Alanya Old Town (Tophane)
Alanya, Turkey
Alanya Castle
i
Photo: Luke_33, CC BY 2.5 pl, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Ticket
- İç Kale only, ≈ €12 per guidebooks; no official price online — confirm at the gate
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Hours
- İç Kale: daily 8:00–18:30, ticket office until 18:00; walls and Ehmedek: always open
- Time on site
i
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 2 h 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- İç Kale hours
- 8:00–18:30, ticket office until 18:00
officiali
Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Closed
- Never — open every day
officiali
Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Free
- The walls, Ehmedek and the streets inside the walls
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Museum Pass
- MüzeKart is valid for Turkish citizens only; foreign visitors buy a ticket
officiali
Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Cable car
- Damlataş Beach to the Ehmedek station, ≈ 3–5 min
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Bus
- Line 4 up Kale Caddesi
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - On foot
- ≈ 3 km, about 1 hour uphill from the harbour via Kale Caddesi
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Key facts
13th centurythe fortress as you see it was built under the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I
2 sourcesi
Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr)English and Russian Wikipedia6.5 kmof walls in total
3 sourcesi
Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr)Turkish Culture Portal (kulturportali.gov.tr)Wikipedia≈ 250 mhigh rocky peninsula, with sea on three sides
2 sourcesi
English, Russian and Turkish WikipediaTurkish Culture Portal≈ 140bastions (burç) along the walls
2 sourcesi
Turkish Culture Portal (kulturportali.gov.tr)Turkish Wikipedia≈ 400cisterns stored rainwater for the castle
3 sourcesi
Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr)Turkish Culture PortalEnglish Wikipedia1226the completion date given by the encyclopedias
Sourcei
English and Russian Wikipedia3rd century BCthe earliest fortifications on the rock
2 sourcesi
Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr)Turkish Wikipedia (Hellenistic period)Open-air museumthe status of İç Kale, the inner citadel
2 sourcesi
Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr)Turkish Wikipedia2009the castle and shipyard joined UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List
Sourcei
English Wikipedia: Alanya Castle and AlanyaRed Towerwhere the walls meet the harbour
2 sourcesi
Turkish Culture PortalRussian Wikipedia19th centuryvillas built inside the walls — the neighbourhood is still lived in
Sourcei
English and Russian WikipediaAlanya Castle tickets and opening hours
Most of the castle costs nothing. The walls, the Ehmedek quarter, the streets and the viewpoints on the way up are free to wander. You only pay for İç Kale, the inner citadel at the summit, which is an open-air museum run by the Turkish Ministry of Culture. It opens daily 8:00–18:30, and the ticket office shuts at 18:00.
Buy your ticket at the İç Kale gate or as an e-ticket on the ministry’s official museum website. The site only shows the price once you start an order. English-language guides agree on about €12 for İç Kale — treat it as a guide, not an official figure, and confirm at the gate. Don’t mix it up with the cable car: some tour listings also quote “€12”, but for the cable car. The MüzeKart museum pass is only valid for Turkish citizens here.
Opening hours vary between sources. The ministry page lists a single schedule, 8:00–18:30, while some English guides give seasonal hours that close earlier in winter. If you visit between October and April, check the ministry page before you go.
The cable car and the bus are paid separately from the citadel ticket.
How to get to Alanya Castle
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Alanya Old Town (Tophane) is about 15 min away on foot.
- Alanya Shipyard is about 20 min away on foot.
- Red Tower is about 17 min away on foot.
More tips
- Cable car (Teleferik): the lower station is by Damlataş Beach on Sultan Alaaddin Caddesi, next to Damlataş Cave. The ride takes 3–5 minutes and drops you at Ehmedek, below the summit. In peak summer the queue can take up to half an hour.
- From the Ehmedek station, walk on uphill through the neighbourhood inside the walls to İç Kale.
- City bus line 4: leaves from the dolmuş station by the Friday market in the centre and climbs Kale Caddesi to near the İç Kale gate — the cheapest way up. Check the number on the bus and press the stop button in good time.
- Walking: from the harbour and the Red Tower, the zigzag road up Kale Caddesi is about 3 km and takes about an hour to İç Kale. Better done downhill.
- Taxi: drops you at the İç Kale gate — the easy choice with small children or in midsummer heat.
- Staying in Mahmutlar or further along the coast? Take a bus or dolmuş into central Alanya, then the cable car from Damlataş or the bus up.
Is Alanya Castle worth visiting?
Yes — it is the town’s headline sight and the best view on this stretch of coast. From the top you see both beaches, Cleopatra Beach to the west and the eastern beach and harbour, with the Taurus Mountains behind.
If the heat or time is against you, skip İç Kale and just ride the cable car to Ehmedek: the free views from the walls are nearly as good. What you miss in the citadel are the palace ruins, the Byzantine church and the cliff edge itself.
What to see at Alanya Castle
- İç Kale — the summit citadel: Seljuk palace remains, cisterns, a Byzantine church and the widest view of the town.
- Adam Atacağı — the cliff on the citadel’s western edge; the name means “the place where a man is thrown”. The most dramatic drop to the sea.
- Süleymaniye Mosque — Ottoman, rebuilt under Suleiman the Magnificent.
- The Bedesten — the old covered market beside the mosque.
- Akşebe Sultan Mosque and Tomb — named after one of the castle’s first commanders.
- Ehmedek — the fortified middle ring of walls with its gate.
- Cisterns — stone rainwater tanks dotted all over the hill.
- An old lighthouse on the point, and the 19th-century houses with tiled roofs.
Can you walk up to Alanya Castle?
You can, but think twice in summer. The road up Kale Caddesi climbs from the harbour in a long zigzag of about 3 km, and the walk to İç Kale takes around an hour. There are a few cafés and juice stalls on the way, and plenty of viewpoints for a breather.
Most visitors do it the other way round: cable car or bus up, then a relaxed walk down past the walls, through the old town to the Red Tower and the Shipyard on the waterfront.
A short history
People fortified this rock long before the Seljuks — from the Hellenistic and Roman periods through Byzantine times. In the 1220s Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I took the town, renamed it Alaiye after himself and turned it into the Seljuks’ main naval base on the Mediterranean. He built the castle, the Red Tower and the Shipyard in one campaign; the encyclopedias give 1226 for the castle’s completion.
The Ottomans followed, and Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the mosque that now bears his name. Once the walls were no longer needed for defence, villas went up inside them in the 19th century — which is why the climb takes you past gardens, washing lines and cafés rather than just ruins. In 2009 the castle and shipyard were placed on UNESCO’s Tentative List, a step before any World Heritage listing.
Before you go: checklist
Ready: 0 of 6Tick what is ready — your ticks stay in this browser.
You are ready for the visit
Castle, Red Tower or Shipyard
| Castle (İç Kale)you are here | Hilltop citadel and walls | Top of the peninsula | Steep — take the cable car | 2–3 h | The view over the whole town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Tower | Octagonal tower on the harbour | Harbour | None | ≈ 30–45 min | Alanya’s symbol, museum inside |
| Shipyard | Seljuk shipyard cut into the shore | Seafront beyond the Red Tower | None | ≈ 30 min | The only surviving Seljuk shipyard |
With one day, go up the castle and pick up the tower and shipyard on the way down — they are all part of the same wall circuit.
Alanya’s historic sights compared
Every historic sight in Alanya rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Alanya Old Town (Tophane) | 43 | 1 h | Free | 7 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alanya Shipyard | 39 | 30 min | Price being verified | 9 min walk |
| Red Tower | 38 | 45 min | Paid, price being verified | 10 min walk |
| Alanya Castleyou are here | 35 | 2 h 30 min | Walls free, İç Kale ≈ €12 | — |
| Syedra | 22 | 1 h 30 min | €7 for foreigners, under-8s free | 17.5 km |
The castle, top to bottom, in a day
The cave and the cable car in the morning, the citadel at the top, then down on foot through the old town to the Red Tower and the Shipyard. Add them to your route in one tap — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.
- Damlataş Cave30 min · ≈ 225 TL, children less
- 19 min walk from the previous stopAlanya Castleyou are here2 h 30 min · Walls free, İç Kale ≈ €12
- 7 min walk from the previous stopAlanya Old Town (Tophane)1 h · Free
- 4 min walk from the previous stopRed Tower45 min · Paid, price being verified
- 4 min walk from the previous stopAlanya Shipyard30 min · Price being verified
5 places · about 5 h 49 min with walks · 34 min on foot in total
Nearby — add to your day
How to do it right
- Ride up, walk down: you get the walls, the neighbourhood and the old town without the hard climb.
- Short on time or budget? The free views from the walls near Ehmedek are almost as good as from İç Kale.
- Come an hour before sunset, when Cleopatra Beach and the bay turn gold.
- Pushchairs struggle on the cobbles and steps — with small kids, take a taxi to the İç Kale gate.
- Leave 20–30 minutes for Damlataş Cave next to the lower cable car station.
Questions
How much is the Alanya Castle ticket?
The walls, Ehmedek and the streets inside are free. Only the İç Kale citadel is ticketed: about €12 according to guidebooks. The official site shows no price until you order, so confirm at the gate.
What are Alanya Castle opening hours?
İç Kale opens daily 8:00–18:30, with the ticket office closing at 18:00. The walls and Ehmedek are open at all times.
How do I get to Alanya Castle?
Take the cable car from Damlataş Beach (3–5 minutes), city bus line 4 up Kale Caddesi, a taxi, or walk about 3 km uphill from the harbour in around an hour.
Where does the Alanya cable car go?
From Damlataş Beach on Sultan Alaaddin Caddesi up to Ehmedek, partway up the castle hill. İç Kale is a further walk uphill from there.
Can you walk up to Alanya Castle?
Yes — about an hour uphill on the Kale Caddesi zigzag from the harbour. It is hot and shadeless in summer, so most people ride up and walk down.
How long do you need at Alanya Castle?
2–3 hours for the climb, İç Kale and the walk down. Add the Red Tower and the Shipyard and it’s half a day.
Is Alanya Castle worth it?
Yes — it’s Alanya’s main sight and has the best view of both beaches. Even a cable car ride to Ehmedek without the citadel is worthwhile.
Who built Alanya Castle?
The Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I in the 13th century, on top of older Byzantine and Roman fortifications.
Is Alanya Castle good for kids?
Older kids love the walls and views. With toddlers or a pushchair, take a taxi to the İç Kale gate — the cobbles and steps are hard going.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, museums site (muze.gov.tr): Alanya Kalesi and Alanya Castle (Citadel) — hours, closures, description, 30.10.2026
- Turkish Culture Portal (kulturportali.gov.tr): Alanya Kalesi
- English, Russian and Turkish Wikipedia: Alanya Castle; English Wikipedia: Alanya; Wikidata Q81593
- Wikivoyage: Alanya — cable car, the free part of the castle, İç Kale price
- English-language online Alanya guide (Alanya Castle article, March 2026) — İç Kale price, bus line 4, cable car
- The Turkey Traveler: walking up to the castle
Top YesGo picks: Alanya
Cleopatra Beach
Alanya, Turkey
Dim Cave
Alanya, Turkey
Dim River
Alanya, Turkey
Syedra
Alanya, Turkey
Sapadere Canyon
Alanya, Turkey