Tahtali Cable Car: The Complete Guide

From almost anywhere on the Antalya coast you can see a single mountain standing above the others, snow capped well into spring and often wearing a cap of cloud. That is Tahtali, the ancient Mount Olympos of Lycia, and a cable car takes you from near sea level to its 2365 metre summit in about ten minutes. It is the most dramatic half day trip on this coast, and one of the few where the journey is as good as the destination.

What the cable car actually is

The Olympos Teleferik is a long span aerial cable car that climbs from a base station on the Yazir plateau, at roughly 726 metres, to the summit of Tahtali at 2365 metres. The cable run is more than four kilometres and the cabins are large, carrying dozens of people at a time, which means queues move quickly even in season. The ride takes about ten minutes.

What makes it memorable is the profile. You leave a pine forested slope, cross a deep valley where the ground falls away sharply beneath the cabin, and then rise along bare rock to a summit that is completely open on every side. In the last minute the sea appears on one side and range after range of the Taurus mountains on the other.

The view from the top

On a clear day the summit view is genuinely enormous. Directly below is the coastline from Kemer round to Tekirova, with Phaselis and its three bays visible as notches in the green. To the east the bay of Antalya opens out and on the best days you can pick out the city itself. Inland the Taurus range rolls back in layers, and in spring those ridges still carry snow.

The summit is built out with viewing terraces, a restaurant and a cafe, so you can stay comfortably for an hour without being exposed. There is a lot of glass and railing, which makes it manageable for people who are not entirely happy with heights, though the cable car ride itself is unavoidably airy.

How cold is it up there?

Much colder than you expect, and this is the single most common mistake visitors make. The rule of thumb is roughly six degrees of cooling for every thousand metres of ascent, so a summit almost two thousand metres above your hotel will be somewhere between ten and twenty degrees colder. People arrive from a 35 degree beach in shorts and a t shirt and step out into wind at 15 degrees or less.

Take a fleece or a windproof jacket, whatever the forecast says at sea level. Closed shoes are better than sandals because the summit ground is loose rock. In winter and well into spring there is often deep snow at the top while the coast below is in shirtsleeves, which is one of the odder pleasures of the trip.

When to go, and the weather problem

Mornings are almost always better. The air is clearest early, haze builds through the day, and cloud has a habit of settling on the summit from late morning onward. A cable car ride into thick cloud is a wasted trip: you pay, you ascend, and you see grey. Because of that, treat the mountain as weather dependent and keep it flexible in your plans rather than booking it for a fixed day.

Check the summit webcam or ask at the base station before you buy if the peak looks capped. Spring and autumn give the sharpest visibility. Summer is hot at the bottom and pleasant at the top, but hazier. Winter is spectacular when clear, with snow at the summit, though the service can pause in high winds.

Sunset rides and paragliding

In the warmer months the cable car often runs later so you can be at the summit for sunset, watching the sun drop into the Mediterranean from two and a half thousand metres. It is the best version of the trip if the timing works, but it is also the coldest, so bring a proper layer.

Tahtali is also one of the highest commercial tandem paragliding launches in the region. If you have ever wanted to fly, this is a serious place to do it: you launch from the summit and descend toward the coast over the forest and the sea. Operators run from the top in suitable weather, and it does not require any experience, just a head for it.

Combining it with the rest of the coast

The base station sits between Kemer and Tekirova, which makes the cable car easy to pair with the other things on this stretch. The obvious combination is Phaselis, the ancient city set in pine woods around three small bays a short drive away, where you can walk the ruins and then swim off the antique harbour. Do the mountain in the morning while the air is clear and the ruins and beach in the afternoon and you have close to a perfect day.

Further along the same coast are Cirali and the ruins of Olympos, plus the natural flames of the Chimaera on the hillside above. Note that these flames are not on the Tahtali summit despite the shared ancient name: they are near Cirali, further south. Our guide to things to do in Kemer covers the whole area.

Tickets, timing and practicalities

Tickets are sold at the base station and often online, and prices and running hours change with the season, so check current details rather than relying on an old figure. Departures are frequent through the day. Allow around two and a half to three hours for the whole outing from the base station: ten minutes up, an hour or so at the top, ten minutes down, plus queueing at busy times.

There is parking at the base station, a shop and a cafe. The summit has toilets, a restaurant and a cafe. Prices at the top are what you would expect for a captive location at 2365 metres, so if you are on a budget eat before or after rather than at the summit.

Is it suitable for children and older visitors?

Yes, on the whole. There is no walking involved beyond moving between terraces, which makes it far more accessible than most mountain viewpoints, and children usually love the ride itself. The considerations are cold, altitude and edges. Dress children properly, keep hold of them on the terraces, and be aware that anyone with heart or breathing problems may feel the thin air at 2365 metres. The ascent is fast, which some people notice in their ears.

Getting there

The base station is off the coastal road between Kemer and Tekirova, up a side road into the hills. Distances are roughly 75 km from Antalya Airport, about 20 minutes from Kemer, and around 15 minutes from Tekirova. Your options:

• Private transfer: the most practical, because the driver waits while you go up and takes you straight back. The base station is not somewhere you want to be looking for a ride afterwards.
• Organised excursion: sold in most resorts, usually bundled with Phaselis or a boat trip.
• Hire car: easy, with parking at the base station and a good access road.
• Public transport: impractical. Buses run along the coast road but not up to the station.

Fixed transfer prices for Kemer, Tekirova and every other resort are on our destinations page.

Practical tips

• Go early. Clear air in the morning, cloud and haze later.
• Take a jacket even in August. The summit is not the beach.
• Wear closed shoes. The ground at the top is loose rock.
• Check whether the peak is clear before buying a ticket.
• Sit on the seaward side of the cabin going up for the best view.
• Agree a pickup time with your driver so the return is settled.

Is it worth it?

It is one of the few paid attractions on this coast that is worth the money almost regardless of price, provided you go on a clear day. In ten minutes you move from Mediterranean pine forest to a bare summit with snow on it, and the view takes in most of the coastline you have been lying on all week. Go in the morning, take a jacket, and treat it as flexible so you can move it to the clearest day of your holiday.