Best Things to Do in Cappadocia in 3 Days or More

Besides hot air ballooning, there are plenty of other things to do in Cappadocia in 3 days (or even more). It is an area full of unique rock formations that make it a magical place to visit.

Feeling like you are flying without actually flying. The truth is that if it were up to us, we would only have posted photos of the hot air balloons that fill the sky every morning. We have thousands of that magical moment (and we don’t fly). But it is also true that in Cappadocia there is more than just balloons.

Cappadocia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the protection of this unique lunar landscape and its historical and cultural heritage. Together, they make the places to see in Cappadocia visited by thousands and thousands of tourists every year.

🔘 Check out the rest of the World Heritage Sites we have visited.

On the one hand, this particular scenario is due to the continuous erosion of wind and rain over millions of years. With the formation of the Taurus mountain range in southern Anatolia, many depressions were formed and filled by magma and other volcanic elements. As these depressions disappeared, wind and rain have taken a leading and patient role in forming valleys, pinnacles and natural caves.

On the other hand, this area has been inhabited for centuries, even before Christ; it is mentioned by the Greeks, in the Bible and other historical books. Inside these caves, whether artificial or natural, churches have been built whose frescoes are one of the main tourist attractions to see in Cappadocia. As an area that has suffered many invasions, it is also famous for its underground cities that have been home to more than 20,000 people and animals.

Map – Things to do in Cappadocia in 3 days or more

Cappadocia was the first thing we visited in Turkey and it did not disappoint. We spent 3 full days there and it was a bit short, especially when travelling on our own, on a low budget and not hiring an excursion.

💯 Take a look at this 7 to 15 days itinerary in Turkey.

What to consider when visiting Cappadocia?

– Cappadocia for free?

Except for the Open Air Museum and hot air ballooning, most of the Cappadocia area is available without having to spend a lira. There are many things to do in Cappadocia without paying, especially walking through the arid valleys full of spectacular scenery.

– A note on place names in Cappadocia

When you are walking through the valleys, it is very difficult to know exactly where you are. Depending on the map you find it may be called this or that, some names are in Turkish and some are in English. When does one valley start and the other end? In this article we will try to locate some of them as we have experienced them and adapting it to what the maps say so that you too can go where we have been.

When looking at the maps what you have to know is that “vadesi” is valley and “kilise” is church.

– Take a tour to Cappadocia from Göreme

There are many things to see in Cappadocia, which we will detail below. But if you only have a few days to spare, don’t miss the following multi-day tours.

• Cappadocia 2 Day Tour.

– Stay in Göreme

Göreme is the perfect place to stay, as it is not only the starting point for everything there is to see in Cappadocia, but it is also like a huge open-air museum. You’ll see how the locals live amongst rock formations, cliffs and the famous chimneys that look like something out of a fairy tale.

We found the prices in Göreme to be higher than in neighbouring villages because it relies almost entirely on tourism, but it’s still worth staying there to feel the magic of the place.

So… What are the things to do in Cappadocia in 3 days?

1) Open Air Museum

As one of the must-see places to visit in Cappadocia, it is advisable to go early in the morning.

Inside the enclosure, following a cobbled path, you can discover Byzantine churches and monasteries inside the tall chimneys. These have chapels, domes and frescoes dating from the 11th century depicting the figures of saints and religious scenes. Some churches are somewhat dark inside, which is perfect for the preservation of the frescoes inside.

If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to visit the Open Air Museum, there are more churches in the valley that are free to enter, although their frescoes are not in as good a condition.

2) Color tours

Every pansiyon and cave hotel in Göreme will offer you different color tours: red, green, blue and yellow, the first two being the most popular. Usually the price includes entrance fees, food and guide.

• North – Goreme and Devrent Valley Tour.
• South – Cavusin and Kaymakli Tour.

This is a “model” of the map with the different tours. We got it from the Cappadocia Tours website, it is just an example.

✏️ Recommendation: If you are staying in Göreme and want to do one of these tours, I would go for the green one. It is further away from the city and visits the subway cities and Ilhara valley.

3) Trekking in the Pink and Red Valleys

The trek through the Pink Valley and the Red Valley is one of the things to do in Cappadocia if you have 3 days. It was one of the walks that we enjoyed the most because of the rock formations that we found, the hidden churches and the landscape in general.

The walk took about 4 hours and we started in Göreme, where we were staying. We passed outside the Open Air Museum, through a campsite and took a detour on a dirt road that leads away from the road and goes inland to the north, to the village of Çavuşin, through some labyrinthine and colourful valleys.

The trek is very easy, although it is very easy to get lost. Below is a map that you will find while you are trekking. But also remember that you can download super useful apps to follow the trail offline (like maps.me).

⭐ Our tip: Do the trail in the afternoon and after 4 hours of walking you will surely be surprised by the sunset. By turning off the main road through the Red Valley and then taking the green and blue road, you will find that the best views are there.

❤️ The place where we went to see the balloons in the mornings is where it says “Güllüdere 1”. It is also marked on the map attached in the article.

4) Churches inside the caves

You can’ t only see the churches in the Open Air Museum. Throughout the valley, there are many more hidden in the caves, with their original frescoes. They may be not so well preserved, or not so easily accessible, but they can be visited free of charge.

5) Trekking the rest of the valleys:

a) Love Valley

A short distance south of Göreme and easily accessible on foot, the “Valley of Love” is one of the many valleys to see in Cappadocia. It is named after the rocky towers that have been eroded in a peculiar way.

b) Fairy Chimney Valley

This valley is further away from Göreme, to the north, near Çavuşin. We also knew it as the Valley of the Monks, although it is also called “Fairy Chimney”. Admission is free.

You can visit the churches in the caves from the inside and go a bit further away from where the people are, to see the scenery from above.

c) Pigeon Valley, trekking to Uçhisar

This trek is not as attractive as the Pink Valley trek, but it is worth doing if you want to visit Uçhisar and its castle. The road across the Pigeon Valley starts from Göreme to the southeast. The road is easy to follow, but not very well signposted.

This valley is so called because in the past there were pigeon farms where pigeons were fed, and their dung was used as manure and fertiliser.

6) Visiting Uçhisar Castle

Uçhisar is a village only 5 km away from Göreme, so we walked there through the Pigeon Valley. Uçhisar Castle is the highest point of Cappadocia and is part of many of its postcards. It can be visited inside, and the entrance fee is not very expensive. Also, from up there you have a beautiful view of Göreme and the whole valley, that is why it is one of the things to do in Cappadocia.

💯 Our tip: Take the opportunity to go at sunset, when the sun gives the valley a special colour.

✏️ The entrance fee to visit the Uçhisar Castle is around 1.50 €.

7) Underground cities of Derinkuyu

The underground cities and the history behind them are well worth a visit.

The underground city of Derinkuyu is located 35 km from Göreme and is one of almost 200 known underground cities to see in Cappadocia. It is 85 metres deep and has 20 levels of which only the top 8 are visitable.

All of them were built as a hiding place and refuge due to the large number of attacks that used to be received in the area. The houses and dwellings were interconnected through passages. To provide further protection, some traps were built on the surface.

Some 20,000 people could live there, as well as animals. There was everything: cellars, wine cellars, stables, storage rooms, churches, schools…

The kitchens were at the top and were the busiest areas. There are ventilation pipes, which sometimes served to communicate between the different levels. At the same time, water was used from underground springs that had no contact with the surface so that the “enemy” would not poison them.

In the first picture you can see an illustration of the tunnel system. It is among the interesting things to do in Cappadocia.

✏️ The entrance fee is the equivalent of 6 euros if you go on your own to the site. In our opinion, it’s better to go with a guide who can explain something to you.

⚠️ Claustrophobics beware! There are corridors that are very narrow and the feeling of confinement does not go unnoticed. If you remember, in addition to hiring a guide, bring torches.

8) Hot air ballooning in Cappadocia – a must!

Hot air ballooning is the most coveted adventure of a trip to Cappadocia, and that is if you can afford it: DO IT.

• Book here the Hot Air Balloon Ride in Cappadocia

If at the time you visit Cappadocia you don’t have the chance to fly in a hot air balloon because your budget doesn’t allow it, as was our case, or you are afraid of heights or whatever, we tell you how we did to enjoy the tremendous spectacle from the ground.

• You have to get up early. At the time we went (September), the balloons began to leave at about 5:30. So we got up around 4:15 and walked about 2 km to reach our strategic point (in the map above we show you the area where we have gone to see it in the morning).
• The weather conditions have to be favorable for the balloons to take off. Sometimes it happens that you still have to get up early and go there to find out that the balloons are not going to come out, which is what happened to us the first two days. In our case, the third day was the last day, and we were able to see the balloons. And then the fourth day as well.
• Charge the camera battery. Fundamental. Whether you fly or not, you won’t want to stop taking pictures.

It is one of the top things to do in Cappadocia, so don’t miss it!

The story of “when the Chinese man proposed to the Chinese woman”.

After taking more than 400 photos, with a cold “mate”, and an indescribable joy for such a spectacle, there in the distance I saw a balloon descending rapidly towards what looked like a sign.

I zoomed in with the camera with the suspicion, later confirmed, of what I was going to find: the balloon was approaching a sign that said: “will you marry me?”

I showed the photo to Juan with the reproachful look of, “you’re going to have to beat this.”

But it didn’t end there. As we were walking back to Göreme, we passed right by the spot where the happy couple had landed. What a coincidence!

We showed the photo to them and to the organizers, who invited us to the champagne and chocolate strawberries that were there in honor of the future bride and groom. Obviously, we refused: imagine eating everything the Chinese couple had paid for.

However, we did agree to be taken to the village by the tour company. There we asked the guys about the logistics of this special flight. They told us that the Chinese man had booked it two months in advance and that he had paid 1500 euros for the flight alone, with the breakfast or toast afterwards, the transfers, the poster and so on.

---

Useful information to visit Cappadocia

Buy your travel insurance and travel safe!

– Getting to Cappadocia

Traveling by plane from Istanbul to Cappadocia

The most common is to travel by plane from Istanbul, since in an hour and a half you are in any of the two airports in Cappadocia. These are:

• Nevsehir airport, the closest, about 45 minutes by car.
• Kayseri airport, a little further, about 60 – 70 minutes by car.

🚐 If you want to hire a transfer from/to Capadocia airport for more comfort, check here.

You can also come on a multi-day tour from Istanbul:

📷 Check this Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus 6-Day Trip from Istanbul and enjoy the ride!

Traveling by train within Turkey

It is possible to travel by train within Turkey. If you are going to tour the country, you may want to buy a pass to travel within the country. On the following Interrail page you will find the rail maps.

Travel from Batumi to Cappadocia

Our experience! We arrived from Batumi, Georgia (860 km north) and the whole trip took us 19 hours. We were on our 14-month trip through Europe and Asia.

We crossed the Georgia-Turkey border and took a bus to Nevşehir. Then, every half hour, a free bus passes by and drops you off at the main traffic circle in Göreme.

These are the prices of the different transports we took from Batumi in Georgia to Cappadocia in Turkey – 2015 prices (but for your reference, their equivalent in euros).

• From Batumi to Sarpi (border), less than 0.50 €.
• From border to Kemalpasa, less than 0.80 €.
• From Kemalpasa to Hopa, around 2 €.
• From Hopa to Nevsehir, around 25 €.

• Buy here your bus ticket to travel around Europe.

---

Pin it!