Perge Aspendos Side The Historical Sites Of Antalya

We booked a trip with them 3 days in advance. The night before the trip we had a message demanding us to pay cash (more than we paid when booking) or they would cancel the trip. Reached out to Viator who tried to help but were hung up on by the company. It is basically a scam so best to book with someone else- perhaps through a hotel etc.

Perge, by itself, is worth the cost. The theater in Aspendos is amazing. Side was a nice seaside town right on the beach. Skip the waterfall.

Antalya is a beautiful Mediterranean Port town on what’s known as the Turkish Riviera but it is much more than just a beach town. It has thousands of years of history within the city and nearby at several ancient sites. This full day experience took us to three of these, including one that is still occupied and thriving. Yusuf is the name of the guide who accompanied us and he did a marvelous job of bringing the history of the area to life. His narrative covered more than just the history though, he shared personal experiences about what it is like to live in this region. He also knows the area well enough that he was able to show us details that would be missed by others who were not familiar with it. This included an excellent local restaurant where we stopped for lunch. The owner of this restaurant had his own small orange grove that he used for his delicious freshly squeezed juice! Yusuf confessed that it was his weakness. I had to agree, it was superb. Even though this excursion took extra time due to road construction that delayed traffic for over an hour, Yusuf cheerfully saw to his commitment and gave us a great, full day of wonderful sights and stories. I wholeheartedly recommend this experience and if you’re lucky, you might even get Yusuf for your guide.

Very good private tour and everything was exactly like in the description. Yusuf was a great guide, very friendly and told us many interesting facts about the history of the places. His English was very good and easy to understand. The bus was comfortable, the timing was well organized, and the pace of the tour was relaxed, never rushed. Lunch was good too. Overall, everything was smooth and well planned. Definitely worth it if you like history and ancient sites.

Enjoyed seeing all the sites on this excursion. Yusuf was extremely knowledgeable at each site and very professional and fun. The only area that needs improvement would be the transportation. The air conditioning needs a bit of maintenance.

Very knowledgable guide, gave us so much information and customized our tour for us. One of the best private tours we’ve ever had!

Fantastic guide… very knowledgeable. He brought the past alive with passion. His knowledge and experience was second to none.

Great knowledgable guide who was very accommodating to my pregnancy and 1 year old on the trip today. Very patient and adapted the tour to suit our needs. Very prompt pick up. Great day highly recommend

Yussuf brought us in a wonderful trip to Perge, Aspendos, Side and the waterfalls. we had amazing time with him, very cool cultural tips and tricks along the road 🙏

The trip to Perge, Aspendo and Side is definitely worth it. While the sights are amazing, our tour guide Ysuf's guidance was even more impressive! I have never met such a knowledgeable tour guide before. He was like a professor of history or anthropology, sharing his extensive knowledge about those ancient cities with us. I am certain that if we had gone alone, we would not have enjoyed the visit as much as we did with Ysuf. His clear explanations allowed us to visualize and understand what had happened in those historical sites thousands of years ago. It was truly amazing! I highly recommend this trip and Ysuf to everyone! If you are interested in human history, Ysuf's tour will be the best choice for you!

The only reason that I can see not to book this tour with Yusuf is if you do not want to make a new friend. Yusuf not only showed us some of the most amazing sites near Antalya but he also explained the history of them in perfect English. On top of that he made history fun! The little known facts, and deep knowledge, that he was able to provide on what you are looking at brought the sites to life. If we would have gone to the sites on our own, or with a large tour, we certainly would not have got as much out of Aspendos or Perge. The pick up time/location, when to visit each site, and drop off were very well planned. Everything went very smoothly showing that he is highly experienced. Being the only 2 guests on the tour Yusuf was able to tailor to our needs. I mistakenly left a bag behind and he went above and beyond to help locate it - it was amazing to have that kind of attention and help on a problem that I created. As for the sites: We have been a many ruins and I have to say that Perge was like nothing that we had ever seen before. It is vast and you could lose yourself in the beauty. Again, having someone explaining what you are looking at makes it priceless. We were able to connect so many dots thanks to Yusuf having the missing pieces. Aspendos was equally as amazing. The aqua ducts seemed almost too big to be true, a true masterpiece. And the intact theatre is unbelievable in the engineering. The acoustics were a true marvel, a great place to visit. The tour was amazing, Yusuf made sure of that, and I hope to repay the favor someday by giving him information on our corner of the world if the opportunity ever arises.

This tour was excellent, with interesting and beautiful sites. Turkiye has an amazing wealth of historical sights that truly are breathtaking. It was made even more enjoyable by our guide Yusuf who picked us up promptly at the agreed time in a very comfortable minibus. His knowledge on each sight gave us a better understanding and made it even more enjoyable to enjoy the atmosphere. We had plenty of time on each sight to really appreciate the spectacle before us, Yusuf also shared tips on the best vantage points, which without we would have missed so much. We really enjoyed our day, the itinerary was perfect for us as a family of four and would definitely recommend to others.

It was an absolute pleasure to have spend the day with Yusuf once more (we already did the Antalya tour with him). He is the most knowledgeable person we’ve met outside of university 😄 we’ve learnt so many historical facts, all mixed with interesting anecdotes and funny jokes, it was the perfect way to get to know the historical sites of this tour. We also were the only participants, so we actually had a private tour, which was very accommodating to our situation with a small child and some health issues. He was kind and understanding and also made extra efforts to ask for our opinion, give us space or recommend taking a car instead of walking. The lunch stop was also very nice, the food was served with an amazing view and fresh orange juice (can totally recommend). Yusuf is also a very save driver by the way. We had an amazing day and are very grateful for such an extraordinary experience. We can 100% recommend, would always do this tour again and also book with Laledi Tour: great communication, no hick-ups in booking and always on time!

Yusuf is a great guide. He is knowledgeable not only about the sites but also about the historical context. We talked about the impact of waves of peoples from the Hittites to the Mongols on the culture of Turkey, Russia and Europe. At every site, Yusuf pointed out a whole range of interesting features and explained the origins of theatre, the relationship between temple design and Neolithic housing, the amazing Roman hydro-engineering amongst many many more.

We were delighted that this trip was still running during the 'off' season. We were picked up on time and it was indeed, a full day tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we had lots of opportunities to ask questions and enough time to look around the three archaeological sites. Lunch was good and with a nice view. A cuppa at the Şelale waterfall was an unexpected bonus which nicely capped off the day.

The day was perfect from start to finish. We were picked up on time and the tour began immediately. Yusef, our guide, was informative, helpful and accommodating. We had enough time at each venue and the weather was glorious. Lunch was good, the mini bus was comfortable, overall an excellent day's outing.

This tour is enlightening, historic, educating and fascinating. You will not find a better tour guide than Yusuf to describe the region, its background and what significance each place had at its time and over the centuries.

Mr Yusuf was a knowledgeable, experienced guide besides being kind and helpful. He not only brought the ruins to life but also showed us the best spots for taking pictures and even took some for us and waited patiently while we shopped. The car was comfortable and he was an excellent driver. The lunch had all the local flavour we could ask in an idyllic setting by the river. Highly recommended!

My mom and I did the Perge- Aspendos- Side Full Day Tour, with Mr. Yusuf and it was wonderful! He picked us up on time in a vehicle with AC, and upon arrival to our first site, Perge, he did an incredible historical background of the place and the history of Ancient Civilizations in Asia Minor, and very passionate! which made it very interesting and easy to understand and imagine. He was very knowledgeable about details of the way romans or other cultures lived. He was kind, polite and very patient as we also detoured in minor shopping. Side was just gorgeous! A town by the sea side. He also takes great pictures. It's a full day tour so make sure you take or buy lots of water as it can get quite hot. Lunch in a local restaurant was included, which was delicious. We also talked about turkish culture, so we got a better idea about the place! Fully recommend this tour and tour guide!!

My partner and I booked this tour wanting to explore the ancient cities of Perge, Aspendos and Side. To say we were impressed is an understatement, our guide Yusuf was very knowledgeable in his background of ancient history and was able to give us a wealth of information on not only the sites themselves but the history of the Mediterranean and Türkiye. I would strongly recommend this tour for people who want to explore, learn and spend time in the ancient cities and not have the tours waste half their day shopping (like previous tours I have done before). Thanks again Yusuf !

This tour was the best one my partner and I have been on, the ancient cities were amazing and our tour guide Yusuf was absolutely fantastic, so knowledgeable and passionate, we learnt so much along the way! Definitely recommend booking this tour 10/10!

We had an amazing day visiting these historical sites, although it was extremely hot our driver and guide Yusuf made sure we had plenty of shade and water, his knowledge and enthusiasm was brilliant and every place we visited was very impressive, we cannot recommend this trip highly enough. Thanks for an wonderful day

We were lucky enough to have had our hotel literally a 10min walk away from the Roman town of side and all I can say is wow! Everywhere you look or step there is 2000yr old ruins! There is also an amphitheater and a museum housed inside an old Roman baths and it’s breathtaking so much so we walked down every day to keep taking it all in because they really are all over it’s like walking back in time! And I loved it that much we are coming back in September and then again next June! So if you are into history then this is the place to visit if you fancy turkey

Wherever I go on holiday I always seek out the best local guide to get the real feel of my destination for the people who live there. Yusuf and Laledi Tours Antalya is the best guide. Yusuf went out of his way to give me a last minute private tour on a day when he had no other bookings for a little bit extra and took me on an amazing adventure of Antalya Province (in his own car!!) stopping off at Perge, Aspendos, Side and the Manavgat Waterfall, sharing his incredible knowledge of the history of not just each location but how it ties in with the wider history of Turkey and the region. I will be back in September with my family and will be booking this tour again. It is a must do if you are in Antalya and you are in safe and experienced hands with Yusuf. A fantastic day.

Similar tours are out there. Book this one, if you want to learn about the history of the places you will visit, with the kindest tour guide. Lunch took place at a local place with a wonderful river view. The tour guide offer us more than we were expecting. A treat!

We had a great day, on time pickup, knowledgeable guide, pleasant and friendly. The right amount of time spent at each site.

Our guide Yusuf made this full day tour one of the best days of an amazing stay In Turkey. We toured Istanbul and Cappadocia previously with private guides during our stay but this experience was the very best. Our other guides were very good and all professional guides in Tukey are required to pass a national exam. But his enthusiasm,sense of humor, encyclopedic knowledge of these sites, and professionalism put him in his very own class. Yusuf's policy of not stopping at any stores the goals of which are to sell tourists overpriced "stuff" was really appreciated.

Amazing tour.. Yusuf is an extremely learned and very knowledgeable guide.. he is funny, hearty and has an amazing grasp of history of the area… for a tour that was organised in less than a minute, our day trip went really well thanks to Laledi Tours

Yusuf is a fantastic experienced professional guide, operating since 1987, and it showed in his depth of historical and geographic knowledge. He made the Greco-Roman ruins come alive, better than the guide I had in Pompeii...also Yusuf was great conversation, navigating traffic like a pro and honestly my wife and I would share a drink with him any day...a boy viveur, raconteur and one of the good guys

What a fabulous day out! We learnt so much and Yusuf was an excellent guide, walking with us and bringing the cities to life again through his stories. We particularly enjoyed learning about the baths at Perges and being able to walk up to the Acropolis and view the city layout. Side is just the most beautiful little village and offers modern and ancient life in symbiosis. Lunch was delicious, overlooking a river with its own hsitory. It catered for various food intolerances by offering a wide variety of dishes. Yusuf is a skilful and safe driver and we had a great day out.

What an incredible day. One of the most memorable tours my husband and I have ever been on. We were lucky enough to be two of three people on this tour with Yusuf, who picked us up in his own car for the day. We started in Perge early enough to be the only ones there for the first hour or so, which felt magical, and Yusuf shared interesting historical information throughout. I'm really glad we did Perge on a tour. Aspendos was fantastic too - Yusuf explained the history a bit and then gave us time to explore up the stone steps and take pictures at the top. Then we went to a buffet lunch on a riverfront. The food was delicious and the view was amazing. Then we went to Side and learned more about history; Yusuf was a font of knowledge and clearly passionate about Turkey's past, present, and future. He gave us time to walk around as well, and we ended up sitting at a waterfront bar and chatting so long we missed the waterfall (it closes at night). Yusuf more than made up for this and took us to a different, smaller waterfall and then drove us to his favourite doner restaurant and had dinner with us. It was the perfect end to the perfect day. (But definitely for those who are interested in history, which we are.) Thanks so much, Yusuf!

A perfect tour with a very knowledgeable guide. Yusuf treated us to a brilliant day and was able to explain in great detail everything there is to know about the spectacular places we visited. Me and my girlfriend were actually given a private tour as we were the only people who had a booking on that particular day. Yusuf was able to answer any questions we put to him. The passion he has for history is easy to tell. The lunch was tasty too. Highly recommended for any British speakers.

It was an interesting tour and a chance to see multiple ruins in a single day, which would have been almost impossible otherwise.Our guide shared a lot of history of the ruins and the era associated with them. Well worth the time spent.

It was the best tour during our stay in Turkey. Yusuf is a very professional and experienced tour guide. He controls timing very well. He will provide you very detailed information but also make you feel relaxed. He is especially very professional in history. After his explanation, all the knowledge pieces connect to a whole picture of ancient city. If you are a history lover, you'll gonna love this tour.

It was the best tour during our stay in Turkey. Yusuf is a very professional and experienced tour guide. He controls timing very well. He will provide you lots of information but also let you have free time. He is especially very professional in history. If you are a history lover, you'll gonna love this tour.

Yusuf did a great tour guide, it's the second time we go for day trip with Yusuf, and my parents don't speak English, but he is very patient and try to translate the information by phone He is full of knowledge of this area, I am not very interested in historic places but Yusuf make it really interesting,you just can't stop to listening and want to know more about these places history Food is pretty good, my parents mentioned the juice they had definitely the most fresh and delicious juice they have ever had Highly recommend for everybody visit Antalya

Yusuf was an excellent guide. Highly knowledgeable about many different epochs of history and the intricacies of the architecture of Perge, Side and Aspendos. If you are taking young children Yusuf is very accommodating. A great day out. Highly recommended.

We had a fantastic day with Yusuf on this tour. It was the perfect length with the right amount of time at each stop. Yusuf was incredibly knowledgable and happy to expand on any areas of particular interest. He was brilliant with our daughter and made the day really relaxed and enjoyable. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone in the area, was great value and a lovely change from the beach.

Yusuf was amazing! He is so knowledgeable and explained the history of all the places in detail. Highly recommend this tour. We started at Side Ancient City, then went to the Manavgat waterfall, lunch, Aspendos and lastly Perge Ancient City.

It is truly fascinating to witness the richness of the cultural heritage of Greek and Roman times in the Antalya region - Perge, Aspendos and Side. Our tour guide Yusuf has helped us to understand characteristics of the architecture, the role the ancient towns played, the people who lived there and the context of historical events of the time. It is a must-have to have a tour guide like Yusuf; otherwise written descriptions would not even merely provide us with so many insights. For example, I learned about aqueducts, what is propylon, monotheros or how to differentiate Hellenistic, Roman, and Turks architecture. Fascinating! I highly recommend this tour. Even our young kids liked to jump on and climb some stones.

A very fulfilling day trip with Yusuf! He is great and passionate in explaining history of ancient time. There are so many interesting stories behind these ruins . I recommend this tour to everyone, otherwise you may just look at stones all the time:)

Best tour for this time of the year in Antalya. Enormous ancient city's work very rich cultural heritage. But it was our amazing guideYusuf who made everything even better and more interesting. Thanks all the team. Must see places here.

At this time of the year the weather was just fine. Such a rich history iwe were not expecting. But the tour guide Yusuf was the best guide we ever met. We would definitely recommend this tour to everyone.

We had a very nice day in those three Ancient city's. It was like time jorney in to the past. Our tour guide was very good very knowledgeable about the history.

This tour is worth the price. The archeological sites are magical, lunch was delicious. The only downside is that you could easily spend 3x the amount of time at each site as interesting as they are.

Had actually booked a German speaking tour but English .We do not speak English . Our leadership spoke a very good German , thank you to him.

Excelente tour a 3 sitios arqueológicos. El guía muy atento y educado dando toda la información y detalles de los sitios.

Our tour guide explained everything to us in great detail and in an entertaining way. It was an unforgettable experience for us, which we will certainly remember fondly.

Very satisfied with a trip! The guide Yusuf is very professional, dedicated and patient! The best guide I've ever seen! Very patient and meticulous explanation throughout the journey and learned a lot about history! It's a perfect trip. It is highly recommended.