Cappadocia Tours Touring Cappadocia Tour

Touring Cappadocia, Turkey Cappadocia Tours

Although you could see something of Cap­padocia on a lightning day trip by plane, it's better to stay at least one night in the region. Two or three nights is far better, and indeed you could easily spend a week here and stili not see everything.

Most people come to Cappadocia by bus, although there is a train service to Kayseri and Niğde, and a new airport at Gülşehir now serves the region with daily flights.

The most convenient bases for exploration are Göreme (favourite of backpackers and budget travellers), Ürgüp (with a good mix of lodgings, including many group hotels), and Avanos, a pottery-making centre. Göreme village is within walking distance of the Göreme Valley, and Ürgüp and Avanos are a 10-minute ride from the Göreme Valley. Uçhisar, popular with French travellers, is sleepier despite its dramatic volcanic rock kale. Ortahisar has a few hotels and pensions, and few tourists. Nevşehir, the provincial capital, has little to offer beyond being a transfer point.

Güzelyurt and the Ihlara Valley make a good day-trip, though they both have accommodation, and more can be found in Niğde and Aksaray if necessary. Separated from Cappadocia by around 70km and a range of hills, Kayseri, the largest city in the region, is not the convenient base for daily excursions you might assume.

in summer, travelling among these places is relatively straightforward, with frequent dolmuş minibuses. in winter, there is less frequent transport, and you may want to consider a tour or a hired car or taxi if your time is short.

Tours organised by local travel agencies allow you to see all the sights cheaply and conveniently, but often dump you in a carpet or souvenir shop in the middle of nowhere for two hours. The tour company gets as much as 30% commission on everything you buy but the tea is free and the 'shopping' can be a rest from walking in the sun. Still, why pay to be fleeced? Find a tour with no shopping stop, shop on your own, and pocket the tour company's 30%.

To hire a taxi or minibüs, with driver, for a full-day tour of ali Cappadocia, starting at Ürgüp or Göreme, costs from US$80 to US$100. Alternatively, you can rent a bicycle, moped or motorbike to help you get about; see Getting Around in the Göreme section, later. If you have more time than money, plan to walk and hitch through the region, a wonderful way to tour, though it can be tiring in the hot sun.

However you go, wear flat shoes for climbing the metal-rung ladders and stair-ways to the cave churches, and take a torch (flashlight) if you have one. Refreshments, snacks and light meals are available at ali major sites.