3 Days Cappadocia Tour from Istanbul (Explore Package)

Early transfer from your Istanbul hotel to the airport
In the early morning, 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 set so that you reach the airport comfortably before departure, giving you enough time for check-in and security.

Morning flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia
You fly from Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) to Cappadocia. The journey takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and usually lands at Kayseri (ASR) or Nevşehir (NAV) Airport. This early flight allows you to join your first Cappadocia tour on the same day.

Exact departure and arrival times, airline and choice of airports depend on your travel date and seat availability. All details are confirmed on your final travel documents after ticketing.

Arrival in Cappadocia & transfer to join the tour
On arrival, our local representative meets you at the airport with a sign showing your name. You then travel by air-conditioned vehicle towards the tour starting point. If there is spare time before the tour, you may stop at a small café or hotel to freshen up and have a quick break.

~09:45 – Start of Cappadocia Red Tour (North Cappadocia)
Your guide meets you and you begin the full-day Cappadocia Red Tour, which focuses on the northern part of the region. This day introduces you to some of the most famous views and rock formations in Cappadocia.

• Devrent (Imagination) Valley – Stroll between strange rock shapes that look like animals and objects formed by the wind and rain. It feels like walking through a natural sculpture park, and it is a fun place to take creative Cappadocia photos.
• Paşabağ (Monks Valley) – Visit an area filled with tall fairy chimneys, some with multiple caps stacked on top of each other. Your guide explains how monks and hermits once used these rocks as simple homes and chapels, giving you a sense of spiritual life in old Cappadocia.
• Zelve Open-Air Museum – Explore an old cave settlement where families lived inside the soft volcanic rock until the 20th century. You walk along paths that pass by rock houses, small churches and tunnels, seeing clearly how a cave town in Cappadocia worked in daily life.
• Avanos & Red River (Kızılırmak) – Stop in the town of Avanos, famous for traditional pottery made from the red clay of the river. The town has a relaxed feel, with bridges and riverside views that show a softer side of Cappadocia tours.
• Pottery Workshop Demonstration – Visit a local workshop to watch artisans shape the clay on a foot-powered wheel. You see how simple mud becomes detailed bowls and vases, and you may try the wheel yourself for a hands-on Cappadocia experience.
• Panoramic View of Göreme – Enjoy a wide-angle view over Göreme and the surrounding valleys full of chimneys and cave homes. From here it is easy to imagine a Cappadocia hot air balloon tour floating over the same scenery at sunrise.
• Uçhisar Castle (Exterior View) – Finish the touring day with a photo stop near Uçhisar, the highest point in the region. The natural rock castle and steep cliffs create a dramatic skyline that you will see in many photos of Cappadocia.

Lunch during the tour
A set-menu lunch at a local restaurant is included. This gives you time to rest, taste simple Turkish dishes and ask your guide any questions about the area.

~17:00 – End of tour & check-in to your Cappadocia hotel
After the tour ends around ~17:00, you are transferred to your hotel, where you check in and have free time. You can relax in your room, take a short evening walk through town or find a terrace to watch the rocks change color as the sun sets.

~09:45 – Pick-up for the Cappadocia Yellow Tour
Your guide collects you from the hotel around ~09:45 and you set off on the full-day Yellow Tour. This route highlights colorful valleys, a historic village and an atmospheric underground city.

• Red Valley – Walk among red and orange rock walls that change tone with the light. The paths are gentle, and you have many chances to stop for quiet landscape views far away from heavy traffic.
• Rose (Güllüdere) Valley – Continue along a neighboring valley where the rocks have soft, rounded shapes and hidden cave chapels. This area feels peaceful and gives you time to enjoy the natural side of Cappadocia tours.
• Çavuşin Village – Visit a village with old stone houses and rock rooms carved into the cliffs behind it. Your guide talks about how people lived here, and you can see clearly how cave and stone architecture are mixed together.
• Pigeon Valley Viewpoint – Stop at a viewpoint overlooking a valley full of small pigeon houses cut into the rocks. For many years, locals collected pigeon droppings for fertilizer, and today this viewpoint is one of the iconic photo stops in Cappadocia.
• Underground City – Explore one of Cappadocia’s underground cities, a multi-level shelter used in times of danger. As you move through narrow tunnels, meeting rooms and storage areas, you discover a hidden underground world that most visitors only see in photos.

Lunch during the tour
Lunch at a local restaurant is included again. This is a good break to rest, drink tea or coffee and talk with your guide about daily life in the region.

~17:00 – End of Yellow Tour & overnight in Cappadocia
The Yellow Tour usually ends around ~17:00. You are dropped back at your hotel and have the evening free. You might enjoy a relaxed dinner, a short walk through the streets or simply rest before your last full day on the Green Tour.