Things to Do in Kaleici, the Old Town of Antalya

Antalya is one of the most visited destinations along the Turkish Riviera, or Turquoise Coast of Türkiye. Most people tend to book a holiday here to soak up the Mediterranean sun and relax on the beach. However, the beautiful old town of Antalya, known as Kaleici, has plenty to offer for those who enjoy doing a bit more sightseeing during their vacation.

In this short guide, we decided to sum up the best things to do in Kaleici. From narrow cobblestone streets to old buildings adorned with flowers, and historical landmarks to bazaars selling all sorts of souvenirs, you won’t have any trouble spending a day wandering around Kaleici. We stayed for 3 days in Antalya and immediately fell in love with its old town, which we didn’t expect to happen before our visit.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in Antalya, then make sure to watch our Fethiye and Antalya video on our YouTube channel. For more Türkiye videos, check out our Türkiye Series.

About Kaleici, the Old Town of Antalya

Kaleici (Kaleiçi) is basically the old town, or historic centre, of Antalya, and is one of the most popular places to visit along the Turkish Riviera.

Before it became a huge metropolitan city and favoured beach holiday destination, pretty much the whole city was confined within the old towns walls. ‘Kale içi’ literally translates to ‘inside of a castle’, which is also an indicator of the city’s smaller scale in the past.

Throughout its history, it has also been an important harbour, which of course made it a desirable target for many rulers. Today, you can find many structures and landmarks dating back to the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman times.

Things to Do in Kaleici, the Old Town of Antalya

Our favourite thing to do in Kaleici was just to walk around the narrow cobblestone streets. This way, we came across many hidden corners, restaurants, cafes and postcard perfect views. However, there are quite a few landmarks and other points of interest that should definitely be added to any itinerary.

1. Hadrian’s Gate (Hadrian Kapısı)

One of the best-preserved structures within Kaleici is Hadrian’s Gate. This triumphal arch was built in 130 AD to celebrate the visit of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. He is well-known for building impressive structures, such as the Great Theatre of Hierapolis in Pamukkale, and Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England in the UK.

Later, the gate was incorporated into the city walls, and is the only remaining entrance from that time still standing today. It’s definitely an impressive structure that’s hard to miss when walking around Kaleici. Since it’s so popular, we went there first thing in the morning and managed to appreciate it without the crowds.

2. Clock Tower of Antalya (Antalya Saat Kulesi)

Only a few hundred metres north-west of Hadrian’s Gate is another symbolic structure of Kaleici you ought to visit. The Clock Tower was built in 1901 during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II. Some sources say it was completed in 1921, and that until 1942 it was covered with a dome. Apparently, the upper part of the tower was only added in 1945.

Today, the 14 m tall tower has a bell on top, and each wall has a clock face attached to it. So you won’t have any trouble checking the time. We noticed that the area seemed to be a favoured meeting point for people.

Unfortunately, during our visit the tower was undergoing restoration work, but hopefully it’ll be visible by the time of your trip.

3. Yivliminare Mosque (Yivliminare Cami)

We had to visit another iconic landmark in Antalya called Yivliminare Mosque, located a short walk from the Clock Tower. The 14th century mosque you see today was built after the original mosque was destroyed. It is famous for its 38-metre high fluted minaret, which is a unique example of Anatolian Turkish architecture.

Another interesting feature of the mosque is that its prayer hall has six domes. This makes Yivliminare Mosque one of the oldest examples of a multi-domed mosque in Anatolia.

Note. It is an active place of worship. Therefore, if you want to enter, you’ll need to dress modestly and cover your hair if you’re a female.

4. Kaleici Marina / Harbour (Kaleiçi Yat Limanı)

From the mosque, make your way through the narrow streets of Kaleici all the way down to the harbour, or marina. The beautiful, semi-circular harbour dates back to the Hellenistic Period.

We went for a stroll around the harbour, and said hi to the cats and a few of the fishermen. There are some restaurants and cafes nearby you can stop at. It’s also a nice place to come back to for sunset.

From here you can actually go on a boat trip to a few popular places within Antalya, such as the Lower Düden Waterfall.

5. Kaleici Panoramic Glass Elevator Viewpoint

If you don’t fancy walking back up the steep hill from the harbour, then you can use the panoramic glass elevator instead. It only opened in 2014, with the aim of making the beach and marina more accessible for tourists.

Another perk of using the lift is that, at the top, you’ll be treated to panoramic views of the marina and Kaleici. The view of the harbour and the mountains beyond somewhat remined us of Kotor in Montenegro.

6. Cats at Tophane Park (Tophane Parkı)

After enjoying the views from the glass platform, we walked through Tophane Park, which seemed to have many playful stray cats in it. During our tour around Türkiye, we noticed large numbers of cats everywhere we went. We saw them sleeping on top of cars, motorbikes, curled up in shop windows and in restaurants, or just casually wandering the streets.

Türkiye has a long history of caring for cats that dates back to the Ottomans. Muslims consider cats an important pet because of their cleanliness. Their hunting skills are also useful in a huge city, to control the spread of mice and rats.

Nobody, and everybody, owns them at the same time. People do take care of them and we spotted bowls of food and drink placed in front of shops, restaurants and homes. This care for stray cats reminded us of the Cat Park in Lima’s Miraflores District.

7. Hidirlik Tower (Hıdırlık Kulesi)

Hidirlik Tower is located south of the marina, and is a landmark that’s worth checking out whilst you’re walking around Kaleici. Apparently, it’s one of the oldest surviving structures in the city.

The lower part of it was built around the 2nd century AD. Then, it was renovated during the Seljuk and Ottoman eras. The 14 m high monument was most likely a watchtower and a lighthouse. Although some sources suggest that it also could’ve been the tomb of someone important.

During our visit, it looked like there was an active archaeological dig going on. However, from the tower, we could still enjoy lovely views of the harbour.

8. Karaalioglu Park (Karaalioğlu Parkı)

We carried on walking further south from Hidirlik Tower, and ended up in Karaalioglu Park. We really enjoyed strolling through this shady park, which covers an area of 140,000 square meters. There were a few ice cream stands, some of which served Turkish ice cream. Now, buying traditional Turkish ice cream can be just as much fun as eating it, as the sellers perform some cool tricks on you before you’re finally allowed to sample it. You can read more about how they do that in our Turkish food guide.

There were also plenty of cafes and restaurants we could have stopped at too. The park is a popular place to come for sunset, and we enjoyed taking in the views of the mountains and coastline during the golden hour with other likeminded people.

9. Go Shopping

Kaleici is home to many traditional bazaars, as well as modern boutiques and other souvenir shops. We couldn’t walk far without stopping at different shops displaying all sorts of handicrafts and souvenirs.

There are also regular markets across the old town, such as around Hadrian’s Gate, where you can buy traditional Turkish carpets, leather products, antiques and other typical souvenirs.

We saw many pastry shops, and other bazaars selling fresh produce and spices. If you have a bit of a sweet-tooth like us, then you won’t have any trouble finding places with Turkish Delight or Baklava either.

10. Museums of Kaleici

Lastly, there are a few interesting museums to visit whilst wandering around Kaleici. Depending on your interests, we’ve listed some to consider below:

• Mevlevihane Museum. Located in the vicinity of the Clock Tower, this museum has information boards about the Mevlevi order, and also displays items used by the dervishes.
• Antalya Toy Museum. As the name suggests this museum provides information about the evolution and history of toys.
• Suna & Inan Kirac Kaleici Museum. A small museum near Hadrian’s Gate about the traditional Antalya lifestyle.
• Antalya Ethnographic Museum. This small museum gives a little insight into local life and culture.

Where to Stay in Kaleici Antalya

We found Kaleici to be a great place to stay during our 3 days in Antalya. There are loads of hotel and hostel options depending on your budget. Kaleici is also filled with restaurants and cafes, so we didn’t have trouble finding somewhere to eat during our stay. Not to mention that we could easily do some day trips from there, since it’s well connected by public transport and taxis.

So, if you’re also short on time, or are backpacking across the country like we did, then you can’t go wrong by staying in the Old Town.

Places to Eat in Kaleici Antalya

The Old Town of Antalya is packed with cafes, bars and restaurants, so we didn’t have trouble finding somewhere to eat during our stay. Below we’ve listed a couple of places you could try out.

• Can Can Pide Yemek Salonu. They serve fantastic traditional Turkish food such as Pide.
• Varuna Gezgin Cafe. A fabulous place with a variety of food options, including vegetarian dishes, and a great atmosphere.
• Beerzone. A great burger place in Kaleici.
• Cay-Teas. A lovely spot for some tea and cakes.
• Rotto Pizza Kaleici. A great place if you’re after some pizza.
• Rokka Pizza Falafel. A nice lunch spot with lots of veggie and vegan options.
• Pasa Bey Kebap. It’s a good place to enjoy traditional Turkish food, located around Karaalioglu Park.

Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Kaleici, the Old Town of Antalya

After spending a few days in the super touristy city of Fethiye, we didn’t think that Antalya’s old town would be much different. To our surprise, within a few minutes of walking around Kaleici we were in love with the area and how traditional it felt. The historic centre is definitely packed with symbolic landmarks but what we loved most was just wandering the narrow cobblestone streets, and endlessly browsing through the souvenir shops.

Have you ever been to Kaleici, Antalya’s Old Town? If so, did you enjoy your visit? What was your favourite landmark within the centre? If not, would you want to spend a day wandering around the narrow streets of Kaleici? Let us know in the comments below.