The travertine hot springs.

Pamukkale is a hot spring with calcium-coated cliffs and pools in inland southeastern Aegean Turkey.

Understand

Pamukkale, which has been used as a spa since the second century BC, literally means "cotton castle" in Turkish.

The travertine features have their origins in the shifting of a fault in the valley of the Menderes river (between here and Denizli). As the fault shifted, very hot springs with a very high mineral content (notably chalk) arose at this location. Apart from the slightly radioactive minerals, the calcium and hydrogen carbonate react to create calcium carbonate (also known as travertine) and limestone. This is what gives Pamukkale its whiteness and created the pools.

It can get quite hot in summer, a hat and especially sunglasses will certainly be very helpful against the sun and the reflecting sun rays from the chalky cascades. On the other hand, the cold winter climate could make the experience slightly uncomfortable. Climbing up the cascades barefoot, with cold water running downstream, will be a tough task.

Get in

By dolmuş

The nearest major city is Denizli, where you will likely arrive first before getting to Pamukkale. From Denizli bus terminal (otogar), take a dolmuş from platform 76 (lower level of the station). 20-min ride and 4.50 TL per trip. Some go further by the northern and eastern entrances.

By bus

Buses to Pamukkale/Denizli can be found from almost all Turkish cities.

There are almost no bus companies that take you directly to Pamukkale despite what the ticket sellers tell you. (However, at least one company was complained of because they dropped people at Pamukkale instead of Denizli. Good luck trying to find it out.)

By plane

• Closest airport is Denizli Cardak Airport, 65 km or 1 hr away. There are flights six times daily to Istanbul.
• Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is another alternative to the area. Pamukkale is 252 km from the airport, a drive of about 4 hr (4½-5 hr by bus) or 6-7 hr by train.

By train

The nearest train station is in Denizli, which has TCDD services from Izmir and a weekly service to and from Eskişehir, called the Pamukkale Express.

Get around

Even when you're way on the edge of the village, you can reach everything (i.e. the village center and the travertine pools) on foot in 10-15 min.

See

Travertines and Hierapolis

Roman theater

There are three entry gates, one at the bottom of the travertines and two at the top. A shuttle will take you between gates for 2 TL. Entry to Hierapolis and the travertines is a single ticket that costs 60 TL (Nov 2017). Entrance is daily from 08:00-21:00.

The travertine terraces above Pamukkale and below the ancient city of Hierapolis are a UNESCO World Heritage site. This "Cotton Castle" is accessed via a gate near Pamukkale, and the walk up takes about 30 min and offers numerous opportunities to soak in pools that are generally no more than a foot deep. Tough pollution control regulations require removing your shoes in order to walk on them (so bring something to put your shoes in!), so the travertines stay white as ever. This job is made tougher in winters when the water flowing down the chalky cascades will be freezing cold.

Unfortunately in winter they not let water into the pools you can usually soak in in summer. Instead, just a little river is going downhill for warm your feet and a small waterfall to the side, but nothing to fully soak in.

At the top of the travertines lies the ancient Roman city of Hierapolis. The ruins of the city sprawl over a large area, but sites are well-marked and there are trails that can be easily followed. The 12,000-seat amphitheater is in excellent condition and is a highlight, as are the town gates and main road. In addition, the town is home to the Martyrium of St. Phillip, a pilgrimage site that is supposedly the site where the apostle Philip was martyred and buried. The church at the site is in ruins, but its foundations reveal an unusual octagonal plan.

• 1 Cleopatra Pools (Thermal pool in the Hierapolis). Swim with Roman ruins in a large natural swimming pool located just past the topmost travertines. It's a hot spring pool that has sections of the original marble columns in it. A shop sells bathing suits (10 TL) and towels if you don't bring your own. However, many have complained that it is just a crowded, green swamp. 32 TL, 16 TL for children, 5 TL for a safe box. (updated Nov 2017)

• 2 Museum. 08:00-17:00 (closed Mondays). The museum is housed in the former Roman baths and can be visited. It contains three rooms housing some of the artifacts found during excavations of Hierapolis and the surrounding area, including sarcophagi. 8 TL. (updated Dec 2019)

Other sights

• 3 Laodikeia (Laodicea) (6 km from Pamukkale on the Denizli road. Take the bus towards Denizli. Tell the driver you want to go to Laodikiya, he will drop you off on the side of the road next to the sign. From there, turn right following the sign and walk for about 15 minutes and you'll get to the site.). See the Denizli article for more information.  
• 4 Colossae. Ancient ruins 7 km from Pamukkale of an ancient city of Phrygia. It has never been excavated.  
• 5 Karahayit (5 minutes from Pamukkale by local bus. Once you get to the last bus stop head to the northern edge of the town where springs and mud bath located.). The red spring is not even nearly as big as the calcium outcrop in Pamukkale, but worth a look. You might also want to try their mud baths. The entry to the site is free. 
• Kaklik Caves. They are like a small version of Pamukkale, but in a cave, underground and are about 30 minutes from Pamukkale. 

Do

• You can walk down barefoot in the waterfalls from the village. The place is crowded when the tour-buses arrive. No shoes are allowed on the travertines. If you don't want to walk back to top, you can use the buses dropping off people back to top, which depart from near lower end of the travertines. You should wear swimming suit. A lot of people bath in the baths here.
• Paragliding. Lots of paragliding options. Some are short another last longer. 110 TL (for example). (updated Nov 2017)
• Hot air balloon. Various companies offer hot-air balloon rides. €65-85. (updated Nov 2017)
• Boat ride (before entrance to travertines there is a nice park with a lake, free entrance). You can try riding a boat or feeding ducks there. 
• Gyrocopter Flight. You can fly over Pamukkale with gyrocopters. €90-110. (updated May 2020)

Buy

The Pamukkale/Denizli area is famous for its cotton and homewares. These are becoming sought after world wide (Arnold Schwarzenegger decked out his house in curtains and furnishings especially made in Denizli - so the story goes!) and the best place to go is the town of Buldan, about 30 minutes drive from Pamukkale. Many of the other souvenirs and traditional Turkish wares that you can find in other parts of Turkey are cheaper around Denizli/Pamukkale because they are produced there.

Safak Halı Pazarı, Atatürk Caddesi No 30, ☏ +90 258 272 2317. You can find locally handmade carpet and kilim, towels, tablecloths, ceramics, onyx, scarfs, and many different kind of souvenirs. Homewares are also cheap here. (updated Oct 2016)

Eat

The best and freshest food is to be found in the small family run pensions, but for a great open air restaurant where you can eat 'borek' the Turkish pancakes and gaze across the valley, try Alis on the main highway just before you come into the town.

• Mehmet's Heaven, on the main street near the Travertines has an excellent view of Pamukkale from his porch out back. Great Turkish food and well priced - pide, beer or local wine 15 TL (Nov 2017). The owner and his wife are super nice.
• Kayas Wine House, Kale Mah. Ataturk Cad. No 3 (centre), ☏ +90 258 272 2267. Also serves Turkish and international (Korean, Japanese) food in traditional but trendy surroundings. Located in the centre of town, close to all the major hotels. 
• Lamuko's Lokanta, Main Street Pamukkale, ☏ +90 542 390 8175. Japanese and Korean food in the centre of Pamukkale, next to Pamukkale Bus Company office. Delicious! 
• Kale Hotel, Atatürk Cad. 16 (on the main street in the centre of town), ☏ +90 258 272-26-07. This place has great Chinese, Korean, and Japanese food at an excellent deal. It also serves Turkish food, but is a great change if you'd like something other than gözleme, pide or kebabs. Entrees are around 10 TL and it has beer and wine. (updated Oct 2016)

Drink

• Ayran is a salty yogurt drink similar to a salty lassi. It may be an acquired taste, but should be tried while in Turkey.
• The wines produced in the Pamukkale area are becoming quite famous and are winning awards for the quality and standard. Turkish wine may disappoint.
• Raki is a traditional Turkish drink, generally served with mezes (tapas like appetizers, generally followed by a fish or meat dish). With an anise-seed flavor, it may be an acquired taste. Great with fish or any long meal as it is meant to open up your appetite.
• Efes or Tuborg are the go-to beers in all of Turkey, and are often the only beers available.

Sleep

There are small family-run pensions at the village south of the travertines. Most have swimming-pools filled with the warm greenish milky water from the travertines. They also offer very delicious Turkish food.

• Artemis Yoruk Hotel, Atatürk Cad. 48/A, ☏ +90 258 272-26-74, fax: +90 258 272-26-75, info@artemisyorukhotel.com. Hotel just opposite the bus stop with a pool and a nice garden, and a rooftop restaurant which serves traditional Turkish food. Rooms with en-suite, TV, and air-con. Owners can speak English. €12/€20 single/double rooms, including breakfast. On their advertisements, dorms are touted as €9 pp, including breakfast, but they insist on a price of 25 TL if you just show up. There are cheaper accommodations of this type further down the road. 
• Hotel Dört Mevsim (While the Turkish name dört mevsim translates to “Four Seasons”, the hotel is neither affiliated nor has any similarity to the hotel chain), ☏ +90 258 272-20-09, fax: +90 258 272-26-32, info@hoteldortmevsim.com. Check-in: 07:30-23:30, check-out: 11:30. Very friendly and welcoming family-run hotel with free wi-fi, swimming pool, free car park, babysitting service, and air-con. They allow pets at no extra cost. They also have a campground on their yard. Very delicious dinner is freshly cooked in the evening for 15 TL pp. from €18/€26 single/double rooms, €10 pp dorms, all including breakfast. Visa, Euro/Mastercard are accepted. (updated Oct 2016)
• 1 Kale Hotel, Kale Mah. Atatürk Cad. 16 (on the main street in the centre of town), ☏ +90 258 272-26-07, fax: +90 258 272-26-07, info@otelkale.com. Check-out: 11:00. A family-run guesthouse. Rooms with satellite TV. Roof-top terrace, swimming pool, free wi-fi, Ottoman Corner, restaurant, day trips and excursions. Verify the reviews on popular booking sites, as they don't seem that good. €12. (updated Oct 2016)
• Koray Hotel, Pamuk Mah. Fevzi Çakmak Cad. 29, ☏ +90 258 272-22-22, fax: +90 258 272-20-95, info@otelkoray.com. Friendly and family-run, with garden bar and restaurant and a large swimming pool. Rooms with satellite TV. The hotel can organize day tours, express bus tickets, plane tickets, and offers a transfer service. 
• Melrose House Hotel, Vali Vekfi Ertürk Cad. 8, ☏ +90 258 272-22-50, fax: +90 258 272-31-20, sales@melroseresidence.com. A nice family-run pansiyon at the eastern end of town with nice rooms, all of which have air-con. The friendly owners serve cheap but tasty home cooked meals. There's a laundry service and a pool filled with spring water. ~€30 double rooms, including breakfast. Credit cards are not accepted. 
• Öztürk White Hill Hotel, Pamuk Mah. Fevzi Çakmak Cad. 31. A small family-owned hostel. 
• Sinter Terasse Hause Hotel, Pamuk Mah. Hasan Tahsin Cad. 22, ☏ +90 531 708 81 16, fax: +90 258 272-22-33, sami.kanmaz@hotmail.com. A comfortable, family-run hotel with wireless internet access and cable TV. Rooms with en suite bathroom, and air-con. Staff can speak English and German. €20/€28 single/double rooms, including breakfast. (updated Oct 2016)
• Venüs Hotel, Pamuk Mah. Hasan Tahsin Cad. 16, ☏ +90 258 272-21-52, fax: +90 258 272-29-93, info@venushotel.net. A comfortable hotel with wireless internet access, a swimming pool filled with thermal water from travertines. Rooms with en suite bathroom, and air-con. Staff can speak English. €20/€28 single/double rooms, including breakfast. (updated Oct 2016)

Go next

• It is also worth making the effort to get to the remains of the ancient city of Aphrodisias—one of the best preserved Roman sites in southeastern Aegean. You can rent a van from Denizli to get there. Local bus companies will arrange bus tours for 30-40 TL pp (usually a minimum of 4 people is required).
• Of moderate interest might be visiting Denizli. It's a bit dull but there's a lively market.
• From Denizli one can transfer to, among other options, Selçuk and its Roman ruins of Ephesus, or the popular Mediterranean resort city of Antalya.