4-Day Cappadocia and Konya Tour with Flights & Mevlana Museum
Overview
4-Day Cappadocia and Konya Tour with Flights & Mevlana Museum
Only a few hours separate Cappadocia's volcanic valleys from the Seljuk heritage of Konya, yet most packages leave the pairing out. This 4-day tour gives you two full days of fairy chimneys and cave churches, followed by a day devoted to the Mevlana Museum and the spiritual home of Rumi, adding cultural depth to the scenery.
Day one covers the north, with Pasabag, Zelve and Uchisar Castle; day two moves south to Cavusin village and Pigeon Valley. An intercity bus then takes you to Konya, where the Sufi trail continues through the Karatay Madrasa, the Alaaddin Mosque and the tomb of Shams-i Tabrizi. It is a good fit for thoughtful travellers and anyone who enjoys history.
Your package includes flights from Istanbul to Cappadocia and from Konya to Istanbul (15 kg checked and 8 kg cabin baggage), the bus from Cappadocia to Konya, 2 nights in Cappadocia and 1 in Konya, 3 breakfasts and 3 lunches, transfers, entrance fees and a licensed English-speaking guide. Dinner, drinks at lunch and the optional balloon flight cost extra.
Cappadocia also combines well with Pamukkale or the Aegean. For Pamukkale's thermal pools, see our 4-day Cappadocia and Pamukkale package; for a broader south-and-west circuit from Istanbul that takes in Ephesus too, look at our longer routes; or choose the five-day version covering Pamukkale and Ephesus at a slower pace.
Relax and enjoy the journey; we handle everything else.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Flight to Cappadocia & Northern Valleys Tour
Meals: lunch. Transfers included.
04:30 - Pick-up from your hotel and transfer to the airport (pick-up time and airport may change).
06:40 - Flight from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevsehir (flight time may change).
08:00 - Landing at Kayseri or Nevsehir Airport (arrival airport and time may change according to availability), then transfer to the Cappadocia tour area.
Your first guided day focuses on the best-known landmarks of the north:
- Devrent Valley (Pink Valley) – worth seeing at different times of day: afternoon groups find a completely different range of colours from morning visitors. Its character changes sharply with the light, which is unusual even for Cappadocia.
- Pasabag Open Air Museum – the fairy chimneys reached such heights because hard basalt caps shielded the softer tuff beneath from rain. Without those caps the columns would have eroded to the valley floor centuries ago, leaving nothing to step inside.
- Avanos Pottery Workshop – children and adults alike get involved at the wheel, and families often rate it a highlight of the tour. The instructor has taught thousands of beginners and keeps the session relaxed, patient and fun.
- Goreme Panoramic View – your guide often takes the group photo here, with the whole valley behind you. Ask for it before everyone scatters for their own shots.
- Zelve Open Air Museum – it has its own entrance fee, separate from the other museums in the area, which surprises visitors expecting one pass for everything. Your guide takes care of all tickets, so this is simply background information.
- Uchisar Castle (exterior view) – Byzantine communities saw the castle mainly as a refuge where the whole population could retreat when danger came. Tunnels through the rock let people move between levels unseen, a defensive network visible from outside as a dense pattern of openings.
17:00 - Transfer to your Cappadocia hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 2 – South Cappadocia Valleys & Underground City
Meals: breakfast and lunch. Transfers included.
Optional early-morning add-ons: a hot air balloon flight, the top-rated and most booked Cappadocia experience, with classic sunrise views; or a balloon watching tour that guarantees the best viewpoints for sunrise photos. Either can be added at the best available price when you book.
09:30 - Pick-up from your Cappadocia hotel for the second guided route, which focuses on the open southern valleys and one of the region's well-known underground settlements.
- Red Valley – burnt orange, rust and gold rock that looks most vivid under the clear blue skies common from spring to autumn. On overcast days the colours look flat, so sunny mornings are best for photos and walking.
- Rose Valley (Gulludere Valley) – the path you walk was used more than a thousand years ago by Byzantine monks travelling between their cliff chapels and cave homes. Several of these churches are still open, giving a direct encounter with Cappadocia's early Christian past.
- Cavusin Village – the cliff village was home to Greek Orthodox Christians who kept up an active religious and cultural life alongside farming in the valley below. Several carved churches nearby keep painted decoration in the Byzantine style that flourished here from the 9th to the 12th centuries.
- Pigeon Valley – its depth creates a wind-tunnel effect, pushing air between the cliffs faster than on the plateau above. This steady airflow is thought to be one more reason the valley was chosen for dovecotes, as pigeons fly well in moving air.
- Underground City – there is not just one: more than 36 underground complexes have been found in the region, from small family hideaways to cities for thousands of people, together one of the densest groups of defensive underground architecture in the ancient world.
17:00 - Transfer back to your Cappadocia hotel after the tour. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 3 – Bus to Konya & the Path of Rumi
Meals: breakfast and lunch. Transfers included.
07:45 - Check out and transfer to the Cappadocia bus station.
08:15 - Board the intercity bus from Cappadocia to Konya.
12:30 - Arrival in Konya, where our local team takes you on to the tour area. The Konya route introduces the Seljuk heritage and the spiritual world of Mevlana Rumi.
- Mevlana Museum – the spiritual centre of the whole itinerary, where you stand beside Rumi's tomb in a space of reflection and devotion that has continued for more than seven centuries.
- Sultan Selim Mosque – graceful Ottoman architecture next to the Mevlana complex, showing how Konya's religious landscape kept developing after the Seljuks.
- Alaaddin Mosque – on the old hilltop that was once the heart of the capital, it links the day to Seljuk political power, where faith and government met.
- Karatay Madrasa – famous tile work and a scholarly past that reveal the learning and artistry of Seljuk Konya, adding intellectual depth to the spiritual trail.
- Shams-i Tabrizi Tomb and Mosque – the last stop honours the mysterious figure whose friendship turned Rumi from a scholar into a poet, ending the Sufi trail on a personal note.
17:00 - Transfer to your Konya hotel after the city tour. Overnight in Konya.
Day 4 – Flight from Konya to Istanbul
Meals: breakfast. Transfers included.
08:30 - Transfer from your Konya hotel to the airport (pick-up time and airport may change).
11:20 - Flight from Konya to Istanbul (flight time may change).
12:40 - Landing in Istanbul (arrival airport and time may change according to availability). Our team meets you after you land and drives you to your hotel in Istanbul, where the tour ends.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓Domestic flight tickets from Istanbul to Cappadocia and from Konya to Istanbul (luggage allowance: 15kg check-in + 8kg cabin)
- ✓Intercity bus ticket from Cappadocia to Konya
- ✓2 nights accommodation in Cappadocia
- ✓1 night accommodation in Konya
- ✓3 breakfasts and 3 lunches
- ✓Airport, hotel, and station transfers as mentioned in the program
- ✓Professional English-speaking licensed tour guide
- ✓All entrance fees as per the itinerary
- ✓Air-conditioned transportation during tours
- ✓All local taxes, service fees, and handling charges
- ✕Personal expenses
- ✕Drinks at lunch
- ✕Dinner
- ✕Hot air balloon flight (optional)
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Travel guides
- Şeb-i Arus 2027 in Konya: Trips from Istanbul or Cappadocia
- Cappadocia Tours from Kayseri Airport: 1, 2 or 3 Days, Prices 2027
- Cappadocia in January 2027: Weather, Snow, Balloons and Tours
- Erciyes Ski Resort from Cappadocia: Season, Lift Prices, Day Trip 2027
- Cappadocia in December: Snow Odds, Weather, Balloons and Tours
- Cappadocia Weather by Month: Temperatures, Rain, Snow and Balloons
- Cappadocia Mistakes to Avoid on a First Visit: 14 Errors and Fixes
- Why Cappadocia Balloon Flights Get Cancelled, and What Happens Next
- 3-Day Cappadocia Itinerary: Balloon, Valleys, Ihlara and Göreme
- Cappadocia Green Tour: Derinkuyu, Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery
4-day Cappadocia and Konya tour from Istanbul: the key facts
This group package starts and ends in Istanbul. You fly to Cappadocia, spend two days on the northern and southern valley routes, then take an intercity bus west to Konya for a guided afternoon at the Mevlana Museum and the Seljuk mosques and madrasas of the old centre. On Day 4 you fly from Konya back to Istanbul and are driven to your hotel by about lunchtime. You get two nights in Cappadocia and one in Konya.
It suits travellers who want Cappadocia's rock landscapes and also want to see the city of Rumi and the whirling dervish tradition, without driving themselves. The price is from $778 per person.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4 days / 3 nights |
| Route | Istanbul – Cappadocia – Konya – Istanbul |
| Style | Group tour, daily departures, no minimum group size, licensed English-speaking guide |
| Start / end | Istanbul hotel pick-up about 04:30 on Day 1 / Istanbul hotel drop-off after a flight landing about 12:40 on Day 4 |
| Included | Flights Istanbul–Cappadocia and Konya–Istanbul (15 kg checked + 8 kg cabin), bus Cappadocia–Konya, 2 nights Cappadocia + 1 night Konya, 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, transfers, entrance fees |
| Extra | Dinners, drinks at lunch, personal expenses, hot air balloon |
How do the flights and the bus work?
There are two flights and one bus. On Day 1 you are collected from your Istanbul hotel at about 04:30 for a 06:40 flight to Kayseri or Nevsehir, landing about 08:00; the airport depends on the flight booked. On Day 3 you leave the Cappadocia hotel at 07:45 for the 08:15 intercity bus to Konya, arriving about 12:30, where the local team meets you. On Day 4 the flight from Konya leaves about 11:20 and lands in Istanbul about 12:40. Please note that the FAQ on the page mentions only one domestic flight, from Konya to Istanbul, while the inclusions and the day plan list both flights. Ask us to confirm both flights in writing before you pay.
What do we see in Konya?
Konya gets one afternoon. The page lists the Mevlana Museum, which holds the tomb of the 13th-century poet and mystic Rumi, then the Sultan Selim Mosque next to it, the Alaaddin Mosque on its hill, the Karatay Madrasa with its tilework, and the tomb and mosque of Shams-i Tabrizi, Rumi's teacher. The city tour ends around 17:00 and you are taken to your Konya hotel. Our Konya destination guide has more background, and the Konya tours list shows day trips if you want more time there.
What should we wear in Konya's mosques and at the Mevlana Museum?
Konya is a conservative city and most of Day 3 is spent at religious sites. Cover shoulders and knees, and women should bring a scarf to cover their hair inside mosques. You take your shoes off before entering a mosque, so slip-on shoes help. The Mevlana Museum is a shrine as well as a museum and is often busy with pilgrims, so speak quietly and follow the signs on photography. In Cappadocia on Days 1 and 2 normal walking clothes are fine, with shoes that grip on dusty paths.
Where do we stay, and what meals are covered?
Two nights are in Cappadocia and one in Konya. The page does not name the hotels; the FAQ refers to a Hotels section that lists options by class, so ask for the hotel names and class before you pay. Included meals are lunch on Day 1, breakfast and lunch on Days 2 and 3, and breakfast on Day 4: three breakfasts and three lunches. Dinners are not included, so you eat on your own each evening. Drinks at lunch are extra. Our guide to where to stay in Cappadocia explains the main villages.
Is the hot air balloon included?
No. The balloon is an optional extra and not in the package price. The only dawn that works is Day 2, before the 09:30 pick-up, because Day 3 starts with an early bus. Flights are cancelled in strong wind, and with one usable morning there is no second try. You can add a standard sunrise balloon flight from $199 per person or a balloon watching tour from $35 per person when you book. Ask for the exact balloon price in your written plan.
How hard are the days?
Day 1 is the longest: a 04:30 start, then six stops on the northern route (Devrent Valley, Pasabag, an Avanos pottery workshop, the Goreme viewpoint, Zelve and an outside view of Uchisar Castle) until about 17:00. Day 2 covers Red Valley, Rose Valley, Cavusin, Pigeon Valley and an underground city, with low tunnels and steep steps. Day 3 has about four hours on a bus, then an afternoon of walking in Konya. Day 4 is short. Anyone of normal fitness can manage it; tell us about knee or back problems before the underground city.
Can we change the order or add nights?
Yes. The FAQ says the route can be adjusted with the trip planner on the page or by sending us a request, for example an extra night in Cappadocia or Konya. The page also lists "Eastern Turkey" among the destinations, but this itinerary does not go east of Konya; if you want Mount Nemrut as well, look at the Konya, Cappadocia, Nemrut and Gobeklitepe tour from $680 per person. If Istanbul sightseeing matters too, the Istanbul, Konya and Cappadocia tour from $1,565 per person adds it. More options are on the Cappadocia packages page.
How do I book this Cappadocia and Konya tour?
Pick your date and number of guests in the booking form on this page and send it, or message us on WhatsApp. The form asks for a start time between 08:00 and 14:00, but the real Day 1 pick-up is set by the morning flight, around 04:30, so treat the form time as a placeholder. We then send you the full plan in writing: pick-up time, both flights, the bus, hotel names and the price of any extras. You pay only after you have checked and confirmed that plan. Get Turkey Tours operates under TÜRSAB licence A-15751.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the tour begin and finish?
How do we get between the cities?
Where will we spend the nights?
Is a balloon flight part of the price?
Which languages do the guides speak?
Can I start this tour on any day?
Can the route be customised or extended?
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