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:
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey
Cappadocia tends to mean spending plenty of time underground, which is why taking to the air over this unique landscape makes for such a welcome change of perspective.
Flying low along these valleys is a magnificent way to appreciate the interplay of rocky outcrops, cave homes, vineyards and orchards, especially as the dawn light lends the local stone a surreal pink tint.
One of the world’s greatest balloon flights.
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Destination Guide >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.
The operators will collect you from your hotel. Most companies offer clients breakfast at the headquarters prior to travelling to the launch site, and a glass of Champagne afterwards.
After breakfast and briefing, they will transfer you to the take-off site, selected according to wind speed and direction. The gathering point is just north of Goreme, where (almost) all the balloon operators have their premises.
The trip from pick-up time to drop-off back at your hotel takes about four hours.
There’s usually a minimum age of 6, and sometimes children aged 6-12 go for half price. Most operators will offer private balloon hire available on request (but subject to availability, so plan ahead for this).
Balloon flights run all year round, depending on the weather, with January and February the quietest months. Take-off depends on the season but is shortly after dawn, so prepare yourself for an early start.
Cappadocia’s climate makes for a low rate of cancellations caused by adverse weather. Just in case, arrange to fly at the beginning of your stay so you can reschedule in the unlikely event that your flight is cancelled due to adverse weather.
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey
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
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
Chic, fully serviced boutique hotel combining impeccable looks, memorable setting and among the best views in Cappadocia.
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Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey
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
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
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
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey
A remarkable natural amphitheatre of rock-hewn, fresco-filled churches and monastic dwellings dating back to Byzantine times. Cappadocia’s most visited site.
Best for ages: 13+ | £10 | 2 hours
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey
A spectacular 4km stroll through fantastical, magical landscapes. The trail links two of Cappadocia’s best-known towns – Goreme and Uchisar.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free | 1-2 hours
Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey
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
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey
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
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
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
Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey
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