Our Demre, Myra and Kekova day trip from Kemer brings together the history of ancient Lycia and its coastline. We visit the Church of St Nicholas in Demre, and in Myra we see the Roman theatre and the Lycian tombs carved into the rock. The programme also includes a yacht trip to the sunken city of Kekova and a stop for a swim in a bay.
We pick up guests from hotels in Beldibi, Göynük, Kemer, Kiriş, Çamyuva and Tekirova.
Book your seat online with no prepayment — you pay on the bus on the day of the tour.
The Demre tour from Kemer at a glance
- Hotel pickup: 07:30–08:30
- Itinerary: St Nicholas Church in Demre, the ancient city of Myra and a yacht trip to the sunken city of Kekova with a swim in a bay; lunch at a restaurant
- Entrance tickets: church $23, Myra $17; paid separately on the spot or covered by the All-Inclusive Package ($75 per adult, $45 per child aged 4–7)
- Back at your hotel: 18:30–19:30
- Payment: cash on the bus ($, €, ₺)
Tour programme
- 07:30–08:30 | Hotel pickup
We pick up guests at the hotel gate, by the security post, just past the barrier. We’ll put the exact pickup time for your hotel on your e-ticket once your booking is confirmed.
- Stop on the way
A short stop for the toilet, a tea or coffee and a snack.
- Icon shop
Before the church, you can choose an icon for yourself or for family and friends. There’s no obligation to buy.
- St Nicholas Church in Demre
The guide tells you the story of the church, followed by free time to pray and take photos without flash.
- Ancient Myra
Five minutes’ drive from the church: a Roman theatre for 10,000 spectators and Lycian tombs carved into the rock.
- Lunch at a restaurant
Lunch is included in the tour price; drinks are extra.
- Yacht trip to the sunken city of Kekova
The yacht passes over the sunken city, and in clear weather you can see the ruins through glass portholes built into the tables. The guide tells you the history of the island.
- Swim in a bay
Weather permitting, the yacht stops for a swim in one of the Mediterranean bays.
- Onyx shop
A stop on the way back. Buying anything is up to you.
- 18:30–19:30 | Back at your hotel
The bus takes you back to your hotel. Return times are approximate.
Entrance tickets for St Nicholas Church ($23) and Myra ($17) are paid separately. If you’d like them included, write “All-Inclusive Package” in the “Special Requests” field when you book — see
What is not included for details.
The order of stops may change, but every item on the programme is kept.
How does the Demre, Myra and Kekova tour from Kemer go?
The coast road via Kumluca and Finike: greenhouses and orange groves
We pick up guests at the hotel gate, by the security post, just past the barrier, between about 07:30 and 08:30. We’ll put the exact pickup time for your hotel on your e-ticket once your booking is confirmed.
The drive to Demre takes about 2 hours. There’s a short stop on the way with toilets and tea or coffee, and gözleme, simit and toasties are usually on sale.
Most of the road follows the coast, and the guide tells you about the towns the bus passes through. Kumluca is known for its greenhouses and tomatoes, and every May it holds a tomato festival. Finike is famous for its orange groves.
St Nicholas Church in Demre: the saint behind Santa Claus
In Demre we first stop at an icon shop, where people buy icons for themselves or as gifts for their family; there’s no obligation to buy. Then it’s on to the Church of St Nicholas. St Nicholas was born in the Lycian city of Patara, came to Myra at about the age of 30 and lived here for the rest of his life. His relics lay in this church until 1087, when sailors from Bari in Italy carried them off to their own city.
The guide tells you the church’s story. It was built in the 4th century, enlarged in the 6th and restored in the 11th under Emperor Constantine IX. Excavations in the mid-19th century brought it to light again, and Russian researchers carried out its first restoration. Fragments of frescoes survive on the walls, among them the Last Supper.
After the guide’s talk you have free time to pray and take photos. Russian visitors touch their icons to the saint’s sarcophagus. Flash photography isn’t allowed in the church, so please switch off your flash.
Myra: a Roman theatre for 10,000 spectators and Lycian rock tombs
Myra is five minutes from the church by bus. It was once one of the leading cities of Lycia: its Roman theatre for 10,000 spectators still stands, and Lycian tombs from the 4th century BC are cut into the cliff above it.
The Lycians believed that after death the soul turned into a winged creature and flew up to the sky, and the higher the tomb, the easier it was for the soul to reach the next world. So nobles were buried higher up and the poor lower down. Work on a tomb began while its future owner was still alive and sometimes took several years.
Lunch at a restaurant
Lunch at a restaurant is included in the tour price; drinks are extra.
Kekova by yacht: sunken ruins through glass portholes
The first half of the day is about history, the second about the sea: you board a yacht and head for Kekova Island. On the way the guide tells you about the island. An earthquake in ancient times sent part of its city under the sea, which is why Kekova is sometimes called the Turkish Atlantis.
The tables on board have glass portholes built into them. Sit at one and look down, and in clear weather you can make out the ruins of the sunken city beneath the water.
The island is a protected area: going ashore is not allowed, and swimming and scuba diving over the sunken city are prohibited.
Opposite the island lies the village of Simena, also known by its Turkish name, Kaleköy: “kale” means “fortress” and “köy” means “village”. The yacht passes Simena without stopping. From the deck you can see the fortress and the Lycian sarcophagi on the shore, with lids shaped like upturned boats. The Lycians were fishermen and believed they would need a boat in the afterlife too. Inside the fortress there is a small ancient theatre.
A swim in a turquoise Mediterranean bay
If the sea is calm, the yacht stops for a swim in a bay with clear turquoise water; the captain chooses the bay. After walking around ancient ruins on a hot day, it’s good to cool off in the sea.
Onyx shop and the drive back to your hotel
On the way back we stop at an onyx shop, which sells souvenirs made from the stone; buying is optional. You’ll be back at your hotel between about 18:30 and 19:30. The exact time depends on where your hotel is and on traffic.
St Nicholas Church, ancient Myra and the sunken city of Kekova — all in one day.
Book your seat online with no prepayment. You pay for the tour on the bus on the day.
Video of our Demre tour
See what the day looks like
Press Play twice to start the video.
What is included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Air-conditioned bus
- English-speaking guide
- Lunch at a restaurant
- Yacht trip to the sunken city of Kekova
- Insurance
What is not included
- Entrance ticket to St Nicholas Church — $23
- Entrance ticket to the ancient city of Myra — $17
- Children aged 0–7 enter the church and Myra free
- Drinks during the tour
- Personal expenses: photos, souvenirs and other purchases
All-Inclusive Package. If you’d rather not buy entrance tickets on the spot, choose the All-Inclusive Package: it includes tickets to St Nicholas Church and the ancient city of Myra. To order it, write “All-Inclusive Package” in the “Special Requests” field when you book. The package costs
$75 per adult and
$45 per child aged 4–7.
What to bring
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Swimwear
- Towel
- Water for the journey
- Shoes for walking over the rocky ruins
- Camera or phone
- Cash for entrance tickets ($23 + $17 if you’re travelling without the All-Inclusive Package), drinks and personal expenses
Distance to Demre
- Tekirova to Demre: 80 km, about 1 hour 45 minutes
- Çamyuva to Demre: 90 km, about 2 hours
- Kiriş to Demre: 95 km, about 2 hours
- Kemer to Demre: 98 km, about 2 hours
- Göynük to Demre: 107 km, about 2 hours 10 minutes
- Beldibi to Demre: 110 km, about 2 hours 15 minutes
Distances and travel times are based on Google Maps and are intended as a guide. The actual journey time depends on traffic and on how long it takes to pick up guests from other hotels.
Discounts
- Book at least 7 days in advance — 4% off
- Book at least 30 days in advance — 5% off
- $1 off for each person in your booking who follows our Instagram (@goldwaytravel)
- Discounts can’t be combined: choose either the early booking discount or the follower discount, whichever saves you more
FAQ about the Demre tour from Kemer
How much does the Demre tour cost?
Adults and children from 8 — $40, 4–7 — $35, 0–3 — free; All-Inclusive with tickets — $75 / $45. Included: guide, lunch, the yacht to Kekova, transfer.
How do I book the Demre tour from Kemer?
Choose the date and the number of adults and children in the “Online Booking” form; the total is worked out automatically. In the form that opens, enter your full name, hotel, WhatsApp number and email, then send it. No prepayment: you pay on the bus on the day of the tour. Once your booking is confirmed, we send you an e-ticket with the exact pickup time via WhatsApp or Telegram. For step-by-step instructions with pictures, see
“How to book and pay on the bus”.
What time does the tour start?
We pick up guests at the hotel gate, by the security post, just past the barrier, between about 07:30 and 08:30. We’ll put the exact pickup time for your hotel on your e-ticket once your booking is confirmed.
Are the St Nicholas Church and Myra tickets included in the price?
No, entrance tickets are paid separately on the spot: $23 for St Nicholas Church and $17 for the ancient city of Myra; children aged 0–7 enter free. If you’d rather not buy them there, choose the All-Inclusive Package, which costs $75 per adult and $45 per child aged 4–7. Just write “All-Inclusive Package” in the “Special Requests” field when you book.
What will we see on the tour?
In St Nicholas Church, fragments of frescoes survive on the walls, among them the Last Supper. In Myra you’ll see a Roman theatre for 10,000 spectators and Lycian rock-cut tombs from the 4th century BC. At Kekova Island the yacht sails over the ruins of the sunken city, which in clear weather you can see through the portholes. Opposite the island the yacht passes the village of Simena: from the deck you can see its fortress and Lycian sarcophagi with lids shaped like upturned boats.
What is the difference between Myra and Limyra?
Myra is five minutes’ drive from St Nicholas Church. It has a large Roman theatre for 10,000 spectators and the famous Lycian tombs cut into the rock.
Limyra is in Finike, an hour’s drive from the church. It has an ancient theatre too, but its rock tombs are more modest and sit right by the road. Some Demre tours visit Limyra instead of Myra, so please check which site is on the programme when you book. This tour goes to Myra.
Can I pray in St Nicholas Church?
Yes. After the guide’s talk there’s free time to pray. Photos are allowed in the church, but without flash.
The church is open to visitors all year round, and services are held on 6 December and 22 May. During a service women need to cover their heads with a scarf; at other times this isn’t required.
Can we swim at the sunken city of Kekova?
Swimming and diving over the sunken city are not allowed, and you can’t go ashore on the island: it’s a protected area. For a swim, weather permitting, the yacht makes a separate stop in one of the Mediterranean bays, chosen by the captain.
Is lunch included in the price?
Yes, lunch at a restaurant is included in the tour price. Drinks are extra.
Do I have to buy anything at the icon shop or the onyx shop?
No, there’s no obligation to buy. At the icon shop you can choose an icon for yourself or for family and friends, and at the onyx shop you can pick up stone souvenirs if you like.
Will my child have their own seat on the bus?
Children with a paid ticket get their own seat on the bus. A child aged 0–3 travels free and sits on an adult’s lap. If you want your little one to have their own seat, book a paid child ticket for them.
What time will we be back at the hotel?
After the yacht trip and the stop at the onyx shop, the bus heads back to Kemer. You’ll be back at your hotel between about 18:30 and 19:30. The exact time depends on which area your hotel is in and on traffic.
