15 Ancient History Tours in Turkey Worth the Day

1.Antalya: Ancient Perge, Aspendos Theater & City of Side Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,237 reviews · 9 hours · from $41Our pick

Travel from Antalya to Perge, Aspendos, and Side with guides such as Ozzy, Recep, or Fatima. Walk Roman streets, see Aspendos Theater, enjoy a riverside Turkish lunch, and finish at the Temple of Apollo. Hotel pickup, transport, lunch, and selected entry fees are included.

“Our guide Recep was very knowledgeable and shared interesting facts about the places that we visited. We truly enjoyed ourselves during the tour.”

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2.Ancient Perge, Aspendos Amphitheater and City of Side Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 644 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $42Top rated

Spend about 10 hours exploring Roman ruins at Perge and Aspendos, the Apollo Temple in Side, and a local shop stop. Hotel pickup, lunch, and a guide are included. The group is capped at 15, with guides such as Ibrahim, Oğuzhan, Ozzy, and Gamze noted for strong historical knowledge.

“A very worthwhile trip our tour guide Ozi was very friendly, informative and professional. Definitely recommend”

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3.From Antalya: Day Tour of Ancient Roman Sites

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 278 reviews · 9 hours · from $89

Travel from Antalya to Perge, Aspendos, Side, and Manavgat Waterfall in an air-conditioned vehicle. Guides such as Fatima, Çığıl, Kerem, and Tuly bring the Roman sites to life, while included entry fees and lunch keep the day simple. Expect a full schedule, plenty of ruins, and limited time at each stop.

“Our guide Cengis was very good. He was very knowledgeable, engaging and had a positive disposition throughout the day. The Perge, Aspendos and Side sites were interesting and quite well preserved. We learned a lot and there was also ample free time to explore. It was not crowded so we enjoyed a leisurely day exploring. Pick up was also on time. Highly recommended.”

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4.From Izmir: Guided Tour of the Ancient City of Ephesus

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 205 reviews · 9 hours · from $117

Travel from Izmir to Ephesus in an air-conditioned minibus with a guide such as Alpi, Erman, or Alperen. Walk the marble streets, see the Library of Celsus and Great Theatre, enjoy lunch, and choose the optional House of the Virgin Mary visit.

“I was very happy with our pick up from our hotel. Good communication from our guide when they were going to be a few minutes late. Our guide, Alperen Uger was fantastic. Had a great knowledge of the history, was very friendly and helpful al all times. we thoroughly enjoyed our day trip to Ephesus. Paul & Christine New Zealand”

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5.Fire of Anatolia Dance Show at Ancient Aspendos Theater

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 198 reviews · 3 - 8 hours · from $64

See Fire of Anatolia’s 120 dancers perform Evolution or Troy at Ancient Aspendos Theater near Antalya. Expect Anatolian folk dance, ballet, modern choreography, dramatic lighting, and a show lasting about two hours, including an interval. Transfers and dinner vary by option.

“The experience is just fascinating. Imagine watching a dance show in a thousands years old amphitheatre. Aspendo is only a 45min drive from Antalya. Restating the amphiteatre for ordinary usage is a brilliant idea. It makes people more aware of other ancient ruins, and the wisedom of earlier civilizations. I wish the these tickets are cheaper, so more people can enjoy the beauty of Aspendos, and thus more willing to preserve ancient ruins. The dance show is more than expected. At the beginning, I thought if my teenager found it boring or it became too hot to enjoy, we will leave earlier. To my surprise, both of us enjoyed till…”

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6.Antalya: Hiking in Termessos Ancient City

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 152 reviews · 4 hours · from $62

Join guide Onder for a four-hour small-group hike from Antalya to Termessos, a remarkably preserved ancient city at 1,050 meters. Walk among its theater, agora, tombs, cisterns, and mountain fortifications, with transport included and entrance paid separately at the gate.

“The tour guide, Onder, made this experience very enjoyable and educational. He was friendly, easy to contact and provided a cheap, helpful direct pick-up and drop-off service to and from our bnb. The actual tour was excellent! Onder taught us about the history of Termessos while helping us take photos of the beautiful scenery. He went above and beyond to provide us with extra information and recommendations for the rest of our stay in Antalya. Would highly recommend!”

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7.City of Side: Eagle Canyon and Selge Ancient City Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 124 reviews · 8 hours · from $45

Travel by minibus from Side to Koprucay River, Selge’s Roman ruins, ancient aqueducts, and Eagle Canyon. An English or German guide leads the day, with lunch included and a short hike to the canyon. Expect an eight-hour outing, mountain roads, heat, and some walking.

“Spændende og smuk oplevelse, som bestemt var pengene værd. Der var desværre ikke en engelsk guide med.”

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8.City of Side: Green Canyon, Waterfall, Ancient City Mix Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 109 reviews · 7 - 8 hours · from $32

From Side, you’ll visit Lyrbe Agora, cruise Green Lake, eat lunch by the water, and see Oymapinar Dam. Swimming and a foam party are included, while jet skis, the orange grove, and Manavgat Waterfall cost extra. Guides speak English, German, Russian, or Turkish.

“Excellent trip. Loved boat ride and plenty of stops. Guide was very good and attentive but unfortunately did not speak good English but did try to .are up for it by giving us transcrip commentary on his phone.”

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9.Antalya Eagle Canyon Tour With Rafting OR Selge Ancient City

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 79 reviews · 8 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $35

Travel from Antalya to Tazı, or Eagle Canyon, and Koprulu Canyon National Park by included hotel transfer. Depending on your chosen package, you will raft white water or explore Selge, Adamkayalar, Little Cappadocia, and a Roman theater. Lunch, equipment, a 4x4 ride, and a local guide are included.

“Exhilarating. Excellent crew. Brimming with life and inspiring everyone. Only downside is the driver of the van did not turn on AC during the journey.it became a little hot.”

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10.Alanya: Ancient Ruins & Hidden Coves of Gazipaşa w/ Cave

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 63 reviews · 9 hours · from $53

Travel from Alanya to Syedra and Aytap with an English, German, or Russian-speaking guide. You will see ancient ruins, swim at King's Cove and Delik Deniz, visit Lying World Cave, and stop for a traditional lunch. The route is active, rocky, and best for fit adults.

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11.Exploring Ancient Wonders and Natural Beauty in Turkey

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $100

From Alanya, visit Side’s Temple of Apollo, Aspendos Theatre, and Kursunlu Waterfall on an 8.5-hour guided outing. Hotel pickup, lunch, and waterfall admission are included. Allow extra for the 15-euro Aspendos ticket and expect a full day on the road.

“Essential parts of the tour were excellent (Side, Aspendos, Waterfall). Personal tour with very good guide and excellent driver. Turkish Delight factory was good but we didn't need the jewellery showroom. Longish drive from Alanya though.”

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12.Full-Day Tour of Ancient Ruins in Ephesus from Izmir

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 43 reviews · 8 hours · from $155

Spend eight hours traveling from Izmir to Selçuk with an English-speaking guide and a small group of up to 14. Walk through Ephesus, see the Library of Celsus and Great Theater, visit the Temple of Artemis and Virgin Mary’s House, and enjoy lunch. Some departures also include carpet or leather stops.

“Good way to see sights while staying in Izmir. We saw the house of Mary, ephasus ruins, stopped at the temple to Apollo and had a lunch at a place that served good food and then had carpet making tour after. Guide was responsive but in Ephesus it felt we were being rushed through some of the amazing sites at times”

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13.From Antalya: Roman Ancient Sites & Manavgat Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 38 reviews · 9 hours · from $77

Spend nine hours with a professional guide at Perge, Aspendos, Side, and Kursunlu Waterfall. Expect hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, an open-buffet lunch, and commentary in English, German, Russian, or Italian. Guides such as Kerem, Fatma, and Cengiz are praised for clear, lively storytelling.

“It was a really lovely day. Ideal for those wanting to see some of the best sites near Antalya. Nice people on the tour as well. Well organised.”

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14.Full-Day Tour of Kursunlu Waterfalls, Aspendos, and Ancient Ruins of Side From Alanya

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 37 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $66

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Alanya to Aspendos, Kursunlu Waterfalls, and Side. You’ll see a Roman theater, pine-forest cascades, temples, baths, and city walls, with lunch included. The group can reach 27 people, and the day includes a leather and jewelry shop stop.

“The reason I have given this tour 3 stars is mainly due to the magnificence of Aspendos. I was disappointed when we got on the coach to be informed we were not going to Kursunlu but to Mangavet falls as these are not really water falls with any height and more a river side coffee stop.. I believe that as we travelled later in the season the tour company mixed and matched different tours sold at different hotels. As we had purchased this tour online we were clear on what schedule we had been promised. That aside our tour guide was knowledgeable and the tour was fine. I would however…”

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15.Ephesus Ancient City Highlight Tour For Cruisers

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 35 reviews · 4 - 4.5 hours · from $22Best value

Meet guides such as Memo, Kaya, or Tijen at Kusadasi cruise port for a four-hour tour of Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, Saint John’s Basilica, and Artemis Temple. Expect flexible pacing, local stops, skip-the-line access, and transport, but bring money for entrance fees and lunch.

“We booked a guided tour of Ephesus, a stop at the Artemis Temple and lunch. Esen, our tour guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. you can book a tour with or without tickets for Ephesus, we chose without so you pay the entrance price. The interactive experience at the end of the tour brings it all together.”

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