3 Days Cappadocia Tour from Istanbul by Plane

Day 1: Flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia, Devrent and Pasabag Valleys, Avanos and Zelve

An early transfer collects you from your Istanbul hotel on the European side and drops you at the domestic terminal for the short morning flight to Kayseri or Nevsehir. Your guide is waiting when you land and drives you straight into Cappadocia to make the most of a full day. You start at Devrent Valley, a curious stretch of eroded rock where the shapes really do begin to look like animals and figures once you get your eye in. Next comes Pasabag Valley, also known as Monks Valley, where tall mushroom-capped pinnacles rise from the ground and monks once cut cells into the stone to live apart from the world.

From there you carry on to the riverside town of Avanos, sitting on the Kizilirmak, the Red River. Pottery has been made here for a very long time, and you’ll watch a local craftsman work clay on the wheel using methods handed down through the generations. Lunch is included. In the afternoon you explore the Zelve Open-Air Museum, a cluster of cave homes, churches and old monastic rooms carved deep into the cliffs, which gives you a real feel for how people once lived across this landscape.

Before the day wraps up there’s a short photo stop looking across at Uchisar and its towering natural rock castle. You can’t go inside for safety reasons, but the view earns the pause. Afterwards you’re taken to your cave hotel to check in for the night.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Lunch

Day 2: Red Valley, Rose Valley, Cavusin, Pigeon Valley and Kaymakli or Ozkonak Underground City

If you fancy it, an optional hot air balloon flight at sunrise is easy to arrange for an early lift over the valleys before breakfast (extra cost, booked separately). After breakfast your guide collects you and the day begins at Red Valley, known for its rock-cut churches and the deep red running through the cliffs. From there you set off on a gentle walk of around five kilometres through Rose Valley, passing odd rock shapes and small cave chapels tucked along the trail.

You then reach Cavusin, with its old stone houses and churches, once home to Christian clergy who lived and worshipped here. Lunch is included and taken along the way. Afterwards you visit Pigeon Valley, named for the countless dovecotes cut into the soft rock faces, where locals kept pigeons for their droppings and used them as fertiliser.

The afternoon takes you underground into either Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City, depending on the day. These carved-out warrens of tunnels, storerooms and living spaces sheltered early Christian communities in times of danger. You’re returned to your cave hotel afterwards for a second night in Cappadocia.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Selime and flight back to Istanbul

After breakfast you head out for the final full day, starting deep below ground at Derinkuyu Underground City. This is one of the largest of its kind, with level upon level of tunnels, wells, kitchens and living quarters cut by early Christians who hid here in troubled times. The scale and the cleverness of it are hard to grasp until you’re walking through it.

From there you drive to the green cut of Ihlara Valley, once known as Peristerema. You’ll see several rock-cut churches and walk around four kilometres along the Melendiz River, with the canyon walls rising on either side. Lunch is included at a traditional restaurant in the valley, a quiet spot for some local cooking. On the way back you stop at Selime, where a large monastery complex is carved into striking rock formations at the mouth of the valley.

Later in the afternoon your guide transfers you to Kayseri or Nevsehir airport for your evening flight back to Istanbul. Please note that transport from Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) to your hotel on arrival isn’t part of the package, so you’ll want to arrange that separately. This is where our service ends.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

Inclusions

• Hotel pickup in Istanbul and airport transfers in Cappadocia
• Return domestic flights Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevsehir
• 2 nights in a Cappadocia cave hotel with breakfast
• English-speaking licensed guide
• Lunch on all three days
• Entrance fees on the program
• Local taxes and service charges

Exclusions

• Return airport drop-off from IST or SAW to your hotel
• Hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia
• Optional tours and activities
• Drinks with meals
• Personal expenses and gratuities
• Travel insurance