For most people, Cappadocia equals a dreamy hot air balloon flight. But Cappadocia is so much more than that! With this 3-day Cappadocia itinerary, you’re going to stay in a cave hotel and explore surreal landscapes with strange volcanic rock formations called fairy chimneys, underground cities, cave churches, epic hikes, interesting history and more. It’s going to be epic!
The best time to go to Cappadocia
The best time to go to Cappadocia is between April and October, when the region has warmer weather. Cappadocia is a desert-like region that is cold even in the summer months in the early mornings and late nights. So it can get really freezing and gloomy in the winter months—not ideal for exploring Cappadocia, even though the landscapes might look super dreamy with snow cover.
However, the biggest factor to consider is actually the hot air balloon rides. Hot air balloon rides are scheduled to happen every day of the year but often get cancelled because of weather issues. The fewest cancellations happen in the summer months between June and September and most in the winter months between November and March. Which is why it is best to visit anytime besides the winter months so that you get a chance to ride a hot air balloon at least one day of your stay.
How many days to spend in Cappadocia?
It is best to have at least 2-3 mornings in Cappadocia all year besides the winter months, when 7 days is more ideal. The reason we recommend spending these many days in Cappadocia is primarily the hot air balloon flights. These are weather-dependent and can be cancelled on the day of the flight so you need a few days to try again.
That being said, Cappadocia is a surreal region you should spend some time exploring. 3 days is also perfect to see the highlights and enjoy the beauty of the region.
How to reach Cappadocia
You will in all probability head to Cappadocia after spending a few days in Istanbul on your larger Turkey itinerary.
Flight: The best way to go to Cappadocia is by taking a flight from Istanbul to the Kayseri or Nevsehir airports. You’ll be there in 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Overnight bus: The bus takes about 11 hours. Book here or get a ticket directly from the bus stations in Istanbul.
Car: Cappadocia is 730 km from Istanbul and while it’s a long drive (~7 hours and 40 minutes by road), the roads in Turkey are fabulous which makes for an amazing road trip. Road tripping here is something a lot of people do because the best sights are spread out and public transport can be a bit tricky to navigate, so having your own wheels is incredibly convenient.
And the best part is, you can easily rent a car easily using DiscoverCars at very affordable prices. We always use this website to find rental cars all over the world, and it’s been a lifesaver for our trips. It has a super user-friendly platform where you can compare prices across several international and local rental companies. This means you can choose from a wide variety of cars for every budget and easily find something that fits your travel style. We’ve never been hit with any hidden costs, and their customer support has been super prompt every time we’ve needed help!
Getting rental car insurance is a non-negotiable in case of any damage to the car. One of the biggest reasons we keep going back to DiscoverCars is their amazing full coverage option, which is a lot more cost-effective than getting insurance directly from the rental car company. We actually had to avail it once on a trip when a stone chipped our windscreen—and the claim process was unexpectedly smooth. We simply submitted the paperwork and got reimbursed in a few days. There was no stress, no endless back-and-forth, or hidden clauses. Having visited 40 countries, we’ve tried plenty of services, but we truly can’t recommend them enough!
How to reach your hotel in Cappadocia
To get to the hotel, the best way is to take a shuttle. The shuttle is booked by the hotel prior to your arrival and costs between Euro 4 and Euro 10 per person, depending on your hotel. You need to tell the hotel that you will need this service.
Besides the shuttle, you can also opt to rent a car from the airport itself or take a taxi, which can be expensive unless you’re 3 people or more.
Where to stay in Cappadocia
Cappadocia is not a city but a vast region comprising various towns, with the main tourist hub being Goreme. Goreme is the most centrally located town, with plenty of restaurants, shops and cave hotels. But it was also the only town in Turkey we didn’t really love because of the bad roads and traffic, locals with a money-hungry attitude, and mediocre and expensive food. You could also consider the towns of Uchisar and Urgup to stay away from all this. But do so only if you’re renting a car.
Hotels in Cappadocia
One unique thing to do in Cappadocia is to stay in a cave hotel—in an actual cave dug into a fairy chimney. But do note that cave hotels may also have rooms made of stone so not all rooms are cave rooms. If you’re staying in a cave room, ensure the room has AC or you are provided with a fan; otherwise, it’ll be very suffocating. Read this list of the best cave hotels or check below:
Luxury
Museum Hotel (Uchisar): Award-winning hotel that has a heated outdoor pool and rooms have wine taps :O
AJWA Cappadocia (Urgup): Ultra-luxury 5-star hotel with beautiful gardens
Mid-range
Charming Cave Hotel (Goreme): This is where we stayed for 2 nights. Has wonderful terrace views and helpful hosts!
Local Cave Hotel (Goreme): Has a pool with a fantastic view of fairy chimneys.
Budget
Cappadocia Caves Hotel: Excellent facilities for the price
The Dorm Cave By Travellers: Great for solo travellers on a budget
How to get around Cappadocia
- Walk everywhere: Distances are large but a lot of the areas can be covered on foot on beautiful hikes through the valleys. Hitchhike or ask your hotel to get you to the starting points of these hikes.
- Public Transport: While public transport isn’t the best in Cappadocia and most people stay away from it, I’ve seen some people opt for it recently. You can consider buses for your trip if you’d like.
- Take tours: This is the most popular method of getting around. The upside of tours is that you’ll learn a lot about the attractions; otherwise, all the caves may all look the same after a point. Tours are super organised so you’ll be picked up from the hotel at around 9:30 AM and dropped off by 5 PM.
- Hire a car: We opted to hire a car because we went during the peak season in August and tours were way less economical than simply hiring a car. Besides driving in Goreme, we absolutely love it. We had so much freedom to spend our time the way we wanted and truly enjoyed driving around the beautiful landscapes of Cappadocia at our own pace.
If you don’t want to rent a car, yet want a private experience you can also hire a chauffeur-driven car.
3 days in Cappadocia Itinerary
Day 1: Love Valley, Red Valley, and Rose Valley
Most flights get to Cappadocia in the morning. If you get early check-in, then get some rest before heading out.
If you don’t get early check-in, you can walk around the town you’re choosing to stay in, use the hotel pool, or even set out for your day only to check-in later in the evening. The choice is yours.
We chose to start the day only after lunch, once we’d settled in.
Lunch
Try the Rocks Terrace Restaurant in Goreme for lunch. Alternatively, you could eat at Cavusin Village after visiting Love Valley.
If you’re not renting a car, then I recommend taking the following two tours this evening: ATV Quad Safari and Sunset Horseback Riding. If you have rented a self-drive car, then continue reading.
Love Valley
First, drive 5 km (10 minutes) to Love Valley—called so because of the phallus-shaped rocks dotting the valley. You can see Love Valley in the following ways:
- Go to the Love Valley Viewpoint to get sweeping views of the valley. Here you’ll find plenty of other tourists on guided tours, spot some love heart-shaped seats and other photoshoot setups. You’ll spend about 15–30 minutes here. Just enter ‘Love Valley’ in Google Maps. We went for this option because it was super hot and we simply could not hike. But it was kind of boring and I’d suggest you do the second option if the weather is pleasant.
- Hike the valley till you see the rock formations, spend some time there and head back to your vehicle. This should take one hour. The Love Valley Trail starts here—a little before the actual viewpoint.
Rose Valley
Now drive 5 km to Rose Valley.
We literally just stumbled upon the Rose Valley Hike start point at Cavusin because for some reason, Google thought Pasabag was there. It turned out to be perfect because there was hardly anyone there and the area was beautiful. You cannot miss this place on your Cappadocia trip.
We didn’t do the whole trail through the valleys (hello, heat!) but just walked around a bit and had a great time. Our only company was the occasional ATV, Jeep, or horse rider; these tours take place in this area.
If you do wish to do the whole hike, read the guide to hiking the Red and Rose Valley.
Red Valley Sunset Point
For sunset, we drove 5 km to the Red Valley Sunset Point. We sat at Crazy Ali Cafe, which has fantastic seats to view the sunset. But you could also choose to sit at any of the other cafes (Sunpoint Cappadocia or Cafe Sunset) nearby or head directly to the public viewpoint. This is another experience you simply should not miss during your 3 days in Cappadocia.
Dinner
Head back to Goreme and have dinner at Gurme Kebab Restaurant. We had veggie pide (got it done extra spicy), lentil soup, lemonade, and orange juice. Everything was delicious and relatively inexpensive compared to other restaurants in Cappadocia.
Day 2: Hot Air Balloon & Red Tour
Hot Air Balloon Ride
On day 2 of this 3-day Cappadocia itinerary, start the morning with a hot air balloon ride over the other-worldly landscape of Cappadocia. It was our second time on a hot air balloon and we weren’t expecting much. We were actually planning to skip it considering the cost, but boy, we were wrong and so happy that we went ahead anyway. We were left speechless!
Be prepared and be ready by around 4 AM. You’ll be picked up from your hotel in a shuttle bus and taken to the balloon company office, where you’ll be served a buffet breakfast. Then you’ll be taken to the takeoff site. After the balloon landing, there will be a celebration with champagne and you’ll also be given a medal/certificate and maybe even some souvenirs. The whole affair takes about 3–4 hours. We were back at our hotel by 7:15 AM.
Here are 20 tips and must-knows about hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia.
Red Tour
Today, you can visit the Red Tour locations, which include most of the main sights of Cappadocia. Book your Red Tour here or go ahead with the below-mentioned itinerary in your rented car.
Göreme Open-Air Museum
Entry Fee: 150 TL
Dark Church Entry Fee: 30 TL extra (you should visit)
Time Needed: 2 hours
After getting back to your hotel, rest a bit and get ready for your first destination of the day, which is just a 1-kilometre drive (5 minutes)
Goreme Open Air Museum is a rocky settlement that hosted a monastery between the 4th and 13th centuries A.D. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, with well-preserved rock-cut churches with frescoes
If you’re not joining a tour, we’d highly recommend getting here around opening time, which is 8:30 AM. It gets very crowded after that because tour groups start arriving and this museum is probably the most visited site in Cappadocia.
Uchisar Castle
Entry Fee: 50 TL
Time Needed: 1 hour
Drive 6.5 km to Uchisar Castle. It stands proudly as the highest point in Cappadocia and hence the views from here will be the best you’ll get. It is one of the finest examples of a historic cave home.
Lunch: After your visit, eat lunch with a view of the castle at Sensa Restaurant. The food is international, mostly but really delicious. If you want to eat cheap local food, then you can also try Çiko’nun Yeri.
You’ll be tempted to visit both Uchisar and Ortahisar. I’d suggest you choose only one of them since both look similar. If you’d like to visit both, visit Ortahisar later in the day for Cay (tea) at ETHEM USTANIN YERİ SEYİR TEPESİ.
Pasabag
Entry Fee: 65 TL
Time Needed: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Enter “Paşa bağları” on maps and drive 11 km to get here.
Also known as Monks Valley, Pasabag is one of the most popular fairy chimney areas of Cappadocia. Here you’ll see mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys with multiple stems and caps.
Devrent Valley
Entry Fee: None
Time Needed: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Drive 6 km to Devrent Valley.
Devrent Valley is also known as ‘Imagination Valley‘ because here you’ll find animal-shaped rocks and fairy chimneys, among other interesting formations. Look out for the camel, dolphin, snake, seal, alligator and more. Feel free to use your imagination while exploring—that’s the whole point.
Optional if you have more time this day: Zelve Open Air Museum and Ortahisar (Ethem Ustanin yeri)
Sunset Hill Goreme
Head back to Goreme to watch the sunset from Sunset Hill. It’s a steep but short climb or you can also drive to the top. It’s a huge area and has beautiful views of the town, fairy chimneys, and surrounding mountains.
Dinner
For dinner, you can head to İnci Cave Restaurant Göreme. If you want to head to a place with live music afterwards and events, try One Way. Don’t go here for the food, just a drink and the Turkish music if it is on that night.
Day 3: Chase Hot Air Balloons & Green Tour
Watch Hot Air Balloons
On your last morning of your 3 days in Cappadocia, you have these options:
- Watch hot air balloons from the rooftop of your hotel. Many hotels in Cappadocia have such rooftops. We stayed at the Charming Cave Hotel and had a fantastic view.
- If your hotel doesn’t have a good rooftop view, head to the rooftop of another hotel that has a good view. Ask them beforehand if you can come specifically for this purpose – Charming Cave Hotel, Sultan Cave Suites, Mithra Cave Hotel, Koza Cave Hotel
- If your hotel doesn’t have a good rooftop view and you don’t care about watching the balloons from a rooftop, you can chase balloons at one of the following valleys: Goreme Sunset Point, the official viewpoint in the Love Valley, Sword Valley; or Sunset Point in Rose Valley. Here is a blog post that might help.
Green Tour
Today is the day you follow mostly the Green Tour route. Book your green tour here or go there in your rental car. You’re going to be driving a lot since these locations are a bit far away from Goreme.
Derinyuku Underground City
Entry Fee: 100 TL
Time Needed: 45 minutes- 1 hour
Derinkuyu, your first stop of the day, is 35 km away, which is about a 40-min drive.
Derinkuyu is an ancient underground city that was stumbled upon by pure chance in 1963 by a local while renovating his house. There are several underground cities in Cappadocia but Derinkuyu is the largest with 18 levels and is 85 metres deep. It was built to protect its inhabitants from wars and religious persecution and housed about 20,000 people. The city had provisions to ensure the survival of its citizens and had complete autonomy from the outside world.
Ihlara Valley
Entry Fee: 90 TL
Entry Fee with Audio Guide: 135 TL
Now drive 55 km to Ihlara Valley, which is a 5-minute drive.
Ihlara Valley is a canyon with a depth of about 100 metres, about 10 km long, and a river flowing through it. Ihlara Valley is green and serene and you won’t even feel hot here in the middle of the day because there is plenty of shade. Not only that, you’ll also see churches decorated with colourful frescoes. The history dates back between the 4th and 13th centuries A.D.
Okay, now you have two options for exploring Ihlara Valley
- Firstly, Ihlara is a one-way hike. So, you park your car at the main entrance (entrance no. 2), walk down about 400 steps and then 4 km across the valley, ending at Belirisma Village (entrance no. 3), where you can relax and eat lunch here in the overwater restaurants. Take a taxi back to your car.
- Here’s what we were recommended by our hotel. Head directly to Belirisma Village (entrance no. 3) and park your car. Start and end your hike here by walking a few kilometres into the canyon and then back. We walked to the Tea Gardens and saw only one church on this route: St. George Church
Note: Your route for today should be determined by your preferences. The second seems more practical because you won’t need to take a taxi and also won’t need to get down and then back up so many steps. However, the churches are all concentrated at the start of the hike (near entrance 2). If I had to redo the hike, I may have gone with option one.
Selime Monastery
Entry Fee: none (Ihlara Valley ticket is also valid for Selime Monastery so keep it safely.)
Time Needed: 45 minutes- 1 hour
It’s a 10 km drive to Selime Monastery, Cathedral, or Castle. Yes, it’s known by all these names.
Said to have been built in the 8th or 9th century BC, Selime Monastery is the biggest religious building in Cappadocia, with a cathedral-size church cut directly into the volcanic tuff. It has also served as a fortress and refuge for travellers and tradesmen who journeyed along the Silk Road.
Nar Lake
Entry Fee: none
Time Needed: 45 minutes- 1 hour
Nar Lake, or Agicol, is 33 km from Selime, which takes about 30 minutes to drive to.
Spend your evening here. Watch the sun go down at this small volcanic crater lake. You can’t really see the sunset but seeing the area change colours as the sun goes down is simply beautiful. You can drive around the whole lake and even stop by the banks and at the viewpoint (where this photo is clicked from). There was no one at the lake except a few locals who were sweet enough to offer us tea. You can also swim here if you’d like, though we didn’t see anyone doing that!
Dinner
Drive 63 km (1 hour) back to Goreme. Have your last dinner at Dibek Restaurant, which is quite famous though a tad bit expensive.
I hope this answers your query of what to do in Cappadocia in 3 days and how best to spend your time. Do drop in your questions in the comment section. Would love to help you prep for your trip!
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