Termessos is an ancient city in the Pamphylia region of Turkey, high over the mountains northwest of the regional capital of Antalya.
Understand
Established by native Pisidians, the earliest records available about Termessos date back to 333 BC, when Alexander the Great failed to conquer it in one of his rare defeats. At an elevation of more than 1000 metres over the Mt Solymos (modern Güllük Dağı) of the Taurus Mountains range, the city has been referred to as an eagle's nest ever since.
Due to its mountainous setting, Termessos is often nicknamed "Turkey's Machu Picchu", although it receives only a fraction of the visitor numbers of its South American counterpart.
Get in
There is no direct public transportation to Termessos.A dolmuş from the otogar at Antalya (30 km) to the Termessos junction costs 8 TL. That leaves you 9 km from the site. There is usually a taxi waiting at the bottom, but he charges a lot. Hitchhiking is easy.
Entry costs 5 TL per person. (March 2016)
See and do
The highlight of the site is the impressive theatre.
Explore the Roman ruins. The site is small enough to be explored on foot.
Buy, eat and drink
There are no shops so bring what you need with you, including snacks and plenty of water.
Sleep
There is no accommodation available in the park.
- Pension Camping Yesil Vadi is just outside the park before the ticket gate. Ciglik Beldesi Aydinlar Mah. Termessos Antalya 07191.
Stay safe
Go next
Head west to the non-touristy town of Elmalı, which is a starting point for hikes up to the nearby mountains. Further westwards from there, the road meets the sea again in Fethiye.
| Routes through Termessos |
| İzmir ← Denizli ← | N  S | → Antalya → ENDS at  |