It’s a country that straddles the line between East and West, with a culture, a cuisine, religions, and traditions informed by both Europe and the Middle East.

Turkey is steeped in thousands of years of phenomenal history; here, you can visit ancient ruins and cities of a legend like the fabled Troy – a city with mythology larger than itself.

Full of scenic beaches and rich food culture, there’s something for everyone in this fascinating country.

Choosing when to visit Turkey can be challenging, it’s a country that experiences burning hot and humid summers and biting cold and even snowy winters.

All of this means that planning what you want to get up to ahead of your trip is more than a good idea: it’s honestly imperative to ensure a successful trip.

Of course, this means that high season for Turkey travel falls in the spring and autumn months when people flock to catch that perfect temperate weather which is neither unbearably hot nor uncomfortably cold.

In the high season, airfare prices go up and both hotels and tours get booked up quickly.

This means we have to ask the question: are these really the best times to travel?

Turkey’s weather is a variable beast so let’s go through when, exactly, you should be travelling to Turkey, what you can do in those off-seasons, and how to potentially save a lot of money.

Bear in mind, through all of this, that your personal preference when it comes to weather and temperature will, of course, factor in.

Turkey in Spring

Spring is one of the best seasons for sightseeing in Turkey; you’ll get long days to explore and it’s still off-season so things are cheap.

That’s one of the biggest draws to Turkey in the spring months: cheaper flights and hotels.

After all – and this is very important – saving money on flights and hotels by travelling in the months before tourist season really kicks in means you have more time and money to spend on doing more fun things, like travelling between the cities.

Speaking of, this is the perfect time to visit Cappadocia: the desert haven of rocky caves, famous as the filming location for Tatooine in the original Star Wars.

Visiting during the spring means that this area is dry but the stifling heat hasn’t hit yet.

It’s the best time to visit one of the most beautiful areas of Turkey.

Also, if you visit Turkey in April, you’ll have the delightful bonus treat of seeing the tulips in bloom.

The weather can be a bit breezy but will be safely in the mid-to-upper teens, which is a warm but refreshing weather condition to wander the suburbs and country areas and really revel in the atmosphere that the tulips in bloom gloriously create.

Although you may get some rain in March it’s generally gone by April apart from a few days of light showers, so just bring a thin raincoat and get ready to explore the colourful land that spring offers!

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Turkey in Summer

Very much high season for Turkey travellers as people flock to catch the gorgeous hot weather, lounge on the beautiful beaches, go swimming and meander the coastal cities.

Exploring the ruins in Ephesus and enjoying the tea gardens or riverside street food carts of Istanbul is extra intoxicating during those long summer days.

Some of the best beaches to visit in turkey during the summer are Kabak Beach, Blue Lagoon, and Cleopatra’s Beach although as this is the high season you may find them to be quite busy, make sure you get to the beach early for a perfect spot.

This is also an ideal time to take a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia (or go photograph them) since there’s little chance of winds cancelling any flights and the most balloons are in the air.

You’ll also be able to catch some excellent music festivals around the country towards the end of summer.

Make sure you try dondurması in the summer, Turkey’s famous ‘ice-cream of the city’.

Turkey in Autumn

This is very much one of the high seasons for Turkey travel and with good reason!

With mild temperatures (usually between 18°C and 24°C) and gorgeous, temperate, sunny days which make wandering the historic sites or cruising down the Bosphorus a truly magical experience.

What’s perfect about doing one of the more popular tourist activities during the autumn months, like a cruise around the wild waters of the country’s coastline, is that the summer crowds have started to dwindle but the glorious Turkey weather means everything is still enjoyable – moreso, in fact, because there’s now no danger of painfully dry summer days.

For an alternative activity, try taking a sailing trip around Turkey is very popular doing this season and highly recommended!

The odds of rain start increase in October so make sure you take a raincoat or umbrella with you.

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Turkey in Winter

Yes, Turkey can get cold in winter (temperatures can drop to around 4°C or 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit ) but it actually isn’t nearly as dark and depressing as other countries can be at this time.

You’ll still get blue skies and crisp weather that can be really enjoyable and it has a new charm in the snow — the snowy scenes over Istanbul or Cappadocia are absolutely breathtaking and very much worth seeing.

Just watch out for those icy winds!

Did you know there’s a big skiing scene in Turkey?

Some of the biggest resorts are in Uludag (in Bursa), Kartepe (in Izmit), Palandoken (Turkey’s highest peak)but there are many more dotted around and rates are much cheaper than destinations like Switzerland or Austria.

The views are incredible and you’ll get to enjoy turkey in an alternative way.

As a bonus, throughout the cities and towns, you’re also going to get the least crowds and a more relaxed experience in general – tours will be quieter, and rates will be discounted.

If you like shopping you’ll find plenty of winter sales in December and January so pick up a bargain!

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In Turkey, you can be quite suddenly transported from the glistening wonder of the Bosphorous to spellbinding ancient ruins and wondrous marvels of natural beauty within a single hour.

Getting from Istanbul to Cappadocia is often one of the first adventures any traveller to Turkey considers, tempted as they understandably are by those stunning and famous shots of flying balloons and otherworldly, almost alien landscapes.

Cappadocia is a place like no other in the world, with real-life underground villages and magical, ethereal rock formations, as well as history and culture all of its own, separate from what you’ll find in other parts of Turkey.

It’s a place to get comfortable and excitedly lost in, and one you’ll never ever forget.

Thankfully, getting to Cappadocia from Istanbul is a very easy and worthwhile journey to make.

But with a few convenient ways to travel there, each with their own pros and cons to consider, what’s actually the best way to get from Istanbul to Cappadocia?

Here is a run-down of all the different ways to get from Istanbul to Cappadocia, so that you can make an informed decision when you head out on the road to this magical place for yourself.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Istanbul to Cappadocia by Bus

Travelling by bus is by far the cheapest way to go between Istanbul to Cappadocia.

Of course, it’s worth remembering that Turkey is already a relatively cheap country so travelling by train isn’t going to break the bank but you still want to save as much money as possible.

And, for that, taking the bus is the way to go.

And just because it’s cheap, that doesn’t mean it’s an uncomfortable way to get around at all!

So, if time is on your side, then the bus is highly recommended.

Another advantage of taking the bus is its speed.

Taking the bus is a more slow, rugged, methodical way of getting from the urban sprawl to the rural calm.

There’s something detoxing about taking a slower, cheaper bus journey.

Something carefree about enjoying the ride, the changing and captivating landscape, and the fact that it’s the cheapest way of getting from A to B.

For how to actually get the bus from Istanbul to Cappadocia, you can take the night bus (around 10-12 hours) which, if you can sleep on the bus, is ideal since you’ll get to the heart of Cappadocia in the morning and you’ll be relatively nice and fresh from your sleep.

The easiest way to book and organise this is to ask your hotel to reserve you a seat on the night bus, or to head to the more established bus companies’ websites to book your own bus ticket.

For example, Metro Turizm (a great choice since their website works perfectly well in English) and Nevşehir Seyahat.

The night bus will cost you between €15 and €20 and they run nightly from around 22.45.

Taking the bus is very much a hassle-free and affordable option if you can’t face flying.

Enjoy the slow ride, get some shut-eye, and arrive in a whole other world come morning!

Istanbul to Cappadocia by Car

Driving to Cappadocia is very possible, and would be an amazing opportunity if you’re already driving through Turkey on a road trip and want to make some stops on the way.

In fact, anyone doing a road trip across Turkey owes it to themselves to stop in Cappadocia.

However, it’s a long journey to take if you’re only planning on getting from Istanbul to Cappadocia and it will take you around eight hours of straight driving.

Of course, you’ll see some incredible views along the way and driving is always an adventure (particularly as you’ll be driving a portion of the historic and magical Silk Road on your way to Cappadocia).

The total distance is around 800km/490 miles but could easily be broken up by visiting Turkey’s capital city of Ankara or some of the smaller towns along your route.

If you have plenty of time to spare, are travelling as a group to share on fuel costs, and love the freedom of the open road then I can wholeheartedly recommend driving.

Car rental in Turkey is relatively cheap at less than €10 per day.

*Whether you’re driving or taking another mode of transport (but especially driving!) always have travel insurance in case something goes wrong. 

Getting in trouble in a foreign country can be a pain and very expensive so always make sure you’re covered. 

I recommend World Nomads or SafetyWing. 

Photo by Jordan Sanchez on Unsplash

Istanbul to Cappadocia by Flight

Flying is by far the easiest and quickest way of getting from Istanbul to Cappadocia.

Tickets are cheap, especially if you book them in advance.

In fact, they’re often cheaper than taking the bus!

Domestic flights in Turkey are good quality (especially Turkish Airlines) and very well organised so the journey will take just over an hour.

For their cheap cost and quickness, internal flights in Turkey simply can’t be beaten.

Flights depart all day and you can fly from either Atatürk Airport or Sabiha Gokcen Airport but I’d recommend the former as it’s more convenient to get to.

Once you reach Kayseri Erkilet Airport in Cappadocia, you’ll need to hire a pickup from your hotel or even hire a car to take you to the main geological area which will take about an hour.

If your goal is to get to Cappadocia quickly and easily, while still saving on costs, taking a quick internal flight is certainly the way to do it.

Istanbul to Cappadocia by Train

Turkey’s high-speed rail network is excellent and the trains are incredibly comfortable so this is definitely a top choice for getting from Istanbul to Cappadocia.

The journey takes around four and a half hours and you can still enjoy the amazing mountain scenery as you go past.

The easiest way to book tickets is actually at the train station but you can check the timetables before you go on the main railway website.

The only problem is that there are no direct trains to Cappadocia, you’ll have to travel to Konya Station and then take a bus from there.

The train isn’t the fastest or the cheapest option (it’ll cost around €25) so people generally opt for flying or the bus.

Alternatively, you can take a 2-day tour like this one!

There are lots of options on how to get from Istanbul to Cappadocia.  If you have any questions then make sure you leave them below!

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