How to get to Kaş: airports, transfers and the beautiful hard way

Which airport is closer to Kaş — Dalaman or Antalya?

Dalaman (DLM) is closer: about 150 km and 2.5 hours by road. Antalya (AYT) is roughly 190 km and 3.5 hours, but often has more flights and better prices. Rule of thumb: if fares are similar, fly Dalaman; if Antalya is meaningfully cheaper or better timed, the extra hour on a pretty road is a fair trade.

One thing the map does not show: the Antalya road is the more spectacular of the two, running the whole Lycian coast past Demre, Kaputaş and a dozen viewpoints. If you are driving yourself and not arriving at midnight, Antalya is arguably the better arrival.

Bus, shuttle or private transfer?

Intercity buses and airport shuttles connect both airports to Kaş via Fethiye or the coast road — the budget option, reliable but slowest with stops. Shared shuttles in season cost more and cut the faff. Private transfers cost the most and turn arrival day back into holiday. Groups of three or four often find a private transfer costs little more than four shuttle seats.

Do the arithmetic per group rather than per person. A private car for four is frequently within a few hundred lira of four shuttle seats, and it removes a change in Fethiye with luggage. For couples the shuttle usually still wins.

Getting there by intercity bus

If you are already in Türkiye, the bus is genuinely good — and cheaper than most visitors expect. Antalya to Kaş runs 23 times a day (August 2026), first departure 05.45, last 22.00, timetabled at 4 hours 3 minutes. The fare is around 485 TL, which is a rounding error next to the 120–200 € a private transfer costs for the same road.

Three operators share the corridor: Kumluca Seyahat runs the most services, with Kumluca Çiçek Tur and Batı Antalya Seyahat alongside. Expect a midibus rather than a full-size coach — if you are travelling with large luggage, turn up early rather than at the last minute.

Fethiye to Kaş is around 2 hours with frequent service. Kaş otogar sits in the centre, a short walk or a very cheap taxi from most hotels — unlike many Turkish towns where the bus station is exiled to the ring road. Tickets are sold on the operators' own channels and on obilet or biletall.

The catch is the first and last departures. Services thin out in the evening, and arriving after dark in low season can mean a quiet otogar and few taxis. If your flight lands late, a pre-booked transfer is worth the difference.

Getting from Antalya airport to the bus station

This is the step nobody explains, and the one that trips people up: there is no direct bus or shuttle from Antalya airport to Kaş. Intercity coaches leave from Antalya Otogarı, on the other side of the city, so the chain is terminal → bus station → Kaş.

The cheapest link is the AntRay tram. It stops at both terminals and runs directly to the Otogar stop; you pay with an Antalyakart or a contactless bank card, around 15 TL. A taxi covers the same ground faster and costs many times more — worth it only if you are late for the last departure.

Which brings up the one piece of timing that matters: the last Kaş bus leaves at 22.00. If you land late in the evening, do not build a plan around catching it. Book a transfer before you fly and arrive without the arithmetic.

Should you hire a car?

If you like day trips, yes — the D400 between Fethiye and Kaş is one of the great coastal drives, and a car unlocks Patara, Saklıkent, Kaputaş and the quiet coves at your own hours. If you plan to stay in town and take organised trips, you can skip the car: Kaş itself is walkable and taxis and dolmuş cover the rest.

Two honest cautions. Parking in central Kaş in July and August is genuinely difficult, and some small hotels have none at all — ask before you book both. And the coast road is beautiful rather than fast: allow more time than the satnav does, because you will stop.

Arriving from the Greek side

There is also a back door: the ferry from Meis (Kastellorizo), around twenty-five minutes across the water. If you are island-hopping in Greece, you can end up in Kaş for lunch — check ferry schedules and passport formalities with the operator, as sailings are seasonal and weather-dependent.