Five-Day Driving Itinerary: Cappadocia to Konya, Pamukkale & Ephesus, Turkey

5-Day Drive Cappadocia-Ephesus

This itinerary is a good way to see lots of Turkey outside of Istanbul—Cappadocia, the Silk Road, Konya, Beyşehir, Lake Eğirdir, Pamukkale, Aphrodisias and Ephesus—flying from Istanbul to Cappadocia, then driving from Cappadocia to Ephesus, and flying from Izmir back to Istanbul, all in five days.

It is a very full, tighly-packed itinerary, with some long days, but it's possible. Also note that if you rent a car near Ephesus and return it in Cappadocia, your rental will be subject to a hefty return fee which may add a substantial amount to your car rental bill. More...

Add three full days in Istanbul to this 5-day drive itinerary and you'll have an excellent first-visit-to-Turkey trip in the shortest practical amount of time. If you can afford 9 or 10 days, all the better.

(If you don't want to make the 7-hour drive on Day 3, you can fly from Kayseri (Cappadocia) to Izmir, but then you miss Konya and the lake country. Here's the alternate 5-day fly-drive itinerary.)

You can also do this tour in the opposite direction, from Ephesus to Cappadocia. More...

Make reservations as early as possible for the services you'll need for this itinerary. (Here are good Turkish travel agents who can make all the arrangements for you if you'd rather not worry about them, and here's my list of recommended private guides.)

YOUR RESERVATIONS:

1. Flights on Day 1 from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir airports, and on Day 5 from Izmir to Istanbul.

2. Rental car from your hotel in Cappadocia on Day 1, to be returned at Izmir's Adnan Menderes Airport in late afternoon on Day 5.

3. Hotels for Days 1 through 4 (and in Istanbul on Day 5).

4. Hot-air balloon flight reservation in Cappadocia (if you want this adventure). Reserve your places for the morning of Day 2. More...

5. Airline shuttle bus reservation from Kayseri or Nevşehir airport to your hotel in Cappadocia.

Argeus (based in Ürgüp, Cappadocia) has good relationships with car rental companies, and many hotels, and so is particularly well positioned to make all of the reservations you'll need for this itinerary. More...

YOUR ITINERARY:

Day 1 - Fly Istanbul—>Cappadocia, Göreme, Zelve, Uçhisar

Take a morning flight from Istanbul to either of Cappadocia's airports, Kayseri or Nevşehir, then an airline shuttle bus to your hotel in Cappadocia.

You could rent a car at the airport and drive to your Cappadocia hotel, saving yourself the small cost of the shuttle bus, but the expense of a rental car and especially the fuel cost will most probably be more than the shuttle, and I don't recommend driving from the airport. You'll take the chance of getting lost (the route can be confusing), and have to deal with Turkish city traffic. Better to take the shuttle, believe me. You can arrange for a rental car to be brought to your hotel after you check in.

In the afternoon, visit the Göreme Open Air Museum (no guide necessary; 2 to 3 hours), the nearby Zelve Valley, Uçhisar, and, if time allows, Avanos.

Day 2 - Hot Air Balloon Flight, Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Silk Road & Konya

Rise before dawn for your hot-air balloon flight (if you've reserved this thrill-of-a-lifetime experience). You'll be back at your hotel in time for breakfast.

Check out of your hotel after breakfast, drive to Nevşehir, then south to Derinkuyu to visit its Underground City. Cross the mountains via Güzelyurt to the Ihlara (Peristrema) Valley for a short visit, then continue through Aksaray and along the ancient Silk Road, stopping at the Sultanhanı and, if you wish, more of the Seljuk Turkish caravanserais along this route. Finally, arrive in Konya and settle in at your hotel.

Konya's Hotel Rumi and Hotel Balıkçılar have the best locations: right across the street from the Mevlana Museum in the city center. The Balıkçılar is one of the few hotels to serve alcoholic beverages in this conservative Muslim city. Here are other Konya hotels.

If it's still open, visit the whirling dervish Mevlana Museum today.

Day 3 - Konya, Beyşehir, Lake Eğirdir & Pamukkale

The drive from Konya to Pamukkale is 450 km (280 miles), about 7 hours. Get an early start in the morning, visit the Mevlana Museum (if you have not already) and other Seljuk Turkish monuments (1200s) on and around Konya's Alaettin Hill (2 to 3 hours), then drive west to Beyşehir for a peek at the Eşrefoğlu Mosque, then continue to Eğirdir on the lake of the same name—a good place to stop for lunch or a snack.

From Eğirdir, drive west to Denizli and Pamukkale, settle in at your hotel, take a dip in the hotel's warm mineral-water pool, and sleep soundly tonight.

Day 4 - Pamukkale, Hierapolis, Aphrodisias & Ephesus

In the morning, explore the ruins of the Roman spa city of Hierapolis, swim in ancient Sacred Pool, then drive west along the Meander River valley, making the detour to Aphrodisias (123 km/76 miles, 1-1/2 hours) for a visit (1-1/2 to 2 hours) and lunch. Return to the main road and continue west to Selçuk (143 km/89 miles, 2 hours) or to Şirince, and your hotel.

Day 5 - Ephesus & Fly to Istanbul

Visit the Ephesus archeological site (2 to 3 hours), and in the town of Selçuk the Ephesus Museum, Saint John Basilica and Isa Bey Mosque. In the afternoon, drive from Selçuk to Izmir's Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB; 62 km/39 miles, 1 hour). Turn in your rental car and catch an evening flight to Istanbul.