How to Get to Cappadocia in Turkey (Türkiye)

If you’re planning a trip to Cappadocia, the land of ‘fairy chimneys’ and hot air balloons, in Türkiye, then you might want to know how to get there from certain destinations.

We spent six weeks in Türkiye, and travelled across the country using all the main modes of transport, such as long-haul buses, minibuses (dolmus), trains and planes. We arrived in Cappadocia from Antalya, another well-visited holiday destination along the Turkish Riviera. Then, from Cappadocia, we carried on further east to Mardin.

In this guide, we thought we’d summarise how to reach Cappadocia from many popular tourist destinations within the country such as Istanbul, Selcuk, Pamukkale (Denizli), Fethiye and Antalya. We’ll detail the different modes of transport you can take from each of these places, and provide you with links to the websites we used to check timetables and ticket price information.

Where is Cappadocia in Turkey (Türkiye)

Before we dive into the details of how to get to Cappadocia, it’s good to have an idea of where Cappadocia is located within the country. Cappadocia (Kapadokya) is a huge, semi-arid region in the eastern part of Central Anatolia. It covers five provinces: Nevsehir, Kirsehir, Aksaray, Nigde, and Kayseri.

When people refer to visiting Cappadocia, they’ll mostly be talking about a small portion of it located within the Nevsehir province. Göreme is the most popular place tourists stay during their visits. Therefore, in this guide, we’ll detail how to get to Göreme within the region of Cappadocia.

How to Get to Göreme in Cappadocia from Abroad

The two closest airports to Göreme in Cappadocia are Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR) and Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV). Although the latter is much closer to Göreme, the only direct flight to there is from Istanbul. However, you can fly direct to Kayseri Airport from a few cities in Europe. You can check direct flight connections using this website. It’s worth noting that the frequency of flights is reduced during the winter months.

If you can’t fly direct to Kayseri Airport, then you’ll most likely have to fly to Istanbul first. From there, you can get a domestic flight to either Nevsehir or Kayseri airports.

How to Get to Cappadocia from Other Places in Turkey (Türkiye)

The main ways to reach Göreme in Cappadocia are by flying, taking a bus or hiring a car. In addition, the closest place to travel to by train is Kayseri. See the TCDD’s website for train times and routes, although note that you’ll likely need to change a few times depending on where you’re coming from.

We personally like to travel across a country by public transport whenever possible. It’s normally more affordable and better for the environment than flying. For shorter stays, we also like to hire a car, which we generally recommend if you want more freedom.

Below we’ll discuss how to reach Göreme in Cappadocia from many major tourist destinations such as Istanbul, Selcuk, Pamukkale (Denizli), Fethiye and Antalya. At the end, we’ll also detail how you can get to Göreme from Kayseri and Nevsehir.

Travelling to Göreme in Cappadocia from Istanbul

By Plane. The quickest way to get to Göreme in Cappadocia from Istanbul is to fly. You can fly direct from either Istanbul Airport (IST), or Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW), to Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR) and Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV). Both Pegasus and Turkish Airlines operate daily flights between the two cities, but flying to Kayseri will give you more options for times.

By Bus. If you’re not in a hurry and don’t want to fly, then you could consider taking a bus from Istanbul. Long distance buses to Göreme leave from multiple locations in Istanbul such as Alibeyköy Otogari, Esenler Otogari, or Istanbul Dudullu. They are all quite far from each other, so double check which terminal your bus departs from before leaving.

Our go-to websites for checking bus operators, timetables and ticket prices are either Busbud or Flixbus. The bus journey can take anywhere from 12 to 13 hours. The bus drops you off at Göreme Bus Station.

By Car. If you want to have a road-trip, then you can always hire a car in Istanbul and drive all the way to Göreme in Cappadocia. It should take about 8 hours without stopping, so allocate a whole day for your trip once you’ve included some stops.

How to Get to Göreme in Cappadocia from Antalya

After enjoying the Turkish Riviera, you may be heading to Cappadocia next for a bucket list hot air balloon ride. Luckily, it’s easy to travel between Antalya and Cappadocia.

By Plane. The quickest way to get to Göreme from Antalya is to fly. There’s currently one direct flight per day between Kayseri Airport (ASR) and Antalya Airport (AYT). Hop on a tram, a Havas airport shuttle bus, or a taxi to travel to Antalya Airport from the city centre.

By Bus. A longer alternative is to take the bus. There are a few day-time and night-time buses leaving from Antalya Bus Station. The journey takes about 9 to 10 hours, and you’ll be dropped off at Goreme bus station. Check either Busbud or Flixbus for timetables and bus operators.

We travelled from Antalya to Cappadocia by bus during our six week long backpacking trip across the country. Whilst it took the majority of the day to get to Antalya, the landscape was incredible and we were given a few stops along the way to grab something to eat. However, if you want to save on a night’s accommodation, then maybe opt for the night bus.

By Car. If you want to have a road-trip, then you can always hire a car and drive all the way to Göreme. It should take between 7 to 8 hours without stopping, so you’ll probably be driving for the majority of the day once you include some stops.

Travelling to Göreme in Cappadocia from Fethiye

Fethiye and Ölüdeniz are also popular holiday destinations along the Turquoise Coast of Türkiye. So, after paragliding above the Blue Lagoon, you might be heading straight to Göreme for a few days.

By Bus. There’s currently one direct bus per day between Fethiye and Göreme. This takes over 12 hours, leaving from Fethiye Bus Station and dropping you off at Göreme Bus Station. Check Flixbus for timetables and bus operators.

By Plane. There are no direct flights from Dalaman Airport (DLM), the closest airport to Fethiye. From there, you would need to fly to Istanbul and then on to either Kayseri or Nevsehir. Alternatively, you could also travel to Antalya and fly direct from there to Kayseri. You can read our detailed guide on how to get to Antalya from Fethiye.

By Car. Another option is to hire a car and drive all the way to Göreme. Driving between these two places takes about 9 hours without stopping, so it’ll be quite a long journey.

How to Get to Göreme in Cappadocia from Selcuk and Ephesus

Selcuk and the ancient city of Ephesus are well-visited places along the Turquoise Coast of Türkiye. Here’s how to get to Göreme in Cappadocia if you’ve just finished exploring these ancient ruins.

By Plane. The closest airport to Selcuk is Izmir Airport (ADB). There are a few direct flights between Izmir and Kayseri. To get to Izmir Airport, take either the Izmir-Selcuk train, or a Havas shuttle bus from Selcuk.

By Bus. There is one direct overnight bus operating between Selcuk and Göreme. Long-haul buses depart from Selcuk Bus Stop and arrive at Göreme Bus Station. The journey should be about 13-hours long. Book your ticket with Flixbus.

If you don’t fancy sitting on a bus all night, then there are a few more day-time buses available to Göreme from Izmir.

How to Get to Göreme in Cappadocia from Pamukkale and Denizli

If you’ve just visited the unique travertine pools of Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis, then you’ll first need to get from Pamukkale to Denizli. There are a few ways to do that, which we’ve detailed in our dedicated Pamukkale travel guide.

By Bus. Once you’re in Denizli, there are two direct night buses you can travel on to Göreme. These long-haul buses leave from Denizli Bus Station, then drop you off at Göreme Bus Station. The journey time is between 9 and 10 hours. You can book your bus ticket with Flixbus.

How to Get to Göreme from Kayseri and Nevsehir

Whilst most long-haul buses go through Göreme, if you’re flying then you’ll either end up in Nevsehir or Kayseri.

From Kayseri Airport, you can either get a taxi or an airport shuttle bus to Göreme. Obviously, getting a taxi will be the more expensive option, so we recommend getting a shared shuttle bus if you want to save some pennies. Just note that the shuttles operate on demand and need to be pre-booked. You can always liaise with your hotel about a shuttle pick up. Alternatively, you can also get to Kayseri Bus Terminal from the airport by taxi and get a public bus heading to Göreme from there.

From Nevsehir Airport, you can either get to Göreme by taxi or shuttle bus. Again, it’s worth pre-arranging your shuttle pick up with your hotel.

Final Thoughts on How to Get to Cappadocia in Türkiye

Thanks to Cappadocia being an extremely popular destination, we found it easy to reach on multiple modes of transport. We were travelling from Antalya at the time, and found our bus journey to be pretty straightforward. Whilst it was a long journey, the landscape was really beautiful and it made us feel like we’d seen way more of the countryside than we would’ve done had we flown.

From Cappadocia, we were travelling on an overnight bus to Mardin, which again was easy and also saved us a night’s accommodation.

Have you ever been to Cappadocia before? Let us know where you came from and how you got there. If not, then we hope that this guide has given you a good idea of how to plan your own journey to this unique bucket list destination in Türkiye.