You can reach Pamukkale by bus or plane, depending on where you are coming from. The closest airport is Denizli Airport, which is about 1 hour away from Pamukkale by bus. Whilst it may seem faster to fly, you’ll probably find that it’s just as fast, if not faster, to catch a bus if you’re coming from somewhere like Bodrum, Izmir, Capadoccia, or Anatalya.
Buses are ridiculously cheap in Turkey and very well maintained. Not only are they exceptionally clean, but you will also be served tea and snacks along the way, with regular toilet breaks. To book a bus the best thing to do is to buy your tickets a day in advance from the bus station in your departure city (note: you will need to take your passport as ID). Trying to book online usually ended in a headache and most of the time required a Turkish credit card to make the final payment.
Clinton and I flew from Istanbul to Denizli Airport which cost us 146 lira per person. We arrived at Denizli airport at 6pm and caught the bus to the main bus terminal in Denizli. The large buses are very obvious once you exit the terminal and you pay for the ticket on the bus. It cost us 25 lira for the 1 hour ride to Denizli, although it’s a bit more expensive to reach Pamukkale. Those heading to both Denizli and Pamukkale get on the same bus at the airport, and about half way to Denizli they will transfer the people heading to Pamukkale onto another bus. After reaching Denizli we walked 1km to our Air B&B, although you can take a taxi as they are inexpensive in Turkey.
The following day we walked back to the main bus terminalin Denizli and caught a minibus to Pamukkale for 4 lira per person. The minibuses leave from the lower floor of the main building at the terminal, but you should confirm with someone once you’ve arrived. The minibus will leave once it is full, but this doesn’t take long at all as many locals are using the service.
The minibus will drop you off outside Turkey Tours travel agency in Pamukkale, and from there it’s only a 5 minute walk to the lower entrance of Pamukkale. Minibuses leave from the same spot to go back to Denizli, and continue to operate until around 10pm at night. This means you can enjoy the sunset on the slopes of Pamukkale and still have a cheap ride home.
For ideas on how to spend your day in Pamukkale, read our 7 Tips for Visiting Pamukkale, Turkey.
