the summer months, with slightly shorter opening times in winter.

One single entry to Perge Ancient City is 11 EUR. If you’re staying in Türkiye for longer, then we recommend getting the Türkiye Museum Pass for around 165 EUR. It might seem like a lot, but when you add up the individual entry fees from each place you want to visit, it may work out cheaper in the end. You can check out what’s included in these passes here.

Note that prices are prone to change so always check the official website for more up-to-date information.

Top Tip. Make sure to keep your ticket safe, as you’ll need to show it again when visiting the theatre, which is a separate site on the other side of the road.

When is the Best Time to Visit Perge Ancient City

You can basically visit Perge all year round, however there are better and worse times throughout the year. The cooler months are January and February, whereas the hottest months will be July and August. The latter also coincide with the summer school holidays, which means that there might be a lot more visitors. However, Perge won’t be anywhere near as busy as Ephesus Ancient City, located close to Selcuk.

We visited in September, just after the summer holidays, and it felt like we were the only ones at the site. So, if you’d also like to have Perge almost all to yourself, with more pleasant temperatures, then we recommend visiting in the shoulder season; so either in spring or autumn.

If you’re visiting Perge from Antalya during the high-season, then we recommend getting to the site earlier in the day. That way you can avoid the crazy summer heat as much as possible. Since we visited Kursunlu Waterfalls first, it was the middle of the day by the time we got to Perge. Even in September it was pretty hot! Alternatively, you can also visit later in the afternoon, when the temperatures are more bearable.

What to Wear on Your Visit to Perge from Antalya

Depending on the season you’re visiting in, we generally recommend wearing something weather appropriate. Note that there won’t be any shade really, and it was still pretty hot for us in September. So, if you’re there during the height of the summer, you’ll want to make sure you’re wearing sufficient sun protection. Wear something loose-fitting and light to keep you cool, and enough SPF on any exposed skin. Bring a hat and sunglasses for additional protection.

Regardless of when you’re visiting, we highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes. Whilst the site isn’t massive, we still walked a lot, and you don’t want your feet to be hurting as you explore. The ground can be uneven and the rocks can get pretty slippery too, which is another reason you’d want something with good grip.

Whilst there is a cafe near the main entrance, there won’t be anything once you’re inside. Therefore, bring plenty of water with you to stay hydrated during your visit. Bringing some snacks might also be a good idea in case you get a bit peckish.

How Long Do You Need in Perge Ancient City

Since it’s not a huge site, you can easily visit Perge from Antalya as a half day trip. We only needed about 1.5-2 hours to walk around the site without rushing.

You can either head back to Antalya afterward, or make a full day of it by visiting Kursunlu Waterfalls, located about 8 km to the north of Perge. We actually went there first from Antalya, then got the bus down to Perge from there. It was a nice way to see both places in one day, especially since we were only spending a few days in Antalya.

What Not to Miss in Perge Ancient City

Whilst the archaeological site isn’t massive, there are a few points of interest you don’t want to miss during your visit.

1. Perge Theater

Just across the road from the main ticket office is Perge Theater. We visited the theater after the main site, but you could also start here too so you don’t forget about it at the end.

The Theater was built in the side of Kocabelen Hill in the Greco-Roman style. With a capacity of 12,000 people, it is actually one of the largest in Türkiye. Make sure to climb all the way to the top to enjoy some panoramic views of the ancient city.

2. Roman and Hellenistic Gates

Access to the city was via multiple gates. A few were erected during Roman times but one of the most iconic symbols of the ancient city is the Hellenistic Gate. As the name suggests, it was initially built in the Hellenistic period, before being reconstructed later.

3. Roman Stadium

The Stadium is located within the main area of the archaeological site. This well-preserved structure is about 234 m long and 54 m wide. There are multiple arches (vaults) on both the longer side of the stadium, and at the northern end, with every third one being open for access. Apparently, the stadium could fit over 15,000 spectators.

They used to hold athletic games here, as well as gladiator fights. With a little imagination, we could picture thousands of people sitting on the multiple rows of seating and being entertained.

4. Colonnaded Streets and the Acropolis

The ancient city is divided into four parts by two impressive colonnaded streets. One is about 300m long, running from the city gates all the way to the Acropolis.

To really appreciate the length of the street, definitely climb up to the Acropolis. We weren’t sure if it would be worth it, but the views we got over Perge were really lovely from that vantage point.

5. Agora, Churches, Roman Baths and Nymphaeums

Other interesting landmarks that are worth stopping by are the agora, a few churches, the Roman baths and the Nymphaeums.

The agora is located to the east of the Hellenistic Gate, and was built around the 4th century AD. There are also ruins of a basilica and a few smaller churches dating back to the 6th century AD. We also walked past a few fountains dedicated to different people, such as Emperor Hadrian.

Final Thoughts on How to Visit Perge from Antalya

Perge was an easy half day trip for us during our short stay in Antalya. Thankfully, it was easy to get there on public transport, so we decided to visit independently. Luckily, it’s also close to Kursunlu Waterfalls, so we could combine the two sites and make a full day out of it. Now, if we went with a tour we probably would’ve been able to visit a few additional places that were also on our wish list, which we didn’t have time for in the end. Regardless, we still enjoyed the fact that the ruins were way less crowded compared to some of the ones we’d visited before.

Have you ever visited the ancient city of Perge from Antalya? If so, did you visit on your own or as part of an organised tour? If not, would you visit Perge independently? Let us know in the comments below.