The worst experience! Started tour at 5am and ended at 10pm. This tour was mostly in bus ride majority of the time!! Many unnecessary stops and I was not informed that there would be extra costs such as entrance fees and to swim you had to pay fees! I purchased the tour through Viator in canada not knowing that this tour was longer than 15hrs. The main attraction was the Pamakkule thermal pools and we arrived around 1pm and had to be back on bus by 330pm. We toured mostly on bus ride for the rest of the duration. The thermal pools dont look anything like the l pictures on site and frankly thetes no room to swim as it was overly crowded. Was told there were showers( freezing ice cold water located outside without privacy) towels were available( you have to pay for them) hair dryer available( hand dryer in toilet ) , fee to swim, the bus I was travelling in was jam packed and I sat in the very back seat where there was vomit dryed up in seat tray and seat! Extremely unsanitary!! Thevworst part is , is that we as travellers are not informed of when we are to be transported back to our hotel with a specific time is concerning. Being the last person left on the bus, I felt really scared and nervous. I left my hotel at 5am to start tour and dropped off at my hotel after 10pm is absolutely ridiculous when the destination to the tour from my hotel is 3hrs approx!! Would warn others!! Date of experience: May 2024

The tour itself was good. It is very historical and fascinating. Nothing much to do in the Lake Salda. It is just a lake and we are only there for few minutes. The breakfast and lunch were okay. They are free but you need to pay for the drinks (so it is like a hidden payment) . The transportation was a bit late. I was disappointed when the tour guide, Kadir promised us that he booked a taxi for us because my husband had a diabeties so we need to be drop off first, but he left the bus and he did not mentioned it and there was no taxi that picked us up. It also alarmed me when he was a bit pushy when he forced all of us to give him 5 star as a review. It is not a problem for me, but I think it should not be a bit controlling and dictating us what to do.

Meeting Point: 6:30am at McDonalds - PLS contact the organizer before to make sure you don't wait from 3:30a Additional Cost: 700 TL entrance fee to Pamukalle & Hieropolis 200 TL (optional) swimming fee for thermal pool (not the iconic blue white pools those are included in entrance fee) Bring: Towel, cash money for entrance, sunscreen Breakfast: minimalistic but substance is enough Stop #1 - Salda Lake: cold AF, very clear, but nothing much to do, 1 hr is enough Lunch: buffet style, actually good, tasty, many options including meat and veggie and dessert, no digestion or issues Stop #2 - Heropolis & Pamukalle (3/4hrs) : many tour groups, still nice, have change rooms and toilets there, tour operator is responsible and informative Overall; good money's worth (good price-value) considering distance of drive and generally well organized. 10/10

Overall, great tour. Great guide. Great bus driver. Eb knows her stuff! Only real downside was that the time wasn’t accurate. The page said 3:30am start and lasting 14-15 hours (which would be about 6pm). Instead, I was picked up at 6 and arrived back at my hotel at 8:30. I missed a 7pm appointment because of this. Also, entrance fees aren’t included, which the website notes, but the price would be really helpful. I had to find an atm.