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Cappadocia is one of the most popular destinations in Turkey. It combines breathtaking natural beauty with incredible history, and plenty of recreational activities to choose from.
This entry focuses on the heart of Cappadocia, where you’ll find all the magical fairy chimneys and can take a sunrise balloon ride. That area is mostly concentrated in and around Göreme Historical National Park (Göreme Tarihî Milli Parkı).
Airports
Cappadocia is served by two airports. To the east is Erkilet International Airport (Kayseri Erkilet Havalimanı) in Kayseri. It’s the larger of the two airports and is about an hour from Göreme. The smaller airport is Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport in Nevşehir, which is about 40 minutes west of Göreme. Both are excellent choices with plenty of flights to both airports in Istanbul.
Getting Around
If you want to explore Cappadocia on your own, keep in mind there’s lots of ground to cover and driving is required between all points of interest. You can hire a car but GPS doesn’t always work for some of the attractions.
Euphrates Tours
If you want to maximize your time and take all the guesswork out of Cappadocia, the best way to visit is on a guided tour. I can highly recommend Euphrates Tours, who are based in Ürgüp. I’ve taken two tours with them, and they’ve gone above and beyond the level of service expected both times. Euphrates Tours takes care of everything from booking round-trip flights from Istanbul and hotels as well as covering admission for most attractions. They’ll even reserve spots on a balloon ride (see below).
Furthermore, it’s well worth spending a little extra for a private tour to make your experience much more special. You’ll be able to customize the itinerary by adding meals, activities, and airport transfers in Istanbul. Things will also be a bit more relaxed.
My guides, Fatih and Süleyman, were wonderful people with great knowledge of the area and a good sense of humor. They allowed us to spend extra time to take in the atmosphere whenever we asked and even threw in a few extra stops not included on the original itinerary. They even gave us plenty of down time to have tea or ice cream!
Entrance Fees
When you visit Cappadocia on a guided tour, admissions to all the main attractions are usually included with a few exceptions. You’ll usually have to pay extra to enter attractions such as the Dark Church at the Göreme Open Air Museum.
If you’re on your own and plan on visiting everything you can in Cappadocia, you might save some cash with a Museum Pass Cappadocia. It costs 1500₺ (as of August 2023) and is valid for three days.
My advice, if you’re visiting Istanbul and traveling around Turkey for a couple weeks, it’s better to invest in a Museum Pass Türkiye. It allows free entry to all sites in the entire country run by the Ministry of Tourism over a period of 15 days. The pass will more than pay for itself if you visit Topkapi Palace, the Galata Tower and other museums in Istanbul, Ephesus, and some other attractions along the way. Figure out what you plan to visit, do a little research on admission fees, and see if it’s worth it for you.
Balloon Rides
Out of all the activities in Cappadocia, nothing is more popular than a sunrise balloon ride. It’s an unforgettable experience that’s sure to be one of your best memories of Turkey.
Prices vary based on season and demand and it can get quite expensive. Check with your tour operator ahead of time to budget properly. It’s also important to book early, especially if you’re visiting during high season. Your tour operator can make a reservation for you. Also, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, balloon rides will be cancelled. This is more common in winter.
The night before your balloon ride, your guide will give you a pickup time. It’s usually very early, around 5am. You’ll then be taken to one of the many balloon launching areas around Göreme and lift off around sunrise. After the balloon lands, you’ll head back to your hotel to rest and have breakfast before setting off on another round of tours.
