# Termessos, Antalya > Termessos is the ruined Pisidian city high on Güllük Dağı, about 1,000 m up in a national park 40–60 minutes’ drive north-west of Antalya. It’s open daily: 8:00–19:00 in summer (tickets until 17:00), 8:00–17:00 from 1 November to 30 April (tickets until 15:30). There is an entrance fee; under-8s go free. Allow three hours — the hike up to the theatre takes anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/termessos - City: [Antalya](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya), Turkey - YesGo score: 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 3 h - Entry: Paid, price being verified - Opening hours: Daily; summer 8:00–19:00, tickets until 17:00; 1 November–30 April 8:00–17:00, tickets until 15:30 - With kids: Better without small kids - Summer hours: Daily 8:00–19:00, tickets until 17:00 - Winter hours: 1 November–30 April: 8:00–17:00, tickets until 15:30 - Closed: Never — open every day - Adult entrance fee: Paid; the foreign-visitor price is being verified - Children: Under 8 free, ages 8–18 €3 - Müzekart: Valid for Turkish citizens - National park gate: A small separate fee is charged at the park entrance; the amount isn’t published - Bus: Korkuteli buses and dolmuş can drop you at the turn-off; then 9 km uphill on foot or by taxi - Turn-off: Left at km 24 of the Antalya–Korkuteli highway - Hike: 15 minutes to an hour uphill on a rocky path from the upper car park - Toilets: At the car park; none on the site itself, and no café - Address: Bayatbademleri, Güllük Dağı, Termessos National Park, Döşemealtı - Coordinates: 36.98250, 30.46444 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **333 BC** — Alexander the Great besieged the city and failed to take it (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr); English and Russian Wikipedia) - **≈ 1,000 m** — above sea level, in a valley between the peaks of Güllük Dağı (Solymos) (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr); English Wikipedia) - **The Solymi** — founded the city — a mountain people already mentioned by Homer (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr); English Wikipedia) - **5 cisterns** — huge connected water tanks cut into the rock beside the agora (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr); English Wikipedia) - **319 BC** — tomb of Alcetas, one of Alexander’s generals, in the necropolis (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr); English Wikipedia) - **Stoa of Attalos II** — a Doric portico on the agora, 2nd century BC (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr); English Wikipedia) - **Pisidia** — the mountainous region of ancient Anatolia the city belonged to (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr); English and Russian Wikipedia) - **National park** — the ruins lie entirely inside Güllük Dağı–Termessos National Park (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr); English Wikipedia) - **Never resettled** — after it was abandoned — which is why so much survives (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr); English Wikipedia) - **Dog sarcophagus** — the site’s best-known find is in the Antalya Archaeological Museum (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr)) > **The Termessos hike: how long and how hard** From the upper car park to the theatre is anything from 15 minutes to an hour uphill over rocks and tree roots, depending on your pace — guides disagree, so plan for the longer end. The path is clear but steep and can be slippery. Wear proper shoes and carry at least a litre of water each: the only toilets are at the car park, and there’s no café or kiosk up top. Start early — in winter the ticket office shuts at 15:30, and the path is no fun in fading light. ## Termessos tickets and opening hours Termessos is **open every day**. In summer the hours are **8:00–19:00**, with the ticket office selling until **17:00**. From **1 November to 30 April** the day is shorter: **8:00–17:00**, tickets until **15:30**. Those times come from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Turkish Museums portal; the ministry’s muze.gov.tr page currently shows only the summer schedule. Miss the ticket cut-off and you won’t get in. There is an entrance fee. Children under 8 go free, and foreign visitors aged 8–18 pay €3. The adult foreign-visitor price on the official portal is plainly a typo, and tour operators quote different figures, so we don’t give a number until it’s confirmed. The ministry lists Müzekart as valid for Turkish citizens; whether the foreigners’ Museum Pass is accepted, ask at the gate. Bring lira in cash as well as a card. The national park gate on the main road is a separate checkpoint and charges a small fee of its own; the amount isn’t published. ## How to get to Termessos from Antalya 1. The easiest options are a rental car, a taxi or a guided tour: public transport doesn’t go up to the ruins. 2. From Kaleiçi old town (Kalekapısı Square and the Clock Tower), head north-west on the D350 towards Korkuteli. 3. At km 24 of the highway, turn left at the entrance to Güllük Dağı–Termessos National Park. 4. Follow the narrow forest road for about 9 km up to the upper car park — about 40–60 minutes in total from the city centre. 5. By bus: buses and dolmuş heading for Korkuteli can drop you at the national park turn-off. From there it’s a steep 9 km road — a taxi often waits at the gate, but it isn’t cheap. We’re still verifying route numbers; Wikivoyage warns the dolmuş may stop running around 18:00. 6. Walk up the path: the theatre is 15–60 minutes away depending on pace, the necropolis higher still. 7. If you take a taxi from Antalya, agree in advance that the driver waits 2.5–3 hours: there is no way to find a cab at the top. ## Is Termessos worth visiting? Yes — if you like walking and wild places. Termessos is the opposite of Antalya’s tidy, restored sites: a city scattered over a pine-covered mountainside, with a theatre on the lip of a cliff, sarcophagi tumbled between the trees and very few other visitors. The views over the Taurus and, on a clear day, the Gulf of Antalya, are the reward for the climb. No — if steep, uneven ground is hard for you, if you’re travelling with toddlers or a stroller, or if you only have one morning for antiquity. In that case [Aspendos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/aspendos), with its complete Roman theatre a few steps from the car park, or the flat streets of [Perge](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/perge) are better choices. ## What is Termessos? Termessos was founded by the **Solymi**, a mountain people of Pisidia, and it sat so high and so well defended that **Alexander the Great** besieged it in 333 BC and moved on without taking it. It stayed proudly independent under the Hellenistic kings and under Rome too — the city kept minting its own coins. Later the city was abandoned: an earthquake broke its water supply, and life on the mountain ended. Nobody ever moved back, so the stones were never carted off for new buildings. That’s why the Turkish ministry calls it one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the country. ## What to see at Termessos - **The theatre** — the headline shot: its tiers face a sheer drop and the valley beyond, with the Gulf of Antalya visible on a clear day. - **The bouleuterion (odeon)**, about 100 m from the theatre — its walls still stand almost to roof height. - **Five cisterns** beside the agora — deep rock-cut tanks. Watch your step near the edges. - **The Stoa of Attalos II** — a Doric portico on the agora, a gift from the king of Pergamon. - **The gymnasium** — part of the first floor survives, next to a colonnaded street lined with shops. - **The House of the Founder** — a Roman villa with a Doric façade about 6 m high. - **The necropolis** — sarcophagi carved with shields scattered among the pines; the rock-cut tomb of Alcetas. - **The propylon of the Temple of Hadrian** — steps and a gateway on the right, the first thing you pass after the car park. ## Guided tour or on your own? Without a car, a tour is the easiest option: transport, waiting time and a guide who knows which path leads where are all included. Signs on site are sparse, and a guide will take you from the theatre to the cisterns and the necropolis without wasted climbing. With a rental car, going alone is cheaper and lets you arrive at 8:00, when it’s cool and empty. A taxi there and back with waiting time works best for a group of three or four. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Leaving in the morning — well before the ticket cut-off (15:30 in winter, 17:00 in summer) - [ ] Closed shoes with a good grip - [ ] At least a litre of water each - [ ] Hat and sunscreen - [ ] Lira in cash plus a card - [ ] Taxi driver agreed to wait - [ ] Phone charged — signal is patchy in the mountains ## Termessos vs Aspendos vs Perge | | Termessos | Aspendos | Perge | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Mountain city in a forest | Complete Roman theatre | City on the plain | | Highlight | Cliff-edge theatre, necropolis | Intact stage and seating | Colonnaded street, gates | | Walking | Steep 15–60 min climb | Flat, next to the car park | Flat but long | | Shade | Patchy, in the forest | Inside the theatre | Very little | | From the centre | ≈ 40–60 min by car | ≈ 50 min by car | ≈ 30 min | | Crowds | Few | Many | Moderate | Termessos is for walkers who like their ruins wild. If you’ll see just one ancient site and want it easy, pick Aspendos. ## Antalya’s ancient sites compared Every historic site in Antalya rated by YesGo. - [Hadrian's Gate](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/antalya-hadrians-gate) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Yivli Minaret](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/yivli-minaret) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Hıdırlık Tower](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/hidirlik-tower) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, outside only - [Kaleiçi](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/kaleici) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free, open 24/7 - [Antalya Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/antalya-museum) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Closed: demolished, new one being built - [Perge](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/perge) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · About €11 for foreign visitors - [Aspendos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/aspendos) — YesGo score 22/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · €15 for foreigners, checking - [Termessos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/termessos) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Paid, price being verified ## Mountain morning, old-town evening Termessos first thing while it’s cool, the Archaeological Museum and its dog sarcophagus from Termessos after lunch, then sunset at Hıdırlık Tower and a wander through Kaleiçi. 1. [Termessos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/termessos) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Paid, price being verified 2. [Antalya Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/antalya-museum) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Closed: demolished, new one being built 3. [Hıdırlık Tower](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/hidirlik-tower) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, outside only 4. [Kaleiçi](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/kaleici) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free, open 24/7 ## Good to know Don’t mix up Termessos with Telmessos — that was the ancient name of Fethiye, much further west along the coast. Hotels in Antalya with “Termessos” in their name have nothing to do with the ruins. ## Tips - Be at the gate at 8:00: until about 11:00 the slope is cool and almost empty. - See the famous dog sarcophagus from Termessos at the [Antalya Archaeological Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/antalya-museum) on the same day. - Spring and autumn are the best seasons; a midday climb in July or August is a test of endurance. - Go straight up to the theatre and look at the cisterns and agora on the way down — it saves climbing twice. - Keep off the walls and away from cistern edges: there are almost no railings. - Trekking poles help on the descent if your knees complain. ## Questions ### How long is the hike at Termessos? From the upper car park to the theatre takes anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on pace. It’s a steady climb on a rocky, uneven path that can be slippery; anyone reasonably fit can do it in proper shoes, but it’s not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs. ### How long do you need at Termessos? About three hours on site: the hike up to the theatre, an hour or more for the ruins and necropolis, then the walk down. Add 40–60 minutes’ drive each way. ### How do I get to Termessos from Antalya? By car or taxi on the D350 towards Korkuteli: turn left at km 24, then follow about 9 km of mountain road to the car park — 40–60 minutes in all. Without a car, a guided tour is the simplest option. ### Is there a bus to Termessos? Only to the turn-off. Buses and dolmuş heading for Korkuteli can drop you at the national park entrance, but from there it’s a steep 9 km road; a taxi often waits at the gate. We’re still verifying route numbers. ### How much is the entrance fee to Termessos? Children under 8 go free and foreign visitors aged 8–18 pay €3. The adult foreign-visitor price is being verified — on the official portal it’s listed with an obvious error. The national park gate also charges a small separate fee. ### What are the Termessos opening hours? Daily, with no closing day. In summer 8:00–19:00, tickets until 17:00; from 1 November to 30 April 8:00–17:00, tickets until 15:30. ### Is Termessos worth it? Yes, if you enjoy hiking and quiet, overgrown ruins with big views. If walking uphill on rough ground is hard for you, Aspendos or Perge is a better choice. ### Is Termessos good for kids? School-age children who like walking will enjoy it — hold their hands near cliffs and cisterns. With toddlers or a stroller it doesn’t work. ### Can I visit Termessos on a tour from Antalya? Yes, guided tours from Antalya include transport and a guide, which is the simplest way without a car. There’s a tour link on this page. ## How we checked Hours, closing days, address, the highway turn-off and the description of the monuments come from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s official pages. The muze.gov.tr page gives only the summer schedule; the ministry’s Turkish Museums portal adds the winter one (1 November–30 April), which we show. Children’s prices come from the same portal; the adult foreign-visitor price there is plainly a typo and tour operators quote different figures, so it stays “verifying”. The national park fee, the bus to the turn-off, the toilets at the car park and the hiking time are confirmed by two travel guides but not officially, so they are marked “verifying” too; guides put the hike to the theatre at anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, so we give the whole range. Other facts are checked against the official page and Wikipedia. Sources disagree on when the city was abandoned (Russian Wikipedia links it to an earthquake in AD 243, English Wikipedia gives no year), so we leave the date out; the theatre’s capacity rests on a single source, so it is left out too. ## Sources - Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr): Termessos Archaeological Site — hours, closing days, address and site description, 30.10.2026 - Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Turkish Museums portal: Antalya Termessos Archeological Site — summer and winter hours, children’s tickets, 30.10.2026 - Wikivoyage: Termessos — buses and dolmuş to the turn-off, taxi at the gate - Turkey Travel Planner: Termessos — national park gate fee, toilets at the car park - English Wikipedia: Termessos - Russian Wikipedia: Термессос; Wikidata Q599462 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.