In our opinion, Termessos has one of the best ancient theaters in Turkey! Its location is what sets it apart. Termessos is located over 1,000 meters above sea level, up in the Taurus Mountains. The view of the theater with the mountains behind it is truly amazing! Termessos has been called ‘the Machu Picchu of Turkey’. It’s also well known because even Alexander the Great couldn’t conquer it!
After seeing pictures of the theater, we knew we had to go to Termessos. However, as we were backpacking and didn’t have a car, getting there was more tricky than we thought.
What to Expect
Termessos National Park opens at 8:30am. The last entrance is at 5:30pm and everyone must be out of the park by 7:30pm. The park entrance is at the bottom of the mountain, close to the highway. You need to pay 12.50 lira each (as of the end of 2021). This is less than $1usd. Right inside the entrance gate is an area for picnics and a public bathroom. There is also a small museum, however it was closed when we visited.
After paying to enter the park, there is a 9km (5.6km) road from the lower parking lot to the upper parking lot. While this is a quick drive, it is not a fun hike!!!
Once you reach the upper parking lot, there is one small map of Termessos and a sign about its history. You must then hike 15-20 minutes up to the first ruins. While this hike isn’t too difficult if you’re active, it is a hike. It is steep and there are rocks and roots along the path which would make it very difficult for someone who is unfit, although there are benches along the way to take breaks on.
The amazing views start when you reach the lower walls of Termessos! While there are small signs directing you to the theater and other areas such as the colonnaded street or cisterns, there is no other information about the site! If you are very interested in history, I would recommend signing up for a tour of Termessos or finding a guide to go with you.
How to Get to Termessos from Antalya
Drive to Termessos:
We didn’t look into this option, however after attempting to take public transit to Termessos I wish we would have! Rental cars in Antalya are pretty inexpensive. The driving is also not difficult especially once you are out of Antalya. It takes less than 45 minutes to drive from the center of Antalya to Termessos National Park. On the drive back make sure to stop by ‘Antalya Seyir Noktas’ for a panoramic view of Antalya!
Termessos by Public Transportation:
Can you take public transit to Termessos? Well, yes and no. We tried to take a bus to Termessos. We were able to get to the Termessos National Park very easily from the bus station in Antalya. However, getting to the Termessos ruins themselves was a different story.
To take a bus to Termessos, first go to the main bus station – the Antalya Otogar. From there we asked for ‘Termessos’ and were taken to the correct mini bus. The mini bus is the one that runs between Antalya and Korkuteli, however there is a sign in front of it that also lists ‘Termesos’.
The bus cost 13 lira each to get there (about $1usd). The drive was about a half hour before the bus stopped on the side of the highway to let us off. We then had to cross the road to the entrance of the Termessos National Park. Once you cross the street it is a quick walk to the entrance gate where you pay 12.50 lira each to enter.
We read some blog posts that said during busy season there should be taxis waiting here to take you the remaining 9km to the upper parking lot….however, when we arrived there were no taxis! While we would’ve rather taken a taxi, we were prepared for the long hike up. We started walking along the road. It wasn’t too steep of a hike, however it was a constant incline. It was also very sunny – there was almost no shade for the majority of the hike! Luckily we had sunblock and water with us.
For the first hour and a half we hadn’t actively tried to hitchhike. However, we were getting tired. We eventually started looking at cars who drove by and it didn’t take long for a couple to stop and pick us up! The remaining 3km in a car were great and we came to the conclusion that it is DEFINITELY better to have a ride up to Termessos instead of having to walk up!
On the way down we had a similar thing happen. We started hiking down the road (luckily this was much easier than the hike up), however about halfway down we had a different car stop! This time it was 3 young Turkish people who didn’t speak much English. They were the nicest people ever!!! We thought they would just take us to the bottom of the national park entrance where we would then catch the bus….but instead they took us the whole way to the main bus station in Antalya! They even stopped at the Antalya Seyir Noktas viewpoint to take our picture and they bought us bottles of water! (I still can’t get over how many super nice people we met in Turkey!!!)
Taxi to Termessos:
If you don’t feel comfortable renting a car and don’t want to risk having to hike 9km from the entrance of the Termessos National Park to the top, you can always take a taxi. Although this would not be the most cost effective way.. Taxi prices were higher when we recently went to Antalya than what we read quoted in blogs from even a year ago. Personally it seems cheaper to rent a car than it would be to pay for a taxi there and back.
Tour to Termessos:
While we didn’t do this, we did see this option. This could be perfect if you’re interested in history and need transportation. We saw some tours listed on AirBnb as well a tour on Get Your Guide which includes transportation, a guide, and a stop by the Duden Waterfalls. While we didn’t try this tour ourselves, having a guide would be a great way to learn more about Termessos!
Quick Tips for Termessos
- Try to get there close to the opening time to avoid crowds and the heat.
- Take plenty of water and some snacks as there isn’t anywhere there to buy them!
- Use the bathroom right inside the entrance to the national park.
- If you take the bus, don’t rely on a taxi being at the entrance (there wasn’t one when we visited).
- Wear shoes that are comfortable for walking as everyone must do the final 20+ minute hike from the upper parking lot to the actual ruins!
- Take a picture of the ‘map’ in the upper parking lot before walking to the ruins as it is the only map we saw.
- If you drove yourself, stop by ‘Antalya Seyir Noktas’ for a panoramic view of Antalya!
Check Out Our YouTube Video from Termessos!
Want to see another fun trip in Turkey?! Check out our guide to Pamukkale here!
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