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:
Goreme Open-Air Museum
Last updated: 10 November, 2022
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
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 >Price from: £10
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: 2 hours
Getting there & doing it
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.
When to do it
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
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Transfer from Nevşehir Airport to Göreme
Goreme
Max 19 people of group transfer direct to Goreme.
Air-conditioned of vans, mini bus.
English speaking drivers.
Drop directly to your hotel ...
€14 | Rating 4.84 / 5 [44 ratings]
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North Cappadocia Red Tour with Goreme Open Air Museum
Goreme
The itinerary of Red tour covers the main attractions of the North Cappadocia. That’s why it is also known as North Cappadocia tour. You wil...
€35 | Rating 4.82 / 5 [202 ratings]
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Full-Day Tour in Cappadocia with Goreme Open Air Museum
Goreme
We try to organize tour with less people and full interest with them.
Timing is also so important for us to make our guess to organize their...
€65 | Rating 4.96 / 5 [65 ratings]
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Small-Group Cappadocia Tour: Devrent Valley, Monks Valley and Open Air Museum in Goreme
Urgup
Wonder at the natural and man-made treasures of Cappadocia on this full-day tour! Mother Nature has turned the region’s volcanic hills into ...
$90 | Rating 4.75 / 5 [8 ratings]
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Hezen Cave Hotel
Ortahisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[3.4 miles]
Experience authentic Anatolia at this cosy boutique B&B, in a working Cappadocian community.
Official star rating:
Museum Hotel
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:
Ariana Luxury Lodge
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:
Argos in Cappadocia
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
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
Hot-air balloon flights over Cappadocia
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
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Mountain biking in Cappadocia [quad biking]
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
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Wine in Cappadocia
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
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Horse riding in Cappadocia
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
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Overview >Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Experience
Galerie Ikman
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
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Experience
Sunsets at the Red & Rose Valleys
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
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Experience
Walk through the Zelve Open-Air Museum
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
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Experience
Hammam at Urgup City Baths
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
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