Perge Ancient City

The Metropolis of Pamphylia

• Perge is one of the first planned cities of the ancient world. The massive water canal running through the city used to cool it with a natural climate control system over 2000 years ago.
• While ordinary visitors stay in the agora and the theater, head to the southern gate behind the stadium. Strolling along the columned street at dusk is a paradise for photographers as they capture the warm colors left by the setting sun.

Termessos

The City that Resisted the Clouds

• It is the only city that Great Alexander decided to bypass in his eastern campaign, calling it “an unreachable eagle’s nest”.
• Termessos is still preserved within untouched wilderness. While climbing to the ancient theater set on the edge of a cliff, let your voice carry into the breeze. Make sure to bring sturdy hiking shoes for your walk.

Phaselis

Three Ancient Harbors with Pine Aroma

• Phaselis is not just an ancient city; it is a special area where the marine ecosystem is preserved. While swimming in the North, Central, and South harbors beneath the lush pine forests, you can snorkel and observe the remnants of the ancient harbor below the surface.
• By using a Muze Kart or Museum Pass, you can step directly into ancient cedar forests without waiting in line for tickets.

Aspendos and Selge Ancient City

Everyone knows the theater of Aspendos has excellent acoustics; however, very few discover that the massive aqueducts of Aspendos are a marvel of engineering. If you want to escape the crowds, you can climb to the Ancient City of Selge above the Taurus Mountains and take a fantastic historical hike between the “Adam Kayalar” (Mushroom Rocks).

Tazı Canyon and Köprüli Canyon

At the Edge of the Cliff

• Tazı Canyon, with its massive rocky walls reaching up to 400 meters, is one of the most stunning viewpoints in recent years.
• Instead of the crowded viewpoint you see on social media, if you are there between 08:00 and 09:00 in the early morning light, you can watch the clouds of mist dispersing over the canyon.

Goynuk Canyon and Duden Waterfall

Observing the point where the lower Duden Waterfall cascades into the Mediterranean from the cliffs is a classic experience; however, it is an entirely different dimension to feel the icy water droplets splashing on your face by taking small boats that depart from the Yacht Harbor right underneath the waterfall.

Olympos, Chimaera, and Yanartas

Chimaera

Chimaera is one of the most important breeding grounds for the globally renowned Caretta Caretta sea turtles in Turkey. You can cool off in the Olympos creek in the evening and climb to Yanartas with headlamps, where you can watch the mythological flames that have been spontaneously burning among the rocks for thousands of years.

Kaleiçi and the Gates

Hadrian’s Gate

• When you step through the gates built in A.D. 130 in honor of the visit of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the noise of the modern city is instantly silenced, and you find yourself amidst Ottoman-Seljuk mansions.
• Don’t just walk on the main streets; take a detour into Hesapçı Street, pause at hidden courtyard stone mansion cafes, and admire the Seljuk tiles of the Yivli Minaret.