New stop on our Turkey trip! After our start in the pretty city of Izmir and a little detour to the ruins of Ephesus, we’re off to visit one of Turkey’s most touristy sites, namely Pamukkale. In this article, we’ll start with a quick overview of the Pamukkale and Hierapolis sites in general. Then we’ll follow up with all our best tips for visiting both sites: where to find the prettiest viewpoints, how to dodge the crowds a bit… At the end of the article, we’ll share our honest impression of the place. As you’ll see, we’re a bit torn on this one… A stunning site, but one that seems to be paying a steep price for tourism… Ready to follow the guide?
We took this trip in 2019, but the article has been fully reviewed and updated as of September 2026. If you notice any price changes or have extra information that might be useful, feel free to leave us a comment!
Pamukkale: What is it?
The name Pamukkale literally means “cotton castle” in Turkish and it indeed looks quite like one :). This strange white waterfall is basically a completely natural phenomenon. As early as the Roman period, these large basins were used for bathing… Hierapolis, the ancient city, was built next to this natural site, which already existed at the time. We are talking about more than 2000 years ago.
But how exactly did all this happen?
In fact, the origin of these pools comes from thermal waters that rose a little higher up. It’s the flow of this highly calcite-heavy water evaporating on the cliffs that led to the formation of these white travertines, which look a bit like a succession of small cotton clouds.
For many years now, this site has been one of the most important tourist attractions in Turkey. At one point, hotels were even built on the top of the terraces! Thankfully, they were torn down when the site was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
Hierapolis: the superb neighbouring gem that’s often overlooked
Oddly enough, you hear less about it even though Hierapolis sits on the very same site as Pamukkale! This ancient thermal city was founded in the 2nd century BC by the Attalids of Pergamon. The city was completely destroyed by an earthquake in the year 60 before being rebuilt in a fully Roman style, this time around the year 100.
This site is a real gem, if you ask us! When we walked around, there was simply nobody around! Considering that nearly 2 million tourists visit Pamukkale every year, it seems totally wild… The one spot in Hierapolis where we met maybe thirty people was in the amphitheater.
That said, let’s be clear, you don’t need to be a history whiz to appreciate the beauty of this place! As nature lovers, we were more than happy with the scenery too :)!
Map of Pamukkale and suggestion for a visit
While preparing our visit, we did some online research to find a map of Pamukkale. Oddly enough, we had a hard time finding anything concrete. Well, you could say that’s a good thing, since it meant we got to be a little surprised by this massive site ;). Since we would have liked to have a map before visiting Pamukkale, we thought we’d just create one to help you find your way around:
On this map, you’ll find numbers marking the spots we recommend (basically everywhere? maybe ;)). We’ll refer back to these numbers in the text.
Pamukkale (1) isn’t really a “real” village. Think of it more as a home base for visiting the site, with plenty of hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and small shops. Whether you decide to stay here or arrive from Denizli or elsewhere, you’ll inevitably go through it.
To reach the site, go to the entrance at the top of the village (2). From this point, you have to take off your shoes and climb the large alleyway built in the middle of some artificial pools to reach the top of the site.
The water in the pools is controlled by taps… Some days, all the valves are open, but other days, well, it’s shut off! So the main terraces aren’t always filled with water. This helps preserve the site and keeps the terraces their white color.
Spot #3 on the map is THE place where everyone gathers. The terraced pools you see in every photo aren’t accessible and can only be photographed from above.
On that note, we recommend heading to the right when you are facing the pools (4). From that side, you get a nice lateral view of the natural pools and there are already far fewer people!
To continue the visit, we advise you to continue on the wooden walkway that runs alongside the whole site. The farther you go, the more alone you’ll be! After a few hundred meters, you’ll reach other basins which are very nice. Go all the way to the point where the footbridge stops (5), then head back up to the central path.
From there, you can reach the ruins of Hierapolis (6) and follow the wide alley between the columns. From there, you can head left (7) along some fairly rough little paths to reach the church at the top of the site (8).
Note: the trails are well indicated on Maps.me…. Be sure to download the app (free) and load the site’s map before your visit so you have it offline.
From the church, you can reach the amphitheater (9), then head back down toward the pools.
From there, we recommend one last detour all the way to the end of the walkways to the left of the main ones (10). Here too, there are more pools to see, and the area was completely deserted during our visit!
Practical info to know before your visit
While planning our visit, we really struggled to find good info online. Or rather, we found conflicting information everywhere, especially around prices and opening hours. Apparently this changes drastically every year… So here’s the latest practical info, fresh as of September 2026:
How much time should you set aside to visit Pamukkale and Hierapolis?
Plan for at least 3-4 hours on site to really enjoy both areas. If you only want to see the pools, you’ll probably be done in about an hour… But it would be a real shame to limit yourself to just that ;). We spent 5 hours on site and had plenty of time to enjoy it.
What are the opening hours for Pamukkale and Hierapolis?
The site is open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. To avoid the crowds, we clearly recommend arriving right at opening.
How much does it cost to enter Pamukkale and Hierapolis?
As of September 2026, the entrance fee is 30 euros per person, which includes access to Pamukkale, Hierapolis, and the museum. However, this rate does not include the ancient Cleopatra’s Pool at the top of the site. You’ll need to pay an extra 12 euros to swim in this thermal pool with submerged ancient columns… In our opinion, that bath isn’t really worth the extra cost.
Note: official prices are listed in euros, but you’ll pay in Turkish lira. Watch out for scams when paying! One reader told us that at checkout, staff tried to sneak in an audio guide option (10 euros!) without telling her… Double-check before you pay and do the conversion to be sure! You can also check the exact price on the official site.
Entrance and exit of the site
There are 2 entrances at the top of the site, where the buses arrive. If you’re traveling independently, the easiest option is to enter through the village entrance, point 1 on the map.
Leaving the site is final. If, like us, you arrive at opening, you won’t be able to leave in the middle of the day and come back for sunset. You’d have to pay for another ticket.
What to wear
To visit the pools, you’ve required to go barefoot. Bring a backpack to put your shoes in. Speaking of shoes, we recommend wearing sneakers, since the site is very huge!
Don’t forget to bring a cap, sunglasses and sunscreen, the sun is intense!
You can swim in some of the pools. It didn’t seem crazy to us to lie down next to all these people, but if you’re dreaming of a dip, wear a swimsuit under your clothes.
To save money, bring enough water and snacks or a picnic. You can buy things at the shop by the hot spring, but it’s crazy expensive! A bottle of water is sold for 8 times the price you’d pay in the village; that says it all!
Note: if you visit the site and find that any of the info above is out of date, please feel free to leave us a comment or send us a message. That helps us keep this information current!
How to get to Pamukkale
We really recommend visiting Pamukkale independently! Plenty of agencies run guided tours from the coast, but these tours are really rushed. In the end, you’ll spend a lot of hours on the road and very little time on site. Most groups don’t stay more than 2 hours, which is nowhere near enough to visit Hierapolis properly.
The easiest way is to arrive from the Denizli bus station. If you’re coming from elsewhere in Turkey by road, you’ll most likely arrive at the terminal located at the top of the bus station.
We arrived by train from Selçuk. The ticket costs 265 TL for a trip of about 3 hours 20 minutes. Several trains run each day, check the schedule online on the official Turkish railways website. From Denizli train station, head to the bus terminal (Denizli Şehirlerarası Otobüs Terminali), located across from the train station, just on the other side of the road.
To catch the minibus (“dolmuş” in Turkish) headed to Pamukkale, you need to go down to the first basement level of the bus station. From there, head to platform 76 to board one of the shuttles. They leave very regularly, about every 20-30 minutes. The ride takes about 20 minutes and costs 56 TL per person.
Where to stay
There’s certainly no shortage of accommodation in Pamukkale. We arrived without a booking and ended up at the Beyaz Kale Hotel. Nothing fancy, but a very good value for money, and it’s run by a lovely family. For 30 euros, we had a double room with a bathroom, plus a small pool.
To compare hotel and apartment prices in Pamukkale for your travel dates, you can also check the map below. Just adjust the filters to narrow down your search.
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Where to eat in Pamukkale
Honestly, the options aren’t great… The restaurants in the village are fairly pricey for what you get. We ate one evening at Kayas Wine House (very good, small portions) and another evening at Tikir Grill House (excellent pides, or Turkish pizzas, cheap and a very warm welcome). For lunch, we picnicked on site.
Pamukkale: The other side of this very touristic place
Pamukkale is a well-known site, and you’ll often see photos of this “cotton castle” used to illustrate Turkey travel brochures. So yes, there’s no denying it, the place has something genuinely unique about it. Those all-white terraces and that perfectly clear water reflecting the blue sky… It’s just incredibly photogenic. Benoit had a blast taking photos, actually.
That said, we also thought it was important to show you some less picture-perfect photos, ones that’ll give you a better sense of the atmosphere if you’re planning a visit to Pamukkale. To be clear, we’re not trying to discourage you, ha ;). But we’d rather you not feel a pang of disappointment when you see all the “circus” going on around these pools once you’re actually there…
Images speak more than words…
Crowds are normal, we get that… We’re there too, and it would be pretty selfish of us to say the place would be better with fewer people. That said, I’ll admit what really struck us here was the sheer number of people who seemed to be there for nothing but capturing THE photo for their Instagram. We’ve seen plenty of tourist sites, but never have we been so struck by this kind of circus, selfie sticks everywhere and outfits clearly planned down to the last detail for photos. And, well… should we talk about the macaws? These poor parrots spend their day being dragged from one selfie to the next… It’s honestly wild that something like this is still allowed today, especially at a UNESCO site…
Our take on Pamukkale
That said, it’s always good to stay positive! The fact that so many people only seem to come for that one photo leaves a lot of room to discover the rest of the site! The contrast between the crowds at the main spot and the pools off to the side, and Hierapolis especially, is just incredible. Let’s make the most of it!
To sum up, I’d say we’re still really glad we came to this site, if only for the stunning ruins of Hierapolis. That said, I won’t hide the fact that we’d originally planned to stay for sunset over the pools. It must be beautiful, honestly! But since we arrived right at opening, we simply didn’t have the energy to stick around until 7 p.m.
If you decide to come, we strongly encourage you not to let the crowds at the main pools discourage you. Wear sneakers and go explore the rest of the site; you’ll see, you won’t be disappointed! And please, don’t take a selfie with a macaw…
2026 update: Several readers gave us more mixed feedback than ours… It seems that these days, the natural pools are often dry… Only the artificial pools near the entrance apparently get filled with water regularly.
Sending our love, see you again in 10 days! Because yes, tomorrow we’re heading off for 7-9 days of trekking along the Lycian Way! We promise, no bikini selfies to come ;).
P.S. To help you plan your next trip to Turkey, we’ve put together an ultra-complete practical guide. Happy reading!
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Hello!:)
We visited the place in the end of November (20-22. 11. 2021.), and I have to tell, that it is the perfect time to visit here. It is the very end of the season, and there are just as many people that you can take photos of the site without somebody ruining it (at the pools).It is true that at this time, not all the pools are filled, just the ones that are next to the road up. Hierapolis was almost empty. The enrtance fee is 110TL (we had student card and Museum card, and it was free). The entry to the Ancient pools is 100TL.
Could anyone recommend a personal Tour Guide to visit different parts of Turkey. I am trying not to go with a Tour Group Company.
thank you.