2 days in Cappadocia

Day by day

1. Day 1: Hot-air balloon flight and Göreme Open-Air Museum

   Hot-air balloon flight, Göreme Open-Air Museum, Love Valley and Derinkuyu Underground City, then Sarıhan Caravanserai in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Hot-air balloon flight

      Flights depend on wind and are approved by the aviation authorities each morning, so cancellations are common, especially in winter.

   2. Late morning

      Göreme Open-Air Museum

      The Dark Church (Karanlık Kilise), with an extra ticket, has the best-preserved colours because little light entered it. The Tokalı Church, just down the road from the main gate, has some of the finest painting in Cappadocia.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pottery kebab

      Restaurants in Göreme, Ürgüp and Avanos; some need ordering a few hours ahead.

   4. Afternoon

      Love Valley

      Balloons often fly low over it at dawn, and a trail runs along the valley floor among orchards.

   5. Late afternoon

      Derinkuyu Underground City

      Narrow passages connect stables, kitchens, wine presses, wells, a chapel and ventilation shafts, and huge rolling stone doors could seal each level from inside.

   6. Evening

      Sarıhan Caravanserai

      Attend the sema in silence and avoid applause and flash photography during the ceremony.

2. Day 2: Uçhisar Castle and Pigeon Valley

   Uçhisar Castle, Pigeon Valley, Paşabağ (Monks Valley) and Kaymaklı Underground City, then Sunrise balloon flight in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Uçhisar Castle

      Steps lead to a summit platform with views across Pigeon Valley to Göreme and, on clear days, to the snowy cone of Mount Erciyes.

   2. Late morning

      Pigeon Valley

      An easy trail of about 4 km links the two villages.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Kayseri mantı

      Traditional restaurants in Ürgüp and Göreme, and specialist mantı houses in Kayseri.

   4. Afternoon

      Paşabağ (Monks Valley)

      One chimney holds a chapel dedicated to St Simeon. Paved paths make it one of the easiest places to see fairy chimneys close up.

   5. Late afternoon

      Kaymaklı Underground City

      It is about 10 km north of Derinkuyu, so most tours visit one or the other.

   6. Evening

      Sunrise balloon flight

      Float over the valleys at dawn, often with a celebratory drink on landing.

Before you go

• Hot-air balloon flight: Book weeks ahead for spring, summer and autumn, choosing a licensed operator with clear cancellation and refund terms.
• Sarıhan Caravanserai: Sema evenings are usually booked through hotels or agencies a day or more ahead.

If it rains

• Swap in Avanos pottery workshops (Avanos): Visit independently rather than on a tour stop to avoid pressure to buy, and haggle in the showrooms.
• Swap in Wine tasting in Ürgüp (Ürgüp): Try an Emir white; it is rarely exported and is the region's signature grape.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 12–15 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.5 hours in December to 14.9 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. From Göreme you can hike to the Open-Air Museum and through Rose, Red, Love and Pigeon valleys on marked and unmarked trails.

More or fewer days

• One day in Cappadocia
• 3 days in Cappadocia
• 5 days in Cappadocia

Questions travellers ask