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.
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.
What to consider when visiting Cappadocia?
How many days are needed to visit Cappadocia?
At least two days are necessary to tour Cappadocia. We are talking about visiting the Open Air Museum, hiking through one of the valleys, flying in a hot air balloon and visiting one of the villages in the area such as Uchisar.
If you want to see Cappadocia in more depth to walk through more valleys or do some other tours, we recommend visiting Cappadocia in 3 days.
– 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.
– Cappadocia 4 Day Tour from Istanbul.
– Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus 6 Day Trip from Istanbul.
– Where to stay when visiting Cappadocia
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) Do one of the colour tours with an agency
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.
📷 Check here for the following tours to tour Cappadocia like a pro with an English speaking guide:
– South Cappadocia tour: visit the red and pink valleys, the village of Çavusin and the underground village of Kaymakli.
– Northern Cappadocia tour: Goreme open air museum, Uçhisar castle and the famous Fairy chimneys.
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) Trekkings to do in Cappadocia on your own
a) Trekking through the Pink Valley
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.
b) Valley of Love
A short distance south of Göreme and easily accessible on foot, is the “Valley of Love” and is one of the many valleys to see in Cappadocia. It is named after the rocky towers that have eroded in a peculiar way.
c) Fairy Chimneys Valley Trekking
This valley is located further away from Göreme, to the north, near Çavuşin. We knew it also as the Valley of the Monks, although it is also called “Fairy Chimney”. Entrance is free of charge.
You can visit the churches in the caves from the inside and go a bit away from where the people are, to see the scenery from above.
d) Trekking through the Pigeon Valley
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 that crosses the Pigeon Valley starts from Göreme to the southeast. The road is easy to do, but it is not very well signposted.
This valley is so called because in the past there were pigeon farms, where they were fed, and their dung was used as manure and fertilizer.
4) Churches inside the caves
Not only can you see the churches at the Open Air Museum. While trekking, you also have to pay attention to the signposts along the way.
Throughout the valley, there are many churches hidden in the caves carved into the chimneys, with their original frescoes. Perhaps they are not in such good condition, or their access is not so easy (in some cases you have to climb because they are very high), but you can visit them for free.
5) 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.
6) 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.
⚠️ 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.
7) 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.
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!
Useful information to visit Cappadocia
Where to stay in Cappadocia
The first thing to know is that Cappadocia is not a city per se, but an area. So when looking for a place to stay the best, in our opinion, is the town of Göreme.
Despite being too touristy, Göreme is strategically located with respect to the most important places to visit in Cappadocia and it is also where the hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and travel agencies are concentrated.
🔝 Check out this article with our recommended places to stay in Cappadocia.
Although for the backpacker the best price can be found in the “pansiyones” or pensions, if you come to Cappadocia the MUST is to stay in a “cave hotel“. Many of them are built inside the same rocks that make the area famous. We have a recommendation:
- Cave Hotel Saksagan: Our choice! It was a great choice, as the location of the hotel is excellent, close to the sights of Cappadocia, a few metres from the bus station and therefore from restaurants and agencies. Our room was very comfortable and overlooked the city, with the rock formations in the background. The breakfast was very complete and tasty. The attention from the staff was very polite and friendly.
Other recommendations to stay in Cappadocia
In any case, there are plenty of places to stay in all the villages surrounding Cappadocia. Here are some more recommendations:
- Terra Cave Hotel: located in Goreme, it is a cave hotel in a 19th century house with very elegant touches and a terrace to have breakfast and watch the balloons fly. The rooms are very spacious and decorated with objects from the region.
- Uchisar Kaya Otel: located in Uchisar, with formidable views both from the room and from the terrace. The breakfast is very varied and abundant, has an outdoor swimming pool, sauna and Turkish bath.
Getting to Cappadocia
How to get to Cappadocia from Istanbul
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.
Also note that you can go to Cappadocia on an 2 Day excursion from Istanbul. Includes flights anda cave hotel.
Travelling by train within Turkey
It is possible to travel by train within Turkey. If you are touring the country, you may want to buy a rail pass to travel within the country.
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