There are 3 ways to get to Cappadocia from Ankara:
- By bus (in 3.5 hours);
- In a rented car (about the same time);
- And also by plane with a transfer to Kayseri or Nevsehir.
Below I will tell you in more detail about each of these routes. But first, a little lyrical digression.
What is Cappadocia?
First of all, you should understand that Cappadocia is not a specific point on the map, but a fairly large region, which includes the lands of several provinces of Turkey at once. There are two major cities here – Kayseri and Nevsehir. But they are usually used only as transit points.
Most of the tourists coming to Cappadocia settle in various tourist towns and villages. The most popular of all is the small town of Goreme. Other important centers are Urgup, Ortakhisar, Uchkhisar and Avanos.
In which part of Cappadocia is it better to settle?
I would choose Goreme (since there is a bus station here and it is as easy as possible to get here). But other tourist centers can also be considered as a place to stay overnight.
There is an old rock fortress in Uchkhisar…
And there are simply more cheap places to stay in Ortakhisar, Urgup and Avanos.
But here you should understand that all the cities and towns of Cappadocia should be perceived only as a place to spend the night. The main wealth of this region is its nature. Therefore, you will spend most of your time traveling through various valleys, cave towns and observation decks.
Some of them can be reached on foot. But you will still have to go to others by public transport. Therefore, the starting point here is of no fundamental importance.
Below, as an example, I will give several excursions around Cappadocia. There are classic quad bike tours, horseback riding and a lot of other stuff.
Be sure to look through them. Even if you’re not going to buy anything. They will help you better decide on your trip program and understand which valleys and places are easier to combine with each other.
How to get to Goreme from Ankara?
Okay… Now let’s get to the point. In this article, I will consider Goreme as the final point. It is usually considered to be a kind of heart of Cappadocia. The rest of the popular centers of the region can be reached from here by taxi, minibuses or even on foot. The distances there are small.
- Goreme – Uchhisar: 4 km.
- Goreme – Urgup: 8 km.
- Goreme – Ortahisar: 5.5 km.
- Goreme – Avanos: 8 km.
Bus to Cappadocia from Ankara
In my opinion, this is the best option for a trip. Buses in Gorem from the Turkish capital travel all day – from morning to late at night.
Travel time is about 3.5 hours.
The cost of flights is 8-10 euros. It is better to buy tickets in advance.
You can do this on the websiteobilet.com , as well as on the pages of specific bus carriers.
I also note that the buses themselves in Turkey are very good. There is WI-FI, sockets and stewards who deliver free snacks to passengers throughout the trip. The only downside is that you often need a Turkish number to connect to the Internetphone number. For example, Kamil Koc has such a situation. But this is almost the only drawback of a bus trip.
Car ride
First of all, take a look at this website and see how much it costs to rent a car in Ankara right now. I don’t want to write anything myself, as prices vary very much depending on the season.
The approximate cost of fuel can be checked on the websites of major gas station networks. For example, British Petroleum.
The main advantage of such a trip is the opportunity to save on excursions and travel between different valleys in your own car. As I said, getting to Goreme is still half the battle. Then you will need to somehow travel inside Cappadocia itself. Having a car solves this problem right away.
Air travel
But here everything is quite complicated. Therefore, I will add this point to the article only for the sake of completeness. The thing is that at the moment there are no direct flights from Ankara to Kayseri or Nevsehir. And all flights are operated with a transit stop in Istanbul.
BUT! Travel is an inexact science. And Turkish airlines don’t consult me. Therefore, you can check this option too. You can do this using the Aviasales website.
Then you can go directly from the airport to your hotel using a special transfer. In fact, this is a minibus that first gathers tourists at the airport, and then alternately delivers them to specific points in Gorem, Avanos, Urgup, Uchhisar and other cities.
You can find out all the details and book a place on this website. But keep in mind that you need to pay the fare in advance. Then you will be met with a sign right at the airport, and the driver will immediately know which route to take.
Hotels in Cappadocia
I myself spent the night in this hotel called Arch Palace in Goreme. And I can only say good things about her. There are cozy rooms, delicious breakfasts and a beautiful terrace overlooking the city. If you have not yet decided where you will live during the trip, you can start your search from there.
Hot air balloon flights
The cost of flights depends very much on the time of year and on the specific number of tourists in the region. During covid, it was possible to fly balloons for $ 50. But now even $150 is already a good price.
To find the best option, compare the prices of company No. 1 and company No. 2. The offers themselves are very similar, but the prices often differ.
In addition, I also recommend that you read the article at the link below. From it, you will learn why balloons fly in the morning, how they differ from each other and why the flight may be canceled.
Paragliding
If the cost of balloons is too high for you, but you still want to fly over Cappadocia, then pay attention to paragliding.
It costs a lot less. The flight takes place in conjunction with the instructor. And it runs over the main attractions of Cappadocia. The exact prices and all the details can be found below.
Well, I will say goodbye with these words. If you still have questions, ask them under the article. I hope my article will help you to organize a trip to Cappadocia.
