If you’re like me then you probably thought you’d hop out of the plane and be staring at all of the phalluses and hot air balloons you’ve seen online. Not the case.
The town of Göreme (where Cappadocia is located) is actually a 1 hour drive from the airport in Kayseri. So … “How to Get to Cappadocia?” … You might ask.
Allow us to help you.
Kayseri to Göreme
Kayseri is the airport you want to fly into from Istanbul. Göreme is where you are going to want to stay when visiting Cappadocia.
But should you take public transport from the airport, or private?
How to Get to Cappadocia With Public Transport
Taking public transport from the airport would involve getting a taxi from the airport to the bus station, then a bus to Göreme. This is going to take some time.
I tried to do this exact thing the first time I went to Göreme, and I ended up standing on the side of the street for an hour at a random gas station in between Kayseri and Goreme. Why?
From what I understood at the time (I don’t speak Turkish and no one else spoke English), the bus that I was on was heading somewhere else, so the driver instructed me to get off and wait on the side of the road for the next bus that was going all the way to Göreme.
“It will come in 5 minutes” – My driver said to me in Turkish.
So I did this … and waited for about an hour on the side of the road, and no bus ever came. I eventually flagged down a taxi and paid for him to take me the rest of the way to Göreme, which was more expensive than the original bus ticket.
Let’s just say I wish I had booked the private transfer ahead of time. You can book your transfer from the airport for $12.50 here.
How to Get to Cappadocia With Private Transport
I booked a shared van to Kayseri Airport from Göreme on my way back to Istanbul and it saved me a whole lot of trouble. This seems to be the way most people travel to and from Göreme. I would recommend you do this.
Where can I book my private transfer you might ask?
Book your transfer HERE! – It’s literally $5 as I’m writing this.
The link above (Get my Guide) has always been very reliable for me when it comes to airport transfers. They have multiple different ones depending on whether you would like a private or shared shuttle. I recommend shared, as the price is much cheaper and you just don’t really need a private shuttle … right?
BUT, if you would like a private shuttle, you can book one here.
Are There No Buses to Cappadocia?
Actually, there is a night bus from Istanbul to Cappadocia that will take approximately 10-12 hours that costs about $30. (The plane costs about $30 as well)
I don’t know why you would choose the 12 hour bus ride when the 45-minute plane ride costs the same amount of money, but to each their own! The night bus is certainly an option. I found you a bunch of lovely 12 hour rides HERE.
Hopefully this post will help you get to Cappadocia quickly and safely, unlike my trip to Cappadocia. I learned the importance of planning the HARD way.
If you found this post helpful, please let me know in the comments!
And check out our guide for things to do in Cappadocia HERE.
Thanks for reading.
