Istanbul to Cappadocia: by plane, overnight bus or train
The quickest way is to fly: there are direct flights from Istanbul to both Cappadocia airports, of about 1 h 20 min to 1 h 30 min. An overnight bus takes about 9 h 57 min to Göreme. No train reaches Cappadocia: by rail you go through Ankara and Kayseri, then on by bus.
By plane
- Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV)
- Turkish Airlines from Istanbul Airport (IST), about 1 h 20 min
- Kayseri Airport (ASR)
- Turkish Airlines from Istanbul Airport (IST), about 1 h 30 minPegasus from Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), about 1 h 25 min – 1 h 30 minAJet from Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW)
Every route here is on the list of domestic flights of DHMİ, which runs Türkiye’s state airports; the flight times are the airlines’ own. How often they fly changes with the season: check with the airline.
From the airport to your town: shuttles, taxis and buses
By overnight bus
Overnight buses run from Istanbul’s bus terminals to Göreme’s bus station. A ticketing site gives:
- Average journey
- 9 h 57 min
- Fares
- from 2,000 TL
The tickets are sold to Göreme’s bus station: ask the bus company whether the coach goes into Göreme or you change to a minibus in Nevşehir.
We name no bus company: there are several, and we have not checked them all.
By train
No high-speed train reaches Kayseri or Nevşehir. The high-speed train runs from Istanbul to Ankara in 4 h 30 min – 5 h 10 min; from Ankara, these trains pass through Kayseri:
- Doğu Ekspresi
- every day
- Van Gölü Ekspresi
- Tuesday and Sunday
- Güney Kurtalan Ekspresi
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
From Kayseri, buses reach Göreme’s bus station in about 1 h; a ticketing site gives fares of 300 TL to 350 TL.
Which way to choose
Flying saves most of a day. The overnight bus saves a night’s hotel, but you arrive tired for your first morning, which may be a balloon morning. The train suits a slow trip, with a stop in Ankara.
Plan your days in Cappadocia
Choose your month, and the planner builds your days around a balloon morning and a backup.