Travel Guide to Alanya, Turkey - Endless Travel Destinations

Are you looking for a travel guide to Alanya in Turkey? Check out my travel guide to Alanya with lots of great tips!

Alanya is the most popular holiday destination in Turkey and is visited by more than 150,000 tourists every single year. You’ll immediately notice that you’re in a tourist-friendly seaside resort with great resorts, restaurants from all corners of the world, hundreds of shops, and friendly locals. Not to forget the kilometer-long sandy beaches and sun guarantee all year round! It all helps to create a perfect holiday destination as many tourists return to again and again.

However, if you’ve never visited Alanya before, you may not know where to stay in Alanya or how to get around the city. That’s exactly why you should read this travel guide to Alanya. This way you’ll get answers to your questions before your trip to Alanya in Turkey.

Table of Contents

When is the best time to visit Alanya?

Alanya is a destination you can visit all year round, but the weather cycle provides hot summers and cooler winters. The peak season in Alanya runs from the beginning of May to the end of September, where the temperature usually is between 25-31 degrees.

However, the temperature tends to get even higher in July and August, and the heat can sometimes feel unbearable! There’s also a very low risk of rain in the summer months and you can (almost) be absolutely sure of sun guarantee.

On the other hand, if you’re visiting Alanya off-season, you may want to consider a long-sleeved shirt. The temperature is somewhere between 9-20 degrees and there’s a much greater risk of rain. Although the temperature is often comfortable in the spring and autumn in Alanya, it is still recommended to visit Alanya in the summer months. There are also significantly more tourists in the summer, creating a true holiday vibe.

Where to stay in Alanya?

When booking a hotel in Alanya, there’s no right or wrong place to stay in Alanya. But it’s a great advantage to live as close to the city center as possible. The city center is located at the foot of the rocky peninsula. This is also where you’ll find a myriad of restaurants, shops, and entertainment. Many tourists also choose to stay at Cleopatra Beach, which offers many good hotels.

During my first two trips to Alanya, I stayed in a really cool hotel on the outskirts of the city. It was difficult to get into the center of Alanya. It took a long time to walk in the heat and the buses were often crowded in peak season. It resulted in quite a few taxi rides until we found out that there was apparently a free shuttle bus at the hotel. So just remember to check if the hotel has a shuttle bus, especially if you’re staying on the outskirts of town.

If you’re looking for a suitable hotel in Alanya, try looking on Hotels.com or Booking.com. Another option is to book a package tour through a travel agency.

How to get around Alanya?

Most of the sights in Alanya are within walking distance and it’s really easy to get around the city. But there are also many different transportation options in Alanya if you want to rest your legs, or simply just don’t bother to walk.

Dolmus: The minibusses in Alanya are called Dolmus and are a quick way to get around the city. You never have to wait long for a pushing Dolmus to arrive. It may be necessary to reach out before the driver realizes you need to get on the bus. It’s both the cheapest and easiest way to get around Alanya.

Bus: The local buses run from the bus station west of the city center and are another easy solution with cheap prices. If you want to visit the big city of Antalya, Manavgat or another city, you can also choose to take one of the buses there.

Taxi: Of course, there are also lots of yellow taxis in Alanya and it will certainly not be difficult to find one. It’s important that you either ask the driver to turn on the taximeter or agree on a fixed price in advance. Not all taxi drivers are God’s best children, and this helps to avoid an unpleasant situation.

There’s a small bell to call a taxi on several trees and streetlights in Alanya. After pressing the bell, just wait a bit and wupti, then there’s a taxi. It really is a smart system!

Pick-up service: Many restaurants and specialty shops in Alanya have free pick-up service, where they both pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. It’s a wonderful service that you should take advantage of if necessary. You can check the restaurant or store’s website to see if it’s an option.

Rental car or scooter: If you’re planning to experience things to do outside of Alanya, it can be a great advantage to rent a car or scooter. It’s really great that you can decide for yourself where you want to go and when you want to leave.

The traffic in Alanya can be a bit stressful and confusing, but just be extra careful when driving yourself. Make sure you’ve good insurance so that you avoid a potentially unpleasant and expensive situation.

What sights to see in Alanya?

Alanya is a beautiful city with history, culture, long white sandy beaches, and sun guarantee most of the year. There are many fun things to do in Alanya, but here’s a list of the very best and most important things to see in Alanya:

Alanya Castle is located on the rocky peninsula of Alanya and is the most important landmark in the city. It’s an absolute must-see in Alanya, but it’s especially the fascinating views from the top that are worth a visit.

Old Shipyard dates back to 1227 and was formerly used to build warships. It’s a historic visit with several archeological finds.

Red Tower is another landmark in Alanya and was originally built as a water tower and lookout post. Today, the tower is an ethnological museum with several exhibits and a beautiful view from the top.

Dim Cay is beautifully situated in the Taurus Mountains and is a scenic area with a very cool river. Take a dip in the icy water or relax in the quiet surroundings.

Damlatas Cave is an ancient stalactite cave that is believed to have been shaped 10,000-15,000 years BC. It’s not that big, but it’s still a good experience in Alanya.

Where to go shopping in Alanya?

Alanya has a great selection of shopping opportunities, but I’ll only get into the top three places to shop in Alanya in this post:

Bazaar is the most popular shopping area in Alanya and offers shops with all kinds of copy goods such as clothes, shoes, and bags at cheap prices. The colorful and atmospheric bazaar is of course a must-do in Alanya!

Markets in Alanya are spread well across the city and there’s actually a local market every single day. Here you can buy everything from exotic fruits, spices, clothes, shoes and much more.

Atatürk Boulevard is the main street and the largest shopping street in Alanya. Here you’ll find a wide selection of normal shops, but there are also a few bazaar shops in between.

What to eat in Alanya?

Alanya offers hundreds of restaurants with food from all corners of the world and at all price levels. But you should definitely not miss the Turkish cuisine, which is considered the 3rd best in the whole world!

One of the best ways to experience Turkish cuisine is by ordering Meze, which is roughly Turkey’s answer to tapas. Also, don’t miss the delicious kebabs, Efes beer, Raki, lamb, and Turkish tea! There’s so much traditional Turkish food that tastes delicious, so give it a try.

Tips for Alanya

In Alanya and Turkey in general, payments are made with both Turkish Lira and Euro. However, there’s a greater chance of getting the right price if paying with the Turkish Lira.
Credit cards can be used at some restaurants and shops, but I recommend withdrawing some cash. Please note that staff doesn’t take your credit card with them without supervision.
It’s common to pay 10 percent of the bill in gratuities at the restaurants in Alanya.
It’s common to pay somewhere between 2-5 Turkish Lira per day to the cleaning staff at the hotel.
If the sellers in Alanya are getting too intrusive, you simply must be a little rude or ignore them completely.
Turkey is a Muslim country, but the locals in Alanya are used to tourists not wearing much clothes. If you’re going further into the country, on the other hand, it’s a good idea to choose some more appropriate clothing
In Turkey, there’s a law that tourists must always carry their passports with them. Remember to keep your passport safe from any pickpockets.

So, that was my travel guide to Alanya, Turkey. What are you looking forward to on your trip to Alanya? Did you like my travel guide to Alanya? Feel free to leave a comment.