3 Days Cappadocia Tour from Istanbul (Choose Your Departure Time)

Hotel pick-up in Istanbul & transfer to the airport
We pick you up from your centrally located hotel in Istanbul and transfer you to the airport for your flight to Cappadocia. Pick-up time is arranged according to the departure option you choose (morning, midday or evening), so the program fits comfortably with your plans.

Flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia – choose your departure time
You fly from Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) to Cappadocia. You can request a morning, midday or evening flight, and we will offer the best available options for your date. The flight takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and lands at either Kayseri (ASR) or Nevşehir (NAV) Airport, depending on availability.

Exact departure and arrival times, airline and choice of Istanbul/Cappadocia airports depend on your travel date and seat availability. Final details will be clearly written on your confirmation voucher once tickets are issued.

Arrival in Cappadocia & transfer to your hotel
When you arrive in Cappadocia, our local staff meets you at the airport holding a sign with your name. You then travel by comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle to your hotel in a central town such as Göreme, Ürgüp or Uçhisar. During the ride you get your first look at the soft hills and rock formations that make Cappadocia so special.

Transfer time from the airport to your hotel depends on which airport you land at and traffic conditions on the day.

Check-in & free day in Cappadocia
After check-in, the rest of the day is free for you to enjoy at your own pace. You can take a short walk through the town, visit viewpoints, relax in a café, or simply rest at your hotel after your journey. If you like, you can also discuss optional activities with our team, such as booking a sunrise Cappadocia balloon ride for the next morning (subject to availability and extra cost).

Breakfast at the hotel
You start your morning with breakfast at the hotel. Take your time to enjoy a simple Turkish breakfast, prepare your camera and get ready for a full-day Cappadocia day tour.

~09:45 – Pick-up for the Cappadocia Red Tour
Your guide meets you at the hotel and you begin the classic Cappadocia Red Tour, a full-day program that focuses on fairy chimneys, old cave settlements and a pottery town in North Cappadocia.

• Devrent (Imagination) Valley – Walk among rock formations that look like animals and objects created by nature. It is a playful, other-worldly landscape where you can use your imagination and take fun photos.
• Paşabağ (Monks Valley) – See some of the most impressive fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, many with double and triple stone caps. Your guide explains how monks once lived in these rocks and why this valley is so famous.
• Zelve Open-Air Museum – Explore an abandoned cave town filled with rock-cut houses, churches and tunnels. As you walk through Zelve, you get a strong feeling of how people once lived inside the soft volcanic rock of Cappadocia.
• Avanos & Red River (Kızılırmak) – Visit the riverside town of Avanos, known for its long tradition of pottery. The town stands beside the Red River, and its clay has been used for ceramics since ancient times.
• Pottery Workshop in Avanos – Stop at a family-run pottery studio to watch a live demonstration on the wheel. You see how artisans shape the clay with their hands, and you may try it yourself for a personal Cappadocia memory.
• Göreme Panoramic Viewpoint – Enjoy a wide view over the valley and the cave houses around Göreme. From here you can imagine the same landscape during a Cappadocia hot air balloon tour at sunrise.
• Uçhisar Castle (Exterior View) – Finish the day with a photo stop at Uçhisar, the highest point in Cappadocia. The giant rock castle and surrounding cliffs create a dramatic natural skyline for your final Red Tour pictures.

Lunch at a local restaurant
A set-menu lunch at a local restaurant is included during the tour. It is a relaxed break where you can taste simple Turkish dishes, rest your feet and ask your guide more questions about the region.

Return to hotel around 17:00 & free time
At the end of the Red Tour, you are dropped back at your hotel. You have free time in the evening to explore Cappadocia by night, try a local restaurant or simply relax before the next day’s Yellow Tour.

Pick-up and drop-off times for the Red Tour can change slightly by season and by the location of your hotel. Your final schedule will be confirmed one day before the tour.