Lara→Antalya City Center

The distance from the hotel strip of Lara to the heart of Antalya is 8 km, and on a clear run the drive takes about 8 minutes. That makes it one of the shortest transfers on the whole coast. It is also one of the most rewarding, because it connects two very different sides of the city: the long, wide beach district of resort hotels in the east, and the walled old town of Kaleiçi, the harbour and the shopping streets at the centre.

With Turkey Transfer, a driver collects you at your Lara hotel, drives you straight to the part of the centre you want and drops you as close as the streets allow. You do not need to queue for a taxi, work out the dolmuş routes or carry luggage along a hot pavement. This page explains what the drive is like, how to plan the day, which parts of the centre suit which kind of traveller, and how to get back to Lara or on to the airport afterwards.

Lara is the stretch of golden coastline that runs along Antalya's shore between the city centre and Antalya Airport. Most of the big resort hotels sit around Güzeloba and Kundu, with a quieter local district behind them. From there, the way into the centre follows the coastal side of the city, and the route passes some of the best-known landmarks in the area.

The road runs close to the Düden area, where the Lower Düden Waterfall pours straight off the cliffs into the Mediterranean. It is one of the most photographed views in Antalya, with greenish river water meeting the open sea. Your driver will not stop on a standard transfer, but you will pass the district and you may catch glimpses of the cliff line and the sea. The arched Lara Bridge across the nearby valley is another landmark you may notice.

From the cliffs, the road continues west towards the old part of the city. The final approach brings you to the edge of Kaleiçi. This is the area of Roman and Ottoman streets known for Hadrian's Gate, the fluted Yivli Minaret and the horseshoe-shaped Old Harbour below the cliffs. The road enters the centre close to Kalekapısı and the Clock Tower, which is the main meeting point of the city.

The journey is 8 km and takes about 8 minutes when the roads are clear. Because the distance is short, small delays matter more than usual. A single red light, a bus stopping or a queue near an old-town entrance can add a few minutes to a drive that is normally very quick. The driver chooses the route according to traffic, your exact pick-up point and where you want to be dropped off.

For most of the year, the drive is quick. Mornings before about 9:00 are generally calm, late morning and early afternoon are normally easy, and the evening after dinner is usually clear too.

In summer the picture changes. The coastal highway, the D-400, can be heavy in the high season, and the feeder roads around the airport area and the busy junctions near the centre can slow down in the middle of the day and in the early evening, when day visitors are returning to their hotels and locals are driving home from work. Even then, the delay is usually measured in minutes rather than hours. A good rule is to plan for the stated 8 minutes in quiet traffic and to allow 15 to 20 minutes in the afternoon or evening rush, especially if you have a restaurant booking, a ticket for a museum slot or a boat trip to catch.

If you are heading into the centre to meet a tour, add a margin of about 20 minutes to your plan. The extra time costs you nothing, and it means you can walk to the meeting point at a relaxed pace.

Lara hotels are large, and many of them have long driveways, several entrances and a spread-out reception area. When you book, please give the exact name of the hotel and, if you know it, the nearest main entrance. The driver will meet you at the lobby or at the agreed point outside, help with your bags and keep the car cool and ready.

Many hotels in this area are big all-inclusive resorts. A few examples that our drivers regularly serve include Titanic Beach Lara, with its landmark tower and beachfront pools, Delphin Imperial Lara, with its grand lobby and extensive grounds, Club Hotel Sera, which is popular with families, and Royal Holiday Palace, close to the water. Knowing which entrance each hotel uses saves real time, especially for guests who arrive late or have a tight schedule.

If your hotel is on a quiet side street, tell the driver which side of the building you will wait on. If you are staying in an apartment rather than a resort, send the street address and a landmark. The more precise the pick-up details, the shorter the wait.

The centre of Antalya is not one single point, and the right drop-off depends on what you plan to do.

Kaleiçi and the Old Harbour. The old town is a maze of narrow lanes, and the streets inside it are very restricted for vehicles. Cars cannot always reach a small guesthouse door. The easiest option is a drop-off near Hadrian's Gate or at the top of the lanes leading down to the harbour, followed by a short walk. If your hotel in Kaleiçi has its own arrival procedure, tell us the name of the property and the driver will take you as close as the rules allow. With wheeled luggage, expect cobblestones.

Kalekapısı and the Clock Tower. This is the easy meeting point. It is a good place to start a walk, to meet friends or to join a city tour. It is also where many people start their shopping on Atatürk Caddesi.

Atatürk Caddesi and the shopping streets. Drop-off here is straightforward in most cases. The streets are busy, so the driver may stop on a side road and ask you to step out quickly.

Karaalioğlu Park and the cliff-top walk. If you want to stroll along the sea-view cliffs after arriving, ask for a drop-off at the park edge. The park has wide paths, shade and views over the bay towards the Taurus Mountains.

The Antalya Museum and the Konyaaltı side. The museum and the Konyaaltı coast lie on the western side of the centre. Your driver can take you there directly if it is your main stop.

Whichever point you choose, it helps to write it in the booking notes. The driver will then know where to go, and you will avoid explaining a place name on the street.

Couples. Evenings at the Old Harbour are the classic choice, with the cliffs lit up and the boats moving gently in the marina. Kaleiçi at sunset is quiet and romantic, and the lanes are pleasant to walk after the day-trippers leave.

Families with children. Karaalioğlu Park offers shade and space, and the harbour is a good place to watch boats. A morning in the old town followed by lunch and an ice cream suits most children. Plan breaks, because cobblestones and heat can tire small legs quickly.

History-minded visitors. The Antalya Museum is known for its Roman sculpture halls. Hadrian's Gate, the Yivli Minaret and the old city walls all sit within a short walk of each other, so one afternoon is enough to see the main sights at a comfortable pace.

Shoppers. Atatürk Caddesi and the bazaar streets around Kaleiçi offer leather goods, textiles, ceramics, spices and souvenirs. Bargaining is part of the experience in the smaller shops.

Business travellers. The government quarters and many offices are inland from the old town. If you are coming from a Lara hotel for a meeting, a private car lets you arrive with time to spare and without searching for parking.

Independent explorers. Some visitors prefer to wander with no plan. A drop-off at the Clock Tower and a return pick-up at the end of the day is a good format for this.

Lara has its own long beach, but many visitors still like to see a different kind of coast. Konyaaltı, on the western side of the city, is a long pebble beach with mountain views behind it. It is a different mood from sandy Lara, with a public promenade and a more urban feel. From the centre, it is a pleasant walk or a short ride.

Within Kaleiçi the main sights are close together:

• Hadrian's Gate, a Roman triumphal arch from the time of an imperial visit to the city
• The Yivli Minaret, the fluted minaret that has become a symbol of Antalya
• The Old Harbour, a horseshoe-shaped marina lined with cafés and boat operators
• The old city walls and the Clock Tower
• The Antalya Museum, a short ride away, with its collection of Roman sculpture

The best way to see the old town is on foot, in any order you like. Allow at least two to three hours, and more if you plan to stop at a café or visit the museum.

The centre is the best place in Antalya to eat out. Kaleiçi has small restaurants in restored Ottoman houses, rooftop terraces with views over the harbour and relaxed courtyard cafés where you can sit with tea. The harbour is the main spot for dinner with a sea view at sunset. The shopping streets offer simpler places for kebabs, pide, mezes and sweets.

If your Lara hotel is all-inclusive, an evening in the centre makes a pleasant change from the buffet. Many guests like to go in around late afternoon, walk in the old town while it is still light, have dinner as the sun sets and return in the dark.

For the return drive, plan the pick-up time carefully. Restaurants in the centre can be busy in the summer season, and a table may take longer than you expect. If you are not sure, give a flexible pick-up window in your message and the driver will adapt.

A short transfer is easy for children, but a few things help.

• Ask for a child seat when you book. Child seats are available on request, and you should say how many children are travelling and how old they are.
• Bring a light jacket if the car has strong air conditioning.
• Keep drinks and small snacks in your bag for the old town, where the heat can be strong in summer.
• If you have a pushchair, tell us in advance so we can arrange enough luggage space.

Kaleiçi streets are uneven, so a lightweight pushchair works better than a large one. Many families choose a morning visit when the temperature is lower, then go back to the Lara hotel for a swim in the afternoon.

The route is short, so it works well at any hour. If you have an early excursion starting from the centre, the drive from Lara takes the same 8 minutes in the quiet morning. If you stay out late, your driver will be waiting at the agreed place for the return.

For guests flying in on late charter flights, the airport is only a short way from Lara. Many flights land after midnight, and our drivers wait at the airport at any hour. If you plan to go from the airport to Lara first and then to the centre the next day, you can book the two transfers separately. If you land at night and want to go straight to a hotel in the centre, tell us the hotel name and we will arrange it.

For early departures, give yourself plenty of time. If you are leaving Antalya from a central hotel, the drive to the airport is not long, but check-in rules and security queues can take time in peak season.

The same service works in the other direction. Tell us your Lara hotel and your driver collects you from your Kaleiçi guesthouse, the museum, a harbour-side restaurant or any other point in the centre. The drive takes the same 8 km and about 8 minutes in normal traffic.

A few practical points:

• Choose a pick-up point that is easy to reach by car. The old town lanes are narrow, so the Clock Tower, Hadrian's Gate or a main road is simpler than a tucked-away alley.
• Allow extra time at busy hours. The late afternoon and the evening can be slow in the high season.
• If you are returning to Lara for a flight, give yourself a buffer. Antalya Airport lies close to Lara, but the airport feeder roads can fill with traffic in summer.

If you are flying out of Antalya Airport (AYT), you can also book a direct transfer from the centre to the airport. Most guests in Lara are around 15 km from the airport, which normally takes about 20 to 25 minutes in normal traffic and up to 30 to 35 minutes at peak times. A good plan for a typical international flight is to leave your hotel or the centre about three hours before departure in summer, and a little earlier if you have a lot of luggage or if you are travelling with young children.

The centre is a good base for a day out, but Lara itself already puts several attractions within a short ride:

• The Land of Legends theme and water park in Kundu, about 15 to 20 minutes from Lara
• Antalya Aquarium, one of the world's longest tunnel aquariums, about 10 to 15 minutes from Lara
• The Roman theatre at Aspendos, around 45 minutes from Lara
• The golf courses of Belek, about 35 to 40 minutes from Lara

Other well-known places in the region include the ancient city of Perge, the Düden Waterfalls and the long beaches that run from Lara in the east to Patara in the west. Many guests combine a morning in the old town with an afternoon at one of these places, using the same driver for each leg.

If you plan a long day, ask about a private transfer with waiting time, or book each transfer separately at the time you need it.

Antalya has a Mediterranean climate with more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Summers are hot, often above 35 degrees, and winters are mild. The sea season runs from about April to November.

Spring (April to May). The best time for walking in Kaleiçi. The temperature is pleasant, the streets are less crowded and the park is green. Evenings can be cool by the sea, so bring a light layer.

Summer (June to September). The centre is busy and hot. The best times to visit are early morning and evening. Midday is better for the beach or the hotel pool. Traffic is heaviest in this season, so allow extra time.

Autumn (October to November). The sea is still warm and the crowds are thinner. This is a lovely period for the old harbour and for a longer lunch outdoors.

Winter (December to March). The old town is quiet. Some seasonal businesses, especially around the beach, may close or reduce hours. Rain showers are possible, and the mountains can show snow on the horizon. Museums and indoor attractions become the main focus of a visit.

• Give your exact hotel name and the exact drop-off point when you book.
• Add a phone number you can use in Turkey, so the driver can contact you if the entrance is hard to find.
• Keep your valuables in your hand luggage and your hotel key card in your pocket.
• Tell us about extra luggage, a pushchair or a wheelchair in advance.
• If your plans change, send a message as early as you can.

Eight kilometres looks like a small distance, but a private car still makes the day easier. You do not have to look for a taxi in the heat or compare the dolmuş routes. You also avoid the problem of finding a return car late in the evening. The driver knows the streets of the centre, the one-way roads near Kaleiçi and the places where a car can stop safely.

For many guests in Lara, a trip to the centre is the one day that they leave the resort. A smooth start and a reliable return make that day more relaxed. Turkey Transfer drivers are used to this route and to the questions that come with it: where to stop, how long to wait, which gate to use and what to see first.

The distance is 8 km and the drive takes about 8 minutes when the roads are clear. In peak summer traffic, in the afternoon or in the evening, allow a little longer, particularly near the old-town entrances where the streets narrow.

Yes. This is a door-to-door private transfer. The driver meets you at your hotel lobby or the agreed address in Lara, helps with your luggage and drops you at the point you chose in the centre.

Vehicle access in the old town is limited, and many of the lanes are very narrow. The driver will take you as close as possible, usually near Hadrian's Gate or the Clock Tower, and you walk the last part. Tell us the name of your guesthouse and we will plan the best drop-off point.

Yes. Child seats are available on request. Please give the number and the age of the children when you book.

Yes. You can book the return in the same booking or later. Tell us the pick-up point and the time you want to leave the centre, and the driver will be there.

You can book a transfer from Antalya City Center to Antalya Airport (AYT). Plan to leave early in summer, and allow extra time if you have a lot of luggage or young children.