Is Pamukkle worth it?

Honestly, I had mixed feelings about Pamukkale. I enjoyed Aphrodisias, Heriapolis and Laodicea, but the travertines at Pamukkale have pretty much dried up except for about eight pools along the east side. The few pools that do have water, are overrun with social media influencers and influencer wanna-be's. At the same time, there's nothing else like it, and I am absolutely glad that I finally visited. Am I itching to return to Pamukkale? Not really.

There are so many incredible places in that part of Turkey. One could spend weeks and weeks exploring and still not see it all. You're going to have a great trip, whatever you decide to see. I did a trip report of some of my favorite sites a few months ago: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/ancient-cities-of-western-turkey

Are you thinking two nights or two full days at Olympos? Olympos itself shouldn't take that long to see, but there are plenty of other sites in the area to keep you busy.

What I enjoyed far more than the crowded pools of Pamukkale was our view of the cliffs and pools from below, the next morning. Peaceful and not overrun, at the time we went.

I didn't mean to sound too harsh in my first post. Yes, there are parts of Pamukkale that are truly amazing. I had a balcony room in the village overlooking the travertines. I loved sitting on my balcony in the morning and watching the balloons, and the early morning hike up the travertines from the village was an other-worldly, once-in-a-lifetime experience. At the same time, the dry pools, which are most likely the result of mismanagement of resources, and the cheap carnival atmosphere at the top left me with an inescapable sadness.