The Ultimate Guide to Pamukkale, Turkey

Pamukkale is located in South Western Turkey, just a 15 minute drive out of the city of Denizli. Translating to "Cotton Castle" the Travertines of Pamukkale are definitely as dreamy as it sounds! It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the remarkably well preserved ruins of the Greek-Roman city of Hierapolis that is located at the top of the white terraces which is about 2700m long and 1600m high. In fact, the citizens of Hierapolis actually used this natural spring as their very own spa to enjoy the health benefits of hot mineral water.. With such a unique and amazing combination of natural and man-made wonders it's no wonder Pammukale sees over two million visitors every year, making it Turkey's single most visited attraction!

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about pamukkale

How did Pammukale come to be, you may ask?

Well, Pamukkale doesn't get it's pure white coat from salt nor ice as most may think. Deep in the earth beneath the city lies an extensive source of water heated by volcanic lava. This water dissolves pure white calcium in the earth and becomes saturated before appearing on the surface of the earth and flows down the steep hillside. As the calcium reacts to the open air, it precipitates from the water and adheres to the soil and travertine rock, forming pure white cascades frozen in time. Pamukkale can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley, having existed there for over 14,000 years. (crazy right?)

Why go to Pammukale?

If the pictures of this unique and dramatic landscape aren't convincing enough , it's worth mentioning that nowhere else in the world can visitors enjoy exploring both picturesque travertine formations in conjunction with beautiful colonnaded streets, temples, bath houses, and the theatre remains of an idyllically located Greek-Roman spa city, Hierapolis. You can bathe in these beautiful pools filled with warm (around 36C) mineral rich waters and swim among submerged columns of antiquity just as the Romans once did. It's said the water at Pamukkale provides its bathers a number of health benefits for the skin and eyes as well as recovery from kidney stones, high blood pressure, circulatory issues, physical exhaustion, asthma and rheumatism.

Legend has it that many years ago there was a young Turkish girl that no one wanted to marry because she was ugly. Depressed, the girl tried to commit suicide by throwing herself off the travertine cliffs. She fell into a natural pool and survived the fall. The water in the pool turned her into a beautiful girl who caught the attention of the Turkish lord; Denizli while he was visiting the area. He fell in love with the girl and decided to marry her. That is why people nowadays believe that in addition to the health benefits, the rocks in Pamukkale can make you more beautiful.

Practical information

Entrance Fee: 50TL, it is included in the 15 Day Turkey Museum Pass (315TL as of Oct 2019).

Children under 18 get in for free.

Opening Hours

08:00-21:00 everyday between April 15 - October 2

08:00-17:00 everyday between October 3 - April 14

how to get here

From Istanbul: The fastest and easiest way is to fly into Denizli airport which will take 1 hour and then go by bus 18km into Pammukale. Many online sources will say you need to go into the center of Denizli town first to catch a bus but there are buses going to Pamukkale straight from the airport.

Both Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines have daily flights into Denizli from Istanbul.

From Izmir: There is a train going four times daily to Denizli via Selcuk. The journey takes about 4 hours.

From Selcuk: There is a train going from Selcuk station to Denizli and the journey takes about 3 hours. Alternatively you can catch a bus from Selcuk bus station that will take you 3.5 hours and straight on into Pamukkale (40 Liras) without having to transfer to a mini bus in Denizli. Most travelers prefer to take the train as its cheaper. Most people take a day trip out from Selcuk, but keep in mind that you will be spending 6 hours of your day on just travel alone.

From Cappadocia: The best option would be to take an overnight bus like we did. (plus you get to save on one night's worth of accommodation!) If you are without a car this is the best option as Cappadocia itself is a 1.5 hour drive from the nearest airport and flights to Denizli from Kayseri airport are not frequent. We caught our bus at 8PM from Goreme bus station and the journey took about 10 hours, arriving in Denizli at 6AM where there was a minibus waiting to take us to Pamukkale (included in the ticket). We chose to go with Suha Turism and one ticket cost us 85 lira. There's no need to book online beforehand, if you go to the bus office a day or two before your departure date, you'll be able to book tickets. You can check the timetable at the office or online.

If you're dreading the idea of enduring an overnight bus ride, here's some insight that might ease your discomfort. The overnight buses in Turkey are some of the nicest I've ever been on. The reclining seats are comfortable with plenty of leg room and equipped with a tv (but it's only in Turkish), tray table, foot rest as well as charging port. Our particular bus had no wifi, though other companies might. There is an attendant that serves you water, juice, tea, coffee etc. and will notify you when you've reached your stop. The buses stop at rest stations every 2 hours where you can use the bathrooms (most will cost 1 lira) and buy food. Most public bathrooms in Turkey aren't the cleanest but these were definitely some of the nicer ones I've seen. They do a head count before departing everytime so don't stress about being left behind. (though most stops last between 15-20 mins)

Experiencing Pamukkale

You can easily spend the whole day in Pamukkale, taking a dip in the travertine pools and walking among history in the ruins of Hierapolis. We were here in October but the sun was still blazing hot so be sure to pack some sunscreen, shades and a hat. We arrived here at 8AM via our hotel shuttle at the south gate which supposedly opens at 6AM (but we were told they would only allow you entrance if you were with a tour group, unsure of how true this is.)

I would recommend heading to the pools first as the ruins are spread far apart and less crowded during all hours of the day. Before you step onto the white rock, you have to remove your shoes. There were already a considerable amount of people at the pools when we arrived, but because they had all arrived with a tour group from the south gate, only the first two pools were crowded. If you head down to the lower pools you will have them to yourself for at least an hour before the park starts to fill up.

From here you can walk up and down the cotton white hillside as you please and enjoy the pools as well as taking in the views. The ground might look slippery but its actually very easy to walk on and the water will gradually go colder the further down you go. (but don't worry, the day heats up fast so you'll want to feel cool!) Remember to bring your bathing suite as the water in the pools are nice and temperate.

The pools on the hillside are only a few of this natural wonder that can be found in Pamukkale. If you head back up towards the ruins, you'll find a wooden walkway on both the left and right side winding next to more gorgeous pools in the area. Most were dried up when we were there but it wasn't any less beautiful as they all had this unique beautiful texture and natural patterns. It's a plus if you get to see them coupled with gorgeous aqua blue water. Please note these pools are restricted in order to protect them as they've had no restorative work done to them like the pools on the hillside. We saw a few people frolicking on them to their heart's content despite the warning signs. There are no barriers but it's important to respect park rules as they're there for a reason. (plus there is security on lookout so you can spare yourself the embarrassment of getting caught).

With that being said, I've seen a few photos on social media of people standing in the restricted area, and as gorgeous as they are, it disheartens me to learn about a place in such a way. I thought I would be able to explore this beautiful place like they had in their photos only to find out the area was off limits. By doing this you are setting up a disillusioned impression of a place, what's more is that you are promoting the idea of going against park rules all in favour of "getting the shot" and this is not something I can get behind. As a 'travel influencer' they have the responsibility of showcasing all aspects of the location they're promoting not just the 'instagrammable' bits. It disappoints me even more to think that, they're endangering the preservation of such a beautiful place and promoting the idea that it's okay to do so to others. Respect the rules and call out those who don't, that way many more generations after us will be able to enjoy these beautiful wonders just as we have.

Additional things to do at Pamukkale

1. Hierapolis Archaeology Museum

After checking out the travertine pools you can take a walk around the ancient city of Hierapolis and explore the ruins as well as check out this small museum. It is housed in a former Roman bath and has numerous historical artifacts from Hierapolis and Laodicea. I wouldn't say I found it particularly impressive and a lot of the labels for the artifacts were very vague. Entrance costs 10TL and I would recommend no more than 20 minutes here. Entrance is included in the 15 day Turkey Museum Pass. I wouldn't have paid the extra 10TL for entrance but since it was already included in our museum pass we decided to give it a chance.

2. Cleopatra's Antique Pool

As you know, Pamukkale was once a infamous spa city for the Romans. As a tourist today you can take a dip in its mineral water at the Antique Pool. It is said that it had been a gift from Marc Anthony to Cleopatra back in the day though I am unsure how true and authentic this is. What gives the pool a special character is the marble columns that sit at the bottom. Most say they date back to 2nd century BC and are the remains of the Temple of Apollo which you can spot nearby.

Entrance will cost you 70TL and there are various food stalls and tables to eat at right next to it. The entrance seemed a little steep for us, but I will say the crystal clear waters of this pool lined by gorgeous palm trees looked particularly inviting on such a hot day.

3. Go paragliding over the travertines.

I've always wanted to do this as I knew the pools from above must've looked phenomenal. However, I imagined the cost for an adrenaline activity such as this would've been pretty expensive so I passed up the opportunity. If you're a lover of adrenaline and have the means then there are many agencies in town that can organize for you, just ask your hotel for assistance.

To day trip or not to day trip?

Most tour groups visit Pamukkale as a day trip in order to save time as there are also other attractions to see in the area such as Aphrodisias in Geyre, ruins of Laodicea and Kaklik Cave.

These locations are easier to reach by car as public transport can get a bit tricky. Since we were without one we decided to pass them up and we had Ephesus planned on our itinerary already anyway. You can check the above posts by Will Fly For Food for more insight.

With that being said, we decided to stay overnight as we had come in from Cappadocia and this gave us a whole day in Pamukkale without being rushed and spending less time on the road. Plus if you come in on a day trip, my guess is that you would only arrive 10-11AM depending on how early you rise and by then the pools are already super crowded. Now imagine still having to head back to Selcuk or Izmir via a 3 hour train ride after a long hot day in the sun. We may have had an early start to the day after our long bus ride but having the pools to ourselves for those 2 hours made all the difference.

I would highly recommend staying overnight if you are coming in from or heading on into Cappadocia.

Where to stay?

We stayed at the Venus Hotel. It was one of the nicer hotels during our trip, with a spacious lobby area, indoor and outdoor dining area and a pool. We thought it was incredible value for money as the rooms were clean and air conditioned and the breakfast spread had a lot of variety. Note that they have another branch of hotel called The Venus Suite hotel which is essentially the same hotel but just a little bit more expensive because it's newer. Both hotels utilize the same facilities. The only downside was that the hotel was about a 15 minute walk from the town entrance of Pamukkale, but the hotel provides free shuttles to the north gate of the park periodically as well as the nearby bus station.

Pamukkale is actually really small so you can virtually stay anywhere and it'd be walking distance to the park. You can find a quite a few places to choose from on AirBnb | Booking.com | Agoda.

If you're new to AirBnb you can get up to 29 € free travel credit when you sign up with this link

If you're new to Booking.com you can get 25 € reward when you sign up with this link

Where to eat?

We only had to search for places to eat for dinner as our hotel provided breakfast and we usually lunch on the go. We had wanted to give White House Restaurant and Cafe a try as they had good reviews but they were closed when we got there. (unsure if it was permanently closed?)

So we decided to go to Kayas Restaurant and Bar as it was nearby and it had decent reviews. Our particular experience wasn't so great as there was blood on the first table we sat down at and service was extremely slow. The food was okay but portions very small for what you pay for.

USEFUL TIPS

After experiencing this magnificent place for myself here are my tips for making the most out of your visit to Pamukkale.

Timing: Like I mentioned, arrive as early as possible to avoid the crowds. If you're coming in from the south entrance expect to see some tour groups already there. After 10AM isn't ideal as by then it's already quite hot and you'll find yourself among hoards of people.

Alternatively you can opt to visit for sunset as its equally as beautiful, but to get the full experience you'd have to be there during the summer months as between Oct-April the park closes at 5pm and the sun will only set around 6:00-6:30pm.

Prepare for some rays: Even in October (which is autumn in Turkey) the heat was considerably harsh. Don't forget your sunscreen and hat and bring lots of water. As the ground is covered in white rock there is an abundance of reflective light so be sure to bring your sunglasses!

Pack light: You will do a lot of walking in Pamukkale, it is a big park with lots to see. Plus you don't want to be looking after hoards of stuff when you're trying to take a dip in the pools. There are lockers available on site but if you don't want to spend the extra cash you can just wear your swimsuit under your normal clothes (this is actually ideal as the actual changing room is a far walk from the travertine pools) and have your belongings in a backpack. We didn't even need a towel as it was so hot out and you dry up fairly quickly. T

Pack in lunch: The only place you can find food inside the park is at the canteen next to the Antique Pool and it only serves overpriced junk food mostly. If you're wanting more healthy options it's better to bring your own and find a tree to sit under.

Consider your entrances: The tourist park has three entrances, the north, south and town entrance. The north is rarely used as you can only reach it by taxi and you will enter at the far ruins of Hierapolis. Likewise for the south gate but it is a much shorter walk to the pools from the actual gate. Some hotels will offer free shuttles to this gate, otherwise it's a 7 minute taxi ride from town center. Be prepared to outwalk hoards of tour groups if you choose this gate. The town entrance is the most accessible as it's walking distance from most hotels. Keep in mind that you will have to walk up the hillside and see the pools as you walk along. The floor is not slippery but can get a bit painful to walk on if you're on it for a long time.

Wander: If you've got the time to spare, stay behind after swimming in the pools and check out the ruins as well as the shallow pools along the ridge. This is a big park with many beautiful photo opportunities for capturing the landscape blanketed in turquoise pools. I've heard that the water in these pools is often funneled to different sections of the park at different times of the year so it's recommend to keep exploring if you've only seen empty ones.

Pamukkale was hands down one of my favourite places to experience in Turkey. This natural wonder was even more surreal to see with my own eyes and completely exceeded all of my expectations. This place is perfect for those who love natural wonders and immersing themselves in the miracles of history and Mother Nature, If you've got any questions about this magnificent place feel free to leave a comment below or shoot me an email.

Happy adventuring!

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