Daily Pamukkale Tour from Marmaris – Hierapolis & Cleopatra's Pool

Daily Pamukkale Tour from Marmaris – White Travertines and the Ruins of Hierapolis

The daily Pamukkale tour from Marmaris brings together one of Turkey's most striking natural wonders and a remarkably well-preserved Roman city in a single guided day. This guided daily excursion includes hotel pickup, a breakfast box for the road, an open-buffet lunch and an English-speaking guide who explains the history and geology of the site.

Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers in Marmaris

Arriving in Marmaris on a cruise ship? The Pamukkale Tour is one of the shore excursions we regularly arrange for cruise guests calling at the port of Marmaris. For cruise guests we can arrange pickup at the cruise terminal where the shared tour schedule allows; if your time in port is short, we recommend the private version of this tour, which is timed to your ship. Tell us how many hours your ship stays in port and we will confirm that the full programme fits comfortably. Send us your ship name and the date of your call in Marmaris and we will confirm availability.

• The dazzling white travertines of Pamukkale, known as the Cotton Castle
• The Temple of Apollo and the neighbouring Plutonium at Hierapolis
• The restored second-century Roman theatre with its carved stage reliefs
• The colonnaded street and the Arch of Domitian
• The vast necropolis, the largest in Asia Minor
• Optional swim in Cleopatra's Pool, the antique thermal pool

Pamukkale, whose name means Cotton Castle, is formed by warm, mineral-rich springs rising at the foot of the Cal Dagi range. As the water spills over the plateau and cools, it releases carbon dioxide and leaves behind layers of brilliant white calcium carbonate, creating terraces of travertine that look like frozen waterfalls. Visitors walk barefoot across them and can paddle in the shallow pools.

On top of the springs stands Hierapolis, a spa city founded in the Hellenistic period and later flourishing under Rome. Its Temple of Apollo stood beside the Plutonium, a cave once believed to be a gateway to the underworld because of the toxic gases it emits. The theatre is in exceptional condition, while the colonnaded street ends at the Arch of Domitian, raised in 84 AD. Beyond it lies a necropolis of more than a thousand tombs, including the ornate tomb of Flavius Zeuxis. The Hierapolis museum is housed in the restored Roman baths.

As a Pamukkale day trip from Marmaris it is a long but rewarding day tour, and a classic daily tour inland from the coast. Entrance fees to Pamukkale and Hierapolis, and to Cleopatra's Pool if you choose to swim, are paid separately on site. Bring comfortable shoes, sunscreen and swimwear.