A lot of individuals definitely want to go to Cappadocia Trip in Turkey. This place has been very popular in the last few years, mostly because of social media and the hot air balloon trips.
Cappadocia offers a lot more than just a journey in a hot air balloon. There are a lot of things to do in Cappadocia, even though it’s hard to believe (you can read more about it here). If you’re like me, this will rapidly become your favorite place in Türkiye.
Cappadocia is not a city; it is a part of Turkey in the middle of the country. And the rock formations in this area are what make it so special. They may make you feel like you’re on another planet.
There were volcanoes millions of years ago that blanketed the area with different things at one point. In the meantime, erosive agents worked, and over time they formed the rock formations we see today. The softer material at the bottom went away, leaving just the top of the formations, which were comprised of stronger material. This is basically how the fairy chimneys and other structures that are so common in the area were made.
Cappadocia’s landscapes are unique in the world, so get ready for an unforgettable trip. Throughout this blog post, I’ll show you how you can visit the best of Cappadocia Trip in 2 days. In addition to this Cappadocia itinerary, in this post you’ll find more information on:
Best places to stay in Cappadocia
Best time to go to Cappadocia
How to get around Cappadocia
How long to stay in Cappadocia
Is it worth it to go to Cappadocia?
The answer to this question is probably one of the easiest I’ve given in all of the posts on this blog. The answer is an easy yes! Believe me when I say that Cappadocia is VERY much worth a visit.
The hot air balloon rides that make visiting Cappadocia Trip even more enchanting are just one of the many things that will leave you in awe of this Turkish region’s sceneries. The sceneries of Cappadocia appear like something out of a movie. If you have the time, you should definitely visit Cappadocia while you’re in Türkiye.
How many days do you want to spend in Cappadocia?
As I’ve already mentioned, Cappadocia is much more than the hot air balloon rides (although that may be one of the most exciting things about this visit! ). For example, there are loads of hiking trails in Cappadocia, as well as lots of fun and interesting activities to do there.
There are a lot of things to see in Cappadocia that don’t require a lot of walking, even if you don’t want to.
I think you need at least two full days in Cappadocia to see the key sights (and do it in a relaxed way) if this is your first time there. I was able to see all of Cappadocia’s greatest attractions in just two days, which I’ll tell you about in a minute.
When is the ideal time to go to Cappadocia?
Cappadocia is in the middle of Türkiye and about 1000 meters above sea level. This means that winters are rather harsh there. For instance, there is a lot of snow from November to March.
Even when it’s not winter, the hottest days usually have a broad range of temperatures, and the nights and early mornings are cool. That’s why I always tell people to bring warm clothes when they go to Cappadocia.
But any time of year is an excellent time to go to Cappadocia Trip. The area is quite gorgeous, even when it’s blanketed with snow. Even yet, it’s clear that snow can ruin some of your plans, including hiking routes and hot air balloon trips (if it’s snowing when you fly, for example).
The best times to go to Cappadocia are from April to early June and from late September to October. July and August are the hottest months, with temperatures that can become very high during the day. They are also the months with the most tourists.
That said, I’d like to point out that it’s not easy to avoid tourists in Cappadocia because this area is so popular. The low season lasts just from November to March, just so you know. I selected to go to Cappadocia at the beginning of October, and there were still a lot of tourists there. The temps were nice during the day (not too hot, not too cold), but at night and early in the morning, they dropped to 3 °C to 6 °C.
What papers do you need to get into Türkiye?
As a Portuguese citizen, I only needed a valid passport to enter Türkiye (ideally with 6 months validity from the date of arrival in the country). As I didn’t need a visa, I could stay for a maximum of 90 days every 6 months.
How do you travel to Cappadocia?
First, you can drive or take a bus to Cappadocia. There are buses that go from the area to cities like Istanbul. But these trips take a long time, at least 8 hours and 30 minutes. TickYourList has all the information you need about schedules and costs right on their website.
But planes are usually about the same price as buses and are much faster (a flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia takes approximately an hour). Cappadocia has two airports:
The closest airport to Cappadocia is Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport.
Kayseri Erkilet International Airport is about an hour’s drive from Cappadocia, but it has more flights.
Nevşehir airport only flies to Istanbul, however Kayseri airport provides flights to other places, like Izmir, Antalya in Turkey, and other towns in Europe (many flights are only available during the busy season). For instance, I drove to Cappadocia, but I ended up flying from Kayseri to Istanbul. I took a Turkish Airlines flight that only cost 28€.
What’s the best way to get around in Cappadocia?
Even if the best things to do in Cappadocia are close to each other, driving is the easiest way to get about. The roads are in good shape, and parking isn’t too hard.
Since I was on a road trip through Türkiye, I had already transported the car from the Turkish Riviera and kept it while I was in Cappadocia. You can rent a car immediately in Cappadocia, either at one of the city’s airports or in one of the main cities.
You can also take guided tours to see the best parts of Cappadocia. This is a great choice for people who don’t have a car or don’t want to worry too much about what to see during the day.
The Red Tour and the Green Tour are the most popular tours. In fact, if you just go around the main tourist places in the area, you’ll quickly see that there are a lot of companies that offer this service. There are few outliers, but most of the excursions are rather similar, and these two are the most popular.
The Red Tour is the most popular because it goes to all the important attractions in Cappadocia. You can buy the Red Tour directly from Get Your Guide. You can cancel for free up to 24 hours before the activity. This tour lasts around 7 hours and includes a pottery class. It picks you up and drops you off at your hotel. It also stops at famous places including Love Valley, Monks Valley, Zelve Open Air Museum, Uçhisar Castle, and Devrent Valley.
The Green Tour is for those who prefer nature and less touristy places, although this tour also includes well-known places such as the underground city of Derinkuyu or the Ihlara Valley. During the 9-hour tour, you’ll also visit the Pigeon Valley, an onyx factory, Lake Narlı, Belisirma village and Selime Cathedral. Check availability for the Green Tour here.
Where is the finest place to stay in Cappadocia?
Göreme is one of the most popular places to look for a place to stay in Cappadocia Trip. There are a lot of places to stay in this small town, and it has a lot of souvenir shops and some of the greatest restaurants in the area. The environment around Göreme is also very beautiful.
If you want to rent a car in Cappadocia, though, any place to stay around Göreme (a few minutes’ drive away) is a great choice. Uçhisar, Çavuşin, Ortahisar, and even Ürgüp are other popular places. I selected to stay in Çavuşin, which is less than 10 minutes by vehicle from the center of Göreme.
Where to stay in Cappadocia
If Cappadocia Trip wasn’t already a dream, the hotels in this part of Turkey are also very nice. How many times have you thought about staying in a cave hotel? There are a lot of cave hotels in Cappadocia, and some of them are even the finest places to stay if you want to see balloons virtually every morning.
I haven’t slept in a hotel like this one (I liked my hotel; I’ll tell you all about it in a minute), but I saw a lot of them while I was looking for a place to stay. Here are what I think are the nicest cave hotels in Cappadocia:
I stayed at In Stone House in Çavuşin for two nights. It’s less than ten minutes by car from Göreme. This place was a lot cheaper than the cave motels (26€/night with breakfast) and it was amazing.
The service was great, the location was great, and the hotel’s outdoor space was also really nice. The room was also very big, especially the bathroom, and it was very comfy. It was fantastic that the room was always warm when I got back to it at the end of the day.
The breakfast service was rather basic, but it changed from day to day and was good. There was also usually hot tea available. This hotel was a great deal for the money, therefore I definitely suggest it.
Is it safe to go to Cappadocia?
I felt comfortable in all the areas I went in Türkiye, but Cappadocia Trip was the one where I felt the safest. I only went to the more touristy sections of Türkiye, which are in the western portion of the nation.
No matter what, I strongly suggest that you buy travel insurance for Türkiye ahead of time. This advice is mostly about probable health costs, not about any worries you might have about your safety while traveling around the country.
What currency is used in Türkiye and how to pay?
The Turkish currency is the Turkish lira (TRY). As of October 2023, the currency rate versus the Euro is 1€ = 29.85 TRY. Please note that this currency has been suffering from historic levels of inflation, therefore any price indicated throughout this post in lira may no longer be relevant. This is, in fact, the most likely thing to happen. While getting ready for this trip, I found pricing online that were different from the ones that are current.
I was pleasantly delighted to find that many stores, especially those in distant places, accept credit cards for small amounts. Still, you should always carry some cash on you because some places might not take cards.
I always paid with my Revolut card because it has a lot of good things about it. When you travel, one of the best things about using a Revolut card is that it doesn’t charge you extra fees for buying products in other currencies.
How to get internet in Türkiye?
When I got to Türkiye, I decided to get a SIM card at the airport right away. I was told to use Turk Telecom, and the service worked really well.
You may also acquire an e-SIM right before your vacation, which would save you some time when you get there. For instance, AirAlo has amazing e-SIM alternatives that start at 4.5€ and go up from there. For your first order, use MARIAN4315 to get $3 off.
How to save money while in Cappadocia?
You have to pay to get into several of Cappadocia’s attractions. But the Museum Pass Cappadocia lets you into most of the pricey attractions for free. You can buy this card for 1500 TRY (about 50€) at the first place you go in Cappadocia that accepts it. It works for three days after you first use it.
Here are all the spots that are on the card. I bought the Museum Pass because I was driving across Türkiye. It lets you visit a lot of museums in the country (not just in Cappadocia) for 15 days.
Map of Cappadocia in 2 Days
I will provide you a map of the important things to see in Cappadocia Trip to assist you plan your trip before we start this two-day schedule.
The best of Cappadocia in two days
This two-day itinerary in Cappadocia Trip will help you see and see the most essential things in the area so you can make the most of your time there.
Also, keep in mind that the itinerary is based on two full days, not including the time spent getting to and from Cappadocia.
Two days in Cappadocia—Day 1
Hot air balloon ride
Let’s begin with something that makes Cappadocia special.Hot air ballooning is actually the thing to do in Cappadocia!
It’s really easy why this experience happens on the first day. If the weather isn’t right, hot air balloons don’t always take off. So, it’s best to try to fly as early as you can on your vacation so that you have the best chance of being able to change your ticket to the next day(s) if you can’t go on the original date.
