Getting to Denizli and Around by Air, Train, Bus and Dolmuş

Denizli sits at the junction of the inner Aegean and western Mediterranean road and rail corridors, making it easy to link with Istanbul by air, Ephesus (Selçuk) and İzmir by train or coach, and Antalya or Fethiye by mountain highway.

By air: Denizli Çardak Airport (DNZ)

Denizli Çardak Airport (DNZ) lies 65 km east of the city centre along the smooth four-lane D320 highway. Turkish Airlines and Pegasus operate daily direct flights from both Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) in roughly 1 hour 10 minutes. Outside the arrivals hall, Denizli Metropolitan Municipality airport shuttle buses (ULASIM) wait for every scheduled landing, taking around 55 to 60 minutes into central Denizli (stopping at Sevindik, the central Otogar and Çamlık). If you are heading straight to Pamukkale or Karahayıt, shared hotel transfers and airport taxis can turn north before entering downtown Denizli, reaching the travertines in about 50 minutes.

By train from İzmir and Selçuk (Ephesus)

One of the most scenic, stress-free ways to reach Denizli is the TCDD Göller Ekspresi or regional diesel train from İzmir (Basmane) via Selçuk (for Ephesus), Aydın and Nazilli. The rail line follows the fertile floor of the Büyük Menderes valley right into Denizli Garı (Train Station) in the centre of town in roughly 3 hours 15 minutes from Selçuk (around 4 hours 45 minutes from İzmir). Best of all, Denizli Train Station stands directly across the main boulevard from the central bus terminal, so you can walk from your train carriage to a Pamukkale minibus in five minutes.

The subterranean Denizli Otogar and county minibuses

Denizli's main bus terminal (Denizli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Otobüs Terminali) is built underground beneath a grassy rooftop park in the heart of the city, served 24 hours a day by intercity coaches from Antalya (3.5 hours), Fethiye (3 hours), Bodrum, Marmaris, Ankara and Cappadocia. The terminal has two main subterranean transport levels:

• Intercity coach platforms: for long-distance buses across Turkey.
• County and village minibus (İlçe ve Köy Garajı / Dolmuş) platforms: where frequent white minibuses depart every 15 to 20 minutes for Pamukkale and Karahayıt (Route 70), passing the highway turn-off for Laodicea on the way, as well as direct minibuses to Buldan and Yenicekent (for Tripolis), Honaz, Tavas and Güney.
• City buses (Denizli Kart / contactless): green-and-white municipal buses run across the city (including routes to Delikliçınar Square and the Bağbaşı Cable Car base station) and accept contactless Visa/Mastercard bank cards directly at the driver's validator.