On our Pamukkale day trip from Belek you see Pamukkale’s white terraces up close, walking barefoot on the warm travertine, and explore the ruins of ancient Hierapolis right beside them. If you’d like a swim, Cleopatra’s thermal pool is there too, at extra cost.
We pick up guests from hotels in Kadriye, Belek and Boğazkent.
Book your seat online with no prepayment — you pay on the bus on the day of the tour.
Pamukkale day trip from Belek at a glance
- Hotel pickup: 04:00–05:00
- Drive to Pamukkale: about 4 hours, not counting stops
- Back at your hotel: 19:30–20:30
- Pamukkale entrance ticket: included in the price
- Lunch: included in the price
- Free time in Pamukkale: about 3 hours
- Payment: cash on the bus ($, €, ₺)
Tour programme
- 04:00–05:00 | Hotel pickup
We pick up guests at the hotel gate, by the security post, just past the barrier. We’ll put the exact pickup time for your hotel on your e-ticket once your booking is confirmed.
- Drive to Pamukkale
The drive takes about 4 hours, not counting stops, so you can sleep for part of the way. The guide tells you about Korkuteli, Acıpayam and Denizli.
- Breakfast stop, about 20 minutes
Breakfast is not included: you can eat at a café, bring a snack or order a packed breakfast from your hotel in advance.
- Shop stops
A textile centre, a traditional sweet shop and an onyx factory shop. There’s no obligation to buy.
- Lunch at a restaurant
The buffet lunch is included in the price; drinks are extra.
- Arrival in Pamukkale
The guide tells you about the travertines and the ancient city of Hierapolis and explains the rules for walking on the terraces. Your Pamukkale entrance ticket is included in the price.
- Free time in Pamukkale, about 3 hours
You can walk over the travertine terraces and explore the ancient city of Hierapolis and the archaeological museum. A swim in Cleopatra’s Pool is optional and costs extra: €15 / $15 / ₺650, paid on the spot.
- Meeting at the bus
At the agreed time the group meets at the bus and sets off on the return journey.
- Stop on the way back
A short break for the toilet and a tea or coffee.
- 19:30–20:30 | Back to your hotel
The exact time depends on which area your hotel is in, on traffic and on the overall pace of the group.
The guide may change the order of stops, but the programme as a whole stays the same. If necessary, the guide may swap one of the shops for another or make fewer shop stops.
Children aged 0–3 travel free: they sit on an adult’s lap and don’t have a seat of their own on the bus. If you’d like your child to have their own seat, mention it when you book and choose a paid child seat.
How does the Pamukkale day trip work?
An early start from your hotel
We pick up guests at the hotel gate, by the security post, just past the barrier, between about 04:00 and 05:00. We’ll put the exact pickup time for your hotel on your e-ticket once your booking is confirmed.
Then the bus sets off towards Pamukkale. The drive takes about 4 hours, not counting stops. Part of it is in the early morning, so you can catch up on some sleep on the bus. On the way, the guide tells you about the Denizli region and the towns along the route. Korkuteli is known for its mushroom farms and Acıpayam for its almond groves, while Denizli is called Turkey’s textile capital: around 200 home-textile factories operate here.
Breakfast and stops on the way
On the way there’s a breakfast stop of about 20 minutes. Breakfast is paid separately: you can have it at the café at the stop, bring a light snack or order a packed breakfast from your hotel in advance.
The programme also includes shop stops at a textile centre, a traditional sweet shop and an onyx factory shop. You don’t have to buy anything: you can simply browse the local goods and take a short break from the road.
Before Pamukkale there’s lunch at a restaurant, included in the price of the tour.
The white travertines of Pamukkale
After lunch you arrive in Pamukkale. First the guide tells you the history of the place and explains the rules for visiting the travertines: where you can walk and what to keep in mind while you explore on your own.
Pamukkale is known as the “cotton castle” because of its white terraces, which look like cotton or snow from a distance. They aren’t snow, of course, but white calcium deposits: for centuries, water from hot mineral springs flowed down the slope and shaped these terraces. You can walk on the travertines barefoot, feel the warm water underfoot and take photos against the white cascades.
Hierapolis and the archaeological museum
The ancient city of Hierapolis lies next to the travertines. In your free time you can see the ruins of ancient streets, the city walls, a large necropolis (an ancient cemetery, or “city of the dead”), the Church of St Philip and a well-preserved Roman theatre.
Pamukkale and Hierapolis are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Pamukkale entrance ticket is included in the tour price: it covers the travertines, the grounds of the ancient city and the archaeological museum, which displays finds from the excavations.
Cleopatra’s Pool
Cleopatra’s Pool, a thermal spring filled with mineral water, is on the Pamukkale site. Fragments of ancient marble columns lie on its bottom, so a swim here feels nothing like an ordinary pool: you swim over the remains of ancient buildings.
Cleopatra’s Pool is not included in the tour price and is paid for separately on the spot. Swimming is optional: you can take a dip or spend the time walking around Pamukkale and Hierapolis instead.
Free time and the journey back
You have about 3 hours of free time on the Pamukkale site. That’s enough to walk on the white terraces, see the main sights of Hierapolis, visit the museum and, if you like, swim in Cleopatra’s Pool.
At the agreed time you meet at the bus and set off back. The bus makes a short stop on the way, with time for a tea or coffee and the toilet. You’re back at your hotel between about 19:30 and 20:30. It depends on which area your hotel is in, on traffic and on the group’s pace.
In one day you see the white travertines and ancient Hierapolis and, if you like, swim in Cleopatra’s Pool.
Book your seat online with no prepayment. You pay for the tour on the bus on the day.
Three Pamukkale tours: which one to choose?
Three Pamukkale tours: which one to choose?
From Belek there are three ways to visit Pamukkale. They differ in programme and in what’s already included in the price:
- Pamukkale from Belek ($65) — the Pamukkale entrance ticket and lunch are included. This is the tour on this page.
- Lake Salda and Pamukkale from Belek ($75) — breakfast, lunch, dinner and the Pamukkale entrance ticket are included, and the programme also includes a visit to Lake Salda.
- Hot-air balloon flight over Pamukkale from Belek ($160) — lunch and the balloon flight are included; the Pamukkale entrance ticket (€30) is paid separately.
What is included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Air-conditioned bus
- English-speaking guide
- Pamukkale entrance ticket: travertines, ancient city and museum
- Lunch at a restaurant
- Insurance
What is not included
- Cleopatra’s Pool — €15 / $15 / ₺650, in the currency of your choice; optional
- Breakfast at a café on the way — optional
- Drinks with lunch
- Personal expenses: photos, souvenirs and other purchases
What to bring
- Swimwear for Cleopatra’s Pool
- Towel
- Comfortable shoes for walking around Hierapolis; on the travertines you go barefoot
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a sun hat
- Drinking water and a light snack, if you like
- Camera or phone
- Cash for Cleopatra’s Pool and personal expenses
Discounts
- Book at least 7 days in advance — 4% off
- Book at least 30 days in advance — 5% off
- $1 off for each person in your booking who follows our Instagram (@goldwaytravel)
- Discounts can’t be combined: choose either the early booking discount or the follower discount, whichever saves you more
Distance to Pamukkale
- Kadriye to Pamukkale: 273 km, about 3 hours 50 minutes
- Belek to Pamukkale: 284 km, about 4 hours 5 minutes
- Boğazkent to Pamukkale: 294 km, about 4 hours 10 minutes
Distances and travel times are based on Google Maps and are intended as a guide. The actual journey time depends on traffic and on how long it takes to pick up guests from other hotels.
Video of our Pamukkale tour
See what the day looks like
Press Play twice to start the video.
FAQ about the Pamukkale day trip from Belek
How much does the Pamukkale day trip from Belek cost?
Adults and children 8+ $65, children 4–7 $35, children 0–3 free. The price includes the Pamukkale entrance ticket, a guide, lunch and transfer.
How do I book the Pamukkale day trip from Belek?
Choose the date and the number of adults and children in the “Online Booking” form; the total is worked out automatically. In the form that opens, enter your full name, hotel, WhatsApp number and email, then send it. No prepayment: you pay on the bus on the day of the tour. Once your booking is confirmed, we send you an e-ticket with the exact pickup time via WhatsApp or Telegram. For step-by-step instructions with pictures, see
“How to book and pay on the bus”.
What time does the tour start and finish?
We pick up guests at the hotel gate, by the security post, just past the barrier, between about 04:00 and 05:00. We’ll put the exact pickup time for your hotel on your e-ticket once your booking is confirmed. Guests are back at their hotels between about 19:30 and 20:30, depending on which area the hotel is in and on traffic.
Do I have to pay for the Pamukkale entrance ticket separately?
No, the Pamukkale entrance ticket is already included in the tour price. Entry to Pamukkale isn’t free, and you can’t get onto the site without a ticket. The ticket costs €30, and on our tour that amount is already covered. Some tours are sold at a lower price, but without the entrance ticket, so guests pay for it themselves on the spot. With us you won’t need to buy it there. The ticket gives you access to the travertine terraces, the grounds of ancient Hierapolis and the archaeological museum. Breakfast, Cleopatra’s Pool, drinks and personal expenses are paid separately.
How much does Cleopatra’s Pool cost?
Entry to Cleopatra’s Pool costs €15 / $15 / ₺650. You pay at the ticket office on the spot, in any of the three currencies. Swimming is optional.
Is breakfast included in the price?
No, breakfast isn’t included. On the way we stop at a café where you can have breakfast. You can also bring a light snack or order a packed breakfast from your hotel in advance. Lunch at a restaurant is included in the tour price.
How much time will we have in Pamukkale itself?
You have about 3 hours of free time in Pamukkale. That’s enough to walk on the travertines, see the ruins of Hierapolis and, if you like, swim in Cleopatra’s Pool.
Can you walk on the travertines?
Yes, a special area is open for walking. The guide explains the rules: visitors walk on the terraces barefoot so as not to damage the calcium deposits. The water in the travertines is usually warm.
Can you swim in the Pamukkale travertines?
You can’t really swim in the travertines: in the area open to visitors the water is shallow, usually about knee-deep. Instead, you can stand in the warm water, sit by the white cascades and take photos. For a proper swim, the Pamukkale site has a separate thermal pool, Cleopatra’s Pool.
What should I bring for Cleopatra’s Pool?
For a swim you’ll need swimwear and a towel. You don’t have to swim: if you prefer, you can simply take a look at the pool.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Yes, the tour suits families with children, but bear in mind the early start and the long drive, especially with young children. In Pamukkale children can walk on the travertines, where the water is usually warm, and around the ancient city.
How do I get the early booking discount?
Book at least 7 days before the tour and you get 4% off; book at least 30 days ahead and it’s 5%. The discount is applied when you book on our website.
