Where to Stay for COP31: Choosing Your Base by the Daily Commute
Lara, Belek, the old town or Kemer? Compare where to stay for COP31 by distance to the EXPO Center, shuttle coverage and evenings.
Most advice on where to stay for COP31 starts with hotel names. The drive is a better place to start. The conference runs for twelve days, from 9 to 20 November 2026, at the Antalya EXPO Center in Aksu, east of the city centre, and whatever you save on a room you can easily pay back twice a day in traffic.
This guide compares the main parts of Antalya by the three things that shape a working fortnight: how long it takes to reach the venue, whether the official partner's shuttle service covers the area, and what you can do in the evening once you are back.
Where to stay for COP31: the areas side by side
| Area | To the venue | Partner shuttle area | Evenings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lara | about 15 km, 20 min | Yes | Resort hotels, restaurants along the coast road |
| Kundu | about 15 km, 20 min | Yes | Large resorts, little within walking distance |
| Belek | about 20 km, 25 min | Yes | Golf resorts, gated and quiet |
| City centre and Kaleiçi | about 22 km, 30 min | Yes (Kaleiçi) | Old town, harbour, restaurants, tram |
| Konyaaltı | about 30 km, 45 min | Yes | Long beach, cafés, apartments |
| Side | roughly 55–60 km, about an hour | No | Quiet off-season resort town |
| Kemer | roughly 65 km, 70–90 min | No | Quiet off-season marina town |
Distances and times for the first five rows come from the FAQ of Coral Travel, the official accommodation partner, which also names the areas its shuttle transfer service covers: Belek, Boğazkent, Lara, Kundu, Kaleiçi and Konyaaltı. The Side and Kemer figures are our own estimates for the usual road route.
Lara and Kundu: the closest resort strip
Lara and Kundu sit on the coast between the city and the venue, and they give you the shortest commute of any beach area. The big resorts here can put a whole delegation under one roof, with their own meeting rooms for morning briefings, which is why rooms close to the venue tend to go first.
The roads have had attention too. For COP31, the state housing agency TOKİ has completed about 37.8 km of new and improved road across the Belek–Kundu tourism zone, covering four main arteries and twelve hotel link roads, with the COP31 routes marked in yellow.
The trade-off is the evening. Kundu in particular is a line of large hotels, and once you are back there is not much to walk to. Lara has more choice along the coast road, and the city is a short taxi ride away.
Belek: quieter, greener, 25 minutes out
Belek is Antalya's golf coast: gated resorts set among pine forest, with conference halls and plenty of space. At about 20 km from the venue, it suits senior delegates who want quiet and privacy and do not plan to go into town much. Boğazkent, just beyond it, falls in the same shuttle area.
Dinner in the old town is a real trip from here, roughly 40 minutes or more each way, so most people staying in Belek eat at the hotel on working days.
City centre and Kaleiçi: best evenings, longer mornings
Staying in the centre, around Kaleiçi and the old harbour, puts restaurants, bars and a walkable old town on your doorstep. After twelve hours in conference halls, that counts for a lot. The AntRay tram links the centre with a stop at the EXPO site, which gives you a fallback when the roads are slow.
The cost is the morning: about 30 minutes to the venue on a normal day, more when half the city is heading east at the same time. Hotels here are smaller on average, which suits individuals and small teams better than large delegations.
Konyaaltı: a beach on the wrong side of town
Konyaaltı is a long pebble beach on the western side of the city, with apartments, cafés and the Antalya Museum nearby. It is pleasant for a longer stay, but the venue lies in the opposite direction. At around 45 minutes each way, you cross the whole city twice a day.
Kemer and Side: only if you accept long days
The official platform does list hotels in Kemer and Side, and in November both are quiet and relatively easy to book. But neither is in the partner's shuttle area, and the drive to the venue takes about an hour from Side and longer from Kemer. If that is where you end up, arrange your daily transport before you arrive. Our guide to reaching the venue from outside the official hotels covers the options.
The same applies to apartments and to hotels that are not on the official platform anywhere in the region. According to the UNFCCC, shuttle stops will only be placed at platform hotels.
Getting from the airport to your area
Wherever you stay, the first ride is from Antalya Airport. These are current fares for a private transfer to each area above:
| Area | From | |
|---|---|---|
| Lara | $33 | |
| Kundu | $33 | |
| Belek | $44 | |
| Boğazkent | $44 | |
| Kaleiçi | $27.50 | |
| Konyaaltı | $33 | |
| Side | $55 | |
| Kemer | $49.50 |
If you would like one driver for the whole stay, book the arrival together with your daily rides and we will keep it on one booking.
Frequently asked questions
Among the main hotel areas, Lara and Kundu are closest, at about 15 km or 20 minutes according to the official accommodation partner. Belek follows at about 20 km. Business hotels right next to the venue exist but are limited.
It is if evenings matter to you. Kaleiçi puts restaurants and the harbour within walking distance, and the tram gives you a backup route to the EXPO site. Expect about 30 minutes to the venue on a normal morning, longer at peak times.
The official accommodation partner's FAQ lists its shuttle transfer areas as Belek, Boğazkent, Lara, Kundu, Kaleiçi and Konyaaltı, which leaves out Kemer and Side. Check the official transport map at transport.cop31.tr for the final routes before you book there.
No, but it affects your transport. Shuttle stops are only placed at hotels on the official platform, so anywhere else you arrange your own way to the venue or to the nearest stop. Weigh that against price and choice before you decide.
As soon as your participation is confirmed. Around 100,000 participants are expected, and the organisers strongly recommend booking early. Rooms closest to the venue are usually the first to go.