Antalya to Demre: getting to Myra and the church of St Nicholas
Updated: 2026-08-11
Demre — ancient Myra, home of the rock tombs and the church where St Nicholas was bishop — sits 141 kilometres southwest of Antalya on the D400. It is one of the easiest big sights on this coast to reach without a tour. Here is how.
How do you get from Antalya to Demre by bus?
From Antalya's otogar, the coastal corridor is served by Kumluca Çiçek Tur (the most frequent), Kumluca Seyahat and Batı Antalya — around two dozen departures spread across the day in season. The ride takes about three hours through Kemer, Kumluca and Finike, and a 2026 ticket sits in the ₺340–410 band.
Coming from the airport, add the first leg: the AntRay tram from the terminal to the otogar stop, or city bus 600. Neither takes long; both beat an airport taxi across town.
How far is it by car?
141 kilometres, about two to two-and-a-half hours on the D400 — a genuinely pretty drive once the coast opens after Kemer. Parking near the church of St Nicholas in the town centre and at the Myra site is straightforward outside the midday tour-bus window; arrive before ten or after three and the sites breathe.
Once you are in Demre: reaching Myra and the church
The church of St Nicholas stands in the middle of town, walkable from the otogar. The Myra ruins — the tomb cliff and the Roman theatre — sit about two kilometres inland: a flat half-hour walk, a short taxi, or the local minibuses that shuttle in season. Nothing in Demre is far from anything; the town is the car park between two extraordinary things.
Is Demre better as a day trip from Kaş?
If you are staying in Kaş anyway, yes — Demre is only about 45–50 minutes away by dolmuş from the Kaş otogar, running through the morning and afternoon, and our Myra & St Nicholas experience page covers the organised version that pairs it with Kekova. From Antalya it is a long but fair day; from Kaş it is barely an outing.
Questions people actually ask
How long is the bus from Antalya to Demre?
About three hours from the otogar, with roughly 24 departures a day in season shared between the Kumluca firms and Batı Antalya.
Can you visit Myra and Kekova on the same day?
Yes — it is the classic pairing, and organised day tours from Kaş and Demre do exactly that: tombs and church in the morning, the sunken-city boat in the afternoon.
Is Demre worth the trip?
The tomb cliff alone is one of Lycia's great sights, and the church is a serious Byzantine monument rather than a Santa-themed photo stop. Two to three hours covers both without rushing.
What is the best time of day to visit Myra?
Before ten or after three. The midday window belongs to tour buses and the cliff face holds the heat like an oven door.