Perge, Antalya

Perge entrance fee and opening hours

Perge is a paid site run by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Its official page says it is open every day, 8:00–19:00, with the last tickets sold at 18:30. There is no weekly closing day.

The official page does not list a fee. Russian Wikipedia and travel guides quoting the Turkish museum price table give about €11 for foreign visitors, charged in Turkish lira at the day's rate — we mark it as being checked, because Turkish site prices change often. The Müzekart museum card is for Turkish citizens only. On a tour, ask whether entry is included; it often isn't.

One thing to watch: several guides say Perge closes earlier from 1 November to 31 March, around 17:00–17:30, while the official page showed 8:00–19:00 all year when we checked. In winter, arrive by 15:00 and you're safe either way.

Is Perge worth visiting?

Yes, if you want to see a whole ancient city and you're short on time. Perge is the closest major site to central Antalya and the only one you can reach by tram. Nowhere nearby shows so clearly how a Roman city worked: you can walk its main street from the gate to the fountain at the far end.

It's skippable if you're after one jaw-dropping view. With the theatre shut, Perge is a spread of ruins on a plain, with no mountains or sea around it. For a single big moment pick Aspendos; for mountains and forest, Termessos.

YesGo's tip: pair Perge with the museum. See the city in the morning, then its statues at the Antalya Archaeological Museum after lunch — that's when the stones come alive.

What to see at Perge

• The Hellenistic gate — two round three-storey towers from the 3rd century BC, the symbol of Perge. Behind them is an oval court that Plancia Magna lined with niches and statues.
• The colonnaded street — the main street, with a water channel running down the middle in a chain of little cascades and shops behind the porticoes on both sides. Many columns stand again.
• The nymphaeum — the monumental fountain at the top of the street, at the foot of the acropolis, where the water started its run.
• The Roman baths — among the largest in Pamphylia, with hot and cold rooms and the remains of underfloor heating.
• The agora — a square market surrounded by shops, with a round temple at its centre.
• The stadium — a long arena for 12,000 spectators near the entrance, one of the best-preserved anywhere. The vaults under the seats once held shops.
• The theatre — from outside only for now; it's under restoration.
• The view from the acropolis — the shot on this page: the street of columns, the gate towers and the stadium beyond.

How long do you need at Perge?

Plan on 1.5–2 hours inside. That covers the stadium, the gate, a walk up the colonnaded street to the nymphaeum, the baths and the agora. If you love archaeology and want to climb part of the acropolis, give it three.

Add the journey: about an hour each way from Kaleiçi by tram and on foot, or 25 minutes by taxi. Perge on its own fits neatly into a morning, leaving the afternoon for the museum or the beach.

Combining it with Aspendos makes a full day. Most organised tours do exactly that, sometimes with a waterfall stop — convenient if you don't have a car, since no public transport reaches the Aspendos gate.

A short history of Perge

People lived here from the Bronze Age, and by the Greek period Perge was one of the leading cities of Pamphylia, the coastal plain between the Taurus mountains and the sea. In 334 BC it opened its gates to Alexander the Great. The mathematician Apollonius of Perga, who wrote eight books on conic sections — the ellipse, parabola and hyperbola — was born here.

The city peaked under Rome in the 2nd century AD, when the local noblewoman Plancia Magna, a priestess of Artemis, turned the old gate into a grand court of statues. St Paul and Barnabas passed through on their first missionary journey and, according to the Acts of the Apostles, preached here on the way back. Excavations began in 1946, and the best finds are in the Antalya Archaeological Museum.

Perge vs Aspendos vs Termessos

No car: Perge. Just the theatre: Aspendos. Prefer hiking: Termessos. One day east of the city: Perge and Aspendos together.

Antalya's ancient sites compared

Every historic site around Antalya rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

How to do it right

• Arrive at 8:00 opening — cooler air, soft light and few tour groups.
• Start at the stadium by the entrance, then go through the gate and up the main street to the fountain — the city makes sense in that order.
• Climb a little way up the acropolis slope by the nymphaeum: from there the whole street of columns lines up.
• Top up your AntalyaKart in the centre — the Aksu stop may not have a working machine.
• After the ruins, visit the Antalya Archaeological Museum, where Perge's statues now stand.
• Save the evening for Kaleiçi and sunset at Hıdırlık Tower.

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