Cappadocia 3-day Itinerary
Turkey
Where to go and what to see in Cappadocia to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Jeremy Seal.
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Overview >Bucket list experience:
Carpet weaving in Avanos
Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey
Last updated: 20 May, 2023
Cappadocia’s renowned handicrafts town, Avanos is famous for both its ceramics, made by men, and its exceptional carpets – usually made by women. It’s a tradition handed down from mother to daughter, and still thrives today.
The carpets are hand-made on traditional wooden looms, using locally sourced wool and natural dyes. They’re especially prized for their exceptional quality, intricate patterns, and vibrant colours that reflect the region’s cultural heritage.
There are plentiful carpet shops to peruse, and several have women weaving in them or outside as you shop so you can watch the process – and of course, buy an exceptional carpet to take home.
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Destination Guide >Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: 3+ hours
Getting there & doing it
The best way to explore on two wheels is with an organised tour, led by experienced and multi-lingual guides like Biking in Cappadocia. There are trips of all length, from day tours focused on the popular Goreme region, to full biking holidays across Cappadocia. Groups tend to be small, commonly of four or five, and never more than twelve.
Expect to cover, depending on the topography, between 20km and 50kms per day. On day tours bikes, helmets and lunch are provided, with prices reducing the bigger the group; the biking holidays include transfers, accommodation and full board.
There will undoubtedly be charming en-route stops for refreshments. The Cappadocian valleys are notable as enterprising locals who set up stalls offering tea, beer, juices and sandwiches, at or near favoured panoramic stops. These do not operate set hours or seasons but your guides will know which of them are open.
When to do it
May to June and September to October are the optimum months for mountain biking in Cappadocia, though beware that the trails can get dusty by the end of the summer and the weather is often hot. April and November are also possible, though with a greater likelihood of rain.
Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Ariana Luxury Lodge
Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[9.5 miles]
Hyper-stylish eco-escape in a secluded location. with a fine restaurant, dramatic views – and a central setting between the towns of Uchisar and Goreme.
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Museum Hotel
Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[9.6 miles]
Beautifully-restored cave hotel rich in period features and antique decorations, with wonderful views over Cappadocia’s heartlands.
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Argos in Cappadocia
Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[10 miles]
Chic, fully serviced boutique hotel combining impeccable looks, memorable setting and among the best views in Cappadocia.
Official star rating:
Kale Konak Hotel
Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[10 miles]
Brilliantly-run boutique hotel occupying a warren of wonderful cave rooms in a delightful and panoramic Uchisar setting.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Cappadocia
Central Anatolia, Turkey
Surreal shaped landscapes rich in troglodytic ruins, walking trails and delightful cave hotels in the ancient heart of Anatolia.
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Overview >Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Pottery in Avanos
Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey[0.1 miles]
Watch master potters at work and buy some outstanding ceramics at this famous crafts town, that maintains this centuries-old Cappadocian tradition.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 1-2 hours
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Overview >Whirling Dervishes of Saruhan
Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey[5.8 miles]
The famed dance of the Whirling Dervishes, performed in the atmospheric surroundings of an atmospheric 13th-century caravansaray.
Best for ages: 10+ | £10 | 40 minutes
Walk the Rose Valley
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[6.1 miles]
A beautiful and undemanding 6km valley trail, with rock churches and formations galore, that offers walkers a grand glimpse of the surreal Cappadocian back country.
Best for ages: 8+ | Free | 3 hours
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Mountain biking in Cappadocia [quad biking]
Central Anatolia, Turkey[6.3 miles]
An extensive network of biking tracks, passing through striking and unique landscapes and moonscapes, makes Cappadocia a destination for exceptional mountain biking.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 3+ hours
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Overview >Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Experience
Guray Museum
Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey[0.8 miles]
Huge underground ceramics museum, with impressive collections of ancient clay pieces and other archaeological artefacts displayed in illuminated halls, plus pottery demonstrations and sales.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
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Experience
Walk through the Zelve Open-Air Museum
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[5 miles]
This 2km walk (from the ticket office) leads you through this beautiful Cappadocian valley, inhabited until the middle of the 20th-century, taking in churches, stables, and monks’ refectories.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 1+ hours
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Experience
Sunsets at the Red & Rose Valleys
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[6.6 miles]
The region is famous for its sunsets, most famously over the Red and adjacent Rose Valley, so-called for the pinkish tones the soft tufa stone acquires at sunset. Watch the show from the Goreme National Park’s Panorama Viewpoint, lined with simple cafes.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 2 hours
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Experience
Galerie Ikman
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[8.1 miles]
An Aladdin’s cave of a carpet shop, a warren of rooms packed with flat-weave kilims both from the region and Turkey’s other renowned carpet regions, piled, hung and draped in picturesque profusion.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
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