[Tips for visiting Cotton Tree Castle] Ticket prices, best month and time, suggested route
Cotton Castle is one of the world’s seven greatest monuments and has become a must-see attraction in Turkey. But in fact, in addition to the cloud-like springs, there is also an ancient city nearby – the ancient city of Hierapolis, which takes half a day to visit completely. This time, I would like to tell you the most smooth way to walk through the Cotton Castle, so that you can arrange a good time how to visit.
About Cotton Castle and the Ancient City of Hierapolis
1. Cotton Castle
The name of Cotton Castle comes from its Turkish word – Pamukkale, Pamul means cotton and Kale means castle, so named because of its shape like a fortress made of layers of cotton. When the sun shines on the fort, it appears pure white, which makes it a great place to take pictures! There are also small hot spring pools in Fort Cotton, the water comes from the mountain behind, due to the calcium and carbonate in the spring water, it is a charming pinkish-blue color. There are currently 17 hot spring pools in Cotton Towers, but due to climate change, the water is starting to diminish and most of the hot springs in Cotton Towers have been dry for many years.
Fort Cotton can not only go up to visit, you can also take a hot air balloon experience, want to know more can refer to: [Turkey hot air balloon] to sit in a hot air balloon hot spot, how to choose the hot air balloon company, price and booking method, attention!
Pure white rocks and a powder-blue lake are the attraction of Fort Cotton. 
2. Ancient City of Hierapolis
The Ancient City of Hierapolis was actually founded by the ancient Greek Empire in 190 BC, and was originally used as a spa resort for the royal family and nobility. Later, due to earthquakes and the domination of the Roman Empire, the town was found to be a more developed city. Because the ancient people believed that the spring water had healing properties, the town became popular in the 2nd century A.D., attracting many elderly people to settle nearby and many seriously ill people to come here for treatment. There are many buildings left over from the Roman period, including the Roman Theater, the Temple of Apollo, and the Water Palace, which are also worth visiting.
▼The Roman Theater in the Old Town of Hierapolis 
3. Archaeological Museum
This museum is free to enter and you can see many artifacts of the ancient city of Hierapolis. In particular, there are several marble sarcophagi with hand-carved patterns to commemorate the achievements of the deceased, and the delicacy is amazing. In addition to the sarcophagi, there are also many other artifacts of the time, such as coins, etc. The artifacts are well preserved and worth visiting.
▼Museum Entrance, No Need for Additional Tickets 
4. Ancient Pond
Entering Medan from the North Gate, you will first pass by the Ancient Pool, which is also part of the ancient city of Hierapolis, a surviving hot spring pool whose water is kept at about 36 degrees throughout the year. It was originally built to house the Apollo Temple, but due to an earthquake, only the pillars supporting the temple remain in the pool. There is no charge to pass through the pool, and there are several restaurants nearby where you can rest and refresh yourself!
▼ In summer, the pool is crowded with swimmers, but in fact most of them are Turks! 
▼Visits to the Cotton Castle can be booked at▼
Tickets
As prices in Turkey have risen sharply in recent years, ticket prices have increased exponentially. 2024 ticket prices are €30 and include access to Cotton Castle and the ancient city of Hierapolis (which must be purchased at the same time), but you’ll need to pay extra if you want to use the thermal pools in the ancient cities (€10 in 2024).
Pictured here is the 2023 Cotton Castle ticket (850TL), which includes both the Cotton Castle and the Old Town of Hierapolis in one ticket. 
Best time to visit
The best months to visit the Cotton Fort are April to June and September to November every year to avoid the summer and winter heat and crowds. The best time to visit is between 8am and 10am and at dusk, as midday makes the underground of the Fort hot and difficult to navigate. In winter, it gets very cold underneath Fort Cotton, so wear adequate warm clothing when visiting.
How long does the tour take?
Ancient City of Hierapolis: about 2 to 3 hours
Cotton Castle: 1 to 2 hours
Roman Theater: 30 minutes
Thermal pools: 1 to 2 hours
Museums: 30 minutes
Where to enter Cotton Tree Castle?
There are three entrances to Fort Cotton: the South Gate, the North Gate, and the Town Entrance. Tickets can be purchased for all three entrances and the price is the same, so you can decide on your own which entrance you want to go through.
South Gate: Suitable for self-driving friends, there is a large parking lot, about 50TL can be parked all day. If you enter from the south gate, you can reach Cotton Bastion directly. If you don’t have much time or just want to see Cotton Bastion, we suggest you to enter from here.
North Gate: Most of the tour groups will choose the entrance, which is also the main entrance of Fort Cotton. The North Gate is at the top of the hill, closer to the ancient city of Hierapolis, and it takes about 20 minutes to reach the Cotton Bowl by walking from the main gate. If you want to see the old city, it is more convenient to enter from here.
Entrance to the town: Recommended for free travelers who don’t have their own car, there is a bus stop nearby, and it is also closer to Fort Cotton.
▼ Enter through the South Gate for direct access to Fort Cotton. 
Visiting Route
Below is the suggested route, but if you are driving, you have to go back to the South Gate/North Gate parking lot again.
Route 1: Enter from the North Gate ➤ Hierapolis ➤ Roman Theater ➤ Museums ➤ Cotton Castle ➤ Exit from the South Gate or the town’s entrance
Route 2: Enter through the South Gate or Town Entrance ➤ Cotton Castle ➤ Museums ➤ Old City of Hierapolis ➤ Roman Theater ➤ Exit through the North Gate
Visiting Information
- In order to protect the Cotton Bowl, it is required to enter with bare feet, no shoes or socks are allowed.
- The ground floor of Fort Cotton is uneven and may be painful to walk on, so you must walk slowly.
- If you don’t want to go back and forth to Fort Cotton several times, remember to bring your shoes with you, don’t leave them at the south or north gate, they are easy to be stolen and it will take twice as long to retrieve them.
- There is lime mud in the spring of Fort Cotton, many people will apply it on their body, but in fact, there are a lot of garbage and impurities in it, it will easily damage your skin when you apply it on your body, it is recommended to buy a mud mask directly from a souvenir store to use it.
- It is recommended to wear shorts or clothes that are easy to walk around when visiting Fort Cotton, because there are springs on the road all the time, long pants will get wet easily (unless you don’t mind~).