How To Go from Izmir to Pamukkale

That’s a three-hour drive. This means you’d better plan for an overnight stay, in order to make the most out of your journey.

Pamukkale, this UNESCO World Heritage site, is definitely worth a visit. Its fairy-tale-like scenery with white travertine terraces and stone pools filled with water is truly unique.

This is a guide on how to go from Izmir to Pamukkale, including various transportation options, their pros and cons, duration, and some insider tips.

1. The Cheapest Way: By Bus or by Train

Buses and trains in Turkey are comfortable and reliable.

Whatever your choice, you’ll need to travel from Izmir to Denzli.

From Denizli you have to take a taxi or a minibus to get to Pamukkale.

Bus

Flixbus is one of the bus companies that provide intercity transportation in Europe. In Turkey, they do it in partnership with Kamil Koç.

The ride from the Izmir bus station to Denizli takes between 3:10 hours and 4:05 hours.

If you take the 6am bus from Izmir, you’ll get to the Denzili Otogar bus station by 9:30am.

Minibuses to Pamukkale depart from the Denzili Otogar bus station every 20 minutes or so.

In Turkish, these minibuses are called ‘dolmus’. They can seat about 20 people. Many of them allow travelers to stand, so they can get really crowded.

However, the Denizli to Pamukkale drive is a short one.

There’s also the option of taking a taxi, but that would be more expensive than the Dolmus ride.

Train

Trains for Denizli depart from Izmir Basmane train station.

There are multiple trains per day, every day. The first one departs at 7.05 and it arrives at 12:05.

Should you want to return to Izmir the same day, keep in mind that the last train to Izmir departs from Denizli at 18:15.

Click here to see the trains timetable on Seat 61, a website that provides information on train travel.

Depending on the location of your hotel in Izmir, you may need to add 30 – 50 minutes to the overall duration of your trip.

Even though the train ride is long, it offers you the convenience of not having to drive.

2. The Fastest Way: Driving

Driving is the fastest way to get from Izmir to Pamukkale.

The roads are good. Driving in Turkey is a pleasant experience. I’ve been doing it on and off for about 20 years and it has been good each and every time.

The biggest advantage of driving is the independence this provides you in regard to how much time to spend in those travertine pools or what other things to visit in the area.

You could even embark on a two-day road trip and visit Ephesus and Pamukkale.

Read my article about getting from Izmir to Ephesus.

3. The Most Convenient Way: On a Tour

Organized tours have the great advantage of being extremely convenient.

If you don’t want to bother with planning your trip from Izmir to Pamukkale and return, you can simply click here to book your full-day Pamukkale tour by minibus, lay back, relax and enjoy the thermal pools and the entire journey.

Even though I was on a road trip in Turkey, I visited Pamukkale on a minibus tour from Kusadasi. That was a very relaxing day, as I had to do nothing but enjoy.