Cappadocia Tour from Ankara: 2 Days by Bus, North & South Routes
Overview
Cappadocia Tour from Ankara: 2 Days by Bus, North & South Routes
Cappadocia lies only 300 kilometres from Ankara, near enough for an early bus to get you there before noon. This 2-day tour covers the North Cappadocia route on the first day after you arrive and the South route the next morning, with a night in a cave hotel and every transfer arranged.
Pasabag and Devrent Valley bring the fairy chimneys, Zelve its open-air monasteries and Avanos a pottery workshop, before an outside view of Uchisar Castle. The southern circuit adds Rose Valley, Byzantine churches and a multi-level underground city, and then an evening bus takes you back. It makes an easy break for anyone living in Ankara, with no airport queues.
The tour leaves from Ankara Main Bus Station. Please check the meeting point on Google Maps in advance so you know exactly where to go.
For a longer stay, the 3-day Cappadocia tour from Ankara adds the Green Tour route and a second night in the region. Heading south afterwards? The Ephesus and Pamukkale tour from Ankara makes a good second short trip toward the Aegean coast.
You enjoy the trip; we take care of the rest.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Bus from Ankara & North Cappadocia Tour
Included today: lunch, bus ticket, entrance fees, transfers and accommodation.
An early bus from Ankara reaches Cappadocia by mid-morning, followed by the guided North Cappadocia circuit and a night in a cave or stone hotel.
- 05:00 – Be at Ankara Main Bus Station (ASTI). You make your own way there and board the intercity bus of the company named on your ticket. Please arrive at least 30 minutes before departure; the departure time can change with the season.
- 05:30 – The bus leaves for Cappadocia. The road heads east across the central Anatolian plateau, through open steppe for most of the way, and the ride takes about 4 hours.
- 09:30 – Arrival at Cappadocia Bus Station. Your guide and tour vehicle meet you there and drive you straight to the first stop of the North circuit.
- 10:30 – The guided North tour begins. Your licensed guide leads the group through six stops, and lunch at a local restaurant is included midway through the afternoon.
North Cappadocia route, in order:
- Devrent Valley (Pink Valley) – unlike the other stops, it has no man-made buildings at all, just rock that nature has shaped into camel and dolphin outlines.
- Pasabag Open Air Museum – early Christian monks chose it for its isolation and carved chapels and hermit cells high in the fairy chimneys to get away from the world.
- Avanos Pottery Workshop – a pottery town for more than four thousand years, its craft fed by the rich red clay that the Kizilirmak River carries downstream.
- Goreme Panoramic View – the morning sun lights Goreme valley from the east, so reaching the viewpoint before ten gives the best mix of colour and shadow.
- Zelve Open Air Museum – you walk along real streets and through kitchens and bedrooms where Cappadocian families lived well into the twentieth century.
- Uchisar Castle (exterior view) – visible from almost anywhere in Cappadocia, it is the best-known natural landmark of the region and a key Red Tour photo stop.
18:00 – Check-in at your cave or stone hotel in the Cappadocia region. The hotel is in the standard category, and upgrades can be chosen in the booking form.
Day 2 – South Cappadocia Tour & Bus Back to Ankara
Included today: breakfast, lunch, entrance fees, transfers and bus ticket.
Breakfast at the hotel, the full South Cappadocia circuit with an underground city, then an evening bus back to Ankara.
Optional early-morning extras:
- Hot air balloon flight – the most booked activity and the number one rated experience in Cappadocia, known for its sunrise views.
- Balloon watching tour – sunrise photos from the best viewpoints in Cappadocia, with those viewpoints guaranteed.
Both can be added at the best available price when you book.
09:30 – After breakfast the tour vehicle leaves for the South circuit. Your guide leads the group through five stops, and lunch at a local restaurant is included.
South Cappadocia route, in order:
- Red Valley – centuries of volcanic ash and wind carved its tall orange pillars into shapes that early Christian settlers used as natural landmarks.
- Rose Valley (Gulludere Valley) – several rock-cut Byzantine churches here still show faded frescoes on their inner walls, painted by early Christian communities centuries ago.
- Cavusin Village – one of the first permanently inhabited settlements in Cappadocia, where Greek-speaking communities carved homes into the cliffs over a thousand years ago.
- Pigeon Valley – named after the thousands of pigeon houses that local farmers cut into the cliff walls to gather droppings for fertiliser.
- Underground City – carved by early Christians as a refuge from invaders, it feels like a secret world hidden below the surface as you go down.
- 19:00 – Your guide drives the group from the tour area to Cappadocia Bus Station for the trip home.
- 19:30 – The return bus leaves for Ankara. The ride takes about 4 hours, and the departure time can change with the season.
- 23:30 – Arrival at Ankara Bus Station. The time can vary a little with traffic and road conditions.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓Round-trip bus tickets (Ankara–Cappadocia–Ankara)
- ✓1 night accommodation in a cave or stone hotel in Cappadocia
- ✓1 breakfast and 2 lunches (one per day)
- ✓Professional English-speaking licensed tour guide
- ✓All entrance fees as per the itinerary
- ✓Local transfers during the 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
Cappadocia from Ankara in 2 days by bus: the key facts
This is a two-day, one-night trip from Ankara to Cappadocia by intercity bus. You take an early bus from Ankara Main Bus Station (AŞTİ) on day one, are met at the Cappadocia bus station, and join the north route tour the same morning: Devrent Valley, Pasabag, an Avanos pottery workshop, the Goreme panoramic view, Zelve and an outside view of Uchisar Castle. After a night in a cave or stone hotel you do the south route on day two and take the evening bus back to Ankara.
It suits people living in or visiting Ankara who want to see both main sides of Cappadocia without flying and do not mind two long days. The price is from $243 per person.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Length | 2 days / 1 night |
| Route | Ankara - Cappadocia (north route, south route) - Ankara |
| Style | Group tour by intercity bus, guided in Cappadocia |
| Start / end | Ankara Main Bus Station, 05:00 / back in Ankara around 23:30 |
| Included | Return bus tickets, 1 night in a standard cave or stone hotel, 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, licensed English-speaking guide, entrance fees as per itinerary, local transfers on tour days, taxes and fees |
| Extra | Dinner, drinks at lunch, hot air balloon flight, personal expenses, your own transfer to AŞTİ |
How do the two days run?
Day one starts at 05:00 at AŞTİ, where you should arrive at least 30 minutes before the 05:30 bus. You reach Cappadocia bus station around 09:30, meet the guide and vehicle, and the north tour starts at 10:30. Lunch is included during the tour, and you check in at the hotel around 18:00. On day two, after breakfast, the vehicle leaves at 09:30 for Red Valley, Rose Valley, Cavusin village, Pigeon Valley and an underground city, with lunch on the way. At 19:00 the guide takes you to the bus station for the 19:30 bus, due in Ankara around 23:30.
Do we have to get to the bus station ourselves?
Yes. The overview says every transfer is arranged, but the day one details say guests make their own way to Ankara Main Bus Station, and the inclusions list only transfers inside Cappadocia. Plan a taxi or early transport to AŞTİ at about 04:30, and the same at 23:30 when you arrive back. If you want us to arrange a car on the Ankara side, ask for it to be added and priced in writing. Our Ankara destination guide gives a feel for the city if you are visiting.
The booking form shows 08:00 to 14:00. What time does it really start?
The booking form offers start times between 08:00 and 14:00, with 09:00 marked as suggested, but the itinerary starts with a 05:30 bus from Ankara. The form time does not match the trip as described. Book the date you want and ignore the time box; the bus departure and meeting point we send in your written confirmation are the ones to follow. Check them there before paying.
How tiring is it?
It is a full trip. Day one starts before dawn with four hours on the bus, then a day of touring that ends around 18:00. Day two is a full touring day followed by another four hours on the bus, back after 23:00. The walking at each stop is easy to moderate: valley viewpoints, the rock cones at Pasabag, and paths in the Zelve open-air site, plus steps and low tunnels in the underground city. Wear shoes with grip. If you would prefer more time, the 3-day version of this trip adds a free evening and a second night.
Which hotel will we stay in?
One night in a cave or stone hotel in Cappadocia, standard category, with breakfast. The page does not name the hotel, and you can choose an upgrade in the booking form. Ask us which hotel is planned for your date and have the name written into your confirmation. If you want to compare areas and room styles first, read our pages on cave hotels in Cappadocia and where to stay in Cappadocia.
Is the balloon flight included?
No. The balloon flight is an optional extra, as is a balloon-watching trip, and both would take place early on the morning of day two, before the 09:30 pick-up. Flights depend on the weather and can be cancelled on the morning itself. If you want one, add it when you book so it is priced and confirmed in writing. See the hot air balloon flight or the cheaper balloon watching tour for what each involves.
Which language does the guide speak?
The inclusions list an English-speaking licensed guide. The FAQ says you can choose English, Spanish or Italian, and that the price varies by language. If you need Spanish or Italian, say so when you book and ask for the guide language and the adjusted price to be stated in your written confirmation. On a shared group tour the guide language is usually set for the whole group, so do not assume another language without that confirmation.
Is this the right choice compared with a day trip?
If you only have one day, the Cappadocia day trip from Ankara is from $112 per person and covers one route. This two-day trip covers both the north and south routes with a night in between, which also gives you the option of a sunrise balloon. For more choice, browse tours from Ankara or all Cappadocia tours.
How do we book this tour?
Choose your date and number of guests in the booking form on this page, or message us on WhatsApp at +90 545 307 67 88 with your date, the names as in your passports and any extras such as a balloon flight or hotel upgrade. Before you pay, we send you the plan in writing: bus times and meeting point, hotel name, guide language, what is included and the total price. Check it, ask about anything unclear, and pay only once you are happy. Get Turkey Tours is licensed by TÜRSAB (A-15751).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the tour begin and finish?
How do we get from one city to the next?
Where will we sleep?
Is a hot air balloon ride part of the price?
Which guiding languages are offered?
Are there departures every day?
Can the route be changed or made longer?
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