Cappadocia Tour: 3-Day Scenic Adventure from Istanbul

Embark on a 3-day tour from Istanbul and discover the wonders of Cappadocia. Explore rock-cut churches, marvel at fairy chimneys, and experience a breathtaking hot air balloon ride. Don’t miss out on this remarkable adventure!

Duration: 3 days
Cancellation: 3 days learn more
Highlights

Flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia - Full Day Cappadocia Tour - Overnight at Cappadocia

Istanbul - Your travel experience begins with a departure transfer from your hotel to the airport in Istanbul. The driver will meet you at the reception of your hotel or at your Airbnb address, provided it is accessible for car parking. From there, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia. This departure transfer and domestic flight ticket are included for the bookings to the options of “Standard Package” - “Premium Package” - “Ultimate Package”.

Cappadocia - Upon arriving at Cappadocia airport, your driver will greet you and transport you to your hotel in Cappadocia, which is approximately an hour away. The driver will be waiting for you at the airport’s arrival terminal exit, holding a sign with your name on it.

Mustafapasa - The most of the tours are show you only panaromic views of the some valleys and fairy chimneys in Cappadocia because of the entrance fee costs. You won’t fully experience the history and geography of Cappadocia. Our guided tours, especially today’s guided tour is present you ancient and most important places of Cappadocia district. After hundreds feedback from our guests we created this for the guests who concern and wonder the historical, cultural and architectural heritages of Cappadocia. Your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel on and depar for to special day trip which organise by only us.

Keslik Monastery - Keslik Monastery is a sprawling cave monastery complex with two churches, a large refectory hall, a sacred spring, and endless cave rooms. Located in an idyllic garden setting, this is the most expansive monastery in Cappadocia. This site has been used and developed in many ways throughout the course of 2,000 years. This area was a gravesite in pre-Christian Roman times, a large communal monastery during the Byzantine era, and now a tourist site in modern Turkey.

Sobesos Ancient City - Sobesos Ancient City was discovered by accident in 2002. The city, which is one of the mirrors of Cappadocia’s history, was unearthed as a result of a 3-year archaeological excavation. As a result of the excavations, it has been observed that there are many motifs embroidered on colored stones. Especially the floor mosaics are made with interesting geometric patterns.

Uchisar - Uchisar is a town which accommodate the best restaurants in Cappadocia. These restaurant are uncrowded and not touristic restaurants. You will take your lunch one of the great restaurant on here today.

Pigeon Valley - Which is located in Uchisar town to have one of the best panaromic viev of the region. That site also covers lots of pigeon houses which are builty bye the ancient inhabitants of the region. If you like, you can able to visit popular onxy stone factory of the region.

Kaymakli Underground City - Kaymakli, one of the major underground cities of Cappadocia, consists of 8 floors. However, as in many underground cities, not all floors are open to tourists. In the city, the first floor is separated for the animals to go out easily. Establish a connection between the churches and other living spaces with the corridors separated from the stables. Kaymakli Underground City, which has astounding sections such as warehouses, kitchens, cemeteries, mughouse, and copper processing workshop, still contains hidden underground tunnels that have not been fully revealed.

Cappadocia - At the conclusion of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Cappadocia.

Hot Air Balloon Ride (Optional) - Full Day Cappadocia Tour - Overnight at Cappadocia

Cappadocia Balloon Tours - Hot Air Balloon Ride (INCLUDED FOR ONLY ON OPTION OF “ULTIMATE PACKAGE”) : Get ready for a wonderful experience unique to Cappadocia! We will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the balloon site where you will have the opportunity to watch the balloon being prepared for your flight. The flight will be at sunrise time, where your pilot will climb to a comfortable altitude of about 700 to 1000 meters above ground level. It is from this elevation that you will marvel at the beauty of Cappadocia below you. During certain segments of the flight our pilots are also capable of flying as low as 1 meter above the rock formations which will allow you perfect photo taking opportunities. Duration of total activity is approx 3 hours, and total duration of flight is approx 60 minutes. There will be a champagne celebration at end of the flight. At the conclusion of the balloon ride, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Cappadocia.

Urgup - Your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel between 9:30am and 10:00am (approximately) to begin the Red Tour of Cappadocia. First, you’ll visit the most famous trio of fairy chimneys, known as the Three Beauties. These iconic formations are the official symbol of both Ürgüp and Cappadocia.

TokalI Church - Buckle Church (Tokalı Kilise) in the Göreme Open Air Museum stands out as the most exquisite of the Cappadocian cave churches. Its interior features some of the most exceptional mural paintings, both in terms of theological and artistic value. The church itself is a complex comprising four churches and a hermitage, all from the 900s. Once the most renowned church in ancient times, it continues to be one of the most remarkable churches today.

Goreme Open-Air Museum - Here is the monastery, including the rock cut churches, kitchens, wineries, storages and living rooms left from Anatolian Christians. Goreme Open Air Museum is listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Ortahisar - Weaving is a significant aspect of Turkish culture, with roots that trace back to Central Asia. This ancient tradition is still alive in Cappadocia today. During our tour, we’ll take a brief visit to a cooperative where world-renowned Turkish carpets are crafted, offering you the chance to learn about the intricate details of this age-old art form.

Uchisar Castle - Uchisar rock castle is one of the biggest landmarks of Cappadocia. It is the highest tuff hill in the area with beautiful views of the surrounding valley full of bizarre rock formations. (Visits to the rock castle are not included due to walking difficulties and safety concerns. Instead, you will have a stop for a panoramic view of the rock castle.)

Avanos Oren Yeri - Today’s lunch will be served at a local restaurant in Avanos, where you’ll have the opportunity to try “Testi Kebab,” a traditional kebab unique to the Cappadocia region. (Vegetarian options are also available at the same restaurant.) Avanos is well-known for its charming old town with cobblestone streets and scenic river views. Formerly known as Venessa, the ancient city of Avanos overlooks the Kızılırmak (Red River), the longest river in Turkey, which separates Avanos from the rest of Cappadocia. A notable historical feature of Avanos, still prominent today, is its earthenware pottery production, which remains a key economic activity in the town. The ceramic industry in this area, with its numerous pottery workshops, dates back to the Hittites, and the clay sourced from the red silt of the Kızılırmak has been used for centuries. You will have a short stop for get this experience during your tour.

Devrent Valley - Which is also known as Imagination Valley. Valley contains many animal shaped rocks which are mostly in red colour. Some of the most frequent shapes is like Camel.

Fairy Chimneys - Cappadocia is famous for its unique landforms. The Fairy Chimneys are the most obvious places to visit where these landforms are best seen and the common life of humankind and nature. On this tour, you will have seen many examples of the Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia.

Cappadocia - At the conclusion of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Cappadocia.

Flight Back to Istanbul

Cappadocia - You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Cappadocia airport for your flight back to Istanbul. (The return flight tickets to Istanbul will be included for the guests who booked the options of “Standard Package” - “Premium Package” - “Ultimate Package”.)

İstanbul - Once you’ve booked this trip package, please share your preferred return flight timing with the service provider (tour operator). If you don’t provide this information, the service provider (tour operator) may arrange your return flight for any time of the day.

What's Included
  • Hotel pick-up & drop-off services in Cappadocia (Included on All Options)
  • 2 nights accommodation at boutique / special class hotel including breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Hotel pick-up & drop-off services in Istanbul (Excluded on option of Flexible Package)
  • Breakfast
  • Entrance fees of museums, national parks, ruins mentioned in the itinerary
  • Roundtrip flight tickets from Istanbul (Excluded on option of Flexible Package)
  • Hot air balloon ride (Included on option of Ultimate Package)
  • Professional tour guide who licenced by Ministry of Culture and Tourism
  • Semi-Private day trips - Max 10 guests guarantee for each guided day trips
  • Guided tour(s) : Northern Cappadocia Tour, Southern Cappadocia Tour
What's Not Included
  • Dinner & Drinks
Additional Information

Maximize your time at the most popular destination in Turkey with a 3-day tour from Istanbul. Local guides share the spectacular scenery and rich history of Cappadocia as you see ancient rock-cut churches, fairy chimneys, traditional villages, and more. Includes hot air balloon tour, two nights accommodation, roundtrip flights between Istanbul and Cappadocia, guided day tours, and most meals.

  • The prices of package are valid for accommodation at the double or triple room. If you would like add accommodation on single room(s) to your booking, there could be supplement cost. There are not going to be any extra cost for bookings of single / solo travelers. They will already accommodate at single room.
  • The pre-planned hotels are “Zeydem Suites Cave Hotel” and “1811 Cave Boutique Hotel” for your accommodation on this travel. You can choose one of them while booking. If these hotels (which you preferred) are not available for standard/superior rooms on your travel dates, the service provider (tour operator) can replace it with an equivalent hotel. IMPORTANT NOTE (SUGGESTION) 1811 Cave Hotel is a historical heritage building and it doesn’t have AC in rooms because of that. If you travel in July-August, we highly suggest you upgrade your booking to option of “Premium Package” or “Ultimate Package”.
  • The service provider (tour operator) will send e-tickets of your domestic flights at three days before your departure date. You will not need the print out copies of the tickets for domestic flights. Your passport and reservation number on the tickets will be enough for check-in to plane.
  • The service provider (tour operator) can request your some passport details for the bookings of your flight tickets. If you do not share the details, your domestic flight tickets can not bookable.
  • You will have 15kg luggage + 8kg hand bag quota per person for each domestic flight. If you will need more luggage capacity, please inform that to the service provider (tour operator). There could be some extra fee for luggage quotas more than 15kg.
  • The check-in time of the hotels is 02.00pm. If hotel rooms will be available for early check-in on first day of your trip, hotel managment and the service provider (tour operator) will provide early check-in to room for you.
  • If your return hotel is different than pick-up hotel, please inform that detail immediately. If you inform that detail after organised your flight tickets, the service provider (tour operator) can request extra cost because of the distances between the airports and some hotels. If you inform this type changes on service day (last day of your trip), the service provider (tour operator) do not accept this last minute amending and drop you to your pick-up hotel.
  • If your pick-up / drop-off hotels are inside of airports (IST and SAW airports) the service provider (tour operator) do not provide any hotel pick-up / drop-off service in Istanbul.
  • Hot air ballooning is a fully weather-dependent activity and the Civil Aviation Authority determines whether the flight will be held. If your flight is cancelled due to inclement weather conditions, you are entitled to a partial refund. In such a case, your refund will be processed by the day after of that trip. Your refund rate will be the difference between options of “Ultimate Package” and “Premium Package” for the cancellations of the hot air balloon ride.
  • The Standard Balloon Ride has an One-hour approximately flight duration with 20 to 28 people capacity basket. The flight duration could be 50-55 minutes or 65-70 minutes. This situation depend the weather conditions before landing, and pilots are decide to that within the safety rules of Civil Aviation Authority. Total activity duration is approximately 3 hours.
  • If you did not book the option of “Ultimate Package”, you can not get any service for hot air balloon ride which advertised/offered at the paragpraph of the descriptions about the Hot Air Balloon Ride.
  • If you do not use any service or give up join to activities / tours / airport transfers, that’s meaning is going to be last minute cancellation. Because of that, there is not going to be any refund for that.
  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required.
  • Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking.
  • Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults. If you will be 1 adult + 1 child, the service provider (tour operator) can request & charge the amount of 2 adults.
  • The children who 5 years old and under are not allowed to balloon tours (option of Ultimate Package).
Location
İstanbul
Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings
4.1
(11 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Alison_m
Jun 20, 2024
Incredible Experience - We LOVED this experience! Our tour guide Yeshir was super knowledgeable and grew up in Cappadocia so it was nice to get a locals perspective. He usually gave us some info about the stop but also often let us wander around the sites on our own so we had some flexibility which was a perfect combination. There are a lot of logistics involved with traveling to Cappadocia (airport transfers, tickets for each museum site, meals, transportation around the city, etc.) so it was really nice to have all the pre-coordinated for us. The Viator support was AWESOME and available 24hrs even for our early morning 3am pickups. A month or so before we left for the trip we didn’t hear back when emailing through Viator but I called customer service and got their direct number through WhatsApp and after that it was perfect they were super helpful and quick to respond. The sunrise balloon ride was definitely a highlight, the pictures don’t even capture how breathtaking it was and our balloon company was definitely one of the best, they knew how to navigate it to make sure we had the best views! One of my friends is scared of heights but she loved the hot air balloon ride too, it’s very peaceful and moves slowly so it wasn’t a problem. Additionally, we upgraded to the Zeydem hotel & suites which we would HIGHLY recommend! It will give you the option to upgrade at check-out and it wasn’t even that much more expensive, but it was beautiful and they have a restaurant inside which the standard one doesn’t. It includes breakfast and you can get dinner and wine there too which was nice after a long day of activities. Lastly, the tour itself was a busy itinerary but it was great to get to see all the main sites of the city. You get to walk deep underground in the underground city and the views at Uchir castle were unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Some reviews didn’t like how they take you to some expensive “handicraft” shops like ceramics, Turkish rugs, etc. but we actually liked the variety and it was cool to meet the locals and hear about their craft. They didn’t pressure you to buy anything and it was also nice to be indoors during the hottest times of the day. Overall we felt it was planned and organized super well and we couldn’t be happier with our trip!
Review provided by Viator
Samuel_l
Apr 3, 2023
1811 Cave Hotel was top... - 1811 Cave Hotel was top quality. Staff was very friendly and nice. Solomon was a very good guide. We loved it. Viator (and the local company)was very professional. We did not get to go on the hot air balloon ride because of the weather, unfortunately.
Review provided by Viator
Rafael_o
Dec 22, 2022
Amazing experience - It was amazing, doing it through viator was the best decision, we've met travellers not being able to fly. Really pleased
Review provided by Viator
Darcy_g
Aug 11, 2022
Ballon Ride is out of this world. - From our hotel (Cappadocia Hotel) to the balloon ride experience, going to Cappadocia when you are in Turkey is must.
Review provided by Viator
Carlos_b
Nov 15, 2021
Greatest experience !! - My first time with Viator and was the greatest experience. Very organized schedule, great locations selection and always supporting my trip via WhatsApp. Very very recommended !!
Review provided by Viator
Gwenda_d
Nov 9, 2022
Great …but - Excellent trip, plenty of variety. The place was beautiful. But be warned that the places on The tours are all selling trips. Hot air balloon cancelled and having left at 4 in the morning we were trapped in our bus, no one spoke English . It was traumatic. The whole trip was lacking in information too, we didn’t know what time we were being picked up or where we were going.
Review provided by Viator
Dinar_m
Oct 3, 2022
Se puede volar sin alas - how said you can’t fly without wings!? - It’s a awesome tour to take more is you have the opportunity to have an amazing tour guy like we did Osman was amazing, he went beyond to make sure as a group and individual we had taking care of and having a great time. If you can as for him ( Osman ) to be your tour person, he will make the difference in this tour. Be prepared to start every day early than usual 3:30am 😅 but is worthy. You do walk in the red and green tour so make sure to take tennis or comfy walking shoes 👟 but also look nice because there’s a lot of beautiful scenery views that you want to look good for. We visit in the end of September, the weather was nice no jackets needed except the morning of the bollon ride since it was at 5:30am to watch the sunrise sadly we couldn’t see it since the bollon wasn’t ready on time but we still ride it. We did the 3 days package and enjoyed it all the way. The communication through emails and messages is excellent. You get notifications on watsup for the following days events. The only thing I suggest for the ones doing the 3 days package. Your 3rd day and last , make sure to have a way to go around to explore because you would be in your own till they pick you up for the airport so do your homework find out before your left on your own, get a taxi number since everything is far walking distance depending where you’re.
Review provided by Viator
Giuliana_i
Aug 6, 2023
Could be better - The package was great. You don’t have to worry about flight, accommodations, or transportation. The hotel was amazing and the staff was super friendly and helpful. The balloon ride once-in-a-lifetime experience. I guess the downside is that the tour includes some jewelry, ceramics, pottery, and leather shops. If you are not interest in buying “expensive “ things that’s could be a waist of time for you . The tour can include more exciting activities other than to visit shops.
Review provided by Viator
Suzanne_b
Jul 14, 2022
Good but be warned. - This tour is worthwhile with some caveats that I hope Viator can address. Our reservation details never provided a detailed itinerary for the tour or hotel. This tour is done with green and red day tours that are set. There is clearly a schedule that would have been helpful when assessing what to wear, especially for footwear. For example, on our first day (red tour) we walked on uneven terrain for 15,000+ steps in the heat. The green tour day was only about 5,000 steps. Footwear recommendation would be very helpful ( I was wearing sandals the first day). Additionally, our tour guide pick up times were all provided adhoc the night before. We even had confusion on one transfer for what hotel to be returned to which wasn’t written anywhere for me to point to. Luckily I had starred it on google maps on my phone. Finally, the first day, with all the walking, included a van with a broken A/C. This was during July summer heatwave temps. This is unacceptable. Final notes.. the itinerary included a weird fashion show trying to sell leather clothing… in July. Also, a jewelry store stop... The sites were awesome and the hot air balloon experience is 100% worth it!
Review provided by Viator
Jackson_r
Oct 7, 2022
Amazing tour, TERRIBLE tour operator - Amazing experience, once in a lifetime. The hot air balloon is a must. Turkey is incredible and has a ton to see. Incredible food, incredible people, incredible place. However, I would recommend you book flights, tours and hotels on your own. This tour operator is simply a people pusher, what I mean is that they don't care what you buy they will give you whatever is available and have no problem pocketing your money. They have the ability to rebook you and your flights and your tours and your transportation with little to zero notice and are not willing to work with you if it causes problems with your existing travel plans. I also was quite upset that each tour spent more time in visiting what they call local art exhibits than tourist attractions. These exhibits were actually Short demonstrations on local jewelry, pottery, or rug making that turned into high pressure and over priced sales tactics - tourist traps. I feel cheated by the tour operator, as did two other couples we travelled with. Don't use the operator, do it on your own.
Review provided by Viator
Select Date and Tickets
up to 10 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today