As the title says, I traveled from Istanbul (doing Erasmus there) to Antalya on Wednesday and heading back tonight. Took a plane, and getting from Antalya Airport to the old town is easy via tram for 50TL.
Accommodation
I stayed at Be Bold Hostel, hands down the best community vibe I found. Clean, chill, great kitchen, and they regularly organize pub crawls, karaoke, social garden nights, and meetups with other hostels for dancing, jazz bars, and more. No organized clubbing, but you’ll easily find people from the hostel to go out with at night. The other hostel I noticed was Gold Coast, has a nice rooftop, but the vibe felt a bit forced to me. Personal opinion though.
My itinerary
• Wednesday (evening): Walked around Kaleiçi (old town) and Antalya Port, then went out with the hostel to Karaoke and to Role Street, which is a café/hostel where people perform live. Absolute blast.
• Thursday (sunny): Lower Düden Waterfall (40 min by bus),stunning on sunny days, you can see a rainbow forming. Then Lara Beach with someone I met at the hostel. Social night at the hostel, then a bar, then a club with ~5 people.
• Friday (cloudy): Walked Kaleiçi, hit Lara Beach again for the last bit of sun, then pub crawl with the hostel.
• Saturday (rainy): Antalya Hamıtbey Plajı (a hidden gem, small beach spot). Surprisingly AMAZING even in the rain. Port again, then went out at night.
• Sunday (rainy): Checked out, walked around, chilled with people, now writing this before heading back.
Food (don’t skip these)
Antalya is slightly cheaper than Istanbul if you avoid obvious tourist spots. Three must-visits:
• Çıtır Balık: fried fish sandwiches with a build-your-own salad bar. Unreal value.
• Can Can Pide: traditional Turkish food, lahmacun, pide, extremely cheap and delicious.
• Fırıncı Dede Karadeniz Odun Ekmeği: a bakery open until 5am. The old man running it is the most wholesome person I met on this trip.
What Went Right:
The hostel community at Be Bold was really nice, never felt alone for a second. Role Street on the first night set the tone perfectly. Düden Waterfall on a sunny day was magical. The food scene is seriously underrated especially in some spots.
What Went Wrong:
Weather was rough from Friday onwards — couldn’t do Perge, Aspendos, Side, or boat tours. Off-season means water activities are basically out. Planned a lot, executed little — but honestly still had a great time.
Practical tips
• Day trips to Perge, Aspendos, Side, or Kaş are very doable by bus from the main bus station, or via GetYourGuide.
• Land of Legends is possible but a bit far.
• Boat tours and water activities are off-season since it was a bit cold and raining.
• Lots of bars, not many clubs.
TL;DR: 2–3 days is the sweet spot unless you’re using Antalya as a base for day trips. Chill city, nice hostel scene, good beach, nice food.
Happy to answer any questions!