Visiting Pamukkale from Ephesus

[halfapair]

We will be on an Oceania cruise in 2024 that stops twice in Ephesus. One of the stops is from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. I would like to visit Pamukkale that day. Is this reasonable? If so, can you recommend a tour operator that is experienced in taking cruise passengers to Pamukkale? I want to be certain we get back to our ship in time.

[cruisemom42]

I think it would be really tight to get to Pamukkale and back in that timeframe. I once had 12 hours in port in Kusadasi (so one more hour than you) and tried to find a private operator to take me to Pamukkale -- I had been there before on a land tour but wanted to go back and spend more time on the Roman part of the site (Hierapolis). I could not find any who would take the risk and drive so far.

 

I did finally get there again on another ship a few years later that overnighted in Kusadasi but the agency used is not in business any more.