Pamukkale means cotton castle. There are two reasons why the area is name as cotton castle. One reason the white cliffs look like a castle made of white cotton, the other reason is that the area houses lots of cotton processing factories. Natural thermal springs which has high density of chalk inside formed glacier looking terraces on the areas where it flowed for thousands of years. It is a unique site. Ancient name of Pamukkale is Hierapolis which means sacred city. Pamukkale (Hierapolis) is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Turkey
Is it worth going to Pamukkale?Pamukkale is definitely worth the trip. It is one of the main highlights and one of the most visited sites of Turkey. Pamukkale is visited over 2 million travelers annually. You can do a day trip to Pamukkale from Kusadasi and Selcuk. Pamukkale is a great place to visit, Most probably you have never seen something like this before.
Ancient Hierapolis was founded by Pergamum Kingdom. Due to the existence of thermal waters which healed people. Thousands of patients came to the area to get cured. The ones who were not able to be cured died and buried in the area. Today the site has the largest ancient necropolis. The number of thumbs like sarcophagus excavated is over 1600. The total number is expected to be over 3000. St. Philip the apostle lived in the city and martyred during the persecution time to the Christians. This is a must-see site for travelers.
Where in Turkey is Pamukkale?
Pamukkale is located in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. Denizli is one of the major cities of Turkey which is known with the cotton based textile industry, marble and travertine quarries. Pamukkale by car is 20 minutes from Denizli City Center, 3 hours from Kusadasi, 3 Hours from Selcuk, 4 hours from Izmir and 4 hours from Antalya. Pamukkale Day Trip from Istanbul We do not recommend doing a day trip to Pamukkale from Istanbul. Ephesus is the highlight of the area. For travelers who would like to visit Pamukkale from Istanbul. We recommend 1 night 2 days trip from Istanbul that includes both Ephesus and Pamukkale. We offer 2 Days Tour of Ephesus and Pamukkale. Kusadasi Pamukkale ToursHow far is Pamukkale from Kusadasi?
The distance between Kusadasi and Pamukkale is 180km. It takes 3 hours drive one way from Kusadasi. Due to the limited time of the cruise ships, this tour is not recommended to the cruise ship passengers who stay at Kusadasi Port less than 12 hours. The tour is highly recommended for travelers overnighting in Kusadasi, Sirince or Selcuk. How much time do you need in Pamukkale? We generally spend approximately 3 hours in Pamukkale including visits to the ruins of Hierapolis, walking on the white terraces and swimming time in the Cleopatra Pools. Kindly note that the duration of this tour is approximately 10 hours. For the travelers who will be staying in Kusadasi, Sirince or Selcuk, besides Ephesus we recommend visiting Pamukkale (Hierapolis). Pamukkale is a UNESCO heritage site which has a unique white rock formation and largest ancient necropolis of the world. This is a huge breathtaking site. Pamukkale Tour Program After departing from Kusadasi, drive east approx. 3 hours. Enter the site from North Gate and walk through the Ancient Necropolis (Cemetery). So far Italian archaeologists excavated over 1200 tombs in the area. The total number is expected to exceed 3000. Nowhere in the world you can see such a gigantic ancient cemetery. Afterwards see the Roman Bath, walk through Domitian Gate, Frantinus Avenue to see the other remains. View the huge Roman theater having a capacity of 10000. Walk on the calcium deposit terraces of Pamukkale. Enjoy the stunning views. The water temperature is 32 degrees. For the ones interested there is an opportunity to swim at the ancient pools of Cleopatra. Kindly note there is an extra entrance fee approximately 8 Euros (50 Turkish Liras) per person. Hierapolis (Pamukkale) is mentioned in the New Testament (Col. 4:13). This is the city where St. Philip the apostle is martyred. Hierapolis is located close to biblical sites Colossae and Laodicea. Please clicik here, for more information about the biblical importance of Hierapolis, Laodicea and Colossae If requested Aphrodisias or Laodicea ancient cities can also be added to Private Pamukkale Tours. There are no excavations for Colossae, therefore we do not recommend a visit to Colossae. For more information and costs please contact us. Pamukkale Private Tour Cost
Mercedes V-Class (1-6 people) + Guide: 280 Euro Mercedes Minibus (Up to 12 people) + Guide: 350 Euro Mercedes Minibus (Up to 14 people) + Guide: 400 Euro * Above rates are NOT per person rates, they are total to be paid for your group. Rates Cover: - Services of an excellent English speaking Guide - A/C vehicle. - All transportation costs. - Tax, service charges - Traditional Turkish Lunch at a local restaurant. (For groups under 6 people) - Parking fees Rates Do Not Cover: - Entrance to the sites. - Drinks during lunch How much is entrance to Pamukkale? Per person entrance fee for Pamukkale: 700TL (23.5 Euros). Children under 8 years of age is free of charge. For the proof of age, make sure you bring passport copies showing date of birth. Pamukkale entrance ticket does NOT cover swim in the Anique Pools (Cleopatra Pools). * Pamukkale Tours can be combined with Ancient city of Aphrodisias or Ancient city of Laodicea. There could be a surcharge for these additions. For accurate prices, please contact us. * For travellers who have limited time and staying in Kusadasi, Selcuk, Sirince Village or Pamukkale hotels, we offer Pamukkale and Ephesus in one day. For more information please visit the following link: Ephesus and Pamukkale in one day from Kusadasi, Selcuk, Sirince If you would like to do this tour in a slow pace, then we recommend a two or more days tour program. Multi-day ToursEphesus Tour from Pamukkale
We also offer private Ephesus Tours starting from Pamukkale and ending in Kusadasi, Selcuk or Izmir Airport. Kindly note that the tour should end in Kusadasi, Selcuk or Izmir Airport. Since the driver will depart from Ephesus area to pick you up from Pamukkale. For more information please visit: Ephesus Tour from Pamukkale Tripadvisor review about our Pamukkale / Hierapolis Tour by one of our guests: |
For Private Pamukkale Tours, there is no prepayment required for the reservation. To avoid disappointment, we recommend to make your private Pamukkale (Hierapolis) tour reservation at earliest possible.
For travellers who would like to overnight in Pamukkale, we recommend the following hotels: (booking.com links) |