Cappadocia Turkey has some of the most stunning natural landscapes in the world. Shaped by millions of years of volcanic eruptions and erosion, the whimsical fairy chimneys look like something straight out of a Doctor Seuss book.
With so many activities available to choose from, the best way to figure out how to fit it all in your schedule is to follow a Cappadocia Turkey Itinerary. Whether you only have 2 days in Cappadocia or 5 days, this Cappadocia Itinerary will help you make the most of your time there.


How to pronounce Cappadocia
First things first: how the heck do you say Cappadocia? I said it wrong for years before going there and I actually pronounced it multiple different ways because I just wasn’t sure. I figured one of those ways had to be right!
So, let’s get the pronounciation out of the way now. First, there are 5 syllables in the name Cappadocia.
CAP (like the hat)
UH
DOE (like the deer)
KEY
UH
Or KIA like the car maker
Put it all together: CAP-UH-DOE-KEY-UH
Perfect! Now you know!
About Cappadocia
The Cappadocia region has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times with evidence going back to the Prehistoric era. Some of the earliest known people to establish a civilization in the area were the Hittites in the 18th century BCE.
The rulers of the region changed hands multiple times from the Persians to the Greeks to the Romans. Under Roman rule, Cappadocia became prosperous and it’s unique rock formations became homes and churches. The volcanic rock, or tuff, was soft and that made it easy to carve.
The natural rock formations provided the perfect cover from invaders and the weather. Protection from the heat of the summers and cold winters, the caves provided a comfortable living space as well as the ability for dwellers to live underground unseen from enemies.
As Christianity in the region grew, churches were carved out of the rocks making Cappadocia an important center for Christians. With periods of Christian persecution, Cappadocia provided people a safe refuge from the conflict and the ability to continue their religous traditions.
In the 11th century, Cappadocia fell to Islamic Rule under the Seljuk Turks. For a time, the two religions blended Christian and Islamic cultures as seen in the regions art and architecture.
In the 15th century the Ottoman Empire came into power and remained until the early 1900’s when the Republic of Turkey was established.
Today, Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most popular destinations giving tourists from around the world a chance to explore its historical sites and natural landscape. Goreme National Park and the rock sites in Cappadocia are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How many days in Cappadocia
The number of days you choose to spend in Cappadocia depends on the amount of time you have and what you’re interested in doing while there. The biggest attraction in Cappadocia is taking a sunrise hot air balloon ride but to do so you’ll need to spend at least 1 night in Cappadocia.
More time there will give you time to take part in a few of the dozens of hikes in the region, visit an underground city, or go on a horseback riding or ATV tour.
1 day Cappadocia Itinerary
Arrive in Cappadocia
Check into your hotel
Visit Uchisar Castle or Gรถreme Open Air Museum
Prepare for your early morning hot air balloon ride
If you have just 1 day to spend in Cappadocia then the hot air balloon ride has to be at the top of the list. You’ll have to arrive the night before and arrange for your hot air balloon ride in advance.
Although the balloons in Cappadocia fly around 290 days a year, there is always a chance that the weather will call for a cancellation. If you came here JUST for the balloon ride then you’ll need to cross your fingers and pray to the Gods that your ride happens. If there’s an argument against going to Cappadocia for just 1 day, that is it.
Arrive in Cappadocia and check into your hotel. If you arrive early enough you’ll have time to explore whichever town you’re staying in, either Gรถreme or Uchisar. You can check out Uchisar Castle if you are staying in Uchisar or go to the Gรถreme Open Air Museum if you’re staying in Gรถreme.
Head to bed early and get ready for your balloon ride tomorrow morning


2 day Cappadocia Itinerary
2 Day Cappadocia Itinerary Overview
4am: Hot Air Balloon Ride
8am: Hotel Drop off – Breakfast – leave if you’re only there for one day
9am: Love Valley Hike
12pm: Lunch
1pm: Uchisar Castle
2pm: Pigeon Valley Hike
4pm: Shower, get ready for dinner, souvenir shopping
With 2 days in Cappadocia you’ll have time to explore more of the region. You’ll first get picked up by the hot air balloon company from your hotel. They’ll send you a pick up time the night before, usually between 3:30am and 4:00am, and you’ll be finished with the balloon ride and back at your hotel by 8am. Have breakfast and if you’re leaving today you can pack up and head out when you’re ready.
If you’re staying for two days in Cappadocia then you can add in a hike after breakfast. If you’re visiting during the summer then you’ll want to get started before it gets too hot. If you only have time for one hike then I recommend the Love Valley Hike. You can start the hike in either Gรถreme or Uchisar, depending on where you’re staying, and catch a taxi back to whichever town you’re staying in.
Another option is to hike Love Valley AND Pigeon Valley. Both hikes have beginnings and endings in Uchisar and Gรถreme. The two hikes are sort of connected so it makes it easy to start one in whichever town you’re in, take a break for lunch, and then finish up with the other one going back to the town you started in.
Again, I would do the Love Valley Hike first because it is longer and there’s less shade for that one. The Pigeon Valley Hike has more tree cover so saving that one for last when it gets hotter makes more sense.
If you didn’t see Uchisar Castle yesterday then be sure to do that today while there. Once you’re done with your hikes, head back to your hotel to shower and get ready for dinner and do some souvenir shopping.



3 day Cappadocia Itinerary
3 Day Cappadocia Itinerary Overview
Follow day 1 and day 2 of the itinerary above and then Day 3 below
5am: go watch the hot air balloons from the ground.
7am: breakfast
8am: Rose Valley and Red Valley hikes
12pm: lunch
1pm: afternoon ATV or Horseback riding tour
3pm: Relax by the pool if your hotel has one or explore some more of the town before getting ready for dinner.
If you’re spending 3 days in Cappadocia then you should start your day early and wake up to go watch the balloons at sunrise. Although being in the hot air balloon is super cool, it’s just as cool to watch all the balloons from the ground.
You can ask your hotel where the best places are to go if you’re unsure where to watch them. We did that but we also just drove our car chasing the balloons around for the best views and pulling off to the side of the road.
After the sunrise balloons, have breakfast and take the Rose Valley and Red Valley hikes. Again, you want to get your hikes in early before it gets too hot. The two hikes are connected and it will take around 3 hours to complete.
Once you’re back in town grab some lunch before taking an ATV or Horseback riding excursion or relax at the hotel pool if you have one.


4 day Cappadocia Itinerary
4 Day Cappadocia Itinerary Overview
Follow days 1-3 above and then on to Day 4 below
7am: breakfast
8am: Gรถreme Open Air Museum
11am: Drive to either Kaymakli Underground City or Derinkuyu Underground City. Both are close to each other. Grab some lunch in Derinkuyu before touring the Underground City
2pm: Visit some of the smaller valleys to explore: Swords, Pasabag, and Gorkundere Valleys
If you’re in Cappadocia for 4 days then head over to visit the Gรถreme Open Air Museum after breakfast. There are a dozen or so cave homes and churches to visit here, many with amazing painted frescos. If you want to see the Dark Church there is an extra charge that you can buy at the entrance of the Dark Church cave.

After the Gรถreme Open Air Museum, visit one of the underground cities of Kaymakli or Derinkuyu. Both are close to each other. Have lunch before or after in Derinkuyu or back in Goreme.
Your afternoon options are to visit some of the smaller valleys such as Swords Valley, Pasabag or Monks Valley, and Gorkundere (Rocket) Valley.



Since it’s your last evening in Cappadocia, drive up to the Rose and Red Valley parking lot and find a place to watch the sunset.
Best time to go to Cappadocia
Cappadocia gets visitors all year long, but if you want to visit when there are less people then avoid the summer. Cappadocia sees the most visitors from June to September and things are more expensive during that time. Balloon flights will cost more, hotels will cost more, and you will definitely need to book your outings in advance.
April and May in the spring or September and October in the fall are great times to visit. There are less crowds, everything is a little more affordable, and you won’t completely melt in the sun.
Believe it or not but it actually snows in Cappadocia and the balloons will fly as long as the weather is suitable.
How to get to Cappadocia
Cappadocia is located in central Turkey and is easily reached from all over the country. There are two airports nearby and daily flights arrive from Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.
If you plan on being in Turkey for a while and want to visit other areas of Turkey then consider renting a car. We rented a vehicle for 3 weeks through Discover Cars and we had unlimited miles and the cost was only $550.
Other options for reaching Cappadocia are taking the bus or train. Both of these options take longer and require some good planning and possibly an overnight ride. I wrote about all the different ways of getting to Cappadocia if you need to figure out how to get there.
Getting around Cappadocia
If you haven’t rented a car in Turkey, there are other ways of getting around Cappadocia. First, even if you didn’t rent a car to get to Cappadocia, you can still rent one in town for a few days. You won’t need a car to get around town but a few of the hikes and the underground cities require you to drive there.
You can also rent a scooter or an atv for the day. There are lots full of atvs and it’s pretty popular to drive around on one there.
Another option for getting around Cappadocia is to just take a taxi. This is a great to do if you plan on hiking but don’t want to do a roundtrip hike. Have the cab drop you off at the start of the hiking trail and you can end up close to town instead of back where you started
Where to stay in Cappadocia
The two towns that everyone stays at when visiting Cappadocia is Uchisar and Gรถreme. Uchisar is much quieter whereas Gรถreme is a little more noisy or touristy, but not in a bad way. It has a lot of places to choose from to stay in and there are a ton of restaurants and shops in Gรถreme.
What you’ll find when you start looking for a place to stay is nearly every hotel will say they are a “cave hotel” or have “cave suites“. That doesn’t necessarily mean the hotels are actually in caves (although some are) but a lot of hotels are designed to look like the rooms are in a cave with the roughed up stone finish in the room.
Luxury Stay
Gรถreme: One of the most popular luxury hotels in the town of Gรถreme is the Sultan Cave Suites. The location of the hotel is on a hill providing amazing views of the valley and balloons flying in the mornings. With spacious rooms and a restaurant on site, you’ll have everything you need at the Sultan Cave Suites. The best part is the hotels rooftop terrace. It’s the best spot for views of hot air balloons at sunrise!
Uchisar: If you’re looking for the ultimate in luxury stays then take a look at Ariana Sustainable Luxury Lodge (luxury is even in the name!). Some of the rooms are like fancy apartments. The Ariana Sustainable Luxury Lodge has spacious rooms with fireplaces and seating areas. There’s a fitness center and restaurant on site.
Mid-Range Stay
Gรถreme: You don’t have to spend a fortune in Cappadocia. Even some of the mid-range hotels are nice, spacious, and come with rooftop terraces. The Castle Cave Hotel is in an excellent location within walking distance to town and all the restaurants. What I love about a lot of the hotels in Cappadocia is that many of them have fireplaces and seating areas in the rooms. I love that they aren’t cramped.
Uchisar: If you decide to stay in Uchisar you’ll find plenty of mid-range hotels and Dream of Cappadocia is a great choice. It’s just a 3 minute walk to the Uchisar Castle and has amazing views of the valley so you’ll be able to watch the hot air balloons at sunrise from your hotel.
Budget stay
Gรถreme: If you are on a tight budget and don’t care about luxury tubs in the middle of your room then you might want to consider Gรถreme Stone Age Hotel. This hotel probably has some of the highest ratings I’ve ever seen for a budget hotel. And yes, budget is relative so compared to other Cappadocia hotels it’s good. You’ll still have a nice and roomy accomodation with breakfast and a rooftop to view balloons flying overhead.
Uchisar: For a budget stay in Uchisar, consider staying at the Uchisar Cave House. It’s located just a few minutes from the Uchisar castle, has an on site restaurant, and spacious rooms. The best part is the views from the rooftop looking down on the valley.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do you need in Cappadocia Turkey?
I would recommend no less than 2 days but 3-4 days is more ideal if you want to explore all the different landscapes and cave churches in the area.
Is Cappadocia Turkey worth visiting?
YES! Cappadocia is an amazing place with the most interesting landscapes and history.
What is the best month for visiting Cappadocia
Visiting Cappadocia outside of the busy tourist season of the summer will always be better as far as avoiding the heat and crowds. Visit in late spring or mid fall to save a little money. Less demand on hotels and hot air balloon rides means the prices come down.
