Hello, my beautiful people!
Are you planning to go to Antalya, Turkey, with your family this holiday and looking for things to do with kids in Antalya? What a great choice! I love visiting Turkey, and the country has so much to offer. I’ve spent my winter holiday in Antalya this year, and here are some chill things I did and some useful tips for you to know.
Introduction to Things to Do with Kids in Antalya
It was my second visit to Turkey during the Christmas season. I was in Istanbul last time, and this time my family spent 10 days in Antalya, Turkey, with a quick visit to Pamukkale.
After living in Norway for about 4 and a half years now, I started to yearn for warmer weather as soon as the temperature dropped to below zero in Oslo. So going to the Southern city of Antalya, Turkey for the winter season was a great getaway. If your family feels the same way, visiting Antalya during the December holiday is a great idea!
Here are seven special things to do with kids in Antalya, Turkey, and a few tips from what I’ve learned during my trip to this beautiful, warm beach city.
7 Most Chill Things to Do with Kids in Antalya, Türkiye
1. Start Your Day off with a Turkish Breakfast
I’m a morning person, so waking up pretty early in the morning, even during the holidays, isn’t so difficult. But our kids might not be! But if they know about a Turkish breakfast and how delicious it is, they might be happy to wake up early in the morning for that.
Brunch and coffee in the morning are always my favorite parts of the day. Turkish breakfast made me excited about mornings even more than I was! That’s how delicious it is. I loved going to local bakeries, cafes, and restaurants in Antalya, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that I woke up in the morning for breakfast here.
Restaurants, Hotels, and Cafes
Turkish breakfast, like Turkish food in general, showcases a rich array of flavors, textures, and ingredients. A typical Turkish breakfast includes a variety of cheeses, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and simit (Turkish bagels). Accompanying these staples are jams, honey, and spreads, along with traditional Turkish tea or coffee.
A selection of fresh herbs, such as parsley and dill, adds vibrancy to the meal. Many restaurants serve breakfast meals in the morning so that you can check out other restaurants. Hotels usually serve breakfast buffet with all kinds of Turkish breakfast staples so that could be one of your options too. Lastly, don’t forget the local cafes! They usually have simple spreads like jams and honey, but there are a variety of simits and other amazing baked goods to choose from.
Traveling with kids can feel overwhelming at times, so why don’t you start your day relaxing and enjoying a Turkish breakfast?
Enjoy your breakfast with your kids with a cup of Turkish black tea, and you are off to a good start in Turkey. There are beautiful restaurants and hotels by the beach in Antalya if you want a fancier breakfast. If you want to check out low-key local cafes, try the ones in Muratpaşa, which is a district that covers part of the city center of Antalya.
Turkish Food | What I ate in Antalya, Turkey as a Vegan
You can check out more details about Turkish food, including this beautiful Turkish breakfast, in this post.
2. Walk by the Beach (Konyaalti & Mermerli Plajı)
Konyaalti Beach
Another chill thing to do with kids in Antalya is walking by the beach! Antalya is a beach city and we should enjoy that to the fullest while we are there.
As Antalya is a pretty big city, We decided to stay in two parts of the city for a few days each: Konyaalti Beach and Muratpaşa. We stayed the first few days at Konyaalti Beach in Antalya, Turkey. It was a beautiful location.
Just two blocks away from where we were staying, we could walk along this path with a breathtaking view of the cliffs and the sea. Stretching along the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the beach captivates you with its turquoise-colored, crystal-clear waters. It felt like a tropical paradise to walk along the path that is followed by palm trees, cacti, and citrus trees. It has picturesque views and a perfect setting for leisurely strolls. The coastline is framed by the majestic Taurus Mountains, and the scenic backdrop adds so much to the beach that I’ve never seen before.
There are high-end seaside cafes and restaurants. My husband and I went out for a romantic dinner at one of the restaurants. The alfresco dining was nice, but it got very chilly after the sunset. So I recommend wearing something warm… or having a cat sit on your lap. There are a lot of cats and dogs on the streets in Antalya, and they are so friendly. This little cat came to us and sat on my lap throughout the whole dinner! She provided some warmth while I was dining. 🥰
Drop by any cafe that looks beautiful and get something to drink to refresh
Mermerli Plajı
3. Check Out Local Turkish Restaurants
I had a blast exploring my culinary journey in Antalya, Turkey. How about exploring Turkish cuisine with your kids? I find it very nice to have kids exploring new food and see what they think of it. Even if they don’t like everything, at least now they know!
Begin your day with a traditional Turkish breakfast featuring numerous savory options like olives and herbs or sweet options with jams and chocolate spreads. For lunch and breakfast, there are so many options to choose from that I dedicated a separate blog post about Turkish cuisine here: Turkish Food | What I ate in Antalya, Turkey as a Vegan.
From appetizers like Shepherd’s Salad (Çoban salatası), Turkish lentil bean soup (Mercimek Corbasi), stuffed peppers (Biber Dolma), stuffed grapevine leaves (Yaprak Sarma), and vegetable fries and grills to desserts like Turkish Delight, I enjoyed so much. As part of the Mediterranean region, Turkey has so much to offer when it comes to food.
There are so many kinds of Turkish Delight! They sell them at the Farmer’s Markets too. My favorite is the pistachio-covered one with nut paste inside.
4. Go to Farmer’s Market (Pazari)
We love eating out, but my family loves cooking and eating in as well. Cooking with your family is one of the coziest family things you can do. So the next suggestion I have for things to do with kids in Antalya is to go to a Farmer’s Market, which is known as Pazari in Turkish.
Explore Local Produce
That’s one of the biggest reasons why my family likes to stay at an Airbnb so we can cook with local ingredients. My family loves exploring local markets for fresh produce. It also makes it easy for me, as a vegan, to eat at times when it is not easy to find some vegan options. Turkey offers a lot of vegetarian options, which is awesome! So if you are a vegetarian or any of your family members are, you won’t have a hard time finding something.
Explore Farmer’s Market
If you also love checking out local markets, check out the farmer’s market in Antalya, Turkey. There are farmer’s markets called Pazari, or Bazaar, in Antalya, and each one of them is open on specific days. I heard the biggest ones are open on Saturdays, but the farmer’s market we went to on Wednesday, Çarşamba Pazarı, was big enough for sure! This market is open every Wednesday and Sunday. They sell very fresh produce for a great price, and it seemed like all the locals would come here for fruits, vegetables, and even some fish and cheese. The supermarkets in Antalya had some produce but wasn’t in the best condition. So if you want the best fruits and vegetables, this is the best grocery shopping place. Search for “Pazari” on Google Maps to find the ones close to you.
5. Visit Two Duden Waterfalls
So far I’ve given you relaxing activities to do with kids by the beach in Antalya. But Antalya also has two beautiful waterfalls to go sightseeing. It’s considered one of the most sought things to do in Antalya, so you might have already heard of Duden Waterfalls.
But did you know that there are two of them, at very different locations? Let me tell you a little more about these magnificent waterfalls and their locations so you don’t get confused and end up at a different location!
Upper Duden Waterfalls | By the Cave
Location: Varsak Mahallesi Düden Şelalesi Parkı içi, Kepez/Antalya, Türkiye
This waterfall is located in a park, and you pay an entrance fee to get inside. There is a small cave you can walk through and the view you get from different angles are stunning. There are some hanging plants from the waterfalls, making it a unique sight. And there is a bat’s natural habitat here where you can hear bat’s sounds! I’d never heard bats squeaking before, but it sounded like a rat! This is a relatively small waterfall situated in a small park. You could stroll around the whole park and the cave with your kids for about an hour.
Picture by Halil Tokgöz
Lower Duden Waterfalls | By the Sea
Location: Çağlayan, Lara Cd. No:457, 07230 Muratpaşa/Antalya, Türkiye
This is a huge 40-meter drop of waterfalls into the Mediterranean Sea, situated in Duden Park. There is also an entrance fee to Duden Park. You can walk around the park and take a look at these spectacular waterfalls. There are boat trips you can take so you can see the waterfalls up close. It’s certainly one of the sightseeing you need to do with your kids in Antalya!
6. Chill by the Park
Speaking of parks, there are beautiful parks by the beach that are open to the public with no entrance fee and are much closer to the city center of Antalya, Turkey. How about going for a picnic with your family here?
Karaalioglu Park
Karaalioglu Park is situated on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, providing visitors with breathtaking panoramic views of the coastline and the old harbor of Antalya. It has a Roman stone tower and is renowned for its picturesque sunsets over the Mediterranean Sea. I thought the sunsets by any coast in Antalya were all beautiful, though.
While we were staying in Muratpaşa, we went for a walk at this park nearly every single day. We also spent some time just sitting at one of the stone tables and benches and reading some books. If you are lucky, some cats might come over and join your picnic.
Just below Karaalioglu Park, there is Yalım Parkı. It is almost like an extension of Karaalioglu Park, so I hope you go for a walk here too if you are nearby. There is also a dog park and a playground for children.
7. Be Friends with Cats
Last but not least, being friends with cats and dogs would be one of the coolest things to do with kids in Antalya.
Antalya is known for having many cats and dogs on the streets. Cats, in particular, were on every corner and every street! I kid you not. As an animal lover and a HUGE cat lover myself, I was overwhelmed by the cuteness all the time. Not only cats and dogs, but many other relatively less common animals like sheep, goats, cows, geese, and more, seemed to be coexisting with humans. There were many animals I met in Turkey, and they all seemed so relaxed and extremely friendly.
I later learned that the presence of cats and dogs everywhere in Antalya, Turkey, is due to many cultural, historical, and social elements. Animals have a deep-rooted history of living harmoniously alongside humans in Turkey. Specifically, cats are recognized for their role in controlling rodent populations and, therefore, appreciated for keeping the streets and public spaces free of pests. It also made me think that Turkish people might be loving and good people from the heart. The way people treat other animals is how they treat the weak, and they seem to love and accept animals like their neighbors. I loved that attitude towards animals in Turkey.
A cat joined our picnic at the park.
So say hi to cats and dogs when your family is in Antalya! They are usually thrilled to have someone talking to them. We even had some kitties following us every morning in Pamukkale.
Helpful Tips in Antalya, Turkey
1. Fresh Cold-Pressed Juice
Try Orange and Pomegranate Combo
So it is a thing in Turkey to drink a cold-pressed juice of orange and pomegranate mixed together. When you see a juice street vendor, aka “Vitamin Shop,” you will see that they usually have many options, including orange juice, pomegranate juice, and orange & pomegranate mix juice. If you don’t like the tartness of the 100% fresh cold-pressed pomegranate juice and want to try a new way to enjoy your good-old orange juice, orange & pomegranate mix juice might be perfect for you. I’ve tried it, and it was absolutely delicious! But my number one favorite will always be deep red-colored, sweet, sour, and tart pomegranate juice.
One day I drank nearly 2 liters (about half a gallon) of cold-pressed pomegranate juice from Vitamin Shops.
Be Careful with Food Poisoning
I only talked about good things about this fresh cold-pressed juice from street vendors so far, but here’s one thing for you to know. Food poisoning from this juice can happen. These street vendors are there selling fresh juice throughout the whole hot day, and they can’t clean their juicers every single time they use it. You will be fine most of the time, but perhaps you might not want to have the juice from the street vendors if your or your kids’ condition isn’t at the best.
My mom had flu when she had a few sips of the juice, and she became so sick after that. Her immune system was very weak when she had her juice, and so she got worse from the bacteria in the juice. I love my fresh juice from the streets, but I would be careful to drink one when I’m not in my best condition.
2. People Smoke
People smoke a lot in Antalya, Turkey. It might be the thing in Turkey in general, but certainly in Antalya. It was almost impossible not to walk without smelling cigarettes in the city center. It’s less by the beach and the park, but it’s good to be aware of it if you are traveling with your kids.
3. Slight Difficulty with Alcohol Access
This might not bother you as you are there with your family. It is slightly difficult to find alcohol at restaurants or shops.
It didn’t bother me so much either, as I’m not a big drinker. But my parents love to have a beer or a glass of wine for dinner, and it is not guaranteed that the restaurant will serve alcohol. Since Turkey is an Islamic country, alcohol is not common. Usually, more formal restaurants will have alcohol on their menus.
4. Bring Coats for Nights during Winter
The last two cents from me is to bring coats. The weather in Antalya during the winter season is very mild, but the daily temperature range varies a lot between days and nights in Antalya. So bring your coats for the evening and night.
In the daytime, it is so hot, especially under the sun, that you can go swimming and walk in shorts. However, it can be quite chilly after the sun goes down. So if you want to enjoy all the things to do with kids in Antalya, make sure to bring some warmer clothes for your family.
Antalya, Turkey for Your Holiday
Have you been considering Antalya, Turkey, as the next holiday destination for your family?
It’s a place where turquoise waters, palm trees, historical wonders, sun-kissed moments, and delicious food await. If you have decided, I hope this list of things to do with kids in Antalya and the tips are helpful for you. If you haven’t, then I hope you learned a little bit about this beautiful city.
Oh, I also went to Pamukkale, Turkey for a quick 2-day trip from Antalya and wrote about the city where you have a breathtaking “cotton castle” that has thermal pools with hot springs that Cleopatra once enjoyed. You can read about it here.
Pamukkale, Turkey | Thermal Pools, Hot Springs, and More
Check out my trip to Antalya and Pamukkale on my Instagram highlights and posts!
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