Isparta is Turkey's rose capital, nestled in the scenic Lakes Region of southwestern Anatolia. Famous worldwide for producing the finest rose oil used in luxury perfumes, this tranquil province enchants visitors with its fragrant rose fields, vast freshwater lakes, ancient ruins, and year-round outdoor adventures including skiing on Davraz Mountain.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Sagalassos Ancient City
Sagalassos was a major city of ancient Pisidia, built into the slopes of the Taurus Mountains at roughly 1,500-1,700m elevation. Decades of excavation by a Belgian-led team (University of Leuven) have restored the Antonine Nymphaeum (a monumental fountain still fed by its original spring) and re-erected large sections of the Upper Agora. Because the site sits high above the plain, the ruins are spread across a hillside rather than flat ground, so a visit involves real walking and climbing, not a stroll.
Highlights: Antonine Nymphaeum - a two-storey Roman fountain house, restored and still running water · Upper Agora and Neon Library facade - re-erected columns give a sense of scale rare on Anatolian sites · Roman Theatre - built into the hillside with views back over the Ağlasun valley · Sagalassos Archaeological Museum - houses the reassembled colossal statues found at the site
Eğirdir Lake & Yeşilada Island
Eğirdir is a lakeside town built on a narrow spit and causeway that connects the mainland to Yeşilada (Green Island), with the freshwater Eğirdir Lake on one side. The town's old quarter, inside the remains of a medieval castle wall, has the 13th-century Hızırbey Mosque and the Dündar Bey Medresesi, both dating from the Seljuk-era Hamidoğlu principality. Yeşilada itself is small and residential, with lakefront fish restaurants rather than sights, making it a place to walk and eat rather than sightsee intensively.
Highlights: Hızırbey Mosque - Seljuk-period mosque in the old town, built partly from reused ancient stone · Dündar Bey Medresesi - a 14th-century Islamic school now used as a covered bazaar · Eğirdir Castle walls - the old town's defensive walls, walkable along parts of the shoreline · Yeşilada causeway and lakefront restaurants - the island's fish restaurants sit right on the water
Beyşehir Lake & Eşrefoğlu Mosque
Beyşehir sits on the shore of Lake Beyşehir, the largest freshwater lake in Turkey, in Konya province just across the border from Isparta. The town's Eşrefoğlu Mosque, built in 1299 under the Eşrefoğlu principality, is one of the best-preserved examples of the wooden-column mosque style: a flat timber roof carried on dozens of carved wooden columns rather than domes, with an original carved wooden minber still in place. This building, rather than the lake, is the reason to make the longer trip out here.
Highlights: Eşrefoğlu Mosque - forty-plus carved wooden columns supporting a flat timber roof, a style now rare in Anatolia · Original carved wooden minber (pulpit) inside the mosque, contemporary with the building · Lake Beyşehir shorefront in the town centre - the largest freshwater lake in Turkey, with its own small islands
Burdur & Burdur Lake Flamingos
Burdur town sits next to Burdur Lake, a saline lake whose mineral-rich water supports flamingo populations that are the main draw for a day trip here. The Burdur Archaeology Museum in town holds a significant share of the finds from Sagalassos and other Pisidian sites, so it pairs naturally with a Sagalassos visit if you want the artefacts alongside the ruins. Flamingo sightings depend on season and water levels, so this is a trip with a real chance of an empty lake as well as a full one.
Highlights: Burdur Lake shoreline - saline lake that draws flamingos and other waterbirds seasonally · Burdur Archaeology Museum - holds statues and finds excavated from Sagalassos · Burdur town centre - a modest provincial town with an Ottoman-era street grid around the market
Antalya Coast Day Trip
Antalya is a genuinely different kind of place from Isparta's highland towns - a Mediterranean coastal city with the old walled quarter of Kaleiçi, its Ottoman-era houses and narrow lanes running down to the historic harbour, plus beaches and waterfalls on its outskirts. At 120km and roughly two hours each way, this is a long day trip that eats significantly into the time you actually have on the coast, so it suits travellers who specifically want a taste of the sea rather than a relaxed beach day.
Highlights: Kaleiçi old town - Ottoman-era wooden houses and narrow lanes around Antalya's historic harbour · Hadrian's Gate - a well-preserved Roman triumphal arch marking the old city entrance · Düden Waterfalls - waterfalls on the city's edge, including a section that drops directly into the sea · Antalya harbour - the old fishing harbour below Kaleiçi, now lined with cafes and boat trips
Kovada Lake National Park
Kovada Gölü is a small freshwater lake about 15km south of Eğirdir, set inside a national park of pine and cedar forest and connected to Eğirdir Lake by a man-made canal. It's a quieter, more natural counterpart to Eğirdir itself - a place for walking among trees and along the water rather than sightseeing, with picnic areas set up around the shoreline. The park is genuinely forested rather than open scrubland, which makes it noticeably cooler than the surrounding plain in summer.
Highlights: Kovada Gölü shoreline - a small lake within pine and cedar forest, quieter than Eğirdir Lake · The canal linking Kovada Gölü to Eğirdir Lake - a walkable stretch of water cut through the forest · Marked picnic and forest walking areas around the lake
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
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Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
Multi-day tours from Isparta
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from IspartaWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start early — most popular day-trip destinations get crowded by mid-morning.
Check return transport times before you leave — missing the last train or bus can be costly.
Carry water, snacks, and layers — weather and food options can be limited at smaller destinations.