How we spent five days in Cappadocia, Turkey

After five days on the beach in Antalya (and exploring ancient ruins, seeing the supposed birthplace of St Nicholas, and relaxing on a boat trip), we headed to Cappadocia.

In the heart of Turkey – now Türkiye – Cappadocia is best known for its stone formations referred to as ‘fairy chimneys,’ hot air balloons, and being the place where Christians sought refuge from the Roman empire. The area is small and fairly remote, but very popular with international tourists.

Things to do in Cappadocia

Despite being a small town surrounded by arid land, there’s plenty to do in Cappadocia. These were some of our favourite activities:

Take a hot air balloon ride
Go on the Green Route tour of Cappadocia
See the historic cave towns
Explore the fairy chimneys
Get up early to see the sunrise (and the balloons, if the weather is right!)
Eat and drink! We had some great food in Türkiye. Discover our favourite spots in my blog: the best places to eat and drink in Cappadocia.

Find out more about the best places we visited in our blog: Things to do in Cappadocia.

How to get to Cappadocia

There are a few ways to get to Cappadocia, and the most convenient routes all begin at Istanbul airport. Unless you fancy a very long drive across Türkiye, flying from Istanbul is pretty much your only option.

Flying from Istanbul to Cappadocia's closest airports – Nevshehir or Kayseri. This takes about 1.5 hours, and even though we were already in Türkiye we still had to fly from Dalaman to Istanbul as this is the only airport with direct flights to these small airports.

Nevshehir is about 40 minutes from Göreme, the main town centre in Cappadocia. Kayseri is about an hour away, and you can easily catch taxis, or shuttles arranged by the hotels in town.

Where to stay in Cappadocia

There are three towns centred around the main sights of Cappadocia: Göreme, Uçhisar, and Urgup. We chose Göreme, and were later told by a Turkish local in Patara that Göreme is considered to be the best of the three. When we got there, this was confirmed.

Though small, Göreme is a busy town filled with shops, restaurants, and amazing viewpoints across the valleys. While Uçhisar and Urgup are a little quieter with fewer restaurants and things to do on your doorstep.

Cave hotels are the norm in Cappadocia, and they range from incredible luxury to more affordable. As the town is small, almost any hotel you choose will be in easy walking distance from the sights of the town.

We went for a mid- to high-end hotel called Carus Cappadocia Hotel, which is a traditional cave hotel with a luxurious feel. As well as a cave-style pool! In June 2022, this cost us between £150-200 per night (and we got a room upgrade one night too!)

This came with a free breakfast buffet included, which was excellent. Haruna, the on-site bar and restaurant in Cappadocia, is one of the best-rated in the town. So we were lucky to be able to eat and drink here every day.

Do you need to rent a car in Cappadocia?

There is no need to rent a car in Cappadocia.

We caught a shuttle bus that was sorted by our hotel to get to and from the airport. And to get around the town, we walked. When visiting the other sights and for the hot air balloon ride, coaches were included in the package.

If you are unable to walk easily, there are taxis and even buses that can take you around town. But the incredibly narrow and steep roads are challenging even experienced for drivers. So it's best to leave the roads to the locals.

What to pack for a week in Cappadocia

The weather in Cappadocia in June was warm, with some wind but fortunately no rain. Unlike Antalya, where I didn’t even need a cover-up in the evening, the nighttime in Cappadocia can slightly cooler than you might expect from Türkiye in summer.

However, in winter, this region gets a lot of snowfall and the temperature can fall well below freezing. This weather can even carry on into the beginning of spring. So be sure to check the forecast before you pack!

This is what I packed for a four days in Cappadocia in June:

Two jumpsuits
Two dresses
A t-shirt
One pair of shorts
One pair of light trousers
A light outer layer
One pair of sandals
A pair of trainers
Regular daily toiletries + SPF

For my full packing list, read my blog: What to pack for a week in Cappadocia in June.