3 days • 2 nights • Turkey
Three days in Cappadocia: two nights in a cave hotel, an optional sunrise balloon, the Red and Green tours, with domestic flights from and back to Istanbul.
The Cappadocia 3-Day Program is a short, packed trip you can easily add to any Istanbul program. A domestic flight of about an hour and a quarter takes you to a completely different world: fairy-tale rock chimneys, rock-cut churches and underground cities, hotels inside caves, and hundreds of colorful balloons rising at sunrise over the valleys.
We split the visit into the two well-known tours: the Red Tour in the north of the region around Göreme, Uçhisar and Avanos, and the Green Tour to the south, with the underground city, Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery. Two nights in Cappadocia mean two chances to try the balloon flight if the first is canceled because of the weather. The program suits couples, friends and families, and it can be booked without the domestic flight if you will arrive on your own. We recommend booking the cave hotel and the balloon flight early, because seats and rooms with a view sell out quickly in spring, autumn and holidays.
A morning flight from Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen to Nevşehir Cappadocia Airport (NAV) or Kayseri (ASR) takes about an hour and a quarter, then 45 minutes to an hour by car to the cave hotel. In the afternoon we visit Uçhisar Castle and Pigeon Valley with its carved towers, then watch the sunset from the Red and Rose Valley viewpoint. In the evening you can attend the optional Turkish Night.
Before dawn the balloon company picks you up (optional) to fly for about an hour over the fairy chimneys at sunrise, or you can watch hundreds of balloons from one of the viewpoints. After breakfast we start the Red Tour: Göreme Open-Air Museum with its rock-cut churches, then Paşabağ Valley (Monks Valley), Devrent (Imagination) Valley with its strange rocks, and Love Valley. We finish in Avanos to watch pottery being made on the banks of the Kızılırmak River.
After check-out we head south to the Derinkuyu underground city, with its passages and floors carved into the rock. We continue to Ihlara Valley for a walk along the river between the cliffs, then Selime Monastery carved into the mountain. From there we go to the airport, about an hour and a half to two and a half hours depending on the airport, to catch the evening flight to Istanbul.
| City | Nights | Suggested |
|---|---|---|
| Cappadocia | 2 | A cave hotel in Göreme or Uçhisar, with rooms carved into the rock. Luxury options with a jacuzzi or a terrace overlooking the morning balloons are available, and family rooms on request. |
Book this program
Add your arrival date, the number of travelers and the hotel level, and you will receive a written offer with the final price via WhatsApp.
Questions & answers
The easiest way is the domestic flight (about an hour and a quarter) to Nevşehir or Kayseri airport, which is included in this program. Overnight buses are available and take about 10 to 11 hours, but they are tiring for a short trip.
The balloon flight is not included because its price changes with the season, the operator and the basket size. We book it for you in advance at the price valid at the time of booking, and we recommend booking early because seats sell out in busy seasons.
The flight is decided each morning based on the wind. If it is canceled, we try to move it to the next morning if seats are available, or the amount is refunded according to the balloon company's policy.
Yes, this program is designed to be added to any Istanbul program, such as the Istanbul 5-Day Program, making the trip 8 days that combine the city and the valleys. It is also part of the Honeymoon 9-Day Program.
From the OYA guide
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Personal service from start to finish
We design a custom program for you, with the number of days, cities and hotels you want — just tell us.
