Antalya Airport to Olympos and Çıralı: what the journey is like
Olympos and Çıralı sit on the far side of the mountains from Antalya. The distance from Antalya Airport (AYT) is about 80 km, and the drive takes about 80 minutes. Most of that time is spent on the D400 coast road heading west, then on the long descent through the forest into the valley.
The destination matters for how you plan the day. This is not a big-hotel area. It is a pair of small villages inside the Beydağları Coastal National Park, tucked into pine-covered hills at the southern edge of Kemer. The narrow road down from the D400 highway does the filtering for you. By the time you reach the bottom, the resort world is behind you.
Arrange the airport meeting around your flight
Good planning starts before you fly. For your Antalya Airport to Olympos transfer, give us the flight number landing at AYT, the local arrival date and a phone number you can answer. Match the arrival terminal to your confirmed meeting instructions before you travel.
Inside the airport you pass through passport control, baggage reclaim and customs. The airport publishes a passenger guide for international arrivals. Your driver waits after these steps, so there is no need to hurry.
- If your luggage is delayed, tell the provider before you leave arrivals.
- Use the agreed meeting point. If you cannot find it, confirm your terminal and your location before you move elsewhere.
- Keep the flight number in the booking exact. Your driver follows the flight, so an early or late landing changes nothing for you.
A delayed flight is handled on our side. The pickup time moves with the aircraft, and you do not have to ring anyone from the baggage hall.
The drive: coast road first, mountain road second
From the airport your driver heads west and then south. The first part of the trip is quick and wide. You leave the airport area on busy main roads, join the D400 and follow the coast with the Taurus mountains on one side and the sea on the other.
After that, the character of the journey changes. The road climbs and turns as it winds down through the mountains toward the Olympos valley. The scenery is the best part of the trip. You see forested slopes, sudden views of the sea and a long ribbon of road that feels remote even though you are still close to Antalya.
Plan for about 80 minutes as the working figure. That is the time for the full trip from the terminal to the valley. It applies on a normal day with a normal flow of traffic.
Some trips take longer. Busy summer afternoons slow the D400, and the last stretch is narrow and winding, so a steady pace there is normal. The position of your pension also affects the final minutes.
Our drivers know the last bends of this road, including the ones that drivers new to the area slow down for or miss in the dark. If you land in the evening, that local knowledge is worth a lot. The forest section has no lighting and no landmarks to help a stranger, and it is better to have someone at the wheel who has driven it before.
The mountain section has many turns, so anyone sensitive to motion should sit toward the front and keep water close.
Check which Olympos destination you mean
The names Olympos and Çıralı are often used as one place. They are not. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism's Lycian Way guide identifies Olympos and Çıralı as separate settlements, each with its own accommodation. They share a beach and an ancient city, but they have almost opposite personalities.
Olympos is backpacker country. It has treehouse bungalows, campfire dinners and a scruffy, relaxed energy that has hardly changed in decades. Çıralı is a short walk along the same sand and is quieter and greener. Orange and pomegranate groves run right up to small family-run hotels, and a long protected beach faces the sea.
When you book, give us the address of your pension and not just a village name. Specify the exact property instead of treating the two names as interchangeable drop-offs. A mistake of a few kilometres is easy to make here and slow to fix with a suitcase in your hand.
There is also a third pin on the map that people confuse with these two. Olympos Teleferik, the Tahtalı cable car, has its approach between Çamyuva and Tekirova. A cable car map pin is a different destination from your Olympos accommodation. If you want to ride the cable car, book that as a separate stop. Do not enter it as your hotel.
Match the pension to its street address
Many guests stay in one of the best-known tree house pensions, and it helps to match the name on your confirmation to the address on the map.
Kadir's Tree Houses lists Yazır Mah., Olimpos Sok. No:1, Kumluca, Antalya. If this matches your accommodation confirmation, book the Kadir's Tree Houses transfer.
Bayram's Tree Houses publishes Yazır Mahallesi, Olympos Sokak No:31, Kumluca, Antalya. The Bayram's Tree Houses transfer corresponds to this property. Check the name on your room reservation before you choose it.
Keep the address in its original spelling when you share it.
Ask your accommodation and your transfer provider to agree the entrance and the stopping point. This matters because the pensions in Olympos sit along paths that are too narrow for a car. When your driver drops you off, expect the last part of the walk, sometimes a hundred metres and sometimes more, to be on foot. Our drivers are used to this and will help carry bags for that last bit.
For a late arrival, settle the reception arrangements before you fly. Ask the pension who will be awake, where to find your key, and whether dinner is still available. Save the property's instructions with your transfer details, so everything is in one place when you step off the plane.
Arriving in the valley and settling in
The road drops, the air smells of pine and the noise of the highway disappears.
At Olympos, check in with your bags and take a slow walk down to the stream. The ruins of the ancient city spread along both banks of that stream, and the path to the sea runs through them. Turkish Museums describes Olympos as an ancient harbour city with ruins on both sides of a river. This is a rare combination in Turkey: an ancient city and a beach on the same footpath.
The ruins include a Lycian necropolis, the remains of a bathhouse, a theatre and a temple gate half swallowed by fig trees. Use the official visitor information when you plan your sightseeing. Arrange your luggage drop-off first, then decide when to visit. A visit to the ruins needs its own plan, and it should not replace your accommodation address in the booking.
At Çıralı, the pace is slower still. The village has a long protected beach and quiet lanes between the groves. It suits guests who want to read, swim and eat dinner early, with little else on the programme.
Which area suits whom
Olympos suits travellers who like a simple, social stay, such as walkers, solo travellers and groups of friends. It is less suited to guests who need a lift to the door of their room.
Çıralı suits couples, families and anyone who wants calm. It is also a good base for the Chimaera.
Beaches, ruins and the Chimaera
The beach is the centre of the valley. It is long, peaceful and quiet, with clear water for swimming and a number of operators that offer kayaks. Loggerhead turtles still nest on Çıralı beach each summer. Between June and September, parts of the sand are kept dark and off limits at night, so plan your evenings away from the shore in that period.
The Chimaera, known locally as Yanartaş, is the other great sight. It lies above Çıralı on the lower slopes of Mount Olympos. Natural gas seeping through cracks in the rock has burned continuously for centuries, and dozens of small flames are scattered across a bare hillside. The Chimaera is about 3 km uphill from Olympos beach. From the car park, the walk takes about 20 to 30 minutes and is short and easy.
Most visitors go at dusk or after dark, when the flames look their best. A taxi to the car park and back is by far the easiest way to do it. Walking down into the village afterwards in the dark is not something most people enjoy. If you want a combined plan with your airport transfer and an evening visit, ask us when you book. We can arrange this as an additional service.
Worth a short taxi ride
A few more places fill out a day trip. Each is an easy ride from either village.
- Adrasan Bay is a quieter beach village just south of Olympos, about half an hour by taxi.
- Phaselis is an ancient harbour city with three bays, toward Kemer. It combines ruins and a swim in one stop.
- Tahtalı cable car climbs to 2,365 metres near Tekirova and gives a dramatic view over the whole coast.
- Ulupınar trout restaurants stand near Beycik, on wooden platforms built right over the stream. They are a classic stop on the way to or from Kemer.
- The Lycian Way passes directly through Olympos and Çıralı. We regularly drop hikers at trailheads for shorter sections.
Eating and evenings
Dinner is part of the Olympos experience. In the treehouse pansiyons, a shared evening meal is the normal way to end the day, and the cooking is simple and home-style. In Çıralı, small restaurants and hotel terraces under the trees take the place of a restaurant street.
The valley has no strip of bars and no beach clubs playing loud music. That is the point.
If you arrive on a late flight, remember that kitchens in small pensions may close early. Tell your pension your landing time before you leave home. Ask them to keep something for you, or buy snacks and water at the airport so you are not hungry on arrival.
Families and children
The valley works well for families who like the outdoors. The beach is long, and there is room for children to play. The walk through the ruins can interest older children. Think about logistics early. Include every passenger, suitcase and bulky item when you review the available vehicles. Describe a folded pushchair or other large equipment, and do not record only the number of bags. Request any child seat or assistance in advance and confirm availability and any charge. For young children, the winding mountain section is the part to prepare for. Bring water, plan a stop before the descent if needed, and keep the little ones well rested before the final hour.
Choosing the vehicle for your party
Match the vehicle to the group. As a guide, a sedan takes 3 passengers with 3 suitcases, and a Vito van takes 7 passengers with 7 suitcases. A Sprinter is the choice for larger groups.
Review the current total for the selected vehicle and your exact destination before you confirm. If no price appears for your route, request a quote for your dates. If members of your group are staying at different addresses, ask for those stops to be included in the arrangement.
Why a private transfer works better here
There is no direct public bus from the airport. Reaching the valley by public transport means a drop at the D400 highway junction, which is about 7 km uphill from the valley. After that you need a further minibus down the hill. With luggage, after a flight, this is a poor start to a holiday.
A private transfer replaces all of that with one vehicle that waits for you and goes to the valley.
Late-night and early-morning flights
Flights at awkward hours are common at AYT. Late arrivals are a particular case in Olympos, because the valley is far from the city and the lanes are dark.
For a late arrival, three things matter:
- Your flight number is in the booking, so your driver follows the actual landing time.
- Your pension knows that you will arrive late and has a plan for reception.
- You have the pension's address and phone number saved offline.
For an early departure, you leave the valley while it is still quiet. Pack the night before and tell your pension what time you are leaving.
Setting the airport return from your pension
Use the Olympos to Antalya Airport return route when you book the way back. Supply the departure flight, the date and the terminal. Then agree the pickup time around your airline's check-in requirements.
Work backwards from your flight. Count the 80-minute drive, then check-in time, then add a margin for the mountain road. Do not plan the last day with a tight schedule.
Reconfirm the pension entrance and your luggage details the day before. If you move accommodation during your stay, for example from Olympos to Çıralı, update the pickup address before departure. A driver who goes to the wrong village loses far more time than the booking change would have cost.
When to visit
May to October is the season for swimming and beach time. Late spring and autumn, May to June and September to October, are the best months. The sea is warm, the valley is green, and the heat is gentle. Summer is hot and suits the beach.
Winter is very quiet. Many pansiyons close entirely, so check with your accommodation before you travel outside the main season. If you do travel then, confirm that your pension is open and that someone will be there when you arrive.
Turkey Transfer is a local company. We know this road, we know the valley, and we plan the last metres of your trip with you. Give us the flight, the pension and the party size, and we take care of the rest.
Day trips beyond the valley
If you stay longer than a few days, the coast on both sides of Olympos has more to offer. Agree the return time with your driver before you set off on any of these trips.
Demre, Myra and Kekova
South-west along the coast lies the Demre area. It is known for the Church of St Nicholas and for the rock-cut tombs of ancient Myra, which are carved into a cliff face above the town. Further along the same coast is Kekova, where the remains of a sunken Lycian settlement lie close to the shore. Boat trips are the usual way to see them. Plan this as a full day, and leave enough daylight for the drive back to your pension.
Walking a section of the Lycian Way
You do not need a long trek to enjoy the trail. The Lycian Way is marked with red and white paint, and it passes through both villages. A short section near the valley is a good morning walk. Start early, carry more water than you think you need, and wear proper shoes rather than beach sandals. Phone signal can be patchy among the trees, so tell your pension which direction you are taking. If you walk a one-way section, arrange the pickup point at the far end before you leave.
Antalya old town
The historic quarter of Kaleiçi sits above the old Roman harbour in Antalya itself. Hadrian's Gate, the fluted minaret and the narrow Ottoman-era lanes make it an easy place to walk for a couple of hours.
Large groups, backpacks and sports gear
Olympos attracts walkers, climbers, kayakers and groups of friends, and all of them arrive with more luggage than a standard suitcase. Think about the gear before you choose a vehicle.
- Rope bags, crash pads, trekking poles and rucksacks take more room than their weight suggests. List them in the booking.
- Kayak paddles, snorkel sets and diving bags are bulky, so mention them even if they are not large.
- Bicycles and long boxes need a suitable luggage area. Say what you carry before you travel.
- Large groups often split between two pensions. Give each address and the number of people at each stop.
The treehouse lanes are too narrow for a car, so every bag travels the last stretch by hand. Pack so that each person can carry their own kit for a few minutes.
If your group arrives on different flights, tell us the landing time of each one. Decide in advance whether the first arrivals wait for the others or travel ahead. Agree a single meeting point, so that nobody stands at the wrong exit with a heavy bag.
The last day before an evening flight
The drive to the airport takes about 80 minutes, so an evening flight gives you a generous last day. The key is to keep the valley part of the day relaxed and to move your luggage first.
Morning in the valley
Pack before breakfast and ask your pension to hold your bags near reception. Then you can swim, walk the ruins one last time or sit under the trees without a rucksack. Ask about late checkout, but do not rely on a room after the agreed time.
Food and small gifts
The valley is orange and pomegranate country, so citrus and pomegranate are the natural things to look for. Fresh juice is easy to find, and a bag of fruit makes a simple present. Kumluca, the district named in the Olympos pension addresses, is also known for its greenhouse farming. Check what your airline allows in the cabin before you pack fresh produce or liquids.
Stopping on the way
If your pickup is early in the afternoon, you can break the journey. Kaleiçi in Antalya, mentioned above, is the easiest stop. Phaselis is a possible alternative if you want a last swim. Tell us at booking if you want a stop, and name the place. Do not add a stop if your flight is early in the evening.
Summer and shoulder season
July and August are hot. In those months, a midday walk to the ruins is hard work, and the best hours for sightseeing are early morning and late afternoon. A summer afternoon also brings heavier traffic on the D400, so build in a little extra time on the way back. In May, June, September and October the days are cooler and the lanes are quieter. A last-day plan with a long walk and a stop in town works much better then.
