Explore the historical sights of Perge, Aspendos, and Side, as well as the magnificent waterfall at Kursunlu, on a full-day tour from Antalya. See the Temple of Artemis and the incredible Aspendos Theater, along routes followed by Alexander the Great.

Discover Perge, Aspendos and Side on a day trip. Depart in the morning and visit Perge, the place where most of the statues that are on display in Antalya Museum were unearthed. An important city of ancient Parnphylia, originally settled by the Hittites around 1500 BC. St. Paul visited Perge on his first missionary journey. The theater stage has finely carved marble reliefs, and other carvings from around the city are displayed in the stadium. Amateur archaeologists will want to see the handsome city gate flanked by two lofty towers, a long colonnaded road once paved with mosaics and lined with shops, a large agora, the public baths and a gymnasium. Perge was one of the Pamphylian cities and was believed to have been built in the 12th to 13th centuries BC. Most of the remains of the city that can be seen date from the Roman era. From the two towers, which have become the symbol of Perge, starts the colonnaded street that ends in the nymphaeum beneath of the Acropolis.

The theatre is the main feature of Aspendos, attracting visitors who come here to see the most magnificent example of such architecture still remaining in Turkey. That the theatre remained so well-preserved till this day, is due to the fact of the thought-out construction method of the architect Zeno under the rule of emperor Marcus Aurelius (in 161-180 A.D.) and also to the late Byzantines and Seljuks, who used the theatre and kept in good condition. The furthest city Side in the east historical Pamphylia, situated on a peninsula about 1000m long and 400 m wide, it fulfilled its duty as a commercial port. Naturally, Side used to be one of the most important trade centers in antiquity and now it’s one of the most popular holiday resorts in Southern Turkey. The merchants took up the local language, the name Side means pomegranate, the fruit symbolizing abundance and fertility. During our time we will visit the Old Colonnaded Streets, Monuments of Fountains, Agora, and Dyanisos Temple. The most important ruins are the Roman style amphitheater and the Temple of Apollo with its huge columns.

Finally, we visit the Manavgat Waterfalls. The Manavgat River runs down from the Taurus Mountains all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, and it’s most scenic spot is the Manavgat Waterfall (Manavgat Şelalesi). Just outside of Side, the low, wide falls make a stunning backdrop for photos and serve as a popular recreation area, with visitors coming to swim, picnic, or cruise along the river.