Pamukkale tour from Side is a guided day tour to visit white-travertines, thermal waters & ancient cities.
There are some places that you never forget. One of them, mysterious and surprising, is Pamukkale, or Cotton Castle as it is translated from Turkish. It really does feel like it’s covered in snow. These are natural ancient deposits of calcite, travertines. They are a kind of different sized “loggias and balconies” filled with turquoise water. All the mountains in Pamukkale Park are covered with them. It’s worth visiting this natural wonder at least once, you won’t regret it.
With an early morning start to ensure you get the best out of your tour, you will be picked up at your Side hotel and transported by comfortable, air conditioned coach to the Denizli region of Turkey. With a comfort stop along the way, where you can freshen up, order a breakfast or simply stretch your legs, before heading on to the breathtaking white travertines of the calcified rock formations fronting the antique city of Hierapolis.
As you approach the town of Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) you will see that it is aptly named. The rocks look like snow or ice, shining in the morning sunshine, but are in fact formed from calcified water, surfacing from beneath the mountains and forming this very unique landscape over thousands of years.
And that’s not all. Once you have gently negotiated your way up the hillside of cotton castles, you will find at the top, the ancient city of Hierapolis. To walk its streets is to enter another period in time. There are Roman baths, an amphitheatre and a Necropolis of great renown.
The apostle, St Philip was buried here after being tortured and persecuted for his christian beliefs. Hierapolis also boasts that the Queen Cleopatra bathed and stayed here also. Even though the thermal spa where her majesty swam was devastated by earthquakes over the centuries, the pool remains in use to this day, with the ancient portals fallen into the waters. The waters are said to have healing properties and attract people from all over the world.
📅 Tour Days: | Every day |
⏱️ Tour Hours: | 5:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
✔️ Includes: | Hotel transfer, guiding, entrance fees, lunch |
📌 Overview: | Hierapolis, white travertines, hot springs pool |
Pamukkale tour from Side costs €35 for adults and €20 for children 4-7, under four are free.
If you would like to add lunch and entrance tickets into your tour, price is €70 for adults, €20 for children between 4-7 and under 4 are free.
Pamukkale Tour | Adult | Child |
---|---|---|
/w Transfer & Guiding Service | €35 | €20 |
/w Transfer, Guiding, Lunch & Entrance Tickets | €70 | €20 |
Pamukkale Tour From Side begins around 06:00 when you will be transported from Side to Pamukkale. Your vehicle for the journey will be a luxury coach with air conditioning and reclining seats for your comfort. With a stop for breakfast along the way, you should arrive in Pamukkale at around 10:00. Your guide will give you information about the area, and will be there to answer any questions you may have.
With free time to climb the travertines and splash through the chalky pools or swim even in the deeper pools, you will arrive at the top of this amazing landscape, with its views covering miles and miles of distant scenery. Hierapolis was built here, not just for its healing springs, but also for its amazing position of defence.
At the top of the travertines you will reach the ancient city itself, free time here will ensure you get to see and do what you want to do the most, whether that be swimming in Cleopatra’s pool or taking in the ambience of the beautiful gardens. With all of this, relaxing gardens in which to eat, plus the sights of the ancient city itself to walk around, the time will pass quickly. You will have lunch afterwards.
At the designated time you will return to your coach and guide, ready to begin the journey back to Side and your hotel. On the way back, you will have dinner.
Cost of Pamukkale Tour from Side is 35 EUR for adults, 20 EUR for children between age 4 and 11, free for children at and under 3 years old in 2024.
With quite a lot of walking involved in the day this tour is not for anyone with mobility problems. It should be noted though that families, even with young children, love the climb and being able to choose from so many paddling pools along the way.
At first glance it may seem that the travertines involve a fair climb. Taking it slowly you will be surprised how easy it is to do. Of course the youngsters can practically run to the top!
Your hotel pickup in Side and return to same at the end of the tour.
Air conditioned coach for your comfort, breakfast, lunch, dinner, English speaking guide service and insurance.
Your swimsuit, beneath shorts and T shirt. Sun cream, sunglasses and sunhat if you wear one. Don’t forget to bring a towel with you. This is your chance to swim in one of the most beautiful pools of antiquity.
Bring your camera and some money for those personal extras you may wish to purchase.
Last, but not least, appropriate footwear is essential for you to get the most out of this tour with its unique opportunities to discover the history of 2,000 years.
You are not allowed to wear any kind of footwear when walking on the travertines. There will be an official on hand to stop you if you do. The rocks are continuously being formed and are only white because footwear has been banned. They are neither slippery nor sharp and are easy to walk on! If you have no mobility problems it is easy to climb.