Istanbul Turkey Package ToursCappadocia Tour with Cave Hotel: 2 Days from Istanbul
This Cappadocia tour with cave hotel night from Tour Altinkum packs the region into two days. You are picked up at your Istanbul hotel, travel to Cappadocia, and see the Goreme Open Air Museum, the fairy chimneys of Pasabag, Devrent Valley, Uchisar Castle and an underground city with a live guide. You sleep one night in a cave hotel in Urgup. The from-price is $416 per person and the listing carries 335 reviews at 4.7. Entry tickets and flights need a closer look before you book, so read the price breakdown below. For how this listing sits against the field, see the comparison of Turkey tour packages. Compare it with the other Turkey package tours.
About This Tour
Tour Altinkum runs this as a 2-day, 1-night loop from Istanbul. Day 1 covers the Goreme Open Air Museum, Devrent Valley, Pasabag, a pottery workshop and lunch in Avanos, and Uchisar Rock Castle. Day 2 takes in Rose Valley, Cavusin, Pigeon Valley and an underground city before the return to Istanbul.
The from-price is $416 per person. Note that the listing shows the lowest of two options and does not say which, so it is likely the ticket-excluded one where you buy your own flights. Entry tickets to Pasabag, the Goreme Museum and the underground city are excluded per the listing note.
$416 per person, likely the ticket-excluded option
2 days, 1 night, returning to your Istanbul hotel
Hotel pickup in Istanbul. In Cappadocia the driver waits at the airport with a name sign
Private or small groups depending on the option, live guide in English or Japanese
1 night in a cave hotel in Urgup. Economy flights only on the ticket-included option, 15 kg checked plus 8 kg hand luggage
Entry tickets (Pasabag 17 EUR, Goreme Museum 25 EUR, Underground City 17 EUR per the listing note, which quotes slightly different figures elsewhere), the balloon flight, tips and dinner
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are shown when you check availability. Reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Quick answer Price, coverage, catch
This Cappadocia tour with cave hotel costs $416 per person for 2 days and 1 night in Urgup, with 335 reviews at 4.7. The from-price likely excludes flight tickets, and entry tickets cost extra. Breakfast and 2 lunches are in, dinner is not.
Key takeaways
- See exactly what the $416 covers in the price breakdown.
- Want flights and museum tickets in one price? Look at the 2-Day All-Inclusive Cappadocia Trip.
- Watching the budget? The 2-Day Cappadocia Trip with Flight starts lower at $291.
- Compare every listing on the Turkey tour packages homepage before you commit.
What the Price Actually Covers
The listing sells two options and shows one from-price. Here is the split, based on the listing's own inclusions and its know-before-you-go note.
Included
The base listing includes the guided group tour, airport transfers at both ends, air-conditioned transport, one night in the cave hotel in Urgup, breakfast there and 2 lunches. The ticket-included option adds economy flight tickets with the 15 kg checked plus 8 kg hand luggage allowance. A live guide in English or Japanese leads the group.
The catch sits in the notes. The inclusions list says admission fees are covered, but the know-before-you-go note says entry tickets are excluded: Pasabag 17 EUR, Goreme Museum 25 EUR and the Underground City 17 EUR. The itinerary note quotes slightly different figures from that note, so ask the operator which figures apply. There is no assistant service at the airports, only the driver with a name sign.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Guided group tour | Yes | English or Japanese live guide |
| Cave hotel, 1 night | Yes | Urgup, star class not stated |
| Breakfast and 2 lunches | Yes | Dinner is not mentioned |
| Airport transfers | Yes | Driver waits with a name sign, no airport assistant |
| Domestic flights | Ticket-included option only | Economy, 15 kg checked plus 8 kg hand luggage |
| Entry tickets | No | Pasabag 17 EUR, Goreme Museum 25 EUR, Underground City 17 EUR per the listing note |
| Balloon flight | No | Optional, extra cost, paid in Cappadocia, price varies by season |
| Tips | No | Optional |
On the Day
Keep money aside for the entry tickets and drinks, since the listing does not make clear whether drinks at lunch are included. The balloon flight is paid in Cappadocia and the price varies by season. If weather cancels the balloon, you get a full refund for it.
Wind can ground the balloons, so book it for your first morning and keep the second free if you can. Tips are optional. Turkish guides commonly receive 10 to 15 percent of the tour cost, and porters 20 to 30 TL per bag.
Sources: Wikipedia: Turkey, Wikivoyage: Turkey
The fairy chimneys of Goreme, Cappadocia. Photo: Feridun F. Alkaya, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives the stop order and the overnight but few clock times. Here is the shape of both days.
Day 1, Istanbul to Cappadocia
Pickup comes at your Istanbul hotel, with the window shown when you check availability. You fly to Kayseri on the ticket-included option, about 1 h 15 to 1 h 30 in the air and 3 to 4 hours door to door including airport time. At the airport in Cappadocia the driver waits with a name sign, but there is no assistant service, so look for the board yourself.
The touring order runs Goreme Open Air Museum first, where you should allow 1.5 to 2 hours for more than 30 rock-cut churches. Then Devrent Valley, Pasabag, and a pottery workshop plus lunch in Avanos. Uchisar Rock Castle closes the day. You sleep in the cave hotel in Urgup.
Day 2, Valleys and the Underground City
After breakfast at the hotel, the day covers Rose Valley, Cavusin and Pigeon Valley. The last stop is an underground city, the listing does not say which one. Derinkuyu, the most famous, reaches about 85 m deep and once sheltered up to 20,000 people.
The trip ends with a transfer to the airport and the flight back to Istanbul, where you are dropped at your hotel. The listing does not state a return time. If you want a third day and a balloon slot with spare mornings, the 3-Day Cappadocia Tour with Balloon spreads the same region over 3 days.
Top 10 Most Beautiful Cave Hotels in Cappadocia
What a cave hotel night looks like. Third-party video by Travel Insights. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
Some travellers should book a different listing. Here is who, and where to go instead.
Not a Fit Here
Wheelchair users are excluded, the listing states the tour is not suitable. There is no minimum age stated, so families with very small children should confirm details with the operator.
If you want every ticket in one price, this listing is not it. Entry tickets and flights sit outside the from-price, and the balloon costs extra on top. The 2-Day All-Inclusive Cappadocia Trip includes roundtrip flights, skip-the-line museum tickets and a cave hotel for $674. If a balloon ride is the whole point, the 3-Day Cappadocia Tour with Balloon has a with-balloon option. For the widest coverage, the 7-Day Best of Turkey Tour adds Ephesus and Pamukkale with all entrance fees.
Terms to Read Twice
Free cancellation closes 24 hours before departure for a full refund, so book only when your international flights are firm. The 15 kg checked limit bites if you travel heavy. Group size depends on the option, private or small group, so check which one the calendar offers.
The listing does not state a single-supplement amount, so ask the operator before booking solo.
Derinkuyu Underground City, Cappadocia. Photo: Ahmet KAYNARPUNAR, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
The tour starts and ends at your Istanbul hotel, so the only logistics are flights out on the ticket-excluded option and any extra days you add yourself.
Reaching the Start
Pickup is at your Istanbul hotel. Istanbul has two airports. Istanbul Airport uses code IST and sits on metro line M11, and Sabiha Gokcen uses code SAW, about 32 km southeast of the city centre. If you fly yourself on the ticket-excluded option, AJet and Turkish Airlines serve the Cappadocia airports, and domestic seats booked a few weeks ahead run about 30 to 80 EUR one way. Cappadocia has two airports, Nevsehir Kapadokya with code NAV, 30 km northwest of Nevsehir town, and Kayseri with code ASR about 5 km north of its centre. This listing lands at Kayseri.
The road option exists but eats your trip. Sources put the road from Istanbul to Cappadocia at about 727 to 800 km, from 6 h 40 of pure driving to 8 to 10 hours by car, and 10 to 12 hours by overnight bus. With 2 days, fly.
Add Before or After
An extra Istanbul day covers Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Bosphorus at your own pace. Cappadocia deserves a second night if the balloon is your priority, since snow and wind cancel flights and the region averages about 30 snow days a year in Nevsehir. If you have a week, the 8-Day Istanbul Ephesus Pamukkale Cappadocia by Plane adds Ephesus and Pamukkale.
Read the guides to the best time to visit Turkey and Cappadocia tours before you fix dates. More route ideas sit on the Turkey package tours homepage.
Itinerary at a Glance
Clock times come from the listing where stated, otherwise the phases follow the listed order.
-
Start
Istanbul hotel pickup
The driver collects you at your Istanbul hotel. The pickup window shows when you check availability.
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Morning
Flight to Kayseri
On the ticket-included option you fly economy to Kayseri, about 1 h 15 to 1 h 30 in the air. The driver waits at the airport with a name sign. No assistant service.
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Midday
Goreme Open Air Museum
More than 30 rock-cut churches and chapels. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. Entry ticket 25 EUR per the listing note.
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Afternoon
Devrent, Pasabag and Avanos
Devrent Valley, then Pasabag's mushroom chimneys with a 17 EUR entry per the note. Pottery workshop and lunch in Avanos.
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Late afternoon
Uchisar Castle, then the cave hotel
Uchisar Rock Castle ends day 1. You overnight in a cave hotel in Urgup, breakfast included.
-
Day 2
Rose Valley, Cavusin, Pigeon Valley
After breakfast the day covers Rose Valley, Pigeon Valley and Cavusin village and lunch included.
-
Last half day
Underground city and return flight
The final stop is an underground city, 17 EUR entry per the note. Then the airport transfer and the flight back to Istanbul, ending at your hotel.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of this listing against the others on the site.
What we genuinely like
- Cave hotel in Urgup with breakfast is inside the price
- 2 lunches included
- Airport transfers at both ends with a driver meeting you by name
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and reserve now pay later
- Japanese-language guiding available
- 335 reviews at 4.7 give it a track record
The honest downsides
- The from-price likely excludes flight tickets, the listing does not say which option it shows
- Entry tickets to Pasabag, the Goreme Museum and the underground city cost extra, and the listing quotes two slightly different sets of figures
- No dinner included
- No assistant at the airports, only the driver with a sign
- The balloon is a paid extra and weather-dependent
- Not suitable for wheelchair users
Who it's NOT for: Travellers who want flights, museum tickets and meals all inside one price should book the all-inclusive rival instead.
Questions About This Tour
Is the cave hotel night really included in the $416?
Yes, one night in a cave hotel in Urgup with breakfast is in the listing's inclusions, and the badge carries the cave hotel label. Cave hotels appear on several 2-day listings, so compare them on the Turkey tour packages homepage.
Do I have to buy my own flights?
Only on the ticket-excluded option, which the from-price probably reflects. The ticket-included option adds economy flights with 15 kg checked plus 8 kg hand luggage. The 2-Day All-Inclusive Cappadocia Trip includes roundtrip flights in its base price.
How much should I budget for entry tickets?
Per the listing note, Pasabag 17 EUR, Goreme Museum 25 EUR and the Underground City 17 EUR, though the itinerary note quotes slightly different figures, so keep a margin. Which sites cost what is laid out in the price breakdown.
Can I ride the balloon on this tour?
Yes, as an optional extra paid in Cappadocia, with the price varying by season, and a weather cancellation is fully refunded. For a balloon-first plan with more mornings, see the 3-Day Cappadocia Tour with Balloon.
Is it cheaper than the other 2-day Cappadocia trips?
No. This one starts at $416, while the 2-Day Cappadocia Trip with Flight starts at $291 but sells flights, fees and lunches as options. Full numbers sit in the Turkey package tours.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, with reserve now pay later. For wider booking advice, see the Turkey package tours.
Do I need to be fit for this tour?
No fitness level is stated, but the listing says it is not suitable for wheelchair users. If access is the deciding factor, confirm details with the operator.
What Travelers Said
The tour went extremely well and smaller group made it almost feel like a private tour. Not much hiking but wish if we had a little bit of more hiking and exploring.Cave hotel was a fantastic authentic cave experience. Meals were very good with large choice. Overall considering 2 day tight schedule we believe it's good value for money.
What an incredible couple of days. Everything was so well organised meaning we got the most out of everything! I booked the hot air balloon trip in advance as well and everything was sorted for me smoothly. This whole trip was a total highlight of my travel experiences. Highly recommend.
This trip was worth the money paid for. The cave hotel was nice and its staff very warm and accomodating. Our tour guide, Erdi, was excellent! He was very pleasant and knowledgeable. We will definitely recommend hin to our friends who will visit cappadocia
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