Antalya in December

Is it worth going?

December in Antalya suits short Kaleiçi walks, sea views and time in a warm hotel. Build each day around one longer outing, adding a museum, café or pool. For a New Year stay, choose where you want to spend the evenings and find accommodation nearby.

The old town and winter coastal walks, An unhurried stay with an indoor pool, A short break with cafés and a museum

• Wet days make up a substantial part of the month
• Evenings and nights call for warm clothes and a heated room

Weather and rain

How warm is it?

Sunshine can make a seaside walk pleasant, but a full day out calls for a jumper and jacket. Wind protection helps at the harbour and on the open promenade. It feels noticeably colder after sunset, so take another layer and wear closed shoes for an evening outing.

How much does it rain?

Staying near cafés and short city routes makes it easy to go out between showers. The Ethnography Museum in Kaleiçi offers an indoor stop. Antalya Archaeological Museum is closed for construction work. Give Perge and a longer Konyaaltı walk a dry day.

Swimming and sun

Can you swim?

Average sea temperature is around 19 °C, and it soon feels cool after you get out. A heated indoor pool is more comfortable for daily swimming in December. On the coast, walk, take photographs and stop at a café before returning to a warm hotel.

Can you sunbathe?

A sheltered terrace is a pleasant place to enjoy a sunny spell. Bring a jumper for sitting beside the water and a jacket for the exposed shore. Take sunscreen on a long walk and include stops where you can warm up indoors.

When to go

Weather at the beginning, middle and end of the month.

Early: days 1–10. Mid-month: days 11–20. Late: day 21 to the end of the month.

Early month

Early December averages around 18 °C by day and 10 °C at night, with about four wet days in the first third of the month. It is slightly warmer than later dates; use dry hours for the promenade and old town, with a museum and cafés for the rest.

Mid-month

Mid-month averages are around 17 °C by day and 10 °C at night, with about five wet days. Accommodation near Kaleiçi or a hotel with an indoor pool gives you useful places to spend time between shorter walks.

Late month

Late December averages around 16 °C by day and 8 °C at night, with about four wet days in this period. For New Year, choose a warm place to stay close to your evening route. Start walks earlier in the day and bring a jumper and jacket after sunset.

When does it get dark?

Plan countryside walks for daylight hours, with time to return before sunset.

Local time; dates are shown in the table.

How busy is it?

December is a quiet tourism season, with noticeably fewer visitors at sights and along the coast than in summer. Cafés and bars on Konyaaltı’s promenade keep a lively atmosphere through winter. Kaleiçi’s restaurants and evening venues suit travellers who enjoy some city bustle; streets away from them offer a quieter setting.

Things to do

Walk through Kaleiçi to the harbour

Start at Hadrian’s Gate, walk through Kaleiçi and descend to the harbour. Leave time for coffee and pauses in the old streets. The return route climbs uphill; allow longer for this part with a pushchair or when you prefer to take steps slowly.

Spend a dry day on the waterfront

Choose Konyaaltı for a long promenade walk or Lara for its sandy shoreline. Give one stretch of coast the day and leave time for lunch. Bring a windbreaker, as exposed waterfront sections can feel cooler than the sheltered streets between buildings.

Make a separate trip to Perge

Give Perge a separate outing so you can explore the spacious ancient site without rushing. A dry day, water, a hat and shoes for uneven ground make the visit easier. The archaeological site is open; its theatre is closed for restoration.

Visit the Ethnography Museum

Include the Ethnography Museum in a walk around Kaleiçi. It offers time indoors and an introduction to local culture. Afterwards, have lunch in the old town and continue towards the harbour when you are ready to return outside.

Where to stay

Kaleiçi makes it easy to alternate walking, cafés and rest in your room. In Konyaaltı, choose a convenient route to the promenade and everyday city amenities. For a stay mostly within a hotel, room heating, a heated indoor pool and an on-site restaurant are useful comforts.

Kaleiçi

Kaleiçi is convenient for a short stay with walking, cafés and dinners in the old town. Step outside onto historic streets and follow them down towards the harbour. A courtyard-facing room suits quieter nights, while accommodation nearer an entrance to the district makes arrival with heavy luggage easier.

Konyaaltı

Konyaaltı works well for long seaside walks and an urban neighbourhood beside the beach. The shore is mainly pebbly. Choose a part of the district with an easy route to the promenade and transport towards the centre, as a visit to Kaleiçi becomes a separate outing.

Lara and towards Kundu

Lara and the coast towards Kundu suit a stay with more time at a hotel and beach. Urban Lara offers more everyday access to cafés, while the resort strip farther east favours time within a hotel’s grounds. In winter, a heated indoor pool makes daily swimming easier to include.

What to pack

• Long trousers and clothes for layering
• A warm jumper and waterproof jacket
• Closed shoes and a spare pair for wet days
• Swimwear for a heated pool
• A small day bag and sunscreen

Before your trip

Choose accommodation around the day you want to have. Kaleiçi is convenient for walks from the hotel door; Konyaaltı works for long promenade outings. In winter, a warm room, heated indoor pool and cafés within walking distance make it easy to alternate exploring and relaxing without extra journeys.

Getting around

The Antray tram and city buses help connect the centre with other districts. For three days, choose Kaleiçi if old lanes and the harbour are your priority, or Konyaaltı if you want the coast close to your base. Perge lies outside the centre, so give it a separate day and plan the journey in advance. Antalya Archaeology Museum is temporarily closed, so leave it out of the itinerary.

Three days in Antalya

Walk from Hadrian’s Gate through Kaleiçi, visit the Ethnography Museum and linger over lunch. Continue to the harbour if the day is dry. Give Perge a separate daylight outing: the archaeological site is open, while its theatre is closed for restoration.

Kaleiçi and the harbour

Follow Kaleiçi’s lanes down to the harbour and old marina, then explore the central historic sights before taking a longer break in the old quarter. Stone streets and changes in level make a slower pace more comfortable.

Konyaaltı coast

Spend a day along Konyaaltı Beach and its promenade. This is a distinct seaside outing on a pebbled shore; wear footwear that works on stones and leave time for a café overlooking the water.

Perge

Give Perge a separate day: the ancient city lies outside central Antalya. Explore the open streets, agora and surviving colonnades. The ancient theatre is temporarily closed for restoration. Keep distant beach outings for another day.

Traveller reviews: December

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