3 Days in Cappadocia: Day-by-Day Itinerary

Nature & Adventure

Göreme National Park

Göreme Historical National Park is a national park in Cappadocia in central Turkey. It occupies an area of nearly 100 km2 and is located in Nevşehir Province. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 under the name Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia.

Museums

Churches of Göreme

Göreme is a district of the Nevşehir Province in Turkey. 6 million years ago, ash and lava formed soft rocks in the Cappadocia region, covering an area of about 20,000 square kilometres. The softer rock was eroded by wind and water, leaving the hard cap rock on top of pillars, forming the present-day fairy chimneys.

Plan 1.5 hours

Historic & Cultural

Çarıklı Kilise Yemekhanesi

Çarıklı Kilise Yemekhanesi is a historic site located within the Göreme Open Air Museum in Cappadocia. This rock-cut church, dating from the late 12th to early 13th century, features well-preserved frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Jesus and the hospitality of Abraham. The refectory itself is notable for its long, narrow table carved into the rock with seating around it. Çarıklı Kilise Yemekhanesi is within walking distance of Göreme Open Air Museum (77 m) and Karanlık Kilise (17 m).

Religious Sites

Dark Church

Karanlık Kilise (Dark Church) is a Byzantine church located within the Göreme Open Air Museum in Göreme, Nevşehir, dating from the late 11th to early 12th century. It gets its name from the minimal light entering through a small window in the narthex, which has helped preserve the vibrant colors of its frescoes. The church is richly decorated with scenes from the Bible and Torah and is considered one of Cappadocia's best-preserved Byzantine monuments. It is within walking distance of Göreme Open Air Museum (87 m) and Çarıklı Kilise (15 m).

Religious Sites

Yilanli Church

Yılanlı Kilise, located in Nevşehir Merkez, is a place of worship situated within the Göreme Open-Air Museum in Cappadocia. Dating back to the 11th century, this rock-cut church is notable for its unique frescoes, despite being unfinished. The church gets its name from a fresco depicting Saint George slaying a dragon. It also features depictions of four sinful women being attacked by snakes.

Nature & Adventure

Valles

Valles is a park or nature spot located in Ürgüp, Cappadocia, showcasing the region's unique natural beauty. Cappadocia is a historical region known for its fairy chimneys and volcanic formations, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Valleys like Valles offer visitors an immersive experience with nature through hiking trails and rock formations.

Historic & Cultural

Castle of Ortahisar

Ortahisar Castle is a historic site located in Ürgüp, Cappadocia. This natural rock formation, approximately 90 meters high, is considered the largest fairy chimney in the region and was used for defense during the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. The castle is carved with tunnels and rooms, offering panoramic views of the Cappadocia valleys and Mount Erciyes from its summit. It is within 170 meters walking distance of the Ethnography Museum.

Museums

Ortahisar Ethnography Museum

Ortahisar Ethnography Museum is a private museum located in the town of Ortahisar, Nevşehir, a district of Ürgüp, where the lifestyle of the Cappadocia region is depicted with mannequins. It is the first ethnography museum in the region. It has been open to visitors since 2004.

Religious Sites

Aynalı Kilise

Aynalı Kilise, a place of worship in Ürgüp, Cappadocia, is situated between Ortahisar and Göreme. This rock-cut church, dating back to the first half of the 10th century, is named for its symmetrical geometric decorations on its walls. It features rich wall decorations depicting scenes from the lives of Jesus, Mary, and Saint George. Access to the church's worship area is through three separate tunnels. It is within 797 meters walking distance of Karanlık Kilise.

Religious Sites

Çarıklı kilise

Çarıklı Kilise, located in the Göreme Open Air Museum near Ürgüp in Nevşehir, is a place of worship dating from the late 11th to the early 13th century. The church gets its name from the footprints found beneath the Ascension fresco of Jesus. It features a cross-vaulted design with three apses and four domes, and is notable for its well-preserved frescoes. These frescoes depict scenes from the life of Jesus, themes from the Gospels, and even a scene from the Old Testament.

Historic & Cultural

Kaymaklı

Kaymakli underground city is contained within the citadel of Kaymakli in Nevşehir Province, in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. First opened to tourists in 1964, the village is about 19 km from Nevşehir, on the Nevşehir-Niğde road.

Plan 1 hour

Historic & Cultural

Derinkuyu underground city

Derinkuyu, also known as Malakopi, is an ancient multi-level underground city near the modern town of Derinkuyu in Nevşehir Province, Turkey, extending to a depth of approximately 85 metres (280 ft). It is large enough to have sheltered as many as 20,000 people together with their livestock and food stores. It is the largest excavated underground city in Turkey and is one of several underground complexes found throughout Cappadocia.

Plan 1 hour

Historic & Cultural

Mazı Underground City

Mazı Underground City is an ancient underground settlement in Cappadocia in central Turkey. It is located 18 kilometers from Ürgüp and 10 kilometers east from the Kaymaklı Underground City. The city is one of many subterranean cities in Cappadocia including Özkonak, Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı.

Historic & Cultural

Sobesos

Sobesos, an ancient city 23 km from Ürgüp, in Şahinefendi Village. It was understood that there was an ancient city here after some ruins around the village were accidentally noticed and examined, and excavation works were started in 2002 by the Nevşehir Museum Directorate. It was established at the starting point of Soğanlı Valley, on volcanic land, in a strategically safe location and on fertile soils.

Religious Sites

Keşlik Monastery

Keşlik Monastery, located about 15 km south of Ürgüp near Cemil village, is one of Cappadocia's most expansive monastery complexes. This rock-cut monastery includes two churches dedicated to St. Michael and St. Stephen, a large refectory, a sacred spring, and numerous cave rooms. The history of the monastery dates back to pre-Christian Roman times when it was used as a gravesite, becoming a large communal monastery during the Byzantine era and serving as a functional Orthodox Church in the 20th century.