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:
Walk the Rose Valley
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey
Last updated: 10 November, 2022
Just to the north of Goreme lies the Rose Valley, one of the most scenic and accessible of Cappadocia’s walking valleys.
From the Panoramic Viewpoint, a network of good trails criss-crosses the valley, passing through vineyards and wondrous rock formations, leading after 6 km to the valley’s end at the village of Cavusin. Look out for local rock churches and resting points en route for tea and fresh orange juice.
It’s a leisurely three hours, allowing stops for refreshments and to visit churches, to the main trail’s end at Cavusin.
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Destination Guide >Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 8+
When: All year around
Duration: 3 hours
Getting there & doing it
The trail starts at the Panoramic Viewpoint in the Goreme National Park, reached off the Nevsehir-Urgup road via a dedicated access road. There are seasonal stalls and refreshments stands at the viewpoint.
The route is mainly downhill, and while the endpoint is visible at a distance, it’s advisable to hire a local guide as the sign-posting is often intermittent, there are lots of side trails that walkers might mistakenly take, and hidden rock churches that they might otherwise miss. Guides can be arranged through local companies including Middle Earth, or with a recommended independent guide – Yunuz Ozdemir is one of the best.
When to do it
The trails are open all year, though Cappadocia is hot during the summer and there is little shade on offer. Winter is an excellent time for walking the trail, but only during a spell of dry weather as the going underfoot can be soggy after rain.
At either end of the day, when any tour groups tend to have left, walkers tend to have the trails to themselves.
Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Cappadocia In One Day Small-Group Tour from Istanbul: Rose Valley, Ortahisar, Kaymakli Underground City and Pigeon Valley
Istanbul
See some of the best of southern Cappadocia on this full-day tour from Istanbul, including round-trip transfers, flight and lunch. Explore t...
$380 | Rating 4.16 / 5 [87 ratings]
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Ariana Luxury Lodge
Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[4.1 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[4.2 miles]
Beautifully-restored cave hotel rich in period features and antique decorations, with wonderful views over Cappadocia’s heartlands.
Official star rating:
Argos in Cappadocia
Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[4.5 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[4.5 miles]
Brilliantly-run boutique hotel occupying a warren of wonderful cave rooms in a delightful and panoramic Uchisar setting.
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[1.9 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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Goreme Open-Air Museum
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[2.3 miles]
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
Walk the Pigeon Valley
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[5.4 miles]
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
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Pottery in Avanos
Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey[6 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 >Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Experience
Sunsets at the Red & Rose Valleys
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[1.2 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
Galerie Ikman
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[2.2 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
Walk through the Zelve Open-Air Museum
Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[2.4 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
Guray Museum
Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey[5.6 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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