# Cappadocia: map, what to do and when to go

Volcanic tuff valleys with stone chimneys, Byzantine rock-cut churches and underground cities, on Turkey's central plateau. Göreme is the base, at about 1,100 m above sea level, and the balloons take off at dawn from the fields around the village.

Canonical: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/
Language: en. Extended author commentary and itinerary notes may remain in Portuguese. Dates below belong to individual sources; this is not live availability.

## Direct answer
- **Cappadocia: Which airport should you use to reach Göreme?** Kapadokya (NAV) is about 40 km and 40 minutes by road, with flights from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines; Kayseri (ASR), about 75 km and an hour and fifteen minutes away, is a base for Pegasus and AJet.
- **Cappadocia: How many days should you stay?** Three days, sleeping in Göreme: the balloon and the northern valleys on the first, Uçhisar, Pigeon Valley and Avanos on the second, and Derinkuyu and Ihlara by car on the third.
- **Cappadocia: How much does a balloon flight cost?** On Voyager Balloons' price list in October 2026, the standard 60-minute flight in a basket of 20 people costs €260 from April 1 to November 1 and €160 in winter.

## Balloon at dawn, the Open-Air Museum and Zelve valley
Head out with the balloon company, which picks you up at the hotel about 90 minutes before sunrise; if the flight is canceled because of wind, rebook for the next morning.
- Paşabağ

## Uçhisar, Pigeon Valley and Avanos
Take a taxi to Uçhisar and climb the castle in the morning, before the heat.
- Uçhisar Kalesi
- Avanos

## To the south: Derinkuyu and the Ihlara canyon
Leave early by rental car for Derinkuyu, about 40 km and 40 minutes by road, and go down the levels of the underground city (opens at 8 a.m.).
- Derinkuyu Yeraltı Şehri
- Ihlara Vadisi

## Göreme Açık Hava Müzesi
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-goreme-ac-k-hava-muzesi
Göreme · One to two hours
The Göreme Open-Air Museum brings together a rock-cut monastic complex, used from the 4th to the 13th century, with the Maidens' Monastery, the churches of St. Basil, the Apple (Elmalı), St. Barbara, the Snake and the Sandal (Çarıklı), and, 50 m below the entrance, Tokalı, Göreme's largest church, with blue lapis lazuli panels. It opened to visitors in 1967. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., with the ticket office open until 5:15 p.m.; admission is charged in euros to foreigners, included in the Museum Pass Cappadocia.
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## Karanlık Kilise
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-karanl-k-kilise
Göreme · Up to half an hour
The Dark Church, inside the Open-Air Museum, has a separate admission. It dates from the late 11th and early 12th centuries, in a cross plan with a central dome and four columns, and receives light only through a small window in the narthex: that is why the frescoes of the life of Christ, from the Annunciation to the crucifixion, kept their vivid color. It is included in the Museum Pass Cappadocia.
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## Zelve Açık Hava Müzesi
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-zelve-ac-k-hava-muzesi
One to two hours
Three valleys on the slopes of Aktepe, about 4 km from Göreme as the crow flies, with carved-out houses, churches, a mill, a small mosque and dovecotes, inhabited until 1952, when the risk of collapse moved the residents to Yeni Zelve. It opened as a museum in 1967. The frescoes are few; the appeal is seeing an entire rock village. Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., ticket office until 5:15 p.m.
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## Paşabağ
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-pasabag
Caramânia · Up to half an hour
The old Monks Valley, 1 km from Zelve and on the same ticket as Zelve, has fairy chimneys with several trunks and several heads. One of them, with three heads, holds a chapel dedicated to St. Simeon Stylites, with a hermit's cell. It is the easiest place to see chimneys up close.
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## Nikeforos Fokas Kilisesi
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-nikeforos-fokas-kilisesi
Up to half an hour
The Church of Nikephoros Phokas in Çavuşin stands beside the road from Göreme to Avanos, with part of its facade fallen and two painted angels exposed to the open air. The frescoes with the emperor and Empress Theophano date it to 963 to 969; on the north wall appear the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. In October 2026, the Ministry of Culture lists the church as closed for restoration, with no reopening date. Although it is listed under Museum Pass Cappadocia coverage, do not count on entering while it is closed.
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## Güvercinlik Vadisi
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-guvercinlik-vadisi
Capadócia · One to two hours
Pigeon Valley links Uçhisar to Göreme along a trail of about 4 km, between cliffs with hundreds of carved dovecotes. Pigeon dung was fertilizer for the vegetable gardens until the 1970s. Done from Uçhisar to Göreme, the walk is almost all downhill and takes about two hours.
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## Uçhisar Kalesi
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-uchisar-kalesi
Capadócia · Up to half an hour
The rock about 60 m high that gives Uçhisar its name (the outer castle) is crossed by carved passages and rooms, now almost all blocked, and was inhabited in Byzantine times. From the top you see Pigeon Valley, which descends toward Göreme.
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## Kızılçukur Vadisi
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-k-z-lcukur-vadisi
One to two hours
Red Valley and neighboring Güllüdere, Rose Valley, begin near Çavuşin and hide carved-out churches, such as that of St. Agathangelos, from the 6th or 7th century, about 2 km from the village, with two or three layers of frescoes in the apse. The trails are dirt and shadeless, and late afternoon is the coolest time to walk.
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## Aşk Vadisi
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-ask-vadisi
Göreme · One to two hours
Love Valley, on the outskirts of Göreme, is known for the fairy chimneys that rise from the valley floor. It has no famous painted churches; it works as a short walk for those with time after the main valleys.
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## Derinkuyu Yeraltı Şehri
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-derinkuyu-yeralt-sehri
Derinkuyu · One to two hours
Turkey's largest excavated underground city goes down about 85 m, with stables, cellars, refectories, chapels and a vaulted hall on the second level, and a 55 m ventilation shaft that also served as a water well. Round stone doors sealed each level. Only about 10% can be visited. It is 31 km from Göreme as the crow flies, about 40 km and 40 minutes by road; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., ticket office until 5:15 p.m. The passages are low and tight, and the descent calls for good knees and little claustrophobia.
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## Kaymaklı Yeraltı Şehri
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-kaymakl-yeralt-sehri
Nevşehir district · One to two hours
Linked to Derinkuyu by about 8 to 9 km of tunnels, according to tradition, Kaymaklı has four open levels, with passages lower and steeper than Derinkuyu's, a church on the second level and storerooms, cellars and kitchens on the third. The houses of the village above still use tunnels as pantries. It is 21 km from Göreme as the crow flies; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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## Ihlara Vadisi
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-ihlara-vadisi
Acsarai · Half a day or more
A 14 km canyon up to 120 m deep, cut by the Melendiz River between the villages of Ihlara and Selime, in Aksaray Province, with about 50 rock-cut churches. From the main entrance, a staircase of almost 400 steps descends to the river; the trail follows the bank to Belisırma, in the middle of the canyon, and Selime is at the northwest end. It is about 60 km from Göreme as the crow flies, or about 80 km and an hour and a half by road; 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., ticket office until 4:15 p.m.
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## Avanos
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/capadocia/#g-lugar-avanos
Nevexequir · Up to half an hour
The pottery town, on the banks of the Kızılırmak, works the river's red clay in a tradition that may come from the Hittites, and many workshops occupy the carved-out galleries of the old town. The pots for testi kebabı come from Avanos, and the town has a life of its own beyond tourism.
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**Cappadocia: Which airport should you use to reach Göreme?**
Kapadokya (NAV) is about 40 km and 40 minutes by road, with flights from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines; Kayseri (ASR), about 75 km and an hour and fifteen minutes away, is a base for Pegasus and AJet. From either one, I'd use the shared transfer booked by the hotel, with the price confirmed when booking.

**Cappadocia: How many days should you stay?**
Three days, sleeping in Göreme: the balloon and the northern valleys on the first, Uçhisar, Pigeon Valley and Avanos on the second, and Derinkuyu and Ihlara by car on the third. The third night serves as a backup for the balloon: if the wind cancels the first morning, two are still left.

**Cappadocia: How much does a balloon flight cost?**
On Voyager Balloons' price list in October 2026, the standard 60-minute flight in a basket of 20 people costs €260 from April 1 to November 1 and €160 in winter. Cancellation because of wind gets a full refund.

**Cappadocia: Is there an underground city less crowded than Derinkuyu?**
Özkonak, 14 km northeast of Avanos, has ten known levels, up to 40 m deep, and four open to visitors. It is covered by the Museum Pass Cappadocia and combines with Avanos in half a day.

**Cappadocia: When is the best time to go?**
April to June and September to October, with highs of 16 °C to 26 °C and cool nights. July and August have average highs of 29 °C, and from December to February the lows fall below freezing.


## In the Nilo app
- Plan these 3 days on the map: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/app/guide/capadocia/?utm_source=llm&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=door-itinerary
- Mark your hotel on the map: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/app/map/capadocia/?utm_source=llm&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=door-stay

## Full editorial guide (Portuguese)
https://nilopelomundo.com/llm/capadocia.md