Pamukkale day trip from Antalya: Travertine pools and Hierapolis

Three hours to explore the white cliffs and thermal pools on your own

A full-day guided tour from Antalya to Pamukkale and Hierapolis with hotel pickup, lunch and English-speaking guide. After the drive north, you have three free hours to walk the travertine terraces, bathe in the warm pools, visit the ancient city ruins, or swim in Cleopatra's Pool (entrance fees separate). The tour includes breakfast at a stop in Korkuteli and a visit to a local stonemason workshop before returning to your hotel after dark.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day tour to Pamukkale

• Depart from Antalya hotel early morning
• Stop at Korkuteli for breakfast and rest
• Visit stonemason workshop in Pamukkale
• Comfort break in Denizli
• Tour guide introduction to Pamukkale
• Free time to explore Pamukkale and Hierapolis
• Enjoy open buffet lunch at local restaurant
• Drive back to Antalya
• Dinner at local restaurant and return to hotel

The experience

The bus picks you up from your hotel in the early morning and heads north toward Pamukkale in a fully air-conditioned coach. The drive is long, so the tour builds in a breakfast stop at Korkuteli where you can stretch and eat, then a 30-minute comfort break in Denizli before arriving at Pamukkale itself. Your guide explains the site when you get there, then you're free to spend the next three hours however you want: walk the white cliffs, wade into the warm thermal pools, explore Hierapolis and its necropolis, or pay extra to swim in Cleopatra's Pool. The choice is entirely yours.

Lunch is a buffet at a local restaurant with ten kinds of cold starters, a range of hot dishes including vegetarian options, fresh bread, fruit and sweets. Drinks cost extra. After eating, the bus heads back south to Antalya, arriving at your hotel late in the evening. The tour also includes a stop at a stonemason's workshop in Pamukkale where you can watch and learn about traditional Turkish stone carving.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Antalya.
• breakfast at Korkuteli.
• English-speaking guide.
• entrance to the stonemason workshop.
• lunch buffet with cold starters, hot dishes, vegetarian options, bread, fruit and sweets.
• return transport to your hotel.

Information

Lasts 12h, from US$ 45 per person, with a live guide in English and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesNext departure: 23 Jul 202710 departing soon ›

GroupUp to 28

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 23 pickup points.

Book up to8h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats available

Is this one for you?Pick this if you're based in Side and prefer a guided tour with hotel pickup. You'll have structured time at both the travertine pools and Hierapolis ruins, plus the option to add a swim in Cleopatra's Pool.

Traveler reviews

4.81★★★★★★★★★★

27 verified traveler reviews

5 ★23

4 ★3

3 ★1

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What exactly is Pamukkale and what will I see there?

Pamukkale is a natural site of white travertine terraces formed by mineral-rich thermal water flowing down the mountainside. The name means "Cotton Castle" in Turkish. You'll see layered white cliffs, warm mineral pools you can wade into, and the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis on the plateau above.

How much time do I actually get to spend at Pamukkale?

You have three free hours to explore the site however you choose. That time is yours to divide between the travertine pools, walking the cliffs, visiting Hierapolis ruins, or any combination of those activities.

Is swimming in the pools included, or do I have to pay extra?

Swimming in the thermal pools at Pamukkale is included in the tour price. Entrance to Pamukkale and Hierapolis costs 30 euros extra. Cleopatra's Pool, a separate thermal spring, is also an additional fee if you want to swim there.

What's the full schedule from pickup to drop-off?

Hotel pickup happens in the early morning. You'll have breakfast at Korkuteli, a comfort break in Denizli, then three hours free at Pamukkale, followed by lunch. The drive back to Antalya takes the afternoon and evening, with return to your hotel after dark. The whole tour is about 12 hours door-to-door.

Is the guide with me the whole time, or just at the beginning?

Your English-speaking guide welcomes you on the bus and explains Pamukkale when you arrive, then you explore on your own for three hours. The guide is there for the drive and the briefing, not shadowing your time at the site itself.

What's included in the lunch, and what do I need to pay for separately?

Lunch is a buffet with cold starters, hot mains, vegetarian dishes, bread, fruit and sweets, all included. You pay separately for any drinks you order at the restaurant.