Termessos Ruins

Absolutely beautiful!! Not only wonderful for history buffs but amazing hiking (so if you love both the perfect two for one)!!! Try to go early (closes at 5:00p.m.) so that you have enough time for all the sightseeing (takes at least a few hours to get through about half of it) and make sure to wear appropriate footwear (lots of loose rocks and climbing).

You should be ready to hiking! You will need about 20-30 minutes to climb to the antique city from the parking. Don't forget to wear the sneakers and take a bottle of water

But the place is stunning!

This ruins are totally worth the visit. You need a small hike and can explore around the ruins and enjoy the stunning mountains views behind the theatre. The entrance is reasonable,about 70 tyr, and coming November pretty empty

As a guide for Impulse Travel agency, you will have the most unique travel experience in Antalya when exploring the ancient city of Termessos. This area, also a natural park, allows for a long and challenging hike, providing the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent views in the fresh air. To reach the ancient city, you'll need to climb a difficult path that takes about 15-20 minutes, but the oxygen and fresh air will increase as you ascend. As you approach the entrance to the city at the end of this wonderful hiking trail, you'll feel like you're entering the city through a well-preserved gate, once commanded by great leaders of ancient times. You'll trace the glorious life of a real Roman city, and I always look forward to visiting this place. As a guide for Impulse Travel, I can't wait to offer our guests the highest quality services during the Termessos ancient city tour.

Lace up your hiking boots, put on your Indiana Jones hat, and explore. Termessos is a totally unexcavated Pisidian city high up in the Taurus mountains about 30 miles from Antalya. Alexander the Great tried but failed to conquer it. Later, it was allied with Rome, although never actually ruled by Rome. The city was abandoned when an earthquake destroyed the aqueduct at an unknown date.

I visited Termessos in 2022, and it was high on my priority list to visit again in 2023. There is something magical about it. You definitely feel like you are exploring, not just touring, at Termessos. A winding mountain road takes you to a parking lot from where you hike up another steep half a mile or so to the lower city walls. From there you wander, sometimes walking over decent footpaths and sometimes scrambling on all fours over massive boulders. The panoramic mountain views balance the muscular, maybe even brutal, architecture. The signage is minimal, and so you never know quite what will be around the next bend in the path. Make sure to do your homework before you go, and take a picture of the wooden map in the parking area before you start your hike.

The star of the show is a 4-5,000 seat theater hanging off the side of a mountain. The view of the mountains from the theater is absolutely breathtaking — it’s almost a spiritual experience.

There are two paths to the ruins. The main path is what most people take, but there is a second, rockier path that goes by a bunch of rock cut tombs. I would recommend taking the straight path up and the rock cut path on the way back, or vice versa.

Although you can reach Termessos by bus and a 4(?) mile hike up the road from the entrance to the national park, I would recommend hiring a taxi or renting a car. I hired a taxi for about $60, and the taxi driver waited at the parking area while I hiked. Crowds are minimal. I counted 15 other people during my visit.

Fascinating ruined city with so much to see. We spent 4 hours and still missed some of it. The theatre is spectacular and the necropoli were amazing. We even saw orchids and had tea with the very knowledgeable attendant which was a real bonus.

Best ruins I've visited ever. I mean normally you dont expect much from ruins. In this case you have to climb on a quite serious rock. During hot weather it can a challenge. But when you're up, views are stunning, ruins look really impressive and history of the place makes this place even a more special one. Highly recommended!

A great day out. Lots to explore. Small entrance fee and free car park. The walk is quite hilly and the paths can be very uneven so good sturdy shoes and water bottles are recommended! Really interesting place.

Breathtaking hike through the ruins to the summit! The ancient city features a magnificent theater, the monumental tomb of Alcetas (one of Alexander’s generals), Hellenistic Defenses, multiple temples, as well as several magnificent necropolises. It provides one of the most stunning examples of ancient cities in Western Turkey. I suggest around 3-4 hours to explore the site and hike the trails fully. Even if you are not a huge history buff, this is a fantastic hiking spot with a scenic view of the Turkish countryside.

If you like ruins then this place has to be on your bucket list. While it was unconquered by Alexander The Great, nature is winning that battle.

Most of it is in ruins, but they are impressive. It's a long winding road up to the parking spot (but on a good road) and then a 45 min steep uphill climb, so wear good trainers. But what waits is well worth it.

Lots to see (signposts in the site could be better) so allow lots of time. Take food and lots of water.

You will need a car, coach or taxi to visit this remote, mountain site. We took a taxi from Antalya for 65Euros including the driver waiting time. Pay 20 lira per person then drive to the parking lot up the mountain road. Then start the easy but rough climb. As a minimum you will need good trainers plus water as there are no facilities. Climb maybe 2km and gain 250m to reach the beautiful and atmospheric theatre before descending through the various ruins to again reach the ruined colonnaded street. The paths are informal and rocky but not difficult. The ruins are as nature left them after earthquakes, not repaired, not reconstructed with no interpretive signage. The beauty of the site is its unimproved and atmospheric condition. To descend to the parking lot seek out the path through the tombs. There is a detour path to the tomb of Alcetas. Return trip to car park will take around 3 hours. We had the site largely to ourselves midweek in October.

Beautiful place! Have to visit. Ruins, views, history - great! Possible to go on taxi. Recommend to visit via route by maps.me or else navigator. Starting from the tombs to city, bath, school, church, other buildings and finish - awesome antique amphitheater. All visit takes 3-5 hours.

Well, well, well, what do we have here? The Termessos ruins in Antalya, huh? Let me tell you, folks, I was blown away when I saw this place on Google Maps.

I mean, sure, there are ruins all over the world, but there's something special about Termessos. Maybe it's the fact that it's nestled in the mountains, or maybe it's the fact that it's so well-preserved. Either way, it's a sight to behold.

And you know what the best part is? The Google reviews. I saw one guy who wrote, "I climbed all the way to the top and the view was breathtaking...but the hike was a killer. Bring some water and a snack, folks!"

And then there was another review that said, "I went here on a date and let me tell you, it was a real conversation starter. We spent the whole time trying to pronounce 'Termessos' correctly."

I mean, you can't make this stuff up, folks! But all joking aside, Termessos is truly a marvel of history. The fact that it's still standing after all these years is a testament to the ingenuity and perseverance of our ancestors.

So if you're ever in Antalya, make sure to put Termessos on your itinerary. And don't forget to bring your hiking shoes, some water, and a sense of humor!

After the windy road up to the top the views were amazing. The paths are not always clear so you have to climb around to find the ruins but that made it much more fun.

An amazing hike to the top of the mountain to see an even more amazing theatre. It is so unbelievably beautiful. They had such lovely views from their buildings back in the days.

The views from the amphitheatre are brilliant. Make sure to carry enough water for the hike as it is mostly uphill so you will tire out quickly once the heat builds up. Or try to do it first thing in the morning so that you beat the crowds.

The ruins are sometimes called the Machu Picchu of Turkey and the setting is truly stunning. It‘s only a short and in part scenic drive from Antalya, about 1hr from Belek. You pay 20 Lira (Euro not officially accepted, but there are ways, no cards) per person and drive on for another 8.2km up the mountain. The views are fantastic. From the carpark it‘s a 30min hike up the hill (many steplike rocks and debris from buildings, so wear decent footwear). The ruins are in different stages of conservation and together with the location it is all very romantic and fascinating. When we went (Sunday around noon), there were not many people around. Allow 2-3 hours. I found this place to be incredibly atmospheric and stunningly beautiful!

The amphitheater and the surrounding city are really amazing, definetely worth a visit! The city is located inside a national park, so you need to a car to access the starting point then hike upwards! It was a hard climb but it has amazing views. The mountains surrounding the city, the harmony of nature and the buildings is just a must-see :)

The theatre is breathtaking... mainly due to its mount top location. The fact that there aren’t many visitors and the place is a bit remote, brings some feel of time stall and peace. As for the rest of the buildings, they have mostly collapsed and unless you have some background in architecture or archeology, you may find it hard to appreciate. Some say the walk up is strenuous... I’d say if you don’t have mobility issue, you’ll be fine! Yes, you have to walk over ruins sometimes but that’s to be expected. It is somewhere in between a walk in the park and hiking. Shoes (as opposed to flip-flops) will help but proper trekking shoes are not essential. It’s a 9km walk from the ticket office to the ruins. Thought those were more strenuous and certainly more tedious - if you could arrange a transport for those, you may want to do. For me personally, it was worth it even for the theatre itself. I could spend a good amount of time when I was the only person there and it was a special moment of silence and reflection.

I am in love with this sacred spot.
I am so happy that not everyone can come and see this place. pure serenity overrules in a good way.. I want to see this place again...

Most amazing experience with endless ruins sprawling across mountains, partly hidden by forest and debris. Sad and magnificent, how grand the city once was. The area is worth several days of exploration, not hours. Take water and snacks with you and leave no trace behind, be better than others