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Visiting Pamukkale while I was in Turkey was at the top of my list and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to explore the thermal springs and the ancient ruins of this unique area. Many people make a day trip here or go on a tour, but my friend and I drove here and spent a couple of days.

I wanted to take my time exploring Pamukkale at off-peak hours and capture the best pictures possible there, so planning this trip was essential. I had to make sure I was there at the right time and at the right spots to take those gorgeous pictures I have seen on Instagram.

It’s Best to visit Pamukkale at off-peak hours

HOW TO GET HERE

Pamukkale is located in western Turkey and is about a 7-hour drive south of Istanbul or a 3-hour drive east of Izmir. We drove from Kas, which was a 4-hour drive from the coast.

You can also fly into their nearby airport at Denizli and take a bus or rent a car to drive an hour to Pamukkale.

PAMUKKALE AND HIERAPOLIS FACTS

Pamukkale is famous for the white travertine terraces that have bright blue pools of thermal springs draping down a hill. It is breathtaking and actually looks like snow. The formations of the rocks look like cotton, hence the name Pamukkale, which means “cotton castle” in Turkish.

These limestone walls were formed by the calcium-rich water from the springs. Eventually, the calcium carbonate in the water hardens into limestone.

People have been coming to bathe in Pamukkale’s thermal pools for the last thousand years.

I can see why Pamukkale is called cotton castle

Top by Revolve / Cover-up Pants by Lulus — **Top by Revolve** / **Cover-up Pants by Lulus**

Hierapolis is an ancient Roman spa city founded around 190 B.C. It is right next to the thermal springs within the park and there are lots of structures and artifacts to see including a well-preserved theatre.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.

BEST TIME TO GO

April, May, or September to October will be the best times to visit Pamukkale. If possible, I would try to avoid the summer months because it gets way too hot and there are more tourists. I visited at the end of May and the temperatures were already at 100°F (37°C).

To avoid the crowds, visit the park right when it opens at 6:30 AM or at sunset.

We had the pools all to ourselves in the morning

Bathing suit and Cover-Up Skirt by Amazon Fashion — **Bathing suit** and **Cover-Up Skirt** by Amazon Fashion

WHERE TO STAY

There are many hotels to choose from that are near the park and they are ridiculously cheap in Pamukkale. I was quite surprised that I could book something for as low as $26 per night and the rooms looked pretty decent.

The first hotel I booked was Hotel Sahin which was $38 per night at the time of booking. It was located right in front of the park and had a view of Pamukkale Natural Park. The reviews were average and the rooms were tiny, but you can’t beat that price.

Nice, spacious rooms at Venus Suite Hotel — Nice, spacious rooms at **Venus Suite Hotel**

Later on, I changed my hotel of choice to Venus Suite Hotel. It had much better ratings with larger rooms, a nice courtyard with a pool, and an excellent complimentary breakfast. It was a little further away from the park, but still very close. At the time of booking, it was only $48 per night. This hotel was wonderful and I highly recommend it.

If you’re looking for a super budget-friendly hotel that’s in a prime location, Bellamaritimo Hotel is a great option. It was around $26 per night and the reviews are pretty decent.

WHAT TO BRING

Bathing suit - If you want to bathe in the thermal pools, obviously bring your bathing suit. Some of the pools were warm and others were cold. We saw many people near sunset relaxing in the pools.
Towel - Something to dry yourself off with afterward.
Water - If you are walking from the south gate to the pools or visiting the ruins afterward, you will definitely get thirsty and it’s always good to stay hydrated.
Backpack or Tote - You’ll want something to carry your shoes in while you’re at the thermal springs. Everyone must walk on the travertines barefoot.
Sunscreen - The sun in Pamukkale can get brutal and the sun reflects off the white terraces as well, so wearing some kind of sun protection is recommended.

Carefully walking on the travertine terrace

Best to take pictures like this in the morning

HOURS OF OPERATION

There are three entrances into the park: Town Entrance, North Entrance, and South Entrance. We always entered through the South Entrance because it opens the earliest.

The Town Entrance opens at 8 AM and the South Entrance opens at 6:30 AM. I’m not sure what time the North Entrance opens, but this is considered the main gate, so I’m assuming it opens at 8:00 AM as well.

The park closes at 9 PM in the summer (April through September) with the last entrance at 6 PM. During the winter months (October through March), the park closes at 7 PM. I’m not sure what time the last entrance is during the winter, but I’m assuming around 4 PM.

Overlooking the natural park of Pamukkale

THINGS TO DO

Pamukkale Thermal Pools

The thermal pools are the main attraction of the park as it’s one of the most unique things to see in the world. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the thermal pools from the South Entrance and along the way, you will start seeing many ancient ruins of Hierapolis.

Once you get to the pools, you will need to take off your shoes and walk barefoot on the travertine terraces. Some areas really hurt to walk on or can be slippery, so just be careful and walk slowly. We saw a couple of guys slip and fall (thankfully, they were okay).

Be careful when you walk on the travertine terrace

The further down you go (towards the Town Entrance), the fewer people there will be.

We saw many people bathing in the pools and even applying the thermal pool mud onto their faces. It’s said that it can help with wrinkles, cellulite, and acne.

I’ve read that the pools range in temperature from 95°F (35°C) to 212°F (100°C), but at the time of my visit in May, the pools were lukewarm at best. Some pools were even cold.

Going downhill towards the Town Entrance

Pamukkale Archeology Museum

The museum used to be a hammam in Roman times, but now it houses excavated tombs and statues plus a gallery of small artifacts. The museum is included in the ticket price.

Cleopatra’s Antique Pool

Just past the museum is Cleopatra’s Antique Pool. You can enjoy a relaxing swim in the warm thermal waters amongst Roman ruins. The marble columns in the pool are believed to have fallen from the Temple of Apollo during an earthquake making this a sacred pool.

It is also said that Cleopatra used to swim in this pool, hence the name Cleopatra’s Antique Pool.

The thermal water here is known to have healing powers and helps many patients who suffer from cardiovascular diseases, skin diseases, rheumatic diseases, and even stomach and small bowel diseases.

We did not swim in the pools, but it was still great to stop by and see the beauty of the clear waters and ancient columns submerged in the pool.

You can also stop by here to get some snacks and drinks. There are plenty of tables and seats available.

Hierapolis

Hierapolis is an ancient Roman spa city founded around 190 B.C. I was really excited to explore the ruins but did not want to walk miles in the heat. As I mentioned earlier, the temperatures were already in the high 90s.

The best solution I found was going on a 1-hour tour via a golf cart with a guide. These tour guides were located at the South Entrance as soon as you paid the entrance fee.

They offer various rides like scooters and mini cars, but the golf cart with the tour guide seemed to be the most popular option.

Our tour guide took us to various spots in the city including the tombs, the bazaar, and the ancient theatre. The ancient theatre was definitely the most popular site to visit, but I was equally fascinated by the grand entrance into the ancient bazaar and learning little tidbits about that.

Hierapolis is humungous, so I’m glad we decided to take the golf cart tour. It was totally worth it!

ADMISSION FEES + ADDITIONAL COSTS

The basic entrance fee for the pool and ruins is 110 TL (~$13 USD). It used to be 60 TL (~$8 USD), so it nearly doubled in price. Most likely it was due to the pandemic as they had fewer visitors than usual and had to make up for the losses somehow.

If you have a car, it costs 10 TL to park (~$1.50 USD).

Pamukkale is pretty empty in the mornings

If you would like to bathe in Cleopatra’s Antique Pool, it is usually an extra 35 TL (~$5 USD), but this might have gone up in price as well. Or it might have changed to include the pool in the new ticket price. We didn’t go into the antique pool, so I would just double check the price when you get there.

For a 1 hour tour of Hierapolis on a golf cart with a tour guide, it is 290 TL (~$35 USD). That was for the two of us and we got lucky with a private tour. If there were more people interested in a tour at the same time, I believe they would have been on the same tour with us.

The 1-hour tour of Hierapolis was totally worth it

Ancient tombs of Hierapolis from 3,000 years ago

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you would like to enjoy other activities in Pamukkale, you can enjoy the park in front of the travertines, visit the Upside Down House, or experience a hot air balloon ride in the morning. You can also relax at your hotel’s pool. Venus Suite Hotel had a nice little pool with a charming courtyard.

If you want the perfect pictures at Pamukkale, I suggest staying there for a couple of days and go in the morning as soon as they open or stay late for the sunset. You can also experience the beauty of Pamukkale without the mass amounts of people.