Top 10 Ancient History Tours in Turkey

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

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

Spend nine hours exploring Perge’s Roman streets, Aspendos Theater, and Side’s Temple of Apollo with an English, German, Spanish, or French-speaking guide. Hotel pickup, transport, lunch, and optional entry fees are included. Guides such as Ozzy, Recep, Ibrahim, and Fatima bring the ancient sites to life, with free time for photos and wandering.

“Very good trip and great guide, but extremely impressed by the company and customer service. I was given an updated wrong time the day before, so we missed the bus, and they got us a taxi and reimbursed the money on the same day on the trip. Extremely professional and great customer service would highly recommend”

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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 touring Perge, Aspendos, Side’s Apollo Temple, and a local shop from Antalya. Small groups of up to 15 travel by minibus with hotel pickup, lunch, and an English-speaking guide. Guides such as Ibrahim, Oğuzhan, Ozzy, and Gamze are praised for bringing the ancient sites to life, though the schedule can feel packed.

“The history of some impressive ancient Roman sites explained in some detail - and with a deep knowledge from the tour leader. She brought it to life, making it a richer experience.”

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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 with an English-speaking guide. You will see Roman streets, baths, a 15,000-seat theater, Side’s coastal ruins, and a waterfall. Guides such as Fatima, Cigil, Kerem, and Tuly are known for lively historical explanations.

“Fantastic guide…very informative and helpful. Lovely day out and would recommend for anyone who likes a bit of ancient ruins to explore.”

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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 minivan with a guide such as Alpi or Erman. Walk marble streets, see the Library of Celsus and Great Theatre, enjoy lunch, then choose the House of the Virgin Mary and shopping stops. The day lasts about nine hours.

“Exceptionally well informed guide who was clearly passionate about the job he was doing”

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5.Fire of Anatolia Dance Show at Ancient Aspendos Theater

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

Watch Fire of Anatolia’s 120 dancers perform Anatolian folk dance, ballet, and modern choreography at Ancient Aspendos Theater. Choose your own transport or hotel pickup from Side, with dinner included on Kemer and Alanya options. The show runs about two hours, including an intermission, and takes place from April through November.

“Communication with the company was good, the driver pick us up as expected and drove to the point in time. The show is worth to see. The way back was good as well, can recommend this service.”

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6.Antalya: Hiking in Termessos Ancient City

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

Travel from Antalya to Termessos National Park for a four-hour small-group hike through one of Turkey’s best-preserved ancient cities. Guide Onder leads you past the theater, agora, cisterns, tombs, gates, and temples, adding clear historical context in English. Expect uneven ground, mountain air, and a quiet site at 1,050 meters.

“This is a great morning. Ancient history in a beautiful mountain surrounding. The theatre is like a Turkish Machu Picchu. Onder is a perfect guide, knowledgeable, humorous and speaking excellent English. Wish we’d done his tour to Perge as well, instead of the one we took!”

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

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

From Side, spend 7 to 8 hours visiting a historic mosque, Lyrbe Agora, Green Lake, and Oymapinar Dam. You will have lunch by the lake, with time for swimming, a foam party, and optional jet ski rides. An orange grove and Manavgat Waterfall may cost extra. Guides speak English, German, Russian, or Turkish.

“- Der Transport erfolgte in einem, für den Sommer, ausgestatteten Reisebus. Es gab keine fest eingebauten Fenster, sondern Plastikrollos. Auch gab es in diesem Fahrzeug keine Heizung. Diese war bei einer Außentemperatur von ca. 0° C eine Herausforderung. - Die Bootsfahrt gestaltete sich als besondere Herausforderung. Der Wasserstand war niedrig. Aufgrund dessen war die Personenbrücke zum Boot entsprechend steil. Der zweite Weg führte über eine Treppe. Hier fehlten Stufen bzw. waren nicht vollständig. Erhebliche Verletzungsgefahr! - Gern würde ich hierzu Bilder einsenden”

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

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

Spend nine hours exploring Syedra and Aytap with a live English, German, or Russian-speaking guide. You’ll visit Delik Deniz at King’s Bay, eat traditional food, and explore Lying World Cave. Guide Taner has led some departures, and sturdy shoes are essential for the rocky paths.

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9.Ancient Selge, Tazi Canyon & Adam Rocks Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 34 reviews · from $56

Spend eight hours in Antalya Province on a shared jeep-safari-style outing to Tazi Canyon, Selge Ancient City and Adam Rocks. You get hotel pickup, lunch, entry fees, insurance and a live guide in English, Russian or Turkish. Expect strong mountain views, photo stops, ancient ruins and a hot, active day.

“The trip its self was fantastic, the staff are really friendly and made food for us which was delicious. Some amazing views and plenty of photo opportunities. The only thing I didn’t like is that at the stairs you get followed by the locals who try sell you stuff out of their bag. I told them I wasn’t interested but 3 of them followed me around for 15 minutes which made it hard for me to enjoy and take pictures as they kept pestering me. You’d think saying no thanks and walking away is enough. Still rating it a 5 stars as this is something the trip can’t rectify as…”

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10.Alanya: Ancient & Coastal Ruins Tour – Syedra & Iotape

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 24 reviews · 9 hours · from $41

Spend nine hours with an English or German-speaking guide exploring Roman ruins, Lie World Cave, Delik Deniz, and Gazipaşa. Tatjana and Taner are among the guides praised for clear explanations and a relaxed pace. Lunch, entry fees, and hotel pickup are included, but expect hills, rough ground, and a steep rocky walk to the coast.

“Very knoledgeable guide in history, good details and nice person. Kept good mood and wise pace for climing uphills.”

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