Have queries about Pamukkale Turkey? We have got all your questions answered here! We landed in Istanbul, keeping Cappadocia in between and from there we arrived at Pamukkale, one of the most beautiful landscapes on earth. Right from the beginning while we designed our Turkey itinerary, the thought of visiting Pamukkale has always excited us and this place is so weirdly picturesque. We both love to visit unique destinations and Pamukkale is surely one of them. We hope this Pamukkale travel blog helps you plan a perfect Pammukale Itinerary including where to stay in Pamukkale and best things to do in Pamukkale Turkey.
Pamukkale means “cotton castle” in Turkish and the travertines of Pamukklale is one of the main reason that one would be visiting this amazing location. Due to its unique chemical composition, the calcium precipitates from the water, and forms white calcium “cascades” a sedimentary rock deposited by mineral water from 17 hot springs which are known as travertine, that has been running forth for more than two millennia.
Stretching over miles, the dazzling white travertine terraces and hot springs of calcium carbonate look incredibly gorgeous making it a travellers delight. The water from these springs ranges in temperature from 35-100°C (95-212°F) so it’s been used as a spa since the 2nd century BC. The Romans built the spa city here where the citizens could come and enjoy the health benefits from the hot mineral water.
Together with Hierapolis, Pamukkale has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. Some of you might wonder about how many days would be enough to explore Pamukkale, well we would recommend spending at least 1 night to be able to explore this incredible town at its best. Even its possible to go for a day trip if you don’t have enough days in hand. It means that you would arrive early in the morning and can leave by late afternoon.
Things to do in Pamukkale Turkey : Things to know before you go
1. How to reach Pamukkale : Things to do in Pamukkale Turkey
Its very likely that you would be travelling to Pamukkale from the major cities like Istanbul, Izmir, Cappadocia from where you can directly board flights or avail bus services.
By Air
Flying from Istanbul would definitely would be the easiest way to travel. There are direct flights from Istanbul – Istanbul (IST) or Sabiha Gocken (SAW) – to Denizli Çardak (DNZ) which is the nearest airport to Pamukkale which is about an hour from the city. And on arrival you can either take a taxi or book a transfer from the airport to Pamukkale.
NOTE: There are no direct flights from Cappdocia to Pamukkale. Its likely you would have a layover in Istanbul at IST or SAW airport or fly via Izmir.
By Bus
We boarded the overnight bus from Nevsehir bus station( Cappadocia) and reached Pamukkale by early morning. While there are many tour companies who run overnight buses from Cappadocia to Pamukkale which takes almost 11hrs. Also there are buses from Istanbul to Pamukkale as well which is also the cheapest means of transportation. So it would be advisable if you can board overnight bus, rather travelling in the daylight. Our trip was very comfortable with the bus service which really had comfortable seating arrangements and leg space. The bus stops at few stations for food and toilets too. Even for a while didn’t feel the journey to be too hectic and uncomfortable.
2.Turkey Currency : Things to do in Pamukkale Turkey
You can use Turkish Lira which is easily accepted everywhere. If possible, try to carry some hard cash as most of the local shops don’t accept plastic money apart from few big stores. You would even find ATMs at every corner so don’t have to worry much if you run short of cash. Also make sure that your ATM card is activated for overseas use. There were days where our cards worked in some machines and got rejected in few.
3. Language in Turkey : Things to do in Pamukkale Turkey
Turkish is spoken all over the nation. More than 85M people lives in Turkey but only 1% of them understands and speaks English. We really had a hard time interacting with people, but they would still try to help you with broken English. We would recommend using google translator whenever necessary.
4. Best time to visit Pamukkale : Things to do in Pamukkale Turkey
Pamukkale climate is nice and warm throughout the year, but can be best explored during spring and Autumn. Spring is from February – April and we went in the month of April. The sun was absolutely pleasant on the skin throughout the day and you would also get good deals on hotels and flights as well. Also Autumn is considered to be the best months to visit Pamukkale which are August, September and October.
The summer season is usually hot and the temperature rises between 30°C to 40°C. During the summer months of May to mid-August the prices for everything remains high and you would find forest of crowds flocking in. November to February is winter in Pamukkale and If you don’t like cold weather, then this may not be the best time to go. In January the temperature often goes below 0°C.
5. Is Pamukkale safe : Things to do in Pamukkale Turkey
Pamukkale is very safe to travel around everywhere, even if you are a solo traveller or travelling with friends & family. Still you must take good care of yourself and people around with you as safety should always be the first priority. We felt absolutely safe around every nook and corners.
6. Turkey Mobile Networks : Things to do in Pamukkale Turkey
On arrival we issued a Vodafone SIM card worth 46$ from Istanbul airport. Yes that was one of the most expensive sim card we ever purchased. Stores at the airport would only accept dollar or euro. We would suggest taking a SIM card from any local shop outside airport, and that would be pretty cheaper. Our SIM was valid for 28 days offering 20GB data+750 min local calls+1000 sms.
7. How to apply for an E-Visa for Turkey : Things to do in Pamukkale Turkey
If you have a valid US, Canada or Schengen visa then you can easily apply a single entry Turkish e visa online for a fee of 44$ per person prior to arrival. Apply your online visa here.
Please note: Your US, Canada or Schengen visa needs to be valid during the duration of your stay in Turkey.
8.Best areas to stay in Pamukkale : Things to do in Pamukkale Turkey
Pamukkale is a very small town so there really is no such best place to stay that we can recommend. Staying anywhere near the travertines is just perfect. We unknowingly booked our stay at Tripolis Hotel in Denizli area. Didn’t expect anything too fancy but the rooms are clean and spacious. Ours even came with a little terrace and the best part is that, we saw the hot air balloons right from our room flying over the calcium pools.
This hotel is like 10 min from Pamukkale so why would you book that? There are plenty of options in Pamukkale itself so it’s best to stay near the travertine. Also there are many half day accommodations available in Pamukkale where you can drop your belongings, freshen up and pay minimum price if you have just come for a day trip.
9.Transportation and getting around Pamukkale : Things to do in Pamukkale Turkey
Pamukkale is a very small town, mostly all the tourist attractions are concentrated in one walkable area so you can easily explore Pamukkale on foot. You can either rent/hire a car too if you wish. But for airport and hotel transfers it would be advisable if your hotel can arrange a cab for you. Moreover there are many local travel agencies that offer shared shuttle bus transfers from airport-hotel and also for city tour as well.
Here are the list of things to do in Pamukkale
1. Soak in the white travertine pools
After falling in love with Cappadocia we knew that Pamukkale would definitely leave its mark forever in our memory and surely be a highlight from our Turkey travel. This place is incredibly beautiful and bizarre. Only to witness these calcium travertines, travellers flock to Pamukkale and its definitely worth the hype.
On entering the travertine area we were obligated to take off our shoes because the ground is actually pretty fragile. But honestly, walking on the travertine barefoot was such an awesome feeling, its so gooey. Yeah really enjoyed our time at Pamukkale, the landscape was so gorgeous, something we have never seen before. However you can dip inside those pool to cool down, but its little difficult to swim you know, the water is really shallow.
There are two entrances to Pamukkale — the upper one, where the tour buses pukes dozens of tourists and one at the bottom, where much fewer people enter. The upper level of the travertines can get really crowded so if you are looking for a quieter place at the travertines, we would recommend you walk down a little to the lower level, where the crowds are comparatively lesser and you can actually enjoy the place.
The travertine is open from 6:30 am to 8 pm every day. The entrance fee to the area is 110 TL which you can also use to enter the ancient city of Hierapolis and Amphitheatre. You can easily visit those sites on your own, but if you’d like to go on a guided tour, you can book through Get Your Guide.
Things to remember:
- Please do not enter those areas which are actually closed. Those sections are preserved for restoration.
- Please don’t wear shoes inside the travertine because its really delicate. We saw many tourists doing so.
- Bring additional clothes, towels and extra bag to keep your clothes and shoes.
2. Explore the ancient city of Hierapolis
Hierapolis is an ancient Greek city which is located right by the travertines of Pamukkale, which was founded as a thermal spa during the 2nd century BC. It also became a healing centre where doctors used the thermal springs as a treatment for their patients that was finally left abandoned in the 14th century BC. This town gradually grew very wealthy and thousands of people came here to benefit from the medicinal properties of the hot springs. The Hierapolis consisted of two Roman baths, a gymnasium and several temples. It covers an area of 2kms layered with several columns and ruins along the side of this plateau with beautiful seasonal flower blooms. Make sure you come prepared with comfortable shoes and water.
It also became one of the most prominent cities in the Roman Empire in the fields of art, philosophy and trade. Hierapolis is said to be one of the most well preserved in Turkey and it was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
3. Visit the Amphitheatre of Hierapolis
Hierapolis amphitheatre is a bit of an uphill walk and its a perfect combination of natural site and ruins. The theatre at Hierapolis was built in the 2nd century AD by the Roman Empire which is one of the most complete and best-preserved Greco-Roman theatre. It can accommodate approximately 15k spectators at a time which is really impressive. This is definitely a must see thing, and we would highly recommend it to you all. The small climb is really worth, you would love this place.
4. Swim at Cleopatra’s Pool
Pamukkale was once a spa city famous for its calcium and mineral rich water. You can enjoy your time at this Antique Pool, which is also known as Cleopatra’s Pool because its said to have been a gift from Marc Anthony to Cleopatra. What makes the pool more unique are the marble columns and some remains of ancient Roman structures that litter its bottom dating back to the 2nd century BC from the nearby Temple of Apollo.
The water at Antique Pool is much cleaner and clear than the travertine, which is also covered in palm trees in its surroundings. Make sure you don’t forget your swimwear and towel if you wish to cool down at the pool. Entry to pool complex is absolutely free for all but you need to pay a fee of 100 TL to swim in the Antique Pool, and another 5TL if you need a locker for your belongings. The pool opens from 9am to 8pm every day.
5. Visit Hierapolis Archaeology Museum
If you bear an interest in archaeological artifacts and ancient history( we really love antiques) then you can surely visit this 3 chambered museum which is located not too far from the Hierapolis(within the complex itself). It is a home to many historical artifacts from Hierapolis and Laodicea, and from other archaeological sites as well from the 19th century. While some of these are more than 4000 years old. Each and every piece of the tombs and statues are so finely crafted and well preserved till date, we found it pretty impressive. Hierapolis Archaeology Museum’s opens from 8:30am -7pm every day and the entrance fee is only 8TL, but to our luck we entered for free.
6. Paraglide Over the Travertines
We stayed in Pamukkale for a night so didn’t wish to go for paragliding, because we have done it multiple time in other regions. But if you have enough time in hand, then you can definitely try paragliding over the travertines and Hierapolis, surely it would be an adrenaline experience. There are many travel agencies lined up in town that can arrange these for you, else you can book a paragliding tour from Viator.
7. Go for hot air balloon over Pamukkale
We experienced hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia so decided to go against it. Anyhow if you have missed going for hot air balloon in Cappadocia, definitely give it a try here. Its a great place to enjoy the sunrise and the panoramic view of the white travertine pools and ruins of Pamukkale from the sky.
But before booking any balloon ride make sure you keep a track of the weather forecast, its very much possible that the ride might get cancelled at the last moment as well. It is always better to go prepared rather feeling sorry at the end isn’t it? The flight duration would be for 2 hours and it might cost between 130-200 Euro, depending on the touristy season. There are many travel agencies lined up in town that can arrange hot air balloon ride for you, else you can book your hot balloon ride from Viator.
So yeah that’s all about it, things you can plan in Pamukkale. So guys hope you find this blog helpful planning yours, and if you have any queries please write it down in the comment section below. We would try to help with the best of our knowledge.
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