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Day trips from Cappadocia

5 day-trip options from Cappadocia, with real distances, time required, and the best tour operator for each. Pick one for a half-day reset, two for a packed week.

85 km southwest · Full day

1. Ihlara Valley + Selime Monastery

The Green Tour route. 14 km canyon hike past Byzantine cave churches, then the Star Wars-filming-location Selime Monastery cut into a cliff.

Book a Ihlara Valley + Selime Monastery tour →
55 km south · Half day

2. Soğanlı Valley

Less-visited valley with painted Byzantine churches, dovecote-pocked tuff cliffs, and a dwindling village famous for cloth dolls.

Book a Soğanlı Valley tour →
30 km south · Half day

3. Derinkuyu + Kaymaklı underground cities

Two of the largest underground cities, 8 levels deep at Derinkuyu. Sheltered 20,000+ people in the Christian-Roman era. Claustrophobics, prepare.

Book a Derinkuyu + Kaymaklı underground cities tour →
120 km west · Full day

4. Mount Hasan + Aksaray

The 3,253m volcano whose ash sculpted Cappadocia. Seljuk-era caravanserais along the silk road, Sultanhanı caravanserai is the photo.

Book a Mount Hasan + Aksaray tour →
Local · Pre-dawn 4 hours total

5. Hot-air balloon flight

Not technically a day trip but the main reason people come. Pickup 4:30am, 60–90 minutes flight, back by 8am for breakfast. See our complete balloon guide.

Book a Hot-air balloon flight tour →

Where to stay in Cappadocia

If you're doing 2+ day trips, base yourself centrally. See our full Cappadocia neighborhood guide for which area suits which tour pickup.