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.
Bucket list experience:
Cappadocia’s most visited site, just outside the village of Goreme, is a monastic complex consisting of dozens of chapels and cells set side-by-side, all carved into a natural amphitheatre of rock that has been preserved today as a UNESCO-listed open-air museum.
The complex contains more than 30 churches and chapels, some decorated with exceptional Byzantine frescoes dating from the 10th century to the 12th century.
Don’t miss the museum’s Dark Church (Karanlik Kilise; extra charge); the frescoes are exceptional. Another exceptional church is the Buckle Church (Tokali Kilise), which is just outside the main entrance (retain your ticket).
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Destination Guide >The entrance is half a mile outside Goreme on the Urgup road, a 15-minute walk or short taxi ride from the town. The site is well signposted, with useful information boards.
The compact site is easily negotiated by independent visitors, who are free to wander around at will, avoiding the bottlenecks caused by tour groups. For a more in-depth history of the site, audio guides can be hired at the ticket office.
As Cappadocia’s top site, it’s one of those places you just have to go to, but beware the crowds. It’s often swamped by coach tours, especially in the busier months.
The narrow entrances and tunnels are not designed for tour group visits, and are one in, one out, which can frustrate. Some of the steps and climbs may be arduous for elderly visitors.
There’s a fancy and ultra-modern café within the premises, otherwise Göreme has plenty of cafés for a snack lunch.
Open all year round, seven days a week. Avoid the queues by arriving early or late in the afternoon.
Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
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.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Goreme
€14 | Rating 4.84 / 5 [44 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Goreme
€35 | Rating 4.82 / 5 [202 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Goreme
€65 | Rating 4.96 / 5 [65 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Urgup
$90 | Rating 4.75 / 5 [8 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Ortahisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[3.4 miles]
Experience authentic Anatolia at this cosy boutique B&B, in a working Cappadocian community.
Official star rating:
Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[3.4 miles]
Beautifully-restored cave hotel rich in period features and antique decorations, with wonderful views over Cappadocia’s heartlands.
Official star rating:
Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[3.4 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.
Official star rating:
Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[3.6 miles]
Chic, fully serviced boutique hotel combining impeccable looks, memorable setting and among the best views in Cappadocia.
Official star rating:
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Central Anatolia, Turkey
Surreal shaped landscapes rich in troglodytic ruins, walking trails and delightful cave hotels in the ancient heart of Anatolia.
Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[2 miles]
One of the world’s great hot-air balloon flights, over a moonscape-esque landscape of arches, caverns, striking spires and eye-popping, giant protuberances resembling gigantic mushrooms.
Best for ages: 10+ | £75 | 4 hours
Central Anatolia, Turkey[2.2 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
Central Anatolia, Turkey[2.2 miles]
Discover Cappadocia’s excellent wines and learn about its centuries-old history of wine-making with a visit to its wineries and wine shops.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 1-3 hours
Cappadocia, Central Anatolia, Turkey[2.2 miles]
Surely one of the greatest places on earth to horse ride – in these unique, jaw-dropping landscapes of fairy-tale-like rock formations, ancient caves, and scenic valleys.
Best for ages: 13+ | £40 | 1-5 hours
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[1.4 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
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[2 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
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[4 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
Urgup , Central Anatolia, Turkey[5.7 miles]
This recently-restored hammam occupies a fine old building and is family-run, for unisex visitors, with professional, only-male attendants. (Women-only times available with female attendants). The best place in the region for the quintessential Turkish Bath experience.
Best for ages: 13+ | £5 | 2+ hours