Published 7 September 2026 | Updated 7 September 2026 by Kate Acaster
Duden Waterfalls do not trickle into the Mediterranean. They fall straight off a limestone cliff into it, close enough to Lara beach that boat trips detour past just to watch the spray hit the waves. Is Antalya expensive enough to spoil that? Not from where this guide is standing. The collision of white water, turquoise sea and the snow-capped Taurus Mountains behind the falls is why so many UK holidaymakers land here already sold on the place, then spend the week wondering why nobody mentioned quite how good it looks in person.
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Antalya at a glance
- Flight timeAbout 4 hours 20 minutes direct from London, longer from Scotland and Northern Ireland
- AirportAntalya Airport (AYT), around 13km east of the old town
- CurrencyTurkish Lira (TRY), not the euro
- VisaVisa-free for tourism, up to 90 days in any 180, no e-Visa needed
- Accommodation taxA nationwide 1% levy, already built into the room rate you’re quoted
- Watch forMetered taxi fares rose sharply in March 2026; confirm the meter is running before you get in
This coast sits on Turkey’s side of the Mediterranean, not Greece’s. That is a different cost and paperwork picture from the islands it gets cross-shopped against constantly, places like Rhodes and Corfu, both a similar flight time away but running on the euro and full Schengen rules. Treating a week here as a like-for-like swap with an Aegean island is where most budget guesswork goes wrong before anyone has even landed.
The region splits into two very different holidays depending on where you base yourself. Lara and Belek deliver the big all-inclusive resorts most package deals are built around, walking distance from little but their own private beach. Kaleici, the old town wrapped around Antalya’s original harbour, is the version with cobbled lanes, a working market and a genuine city to explore between beach days. Both are covered below, along with what each one actually costs.
How to keep Antalya costs down
None of these moves require giving up what makes this coast worth visiting. It just takes a bit of forward planning on where you sleep, how you get around and what you book before you fly.
| Do this | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Base yourself in Kaleici or Konyaalti rather than a big all-inclusive resort | The room-rate gap is real: this page’s own hotel comparison runs from £59 a night in Kaleici to £287 a night for a five-star Lara resort, and the tram covers the distance to the beach in well under half an hour |
| Load an AntalyaKart and use the tram for in-city journeys | A tram fare undercuts a metered taxi by a wide margin on the same journey, and one card covers tram, bus and dolmus transfers |
| Pre-book your airport transfer instead of queuing for a taxi at arrivals | Antalya’s metered taxi fares rose again in March 2026, and a fixed price agreed before you fly removes any uncertainty over the final fare |
| Check the accommodation tax is already included before you book | Turkey folds its 1% nationwide levy into the price a hotel charges, unlike some Mediterranean countries that add a separate charge at check-out |
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"No e-Visa, no online form, ninety visa-free days on a British passport landing in Antalya. What actually catches people out is passport validity, not the visa: GOV.UK asks for a hundred and fifty days left on it from your arrival date, a wider margin than the stay itself and easy to miss if you’re used to the six-month rule most other destinations run on. Check the expiry date before you book, not at the airport."
Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
Getting to Antalya from the UK
Five carriers fly this route direct from the UK between them, reaching more than a dozen UK airports, from the big southern hubs to several smaller regional ones.
| Airline | UK departures |
|---|---|
| Jet2 | The widest network of any carrier: direct from 13 UK airports including Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, London Gatwick and London Luton. Flight time runs from around 4 hours 15 minutes from the south of England up to 4 hours 50 minutes from Glasgow |
| TUI Airways | Direct from London Gatwick and London Luton, plus regional routes from Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Bournemouth, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle and Norwich |
| easyJet | Direct from London Gatwick and London Luton, its two confirmed year-round UK-Antalya routes |
| British Airways | A newer addition to the route, direct from London Gatwick only, added as part of BA’s expanded 2026 Mediterranean network |
| Corendon, SunExpress, Pegasus and Turkish Airlines | Corendon and SunExpress fly direct from several UK regional airports including Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle; Pegasus and Turkish Airlines mostly route travellers from smaller UK airports via Istanbul rather than flying non-stop |
Whichever airline gets you there, Antalya Airport has a single international terminal, with the tram stop and taxi rank both a short walk from arrivals. The bigger decision most travellers get wrong is what happens at passport control, not what happens at check-in.
The old town is compact enough to cross on foot in well under fifteen minutes, end to end.
Most of Kaleici’s streets are pedestrianised, so a stroller or a suitcase on wheels is about the only wheeled traffic you’ll meet.
Visa and entry rules for UK travellers
This is the section where Antalya diverges hardest from a Greek island guide. Turkey sits outside the EU and outside the Schengen area entirely, which changes the visa question, the currency and the border check, all in ways that work in a UK traveller’s favour.
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Visa | Not required for tourism, for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for holders of a full British citizen passport. No e-Visa, no online form and no fee |
| Passport validity | Must show an expiry date at least 150 days after the date you arrive, and at least one blank page |
| Accommodation tax | A nationwide 1% levy on the room rate, temporarily cut from 2% until 31 December 2026, built into the price a hotel charges rather than collected separately from guests |
| Currency | Turkish Lira (TRY). Turkey is outside the eurozone, so euros are not the local currency here despite being widely accepted in tourist areas |
| Border biometric check | No EU Entry/Exit System fingerprint check applies. That system covers travel into Schengen countries, and Turkey is not one of them |
What that means for a UK traveller in practice
For a standard week or two away, you can book flights and turn up. There is no online form, no fee, and nothing to print out or carry through border control. The one document that does need checking properly is your passport’s expiry date: GOV.UK is specific about a 150-day margin from your arrival date, a wider buffer than the 90-day stay itself, and it is worth confirming before you book rather than at the airport.
Getting from the airport to your resort
Where you are staying changes this answer more than anything else. Kaleici and Konyaalti sit close to the airport; Belek adds real time and cost the further out you go.
| Option | Cost | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Metered taxi to Kaleici / city centre | About £14 to £15 | New official fares apply from 23 March 2026: a ₺60 flag fall plus ₺70 per kilometre. Confirm the meter is running rather than agreeing a flat fare |
| Tram (T2 line) or bus into the city | Under £1 per journey | Runs from near the terminal into the city centre in around 30 to 40 minutes. Buy an AntalyaKart at the arrivals hall first; cash fares cost more |
| Pre-booked private transfer to Lara or Belek | From around £20 to £35 one-way | Fixed price agreed before you fly. Belek adds roughly 20 minutes over a Lara transfer given the extra distance from the airport |
Getting around Antalya
Antalya’s city centre is walkable, and the tram covers most of what walking does not. A hire car only starts to make sense if you are planning day trips well outside the city, to Aspendos or further along the coast.
| Option | Cost | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Tram (Antray), city routes | Around £0.60 to £0.70 per journey with an AntalyaKart | Two lines cover the airport-to-city corridor and the Konyaalti seafront. A loaded AntalyaKart also gives free transfers to bus or dolmus within a set time window |
| Dolmus (shared minibus) | A few lira per short hop, cash only | No AntalyaKart needed; flag one down on its route and pay the driver directly, useful for journeys the tram does not reach |
| Metered taxi within the city | ₺60 flag fall plus ₺70 per kilometre | Reasonable for short hops late at night; confirm the meter is running rather than agreeing a price up front |
Most visitors never hire a car for a standard week. Kaleici is walkable end to end, the tram reaches Konyaalti and the airport, and a taxi or pre-booked transfer covers anywhere further out.
Today it is mostly pleasure boats and excursion craft rather than working fishing vessels.
The harbourside restaurants here charge a premium for the view; walk two streets back for the same food at a lower price.
Where to base yourself in Antalya
Antalya is really four different holidays wearing one name, and the right base depends on whether you want a city to explore or a resort to disappear into.
| Base | Suits | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Kaleici (Old Town) | A city break, history and walkable nightlife | Antalya’s most atmospheric base, cobbled lanes and restored Ottoman houses around the harbour, but the beach itself is a tram ride away and rooms inside the walls carry a premium over the newer districts |
| Lara | All-inclusive resorts, a sandy beach | The classic package-holiday base and the closest big resort strip to the airport, but many hotels sit on a private beach club rather than open sand, and the strip has little local character |
| Konyaalti | A city beach with a more local feel | A long public beach a short tram ride from Kaleici, with a local promenade rather than a resort strip, though the beach itself is pebble, not sand |
| Belek | Golf and luxury resorts | Turkey’s golf capital, home to 14 championship courses and some of the region’s most polished five-star resorts, but it sits roughly 30 minutes from the airport and further still from Kaleici’s nightlife |
What Antalya’s main attractions cost
Antalya’s best sights split cleanly into free and paid, with very little in between.
| Attraction | Cost | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|
| Kaleici Old Town and Hadrian’s Gate | Free | The old town’s lanes, harbour and Roman-era gate cost nothing to walk; paid options are mostly guided tours layered on top |
| Duden Waterfalls (Upper) | Around £1.50 per adult | The inland falls charge a modest ₺100 entry fee. The Lower falls, where the water drops straight into the sea near Lara, are free to view from the public park |
| Antalya Aquarium | Around £47 per adult | One of the world’s largest tunnel aquariums, and a genuine splurge rather than a routine visit at this price |
| Aspendos Roman theatre | Around £13 per adult | The best-preserved Roman theatre in Turkey, around 45 minutes east of the city. Turkey’s Museum Pass covers this and dozens of other sites if you’re visiting several |
| Harbour boat trip | From around £24 per adult | Half-day trips run from Kaleici’s old harbour along the coastline; prices vary by operator and route length |
The Upper falls, inland and higher up, are the paid section, with proper viewing platforms and a short walking trail.
Boat trips from Kaleici harbour often swing past the Lower falls as part of a longer coastal route.
Where to stay in Antalya
Three tiers, three very different Antalyas, all checked live on the same night.
| Tier | Property | Per night | Why it’s on the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Kiana Kaleici, Kaleici | £59 | 9.4/10 exceptional (236 reviews) and right inside the old town’s walls, for well under half what a comparable Lara resort room costs |
| Mid | Hotel SU & Aqualand, Konyaalti | £138 | 8.4/10 very good (1,006 reviews), a two-minute walk to Konyaalti beach with its own water park included, the kind of extra Lara’s all-inclusives charge more for |
| Worth the spend | Akra Antalya, Lara | £287 | 9.4/10 exceptional (1,744 reviews), a genuine five-star beachfront stay with a private beach and multiple pools, the closest this list gets to Antalya’s most polished resorts |
Star rating is a rough guide at best in Antalya. A handful of resorts market themselves as 5-star without an official rating to back it up, so check the guest reviews above the marketing copy.
Where to eat and drink in Antalya
Antalya’s food scene runs from back-street lokantas to a restaurant that has been serving the same family recipes since 1937.
| Tier | What it is | For two | Published or assumed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Kaleici Kebapcisi, a no-frills Kaleici kebab house | £4 to £6 | Assumed, from published 2026 Antalya dining-cost guides |
| Mid | Balikci Meyhanesi Kaleici, seafood and meze, 4.9/5 on Tripadvisor from over 2,800 reviews | £25 to £35 | Published, cross-checked against mid-range Antalya dining guides |
| Worth the spend | 7 Mehmet, an Antalya institution since 1937, family-run, seafood and Ottoman classics | Upwards of £45 | Published, restaurant’s own reputation and press coverage |
Kaleici or a resort strip
Depends what the trip is actually built around. Kaleici suits a stay centred on history, restaurants and an evening walk along the harbour, walkable from almost any hotel inside the old walls, but the beach is a tram ride away and the old town carries a premium over newer districts for a comparable room.
Lara and Belek trade that character for a beach-first, resort-first week, most of it on an all-inclusive board so the daily spend is largely settled before you fly. What they give up is the sense of being somewhere specifically Turkish rather than somewhere generically Mediterranean.
Konyaalti sits between the two: a genuine local beach and promenade a short tram ride from Kaleici, without Lara’s resort-strip pricing or Belek’s distance from everything else.
It is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Antalya, right at the old town’s main entrance.
The surrounding square is where most walking tours of Kaleici begin.
What a week in Antalya costs
Adding up the real figures from this page, for two adults, a week at the budget end of the where-to-stay table.
| Line | Week, two adults | Published or assumed |
|---|---|---|
| Return flights, two adults | From £176 | Published, Jet2’s own live fare finder (London Gatwick, one-way from £44, doubled for a return), checked 7 September 2026, your actual dates will price differently |
| Room, Kiana Kaleici, 7 nights | £413 | Published, live Expedia rate x 7 nights |
| Airport transfers, return, two adults | £28 | Assumed, from the official March 2026 taxi fare formula |
| Duden Waterfalls (Upper), two adults | £3 | Published, park entry fee |
| Aspendos Roman theatre, two adults | £26 | Published, museum ticketing |
| Harbour boat trip, two adults | £48 | Published, operator rate |
| Eating, seven days for two, mixing budget and mid-tier | £237 | Assumed, from published dining-cost guides |
Best time to visit Antalya
Antalya has one of the longest warm seasons on the Turkish coast, which gives shoulder-season visitors a wide window to work with.
| Month | Average daily high | What that means for a trip |
|---|---|---|
| May | 26°C | Warm enough to swim comfortably, without August’s peak heat or peak-season room rates |
| August | 34°C | Antalya’s hottest month by a clear margin; expect the coast and its main attractions at their busiest |
| October | 27°C | Sea and air both still warm enough for a beach week, with noticeably quieter attractions and softer hotel rates once the UK school summer holidays end |
The Taurus Mountains stay visible from the beach on a clear day, snow-capped well into spring.
Hotel rates along this strip soften noticeably once the UK school summer holidays finish.
So, is Antalya expensive?
Only if you let the resort strip set the baseline. On the ground, a realistic week for two, hotel included, runs from around £750 in published costs, genuinely cheap by Mediterranean standards.
Add realistic return flights from the UK and a no-frills week for two runs from around £900 instead. That’s a fair price, but not a standout bargain once UK-airport fares are added.
The same flights plus a week in one of the region’s best-known five-star beachfront hotels runs from around £2,000. That gap between budget and five-star comes mostly from Turkey’s currency and tax structure working in a budget traveller’s favour, not against them.
The visa adds nothing to the bill for a standard UK holiday, which is not true of every long-haul or semi-exotic destination this site covers. Where the money actually goes is accommodation, and how far you are prepared to base yourself from the airport. Kaleici and Konyaalti keep costs down without sacrificing much. Belek asks you to pay for distance and golf courses you may never use.
Antalya Airport has a single terminal, with the tram stop and taxi rank both a short walk from arrivals. Most people never need to hire a car for a standard holiday here.
A dedicated cycle and walking path runs the full length of the promenade.
The tram connects Konyaalti to Kaleici in well under twenty minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Antalya expensive?
Only at the top end. A realistic week for two, flights and hotel included, runs from around £900, against around £2,000 for the same flights and a week in one of the region’s best-known five-star beachfront hotels.
Do UK travellers need a visa for Antalya?
No, not for a stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for tourism, family visits or business meetings, per GOV.UK’s Turkey entry requirements guidance. There is no e-Visa to buy and no online form to complete before you fly.
Which UK airports fly direct to Antalya?
Jet2 flies from the widest network, direct from 13 UK airports including Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and both London Gatwick and London Luton. TUI Airways and easyJet also fly direct from Gatwick and Luton, British Airways added a Gatwick route in 2026, and Turkish carriers including Corendon and SunExpress serve several UK regional airports.
The three arches and marble columns are original, restored rather than rebuilt from scratch.
What currency does Antalya use?
The Turkish Lira (TRY). Turkey is outside the eurozone, so despite euros being widely accepted in tourist areas, prices and change are usually given in lira.
Is there an accommodation tax in Antalya, and do I have to pay it?
Yes, but it is not a separate charge you pay at the hotel desk. Turkey applies a nationwide accommodation tax of 1% of the room rate, temporarily cut from 2% until 31 December 2026, and it is already built into the price a hotel or booking site quotes you.
It is one of the best-preserved Roman theatres anywhere in the Mediterranean, not just in Turkey.
Most day trips combine Aspendos with Perge and the Duden or Kursunlu waterfalls in a single itinerary.
How do I get from Antalya airport to my hotel?
By metered taxi, which runs around £14 to £15 into Kaleici under the official fare formula introduced in March 2026. A tram journey into the city centre costs under £1, or a pre-booked private transfer runs around £20 to £35 further out to Lara or Belek.
Kaleici or a resort strip like Lara, which is better for a first trip?
Depends what the trip is built around. Kaleici suits a stay centred on history, restaurants and an evening walk along the harbour, walkable from almost any hotel inside the old walls, but carries a premium over newer districts for a comparable room and the beach is a tram ride away. Lara and Belek trade that character for an all-inclusive, beach-first week with the daily spend largely settled before you fly.
When is the cheapest good time to visit Antalya?
May or October. Average daily highs run 26°C in May and 27°C in October against August’s 34°C peak, and hotel rates typically ease once the UK school summer holidays end, with noticeably quieter attractions too.
Is Aspendos worth the trip, and how much does it cost?
For most first-time visitors, yes. Aspendos is the best-preserved Roman theatre in Turkey, around 45 minutes east of Antalya, and entry costs around £13 per adult. Turkey’s Museum Pass covers this and dozens of other sites if you are visiting several attractions during your stay.
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Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
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