Cappadocia Turkey Itinerary

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Central Turkey Itinerary
– from Antalya to Cappadocia to Istanbul

Golden Goreme

You should be very excited if you are planning a trip to Turkey.  It is easy to travel on your own. For advice on how to plan and travel in an economical way, see the TripAdvisor page Turkey: Planning a Self-Guided Turkey Trip.   Now comes the hard choice of deciding where to go.  Even if you have a whole month, you cannot see everything.  Turkey is the size of Great Britain and France combined!  

The following suggestions are based on an actual 31-day trip, which was split into two parts. Stay-overs are shown in capitals followed by the number of nights.  Each destination was assigned zero to three dots to give a sense of which sites are most worthwhile seeing.  Hyperlinks will bring you to posts with more details.  This itinerary gives the best places to go for a 14-day trip through Central Turkey from Antalya to Istanbul.

  

RECOMMENDED ITINERARY

See a map of Central Turkey Itinerary
      

ANTALYA 2 nights 

Antalya is dissed by many travellers as just a big city but staying in an old Ottoman house in Kaleiçi (the old city) is worthwhile and it makes a useful base for nearby sights.  Yes, Antalya is a big city but the old quarter, Kaleiçi, is a quiet oasis. 

Ottoman Delight

Staying in an old Ottoman house is a beautiful introduction to Turkey.  It is a much easier way to start your trip than overpopulated Istanbul. 

Kaleiçi ● It is very touristy but there are not as many touts as in Istanbul.  The old town has a very clean, restored look but it is still pleasant walking, as there are few cars.  See the view of the sea framed by the snowy Taurus Mountains near the Hidirlik Tower, especially in early AM before breakfast – and few tourists wake up early so you'll have the park to yourself. 

Antalya Archaeological Museum ●●● is one of the best arranged museums anywhere.  Ancient Roman statues are set into Romanesque-style arches with romantic lighting (not good for photography)

Stupendous Aspendos

Day Trips: 
Aspendos Theatre ●
is basically a large intact Ancient Roman theatre with lots of tourists.  Climb up to the acropolis (included in the price) for more dramatic views of the theatre and the very green countryside. 

Colourful Köprülü

Köprülü Canyon ●● is a spectacular green river visible from the country road.  The Termessos ruins is another good place to go from Antalya.  On the way east from Antalya along the old highway(there will soon be a new expressway), stop along the road for...

Turquoise Treasure

Turquoise Coast ●●●
for perhaps the second most beautiful turquoise coastal views.

KIZKALESI  1 night 

  

Medieval Maiden Castle, on an offshore islet, seems to float just above the sea.  It's OK but not a must-see. The beach is very small but the sand is so soft.  Plus there were few tourists. It made for a pleasant stopover on the long drive to Cappadocia.  

Sensational Sunset

CAPPADOCIA ●●●●  4 nights 

The region of Cappadocia is probably the best must-see area for natural beauty in the country – so don’t miss it!!!  Göreme is just one of the towns in this region but it is still a wonderful base due to its central location.  

Göreme Sunset View ●●● is an easy walk up the hill to the east of the hotel area main drag for spectacular views at sunset of Rose Valley and Göreme.

Car or Dolmuş Trips: 

Not a Fairy Tale

Cappadocia Fairy Chimneys ●●●● are extraordinary even the touristy Paşabagh site.  There are too many hikes to list here. Most are fairly easy, at least at the beginning, or you could simple go for as long as you want and return when you feel like it.  the best hikes were are Love Valley, Zemi Valley, and... 

Kizilçukur

Rose Valley ●●●●
you could walk here on a car-less dirt road but you can drive on a parallel road.  This area has many side trails.  The best spot was the Kizilçukur Viewpoint, located between the "parking lot" and the dirt road below the hill. Again, it's best to come here for the late PM or sunset lighting

Çavuşin has a less touristy, old section of town at the end of the "parking lot" road to Rose Valley

Uchisar ● there is an excellent view of the volcanic plug/castle right from main highway into Göreme but this is a very touristy spot with stalls and even a camel.  There also is good viewpoint of Göreme on the right just a short way towards the town. 

Ogling Ortahisar

Avanos – overpriced pottery

Ürgüp – good food at local prices, except for the excellent but pricey ice cream

Ortahisar ●●
there is a spectacular view of the volcanic plug in the middle of town. 

Day Trips: requires car or tour

   
Mustafapaşa ●● is an old Greek village with interesting architecture

Soganli Valley ●●

Soganli Surprise

is full of fairy chimneys, basalt columns, rock-cut churches and frescoes without the crowds in a country atmosphere. But the best part was getting there with spectacular wide open views of snow-capped mountains in early spring.  

Ihlara Valley – is another place with rock-cut churches 

SAFRANBOLU ●●●  2 nights

Super Safranbolu

Safranbolu Çarşı ●●
You can spend a day visiting and shopping in the old city with its restored Ottoman buildings.  But the views from the ring road high above the market area (çarşı) were very special. 

 

Ottoman Yörük

Car Trips: 
Yörük ●● 
it’s 10 km away to a fairy tale village full of timber-framed Ottoman buildings that are far more nostalgic and run down than Safranbolu.  

İncekaya Aqueduct – 
is very high and in mint condition.   But it is Ottoman not ancient.  It comes with a walking trail into the countryside. 

Grand Fashion

ISTANBUL ●●●●  4 nights

 

Grand Bazaar ●
It is NOT the oldest bazaar as it was only built after the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans.  But it is probably the first covered shopping mall in the world. 

Don't Look at Medusa

Basilica Cistern ●● 
is an underground forest of Byzantine columns surrounded by a pool of water.  Make sure that you do not look at the head of Medusa or you will also turn to stone!  The ancients were very superstitious.  For instance, getting up on the left (sinistra) side of your bed was a very bad omen.  This is very much part of Western culture – you don't believe it?  Guess where the English word sinister comes from?  

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia Dome-ination ●●
had the highest dome built since the Pantheon in Ancient Rome until the Duomo in Renaissance Florence. It was the model for most major mosques in the Ottoman Empire. 

Hippodrome – 
How did a horse race end with 30,000 dead? How is this related to Hagia Sophia?  That's your homework for tonight!  Hint: check the web sites below. 

the not so Blue Mosque

 Blue Mosque ●●●
is not really blue; it’s pastel patterns and graceful symmetry and definitely worth seeing. 

Music in Kadıköy

Kool Kadıköy ●●
is the real Istanbul where the locals work and play. It's a great place to hear Turkish folk music on the streets. 

Bosphorus on a Budget

Bosphorus on a Budget ●
Choose the cruise or the non-cruise (i.e. use the cheap ferries) to see the Bosphorus

Spice Bazaar, Spicy Istanbul ● come here for the spices, the Turkish Delights, and buy the Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi kahve (coffee) beans.

  

RESEARCHING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO

   

There are many travel sites on the Web.  It is very useful to see what other tourists think are the best sites. Each city, region and country in TripAdvisor has a Things To Do section.  However, tourists have their own bias that may not match your interests.  Also many tourists have not travelled around the world to be able to compare places or know what is unique.  For more detailed information on each location, you can also review the Thorn Tree Turkey Forum, Turkey Travel Planner and Terra Encounters - Turkey web site.  For other countries around the world see our Terra Encounters WordPress web site. 

Rose Valley Cappadocia

Rose Tinted Valley

Gorgeous Göreme

Today is quintessential Cappadocia from colourful balloons to rose-tinted valley, appropriately called Rose Valley.  If you have come here straight from Istanbul you will be blown way from complete chaos to sheer silence. 

With tears we come to the last post on Cappadocia, the last of the Top 9 Sights near Göreme. You see Rose Valley from the distance everywhere – from Göreme, Sunset Point, even your hotel. Today we are going for a closer look. We recommend late afternoon to get nicer lighting. Also it will be very hot with little shade during midday during the summer.

Balloons for Breakfast

Balloons Over Cappadocia

Today was sunny and warm: I’m guessing ca. 20°C. We finally saw many hot air balloons this morning – about seven of them. We also saw a couple of late afternoon flights as well. I took the mandatory photos. 

 

  

  

Çavuşin



Closing in on Çavuşin

On the highway to Göreme Open Air Museum, turn left at a small sign (forget what it says) and go along a dirt road.  Most people who are walking take the second road to the left that has no cars. But if you have a car it is easier to bypass the road walking and get into the heart of the valley by driving on the first road. 

 

Çavuşin Close-up

If it’s still early in the day and you have a car then drive all the way to Çavuşin, which we highly recommend.  There are some nice views of old troglodyte formations that you will not see from the main highway. If you go all the way, you enter the back streets of Çavuşin and eventually reach the highway. However, return half way back.

  

Rose Valley Hike



"Parking Lot" View

Rose Valley, or Güllüdere Vadisi in Turkish, is one of the best sights.  Go about half way along this road and park in the huge "dirt" parking lot that is favoured by the dirt bikes that are rented in town. This is not something you can ignore even with your rose-tinted glasses. You really don’t want to hear this noise or see this dust in what should be a tranquil place of nature. It really is contrary to the purpose of a national park.

Near the top of the sloping uphill lot is a steep drop and thus dramatic views. Instead of playing daredevil, park earlier and hike up the right hand side onto a steep ridge walk.

Bed of Roses

 

Kızılçukur View

The path leads to the very steep Kızılçukur Point with luxurious views.   It is a bit slippery (scree) at the very top.  But this was one of my favourite views.  From here there is about a 50 m elevation descent on the other side to the start of the Güllüdere trails. 

  



Right Twin

Left Twin

It is hard to find a decent hiking map though there are several sites with advice, such as Captivating Cappadocia - Hiking.   Probably the best map was given to us by the Vineyard Cave Hotel.

Güllüdere Trail

Rose-tinted Valley

Balloon and Roses

Bed of Roses

Everything’s Coming Up Roses



"Parking Lot" View

There are many places that one could visit in Turkey but the Cappadocia region is a must-see whatever else you plan to visit.  It is the 24th day of our 30-day odyssey to Turkey. Now that we have reached the final stage of our trip, we have to say we are happy with the advice we gave you in our Destinations and Seasons page and the choices we made in Our Recommended Turkey Itinerary page. 

 

Ottoman Yoruk

 

 

Too bad we didn’t come 30 years ago. Then there were only about three hotels in Göreme according to Hassan of the Vineyard Cave Hotel.   Where there are hotels today once stood orchards.  This is a Tourist Town now.  Right after breakfast we left for a seven hour drive to Safranbolu and Yoruk, two of our favourite places. 

 
Last Post: Soganli Surprise

   
Next Post: Safranbolu 

Soganli

Fairy Tale Castle?

Soğanlı Surprise

Soğanlı Valley offers the remains of fairy chimney dwellings and rock-cut churches with colourful frescoes.  It is basically the same as Göreme Open Air Museum but it was a very pleasant drive and walk in the countryside with very few tourists.  The drive south from Göreme to Soğanlı was 55 km, about one hour – photo stops not included!  But there were a couple of surprises. 

Göreme Open Air Museum

Göreme Switchbacks

You can see the narrow area of Göreme Open Air Museum as the road switchbacks up the hill.  It is mainly rock cut churches rather than hoodoos. It may have the best-preserved frescoed churches, but it’s also always busy with large tour groups. 

 

Göreme Open Air Museum

I boycotted the Göreme Open Air Museum as I am totally opposed to their charging twice: once for the park and once for the main sight, the Dark Church.  What do you think about this common practice in Turkey?  They also charge for parking.  And you are not allowed to photograph the frescoes.  

Mount Erciyes & Demirkazik

Instead of the Open Air Museum, we headed south via Ürgüp to Soğanlı Valley. The drive from Ürgüp passes through Mustafapaşa, worth a stop as discussed in our last post. 

 

Volcanic Vista

Well, we were treated to a BIG surprise half way into the trip.  The road climbed up to 1550 m above sea level.  There were sparsely treed fields with wide open views of snow-capped mountains in two directions, east and south.  The pointy single peak is a former volcano that may have erupted as recently as 253 BC.  Mount Erciyes (Turkish: Erciyes Dağı) is located 25 km to the south of Kayseri. 

 

Lone Tree Volcano

It felt closer because we were driving south and we were at 1550 meters so we had an unimpeded view.  The fifth highest mountain in Turkey and the highest in Cappadocia at 3,916 meters (12,848 ft) always has snow at the top.  It started erupting at the same time as the Taurus Mountain uplifting that reduced rainfall in Cappadocia and contributed to the formation of the Cappadocia Fairy Chimneys.



Towering Taurus

The longer snowy range to the south is Aladaglar Milli Parki (national park).  The highest peak, Demirkazik (3,756 m, 12,323 ft) is a prime birding site.  It is another dramatic view of the Taurus Mountain range that we crossed on the drive to Göreme. 
 

Balcony over Taşkınpaşa



The road continues on to picturesque villages where we took more photos.  Actually this picture was taken on the return trip as Taşkınpaşa was more photogenic as you drive into the view with Mount Erciyes in the background. 

 



Şahinefendi Sheep

 

Şahinefendi had idyllic sheep and stone houses in the foreground with rusty cliffs in the background. 

 



Şahinefendi Basalt Cliffs

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Soğanlı Valley

You should see the following rock cut churches, which are well sign posted.  A very crude map is given to you at the toll house. 

Stairway to Heaven

Tokalı Kilise

 

The Tokalı Kilise (Buckle Church) is sign posted on the right before you reach the toll house.  It is up a uneven, steep stairway cut into the rock.  There was not much to see inside most of the Soğanlı churches as many of the frescoes have deteriorated and the lighting was poor.  In fact, you get a much better impression looking at the photos below after they have been brightened up in Photoshop.  Along the road you will also see dovecotes where monks collected guano from pigeons. 

 

Tahtali Kilise

Tahtali Kilise

 

After the toll house turn left towards the village restaurant.  Take a path to Tahtali Kilise (Church of Doves or of Santa Barbara), which dates from the fifth century.  It contains some of the better frescoes of apostles and saints.  While some web sites say that this region was settled in Roman times, these rock-cut churches were from Byzantine times. 

 



Fairy Chimneys



Turn left to continue to the end of the main road where there is an open air restaurant.  From here on you have to walk.  It is probably what the Göreme Open Air Museum was like many years ago. 

  

The first thing you see are fairy chimneys with cave dwellings. You first walk down and then up the trail on the right. 



Soğanlı Scenery



The vertical basalt rock columns are a result of volcanic activity.  In fact the rapid cooling of lava extruded near the surface.  Basalt is usually grey to black in colour, but soon appears rusty red.  That’s because it is rust - it contains iron-rich minerals.

 

Karabaş Kilise



The Crucifixion

Karabaş Kilise (Big Church) dates from the sixth century but was rebuilt in the 11^th century.  It is considered the most beautiful from an artistic viewpoint. 

 

 

 

 

It contains frescoes of Christ and black-faced saints as well as Byzantine and Turkish motifs. 

 

Soğanlı Fairy Tale Castles

Oops, Cell Tower

Kubbeli Kilise

The hike to the Kubbeli Kilise (Domed Church) starts to the left of the restaurant parking lot.  It is a very short – maybe 20 minutes – so anyone can do it. 

 

Trail to the Fairy Tale Castle

 

 

 

You'll be rewarded by wide open views of formations and tranquility. 

 

Soğanlı Fairy Tale Castle

 

 

 

The Domed Church was carved into a fairy chimney.   In fact, as we drove into the valley we thought we saw a miniature fairy tale castle --  see photo at the top.  Wrong!  It was the Domed Church.

 

Saklı Kilise



Looking Down

 

 

Next to Kubbeli is the Saklı Kilise (Hidden Church) and it is truly hidden - under the ground. 

 



Looking Up



Fortunately, there was a tour group just ahead that gave away the location of the hidden, steep stairs that led down the hill to the entrance. Through the gap in the ceiling appeared the Kubbeli dome. 

 

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