Kayaköy From Fethiye and Ölüdeniz: Dolmuş, Walk and Tickets

Kayaköy is a hillside village of roofless stone houses and two large churches, left empty in the 1920s and never resettled. It is one of the easiest half-day trips from Fethiye, Hisarönü or Ölüdeniz, and it joins neatly with a walk down to the coast. This guide covers the dolmuş lines, the walk to Ölüdeniz, the ticket and opening hours, and how to fit the village around a Dalaman Airport arrival. For the Blue Lagoon fees, the cable car and paragliding, see our Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon guide, which we do not repeat here.

Kayaköy at a Glance

Muze.gov.tr showed summer hours when we checked on 22 October 2026. Winter hours are usually shorter, so check muze.gov.tr before you go. Dolmuş fares and timetables are set by the Muğla municipal transport company (MUTTAŞ) and can change between seasons.

What Kayaköy Is

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism lists the site as the Fethiye Kayaköy Archaeological Site and says it is also known by the ancient name Karmylassos. The written sources place the history of the settlement back to the 3rd millennium BC, but the ministry notes that no finds earlier than the 4th century BC have been found within the ruins. The buildings you walk through today date to the late Ottoman period, when Greek residents built them on the slope.

The village was left empty after the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Wind, rain and time then took the roofs, doors and windows, which is why the houses are open shells. The ministry describes two-storey houses of no more than about 50 square metres, usually with a cellar below and an underground cistern by the entrance that collected rainwater from the roof. The houses are set so they do not block each other’s view or light.

Beyond the houses there were many chapels, one school building and a customs building, and two large churches. The Upper Church (originally Taxiarchis) stands on a prominent hill in the middle of the settlement. The Lower Church (originally Panagia Pirgiotissa) is on the western edge and is better preserved, partly because it was used as a mosque until the 1960s. Both have pebble-mosaic floors in the atrium.

Dolmuş From Fethiye and Hisarönü

Dolmuş 3-44 runs from the Fethiye village bus station (Köyler Garajı) via Ovacık and Hisarönü to Kayaköy and on to Gemiler. A second line, 3-4, runs from Fethiye via Keçiler to Kayaköy.

• From Fethiye: about hourly from 06:45 to 17:00.
• From Kayaköy: departures from 07:15 to 20:00.
• Fare from Fethiye: ₺115 on the 2-ride Muğla Kart, which is the realistic visitor fare, or ₺89 on a personal card.
• Fare from Hisarönü: ₺70 on the 2-ride card, or ₺56 on a personal card.
• Payment: the vehicles accept bank cards, according to the MUTTAŞ site.

The road distance from Fethiye is about 8 km and the ride takes roughly 15 minutes. Because the first departure is at 06:45 and the lines run only about hourly, the dolmuş suits an early start better than a late one. Check the departure board at the garage and ask the driver to confirm the time of the last bus back. In July and August the minibuses fill up, so go early.

If you stay in Ölüdeniz, there is no need to go into Fethiye first: dolmuş 3-40 runs from Ölüdeniz through Hisarönü, where you can change to 3-44. Hisarönü to Ölüdeniz is ₺70 on the 2-ride card, and Fethiye to Ölüdeniz is ₺115, with the last dolmuş from Ölüdeniz at 00:35.

Walking From Kayaköy to Ölüdeniz

The popular plan is to ride the dolmuş up to Kayaköy, see the village, then walk down to the coast. Trail guides describe a route of about 5 to 6 km that takes 2 to 3 hours, with roughly 200 m of climbing and 350 m of descent, and views of the lagoon on the way down. It is a waymarked link path. It is not an official stage of the Lycian Way, which starts at Ölüdeniz and Ovacık, so check the markings and your map as you go.

• Start early: the walk is long in July and August heat.
• Carry water and wear proper shoes, not flip-flops.
• Walk the other way if you prefer: starting from Ölüdeniz means the climb comes first, with the ruined village as the reward, and you take the dolmuş back from Kayaköy.
• Finish at the beach: the public Belcekız beach in Ölüdeniz is free. The Blue Lagoon (Kumburnu) charged ₺150 per person on foot from May 2026, at the time of writing.
• Getting back: dolmuş 3-40 runs from Ölüdeniz to Hisarönü and Fethiye until 00:35.

Allow the full day if you add the village visit, the walk and a swim: a start at about 09:00 from Fethiye, the village until late morning, the walk until the early afternoon, and the beach after that.

Opening Hours and Tickets

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism page for the site gives 08:30 to 18:00, open every day, with the ticket office closing at 17:30. Those were summer hours when we checked on 22 October 2026. Winter hours are usually shorter, so check muze.gov.tr before you go.

• Foreign visitors: pay the ticket at the entrance. The ministry’s published 2027 tariff, valid from 1 April 2027, lists 5 euros for foreign visitors at Kayaköy. Ask at the ticket office for the current fee until then.
• Turkish citizens: MüzeKart is valid, according to the ministry page.
• Last entry: aim to be at the gate well before 17:30, so you have time to walk the site.

The village is an archaeological site, so stay on the paths, do not climb on the walls and do not take anything away. The houses have cellars and cisterns, so watch your step and wear sturdy shoes.

Getting There From Dalaman Airport

Dalaman Airport (DLM) is about 64 km from Kayaköy by road, with Fethiye on the way. There is no direct public transport from the airport to the village. By public transport, take the Havaş or MUTTAŞ coach to Fethiye bus station (≈€5.50 / ₺300 per person), then change to dolmuş 3-44. The coaches meet domestic flights and have no fixed timetable, so after an international flight you may wait. Our Dalaman Airport to Fethiye, Ölüdeniz, Göcek and Marmaris guide explains the coaches and the taxi rank.

Our transfer is private only, in a Mercedes Vito (up to 6 passengers), a V-Class VIP or a Sprinter for larger groups, with child seats on request. The price is per vehicle and shown before you pay, and there is no extra charge for traffic or flight delays. Your driver waits just outside the arrivals exit and, after you land, sends the exact meeting point and a short video on WhatsApp. Our drivers speak English.

We do not list a fixed Kayaköy route on the price page. If your hotel or villa is in Kayaköy itself, enter the address when you book and the price is shown before you pay, or ask us on WhatsApp first. Most visitors do the airport leg by private transfer to Fethiye or Ölüdeniz and visit Kayaköy by dolmuş or on foot as a day trip. You can compare routes on transfer prices and book on our Dalaman Airport Transfer page.

Planning Your Day

• Arrival day: do not try to fit Kayaköy in. Go to your hotel and rest. Dalaman is over an hour from Ölüdeniz and about an hour from Fethiye.
• Half day from Fethiye: dolmuş 3-44 at about 09:00, the village until late morning, a second dolmuş back for lunch in town.
• Full day from Ölüdeniz or Hisarönü: dolmuş 3-44 up in the morning, the village, then the walk down to the coast and an afternoon at Belcekız.
• Combine with a boat day: Butterfly Valley leaves from the same beach, so Kayaköy suits a different morning. See our Butterfly Valley guide.
• Another day from Fethiye: Saklıkent Gorge needs a long day, with a last dolmuş back at 17:15. See our Saklıkent guide.
• Not a day trip from the airport: a same-day visit from Dalaman means over an hour each way for a few hours in the village. Staying at least one night works better. Our Where to Stay Near Dalaman guide compares Fethiye, Ölüdeniz and Hisarönü.

Back to Dalaman Airport

Allow about 1 hour 10 minutes from Ölüdeniz and a little under that from Fethiye, plus the airport’s advice to check in 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one. Do not plan a long walk on the morning of a flight. The last dolmuş from Kayaköy at 20:00 only takes you back towards Fethiye, and the airport coaches run to times that change from day to day. A private transfer from your hotel avoids both problems. Book the return together with your arrival on our Dalaman Airport Transfer page.

Sources — checked on 22 October 2026: Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Kayaköy Archaeological Site · MUTTAŞ dolmuş 3-44 · MUTTAŞ dolmuş 3-40 · MUTTAŞ Fethiye lines · 2027 museum and site tariff (Ministry tables) · Trekopedia: Kayaköy to Ölüdeniz · Türkiye Turizm: Blue Lagoon fees
Euro amounts at €1 = ₺55.6.

Related guides: Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon guide · Butterfly Valley From Ölüdeniz · Saklıkent Gorge From Fethiye · Where to Stay Near Dalaman · Dalaman Airport to Fethiye, Ölüdeniz, Göcek and Marmaris · Dalaman Airport to Dalyan

Frequently asked questions