Elmali or Apple Church in the Göreme Open Air Museum

One of the great sights at the museum is this well-restored church. The Elmali or Apple Church is the smallest cross-vaulted church in the Göreme valley. Its frescos are from the 11th century. ELMALI KİLİSE

Ürgüp in Cappadocia

Ürgüp is the place where I always stay when I am in Cappadocia. Its bus station has good connections, Kayseri is one stop to the East, and the other Cappadocian places are all within easy reach. A minibus leaves for Nevsehir (with Orthisar, Ak Tepe or Üçhisar a twenty minutes walk from where they let you get off on the main road) every hour, and for Avanos, Göreme every second hour. And in case of necessity one can walk there (if you don't mind a two hour's strenuous walk to Avanos). The place itself is a bit larger than most of the others, has a bit less of their old character, but maybe I like that. Here are some of the many pictures I took there, some others may be added to complete the somewhat haphazard image they now provide. I was told that whereas there is Ortahisar (Middle Fortress) and Üçhisar (Third Fortress, a viewer thinks "Three fortresses" would be correct) there seems to be a "First Fortress" missing. That would be a former name for Ürgüp.

Cappadocia's Best Restaurants

Oh, how I remember the days when you could only get good meals in summer in Cappadocia.
In summer, chefs and staff would come from larger cities to the towns of Cappadocia and prepare good, if simple, meals. But the rest of the year, Cappadocian towns reverted from tourism to farming, and only the very simplest restaurants stayed open.
Those times are long gone. With Turkey now numbered among the world's top ten tourist destinations, Cappadocia now boasts some excellent year-round restaurants serving locals and visitors alike.
Here are my favorites:
Sömine (Ürgüp)The name (shuh-mee-NEH) means "fireplace," but there's also air conditioning for summer, open-air terrace dining for pleasant evenings, excellent food and service, and moderate prices.
Local Restaurant (Göreme)Comfortable, welcoming, reliable, moderately-priced: all the virtues, with pleasant indoor and outdoor dining right where Göreme's main street meets the road to the Göreme Valley.
Culture Museum & Restaurant-Cafe (Ortahisar)Set right in Ortahisar's main square, this is a felicitous combination of ethnographic museum and fine restaurant with both indoor dining rooms and open-air terrace.
Old Greek House (Mustafapasa)Its name tells you about the building—an authentic, unrestored Ottoman Greek mansion—but not about the cuisine: home cooking, served (if you like) Turkish-style, at a circular table set on the floor.
Ziggy's Shoppe & Cafe (Ürgüp)The perfect place for a light lunch or dinner, an after-dinner drink, and conversation (romantic, or with friends) on an open-air terrace or next to a cozy fire, with cool jazz in the background.
Elai Restaurant (Uçhisar)Whaddaya mean I'm not in Istanbul? The sophistication of this white-tablecloth place makes you wonder, but the panoramic view from the terrace could only be Cappadocia. Alaturca (Göreme) Large and comfortable, with attentive service, tasty food and a good list of libations.

Getting to/from Cappadocia, Turkey

Here's how to get to Cappadocia from other parts of Turkey. In general, bus and plane are the best ways.
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Ankara—CappadociaBus and car are the easiest way, train longer and less convenient. Forget the plane—there are no direct flights:

There are no non-stop flights between Ankara and Cappadocia, the trains (see below) are slow and run mostly at inconvenient times, so the best way to go is by road: bus or car.
By BusNevtur buses depart Ankara's ASTI main bus terminal about every two hours for Nevsehir (and vice-versa). The journey takes 4 hours, including a 25-minute stop about 1-1/4 hours into the journey to stretch your legs, use the toilet, have a glass of tea, a meal or a smoke (no smoking on the bus). The fare is YTL20.
When you arrive at Nevsehir's bus terminal, you'll be transferred to a minibus for the final part of your journey to one of Cappadocia's towns such as Göreme, Uçhisar or Ürgüp. The cost of the minibus trip is usually included in your bus ticket fare.
Buy your ticket at Nevtur, ASTI ticket counter no. 50. It's best to buy yor ticket in advance if you can, but most of the time you can just show up at ASTI, buy your ticket, and be on your way on the next bus. (That's what I do.)
If you're going to travel during a national holiday or religious holiday period, you should reserve your bus seat in advance to avoid delay or disappointment.
By CarFight your way through Ankara traffic to the E-90 highway south, following signs for Aksaray, 219 km (136 miles, 3 hours). At Aksaray, turn left (east) following signs for Nevsehir, 73 km (45 miles, 1 hour).
Just at the junction of E-90 and the Nevsehir highway in Aksaray is the Orhan Agaçli Tesisleri, an elaborate commercial highway rest stop with a motel, restaurant, cafeteria, snack stands, toilets, souvenir shops, fuel and service stations, even a small mosque.
By TrainThe main railway line runs from Ankara to Kayseri, then splits, one line running east to Sivas, the other south to Nigde, Karaman and Adana, skirting Cappadocia to the east and south.
Express trains take about seven hours to cover the distance between Ankara and Kayseri. (Compare this to the bus's four hours from Ankara to Nevsehir.)
Erzurum Ekspresi leaves Ankara in early afternoon and arrives at Kayseri in the evening. Güney Ekspresi departs Ankara early in the morning, and arrives at Kayseri in mid-afteroon. Çukurova Mavi Tren and Dogu Ekspresi depart Ankara in the evening and arrive at Kayseri in the middle of the night.
A taxi between Ankara Gar (railway station) and ASTI (main bus terminal) takes about 10 minutes in light traffic, and costs about YTL10.
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Antalya—CappadociaThere may be a direct flight soon, but right now you must fly via Istanbul, or (better) go by bus or car:

By BusOvernight buses run between Antalya and Nevsehir, about 9 or 10 hours. From Nevsehir, you continue to your Cappadocian town by minibus. You might also decide to take a bus to Konya, see the sights there, spend the night, and continue to your destination the next day.
By CarThe 586-km (364-mile) drive takes between 8 and 9 hours, depending on how you drive, how often you stop, and whether you're going north uphill to Konya or south down the mountains to Antalya.
It's an interesting ride, along the ancient Silk Road past the Sultanhani and other Seljuk Turkish caravanserais to Konya (good for a meal or overnight stop), then through mountain country down to the Mediterranean coast.
By PlaneTo fly between Antalya and Cappadocia you must go via Istanbul. The flights take about 90 minutes each, but getting to the airport, checking in, passing through security, boarding, transferring, waiting again, flying again, collecting your luggage and transferring from the airport can add up almost to the time it takes to go by bus or car.
There are flights between Antalya and Ankara. Then you must take a bus or drive from Ankara to Cappadocia. More...
Check with one of my recommended travel agencies to see if there is a nonstop flight between Kayseri and Antalya yet.
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Istanbul—CappadociaSeveral options: daily nonstop flights to Kayseri (and a few weekly to Nevsehir), direct overnight buses, or sleeper train-and-bus via Ankara or Konya:

You have a choice of ways to travel from Istanbul to Cappadocia, in central Anatolia.
By PlaneFastest, though not easiest or cheapest, there are daily (morning and afternoon) nonstop flights from Istanbul to Kayseri on Turkish Airlines and Onur Air, and occasional flights from Istanbul to Nevsehir's airport at Tuzköy.
Shuttle vans can take you from Kayseri airport directly to your Cappadocian hotel. The entire journey from your Istanbul hotel to your Cappadocian hotel can be done in 4 to 5 hours, if all goes well. More...
If you're arriving from abroad and you plan to visit both Istanbul and Cappadocia, consider leaving your Istanbul visit until the end of your trip. Arrive at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport International Terminal on your international flight, walk to the Domestic terminal, and catch a flight directly to Cappadocia (if the connection timing works.) You'll save yourself a back-and-forth transfer from the airport and an unpacking and repacking at your Istanbul hotel.
Turkish domestic flights are often much more expensive if purchased outside of Turkey, so you should consider having a good Turkish travel agent make your internal flight reservations. They can help with any other arrangements (private guides, hotels, rental cars, yacht cruises) you may need as well. More...
By BusA night bus from Istanbul to Cappadocia is the cheapest way to go, but it's a long ride—730 km (454 miles, about 12 hours). Still, if you can sleep on buses, this may be your favored way.
The most efficient way is to ask your hotel to help you reserve your seat. Leaving from Istanbul, board your bus at the Harem Bus Terminal if possible. Your journey will be almost an hour shorter than if you board at the main bus terminal (Büyük Otogar) in Esenler.
By Train & BusIt takes a bit longer, but it's more comfortable and fun: board the Ankara Ekspresi sleeping car train at Istanbul's Haydarpasa Station in the late evening, arrive at Ankara Gar the next morning, take a short taxi ride (10 minutes, YTL10) to ASTI, Ankara's main bus terminal, and buy a ticket for the 4-hour ride to Nevsehir in Cappadocia. (Here's more on taking the bus.)
It's a longer trip, but more comfortable and enjoyable, and not expensive considering that you save a night's hotel expense by taking the sleeper train.
An alternative is to ride the nightly Meram Ekspresi sleeper train from Istanbul to Konya, then take a bus for the 3-hour ride east to Nevsehir.
By CarIt's a long drive (730 km/454 miles, 11 or 12 hours), and it only makes economic sense if several people share the car and the fuel expense. Use the otoyol (expressway) between Istanbul and Ankara to save time, then follow the E-90 highway south from Ankara to Aksaray, then go east along the ancient Silk Road to Nevsehir.
Leaving Istanbul is a traffic nightmare, but the otoyol then goes through some mountain scenery. The countryside south of Ankara is more monotonous.
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Izmir & Ephesus—Cappadocia Several Kayseri-Izmir flights weekly, direct buses, and an interesting (if long) drive, or sleeper train-and-bus via Ankara.:

Many travelers in Turkey want go between the Ephesus region south of Izmir, and Cappadocia in Central Anatolia.
It's 720 km (447 miles), a drive of nearly 12 hours, so most people going by car or bus break their journey with an overnight in Pamukkale or Konya, or both.
By BusYou may find a direct bus all the way from Nevsehir to Izmir, but it's also possible you'll have to change buses enroute—not a big problem. From Izmir there are frequent minibuses south to Selçuk, Ephesus and Kusadasi.
If you plan to spend a night in Konya or Pamukkale along the way, you may have direct buses for both segments of your journey.
By CarMost travelers choose to drive via the Meander River valley, from Selçuk via Aydin to Denizli and Pamukkale, so they can detour to ancient Aphrodisias along the way, then spend the night at Pamukkale. This makes a good first day of travel (190 km, 118 miles, about 3 hours, not counting the detour to Aphrodisias).
On the second day, it's 306 km (190 miles, 5 to 6 hours) from Pamukkale to Konya through Turkey's lake country. Stop at Egirdir for lunch, and enjoy the scenery. Stay the night at Konya to see its great Seljuk Turkish buildings (especially the Mevlana [Rumi] Museum). The next day, continue east along the ancient Silk Road via Sultanhani to Nevsehir, Cappadocia (221 km, 137 miles, 3 hours) on Day 3.
For details, see my 5-Day Ephesus—Cappadocia Driving Itinerary.
By PlaneSun Express has Izmir-Kayseri and Kayseri-Izmir flights several times weekly from April through October. It's worth planning your Cappadocia visit around these flights, because if you don't fly directly, you must fly via Istanbul, which takes more time and expense. See my 5-Day Fly-Drive Itinerary.
By Train & Bus If you're not in a great hurry, one of my favorite ways to do this journey is by sleeper train from Izmir to Ankara, then bus from Ankara to Cappadocia. You board the train in late afternoon, dine aboard, bed down in your private sleeping compartment, breakfast on the train, and arrive in Ankara in the morning. A quick taxi ride (10 minutes, YTL10) takes you from the Ankara Gar to Ankara's ASTI main bus terminal, where you buy a bus ticket for the 4-hour ride to Nevsehir

Transport to Ürgüp, Cappadocia

Bus and car are the ways to get to Ürgüp—no train. To come by airplane you fly to Kayseri or Nevsehir and take an airport shuttle van or taxi to Ürgüp. More...
The Turkish Airlines shuttle van from Kayseri takes exactly one hour to travel to Ürgüp. The normal bus takes a bit longer (more stops).
Distances & Travel Times
Ankara: 308 km (191 miles) N, 4-1/2 hours
Antalya: 615 km (382 miles) SW, 8-1/2 hours
Avanos: 13 km (8 miles) NW, 15 minutes
Göreme Open-Air Museum: 7 km (4.3 miles) W, 15 minutes
Göreme Town: 8 km (5 miles) W, 18 minutes
Istanbul: 725 km (451 miles) NW, 11 hours
Kayseri: 80 km (50 miles) E, 1-1/4 hours
Konya: 250 km (155 miles) W, 3 hours
Nevsehir: 23 km (14 miles) W, 25 minutes
Uçhisar: 10 km (6 miles) W, 20 minutes
Underground Cities: 20 km (12 miles) SW, 25 minutes to Kaymakli, 30 km (19 miles), 40 minutes to Derinkuyu

Ürgüp, Cappadocia, Turkey

Ürgüp has traditionally been the tourism center of Central Anatolia's Cappadocia region (map), though nowadays nearby Göreme Town has become an equally important touring base.
It used to be that Ürgüp was for upscale visitors and tour groups, and Göreme for backpackers, but that has changed. There are now excellent boutique hotels and inns in both towns, although Ürgüp does have many more of these.
The center of Ürgüp (EWR-gewp, pop. 15,000) boasts many fine old houses of carved Cappadocian stone. The soft volcanic tufa lends itself to carving for decoration and to expansion: if the house needs a new room, the residents merely hollow one out of the hillside into which the house is built.
Like most Cappadocian towns, Ürgüp clings to the walls of a valley and tumbles down along the valley floor for some distance.
The town has many fine inns with cave rooms such as the Esbelli Evi, as well as cheaper pensions. On the outskirts of the town toward Kayseri are large modern hotels designed for tour groups.
The best restaurants in Ürgüp are Sömine (shur-mee-NEH, "fireplace") right in the center atop the shopping complex, and Ziggy's out of the center up the hill toward Esbelli district. More...
The center of Ürgüp has shops, a historic hamam (Turkish bath), and the Temenni Hill, a high rock ledge looming above the very center of town, with a saint's tomb at its edge. Temenni was a favorite place to go for the fine view, and to watch the sunset, but in spring 2007 a section of the rock collapsed on several buildings in the town, so the viewing terrace is being reconstructed.
If you plan to take a hot-air balloon flight, and you're staying in Ürgüp, your ballooning company will pick you up from your Ürgüp hotel and drive you to the launch site.
Argeus Travel is a good tour and travel agency in Ürgüp. In fact, they run the Turkish Airlines shuttle buses between Ürgüp and Kayseri's Erkilet Airport. and also run the best restaurant: the Sömine, right in the center of town.