7 Dreamy things to do in Pamukkale, Turkey
By Ling and Jace
home / back to turkey
Temple of Artemis in Aphrodisias
Pamukkale is one of the most unique places that we’ve ever visited, with ancient ruins, pastel waters and calcium clouds in the travertines. Near the famous hot springs, there are also many ancient sites and attractions that can easily be reached by car or tour.
We’ve put together this guide with the best places to visit and things to do in Pamukkale. It has everything that you need to know to get to Pamukkale, including accommodation, how to hire a car, and the best tours. We have also included options to get there from Istanbul, Izmir and Denizli.
We loved capturing this trip and if you like any of the photos, you can find us on Instagram @ling.and.jace
Ruins of Laodicea in Pamukkale
Note: we paid for all of our experiences in Turkey, but this post contains some affiliate links. If you decide to book a similar experience, we might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for planning a trip to Pamukkale
How to get to Pamukkale
Pamukkale is in the Denizli province, and the closest airport is Denizli Çardak Airport which has daily flights to and from Istanbul and Cappadocia.
Alternatively, you can fly into İzmir Adnan Menderes airport in nearby İzmir. It’s about a 2.5 hours’ drive to Pamukkale, with a lot of places to visit on the way. It’s also possible to take day trips from Izmir to the places we’ve listed, which we will link below.
Tours to Pamukkale also run as day trips from Antalya here.
Hiring a car in Pamukkale
From Denizli, it is a 20km drive to Pamukkale. We booked a car for one week through Rentalcars.com which let us compare prices across the major hire companies. Most of the roads around Pamukkale are paved so any type of car is fine.
When to visit Pamukkale
The best time of year to visit Pamukkale is in spring or autumn (April - June and September - November). These are off-peak seasons and the travertines and other attractions are usually less crowded than in summer.
How long to stay in Pamukkale
We decided to stay in Pamukkale for three nights so we could catch many sunrises and sunsets in the ancient ruins. However, you can easily visit the area on a shorter trip, with Pamukkale, Laodecia and Hieropolis being very close by.
Where to stay near Pamukkale
If you are planning to hire a car, the most convenient place to stay is in the town of Pamukkale, which is around 50 minutes’ drive from the airport in Denizli. We booked our accommodation through Agoda and stayed in the White Heaven Suite Hotel for three nights. From there, we could walk to the centre of town and it was a 5 minute drive to the entrance of the Travertines.
If you’re planning to travel by tour, this tour reaches Pamukkale on a day trip from nearby Izmir. You can also take this tour with transport from Anatyla to Pamukkale and Hierapolis, which includes lunch and entry fees if selected.
The best tours in Turkey that include Pamukkale
If you’d like to reach the area as part of a longer tour, we’d recommend this 10 day trip around Turkey with Viator which includes all domestic flights and internal transport, accommodation and some meals. It is the easiest way to see the highlights around Pamukkale, Istanbul and Cappadocia.
It’s also possible to reach these areas on shorter itineraries from Istanbul and Izmir. These are the best options that we’ve found:
All of the tours that we’ve included are with either GetYourGuide or Viator, which we have used in every country that we’ve visited. We have compared every option for what is included (such as flights, accommodation and meals) and found the best prices across the platforms.
Making payments in Turkey
Cash is accepted everywhere in Turkey, and we had no issues withdrawing cash from any ATMs with our Wise card that was loaded with Turkish lira.
There are fees in any international rate exchange, but we always travel with a Wise card which can be used all over the world. It operates like a domestic bank card in every country, and is much cheaper than exchanging money through a traditional bank (depending on the exchange, it can be up to eight times cheaper).
Mobile and data plans in Turkey
If you are looking for a data plan in Turkey, you can get 5% off Holafly’s Turkey eSim with this link or by using our code ‘LINGANDJACE’.
We use Holafly’s eSIMs on all of our international trips because they can be set up easily with a QR code. Many other SIM companies have a cap on the amount of data that you purchase, but all of the Holafly plans come with unlimited data.
7 DREAMY THINGS TO DO IN PAMUKKALE
1. Pamukkale Hot Springs
The travertines of Pamukkale are unlike any other landscape. They have pastel blue waters and huge walls of calcium that look like clouds.
The travertines are hot springs next to the ruins of Hierapolis that have been used for centuries. The water is naturally heated by volcanic lava, which flows up from underground then eventually runs down the travertines into many small pools.
Entry tickets are sold for both Pamukkale and Hierapolis together. The prices change frequently but were around 700 Turkish lira. You can also include Pamukkale and Hierapolis in a Türkiye Museum Pass, which includes entry for multiple attractions in Pamukkale.
Driving to Pamukkale
We decided to drive to Pamukkale’s Hot Springs in our rental car. There are three entrances, and the south entrance is the best way to access the site by car or taxi as it has the largest car park. The south entrance is also the closest to the travertines, taking around 10-15 minutes to walk to the top of the hot springs. You can find information about the opening hours for each entry here.
Taking public transport to Pamukkale HOT SPRINGS
If you are staying in the town of Pamukkale, it is possible to get to the travertines from the Pamukkale Town Entrance. It takes around 20-30 minutes to walk from the car park to the top.
Buses run from Denizli Bus Terminal, Pamukkale town and Karahait every 15-20 minutes during the day. From Denizli, the ride takes around 20-30 minutes. The buses go to the north entrance, which is the main entrance to Hierapolis.
Tours to Pamukkale HOT SPRINGS
If you’re staying in Izmir, it is possible to reach Pamukkale on a day trip. We’d recommend booking this tour from Izmir which includes transport from to Pamukkale Hot Springs, Hierapolis and Celopatra’s Pools.
If you’re staying in Fethiye, this day tour is the best way to reach Hierapolis and the Pamukkale Hot Springs. Tours to Pamukkale also run as day trips from Antalya here.
Travertine hot springs and thermal baths in Pamukkale
2. Aphrodisias
One of our favourite attractions on this trip was the ancient city of Aphrodisias. Inside it, there is the Temple of Aphrodite which was built in the 3rd century BC. At the time, the city was famous for its marble sculptors, and it was so impressive to see how many of the columns and carvings remain.
Driving to Aphrodisias
Aphrodisias is just under 2.5 hours’ drive from Pamukkale, so we decided to stay in Pamukkale and drive to the ruins as a day trip. Entry tickets cost 15 Turkish lira (or you can get a Türkiye Museum Pass for entry to multiple attractions) and you can find more information about the opening times in different seasons here.
Tours to Aphrodisias
Day trips also run to Aphrodisias from Istanbul. If you only have one day to visit these ruins, we’d recommend this tour because it includes flights between Istanbul and Denizli, and goes to both Aphrodisias and Laodicea.
If you want to add Aphrodisias to a longer tour of Turkey, it is included on this 10 day trip with Viator which covers all flights, accommodation and internal transport.
The Temple of Artemis, Aphrodisias
3. Laodicea
One of the highlights of our trip was a quiet morning in the rubble of the ancient city of Laodicea. The huge archaeological site is only a 10-15 minute drive from Pamukkale, so it’s easy to see them both on the same day.
We arrived at around 10am and were the only ones there, sitting in the ruins of the Temple of Zeus.
You can find information about tickets and opening times for Laodicea here.
Tours to Laodicea
Day trips run to Laodicea from Istanbul. If you only have one day to visit these ruins, we’d recommend this tour because it includes flights between Istanbul and Denizli, and goes to both Laodicea and Aphrodisias.
The ruins of Laodicea
4. Hierapolis
On our last morning in the area, we decided to fully explore the ancient city of Hierapolis. The archaeological site is huge, and we could easily have spent the whole day seeing it all. The main attractions to visit were the necropolis and Roman Theatre.
You can find information about tickets and opening times for Hierapolis here.
Driving to Hierapolis
The north entrance of the site has a small car park and will give you the quickest access to the ruins.
Taking public transport to Hierapolis
Buses run from Denizli Bus Terminal, Pamukkale town and Karahait every 15-20 minutes during the day. From Denizli, the ride takes around 20-30 minutes. The buses go to the north entrance, which is the main entrance to Hierapolis and has the best access to the ruins.
Tours to Pamukkale
If you’re staying in Izmir, Hierapolis is included on this one day tour from Izmir with Pamukkale and Cleopatra’s Pools.
The ruins of Hierapolis
The Roman amphitheatre in Hierapolis
5. Hot air balloon ride
One of the most unique ways to see Pamukkale and the ancient ruins of Hierapolis is to take a hot air balloon over all of the attractions. The best time to do this is at sunrise, before people start arriving at the travertines. While they are empty, you can see the sunlight reflecting off the pools.
We would recommend booking this hot air balloon tour in advance, which includes pick up from Karahayıt and Pamukkale hotels (a transfer can also be organised through this tour provider from Denizli city or Cardak Airport).
Travertine hot springs and thermal baths in Pamukkale
6. Cleopatra's Pools
In the 7th century, an earthquake toppled over a Roman Temple to Apollo, burying it in the mineral waters that flow beneath Pamukkale and Hierapolis.
The temple’s waters were once a favoured swimming spot for Cleopatra, and if you’re visiting Hierapolis, you are able to visit and swim in Cleopatra’s Pools too. There is a separate entry ticket which can be purchased when you arrive.
This was one of the more touristy attractions in Pamukkale, but we are glad that we visited for the chance to swim amongst the ancient columns in the thermal water. Again, we recommend you visit early as the pools can get extremely busy.
Tours to Cleopatra’s Pools
If you’re staying in Izmir, Cleopatra’s Pools can be reached on this one day tour from Izmir with Pamukkale and Hierapolis.
Cleopatra’s Pools, Hierapolis
7. Ephesus
Ephesus was once the second-largest city on Earth, and it is still one of the most well preserved ruins in Turkey. If you have time and have hired a car on your trip, we’d definitely recommend adding Ephesus to your Turkey itinerary. It takes around 2.5 hours to drive from Pamukkale to the attraction.
You can find information about tickets and opening times for Ephesus here.
Tours to Ephesus
If you’re staying in Izmir, it’s very easy to organise a day trip to the ancient city of Ephesus. We’d recommend this day tour which includes all transport and lunch.
If you want to add Ephesus to a longer tour of Turkey, we’d recommend this 13 day trip with Viator which includes all flights, accommodation and internal transport.
The ruins of Hierapolis
The ruins of Laodicea
A tortoise spotted wandering the grounds at Hierapolis
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