KONYA · CAPPADOCIA
Konya & Cappadocia: Whirling Dervishes and Fairy Chimneys
From $929 per person
- Duration: 4 days / 3 nights
- Stay: Cappadocia 3N · 4★ hotel
- Flights: Domestic flights included
- Meals: Daily breakfast + regional lunches
- Group: Private vehicle + guide
- Guide: English-speaking guide
- Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 15 days
Tour Overview
4-Day Konya & Cappadocia Tour from Istanbul: Mevlana, Sille, Göreme & Ihlara
This 4-day Konya and Cappadocia tour from Istanbul starts in Istanbul with a domestic flight to Konya, where your guide and driver meet you at the airport. All 3 nights are spent in Cappadocia: Konya is a sightseeing stop on Day 1, followed by a drive across the Anatolian plateau with your guide.
In Konya you visit the Mevlana Museum, the Tomb of Shams Tabrizi and the stone-built village of Sille. Cappadocia then brings Göreme Open-Air Museum, Paşabağ, Devrent Valley, Kaymaklı Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery and Uçhisar Castle. The last morning has a hands-on pottery class in Avanos before your flight back from Nevşehir or Kayseri.
The route suits culture-minded couples, families and travellers who want Rumi’s Konya as well as Cappadocia’s valleys. Choose Shared (small group) or Private (your own vehicle and guide) for 1 to 12 guests. Both domestic flights, 3 nights in a 4★ hotel (or similar) with breakfast, ground transport, a licensed guide, all listed entrance fees and regional lunches are included. Compare our Cappadocia-only flight tour or browse all Cappadocia tour packages.
Highlights
- Flight Istanbul to Konya included
- Mevlana Museum and Shams Tabrizi Tomb
- Stone alleys of Sille village
- Göreme Open-Air Museum and Paşabağ
- Kaymaklı Underground City and Ihlara Valley
- Avanos pottery masterclass
Quick facts
- Best time to visit: April–June and September–November.
- An optional hot air balloon flight can be added on Day 2, weather permitting; see the balloon guide.
- Day 1 is long: flight, Konya sightseeing and the drive to Cappadocia.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
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Day 1Istanbul to Konya, Mevlana, Sille & Drive to Cappadocia
You fly from Istanbul to Konya on a morning flight of about 1 h 15 min, included in the package, and your guide and driver meet you at Konya Airport. In Konya you visit the Mevlana Museum, the former dervish lodge with the turquoise Green Dome that holds Rumi’s tomb, and the tomb of Shams Tabrizi. Sille follows, a hillside village of stone houses. After a regional lunch you drive about 3 hours across the Anatolian plateau to Cappadocia and check in.
Meals: LunchOvernight: Cappadocia — 4★ hotel (or similar)Transport: Domestic flight Istanbul → Konya (~1 h 15 min, included); tour vehicle Konya → Cappadocia (~3 h, about 250 km)Tour: Shared (small group) or private (vehicle + guide), by optionEntrances: included (Mevlana Museum and listed sites) -
Day 2Göreme Open-Air Museum, Paşabağ & Devrent Valley
Early risers can add an optional sunrise hot air balloon flight over the valleys, weather permitting. After breakfast you go to Göreme Open-Air Museum, a UNESCO site of rock-cut Byzantine churches with well-preserved frescoes. Next is Paşabağ, where fairy chimneys carry several caps, and Devrent (Imagination) Valley, whose rocks look like animals. The day is made of short drives between stops, with time for photographs and a regional lunch, and you return to your hotel in the afternoon with the rest of the day free.
Meals: Breakfast, LunchOvernight: Cappadocia — 4★ hotel (or similar)Transport: Tour vehicle, short drives between stops (~1 h in total)Tour: Shared (small group) or private (vehicle + guide), by optionEntrances: included (Göreme Open-Air Museum)Optional: Optional sunrise hot air balloon flight (weather permitting, not in the package price) -
Day 3Kaymaklı Underground City, Ihlara Valley & Selime Monastery
After breakfast you drive about 50 minutes to Kaymaklı Underground City and spend roughly an hour in its tunnels, storerooms and ventilation shafts. A further drive of about an hour takes you to Ihlara Valley, where you walk the green canyon beside the Melendiz stream past rock-cut chapels, around 1.5 to 2 hours, and have a regional lunch. Selime Monastery, a huge complex carved into the rock, is a short drive away. You return to Cappadocia in the late afternoon, about 1.5 hours by road.
Meals: Breakfast, LunchOvernight: Cappadocia — 4★ hotel (or similar)Transport: Tour vehicle, about 3.5 h of driving in total (Kaymaklı ~50 min, Kaymaklı → Ihlara ~1 h, Selime ~20 min, back ~1.5 h)Tour: Shared (small group) or private (vehicle + guide), by optionEntrances: included (Kaymaklı Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery) -
Day 4Uçhisar Castle, Avanos Pottery & Flight to Istanbul
After breakfast and check-out you drive to Uçhisar Castle, a natural rock citadel with a panoramic view over the valleys. Then you go to Avanos, a town on the Kızılırmak (Red River) with a long pottery tradition, for a hands-on pottery class with local artisans of about an hour, followed by a Turkish coffee. After that you are taken to Nevşehir or Kayseri airport, roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes away, for the included flight back to Istanbul of about 1 h 15 min.
Meals: BreakfastOvernight: —Transport: Tour vehicle (~1 h in total to Uçhisar and Avanos); airport transfer; domestic flight Nevşehir or Kayseri → Istanbul (~1 h 15 min, included)Tour: Shared (small group) or private (vehicle + guide), by optionEntrances: included (Uçhisar Castle)
Places Along the Route
Mevlana Museum
Once a dervish lodge, now the museum around the tomb of Jalal ad-Din Rumi (1207–1273), crowned by the turquoise-tiled Green Dome. It remains a place of pilgrimage; the Mevlevi Sema, the whirling ceremony, is on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list.
Sille
A small village a short drive from central Konya, Sille is known for stone houses built into the hillside. Greek Orthodox families lived here until the 1923 population exchange, which gives it a different character from the city.
Göreme Open Air Museum
A former monastic valley where chapels and refectories were carved into tuff cliffs. Frescoes survive in several churches, and together with Göreme National Park the site entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
Paşabağ
Paşabağ, the “Monks’ Valley”, is known for fairy chimneys with several caps on a single stem. The rock cones are easy to reach on foot and make excellent subjects for photographs, especially in the softer morning light.
Kaymaklı Underground City
One of the larger of Cappadocia’s underground settlements, Kaymaklı descends in levels of tunnels, kitchens, storerooms, stables and ventilation shafts dug into tuff. Only the upper floors are open, with low passages, so wear comfortable shoes.
Ihlara Valley
A green river canyon cut by the Melendiz stream and lined with rock-cut chapels. Walking its shaded path for an hour or two is a welcome contrast to the dry plateau and a chance to see decorated churches up close.
Avanos
Avanos, on the Kızılırmak, has a pottery tradition drawn from the river’s red clay. Here you try the wheel with a local artisan, then enjoy a Turkish coffee in a workshop lined with hand-painted plates.
Shams Tabrizi Tomb
The tomb associated with Shams of Tabriz, the wandering mystic whose friendship with Rumi inspired much of his poetry. It is a quiet, devout place, so dress modestly and follow your guide’s cues inside.
Devrent Valley
Devrent, also called Imagination Valley, is a dry bowl of rock where erosion has produced stacks that resemble animals. Time here is a short stroll for photographs rather than a museum visit.
Selime Monastery
Close to the end of the Ihlara canyon, Selime holds an entire monastery carved into a volcanic cliff, with a large church, long kitchens with chimneys and stables. Its scale makes it one of the region’s most impressive rock complexes.
Uçhisar Castle
A natural rock citadel full of carved rooms and stairs, Uçhisar Castle sits above the surrounding villages. The climb to the top gives a panoramic outlook over the valleys, with Mount Erciyes visible on clear days.
Why Choose This Konya & Cappadocia Tour?
Rumi’s Konya comes first, then Cappadocia: a morning flight lands you in Konya for the Mevlana Museum and Sille, and a drive of about three hours brings you to the Cappadocia hotel where you stay all three nights.
- Konya before Cappadocia — Day 1 visits the Mevlana Museum, the tomb of Shams Tabrizi and the stone village of Sille, with a regional lunch, before the 250 km drive to Cappadocia.
- Flights in and out included — The Istanbul–Konya flight and the return from Nevşehir or Kayseri, about 1 hour 15 minutes each, are included; the only long drive is Konya–Cappadocia.
- Both Cappadocia routes — Day 2 covers Göreme Open-Air Museum, Paşabağ and Devrent Valley, Day 3 Kaymaklı, Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery, Day 4 a pottery class of about an hour in Avanos.
- One hotel, entrances included — All three nights are in the same 4★ hotel (or similar) with breakfast, and the listed entrance fees, including the Mevlana Museum and Göreme, are already paid.
- Up to 12 guests — Shared for a small group, or Private with your own vehicle and licensed guide; children aged 0–2 go free and ages 3–7 get 30% off. An optional balloon flight can be added on Day 2.
- Licensed local agency — TÜRSAB A-group licence #18154, Istanbul-based, rated 5.0 on Google (15 reviews), free cancellation up to 15 days before the start date.
Your Hotels on This Tour
These are the hotels we use on this tour, so you know where you’ll stay and can explore them before you book. Your final hotel is confirmed with your booking; if a listed hotel is unavailable on your dates, we reserve another hotel of the same category (or similar).
- Standard
Dilek Kaya Hotel
Ortahisar, Ürgüp / Nevşehir · Cappadocia
- Cave & stone rooms
- Indoor & outdoor pools
- Hammam & spa
- Courtyard terraces
Breakfast included
- Standard
Ramada by Wyndham Cappadocia
Nevşehir (near Göreme National Park) · Cappadocia
- Indoor pool
- Turkish bath, sauna & steam room
- Fitness centre
- Near Göreme National Park
Breakfast included
The Road from Konya to Cappadocia
The drive crosses the Central Anatolian plateau, a high, open steppe at roughly 1,000 metres above sea level. Konya to Göreme is about 250 km, or roughly three hours on the road, and the scenery changes gradually from wheat fields to volcanic hills. On clear days you may see Mount Hasan (3,253 m) near Aksaray, one of the volcanoes whose ash, millions of years ago, built Cappadocia’s soft rock.
The road follows the old Silk Road corridor, where the Seljuks built a chain of stone caravanserais roughly a day’s journey apart. Sultanhanı, between Konya and Aksaray, is the largest of them in Türkiye. Ask your guide whether a short stop fits the timing of the day.
Hot Air Balloon Flights: What to Know Before You Book
The balloon flight on Day 2 is optional. Flights take off around sunrise, when the air is coolest and calmest, and last roughly an hour. Because balloons only fly when wind and visibility are safe, operators cancel flights on some mornings, especially in winter and early spring.
Optional hot air balloon – from $180 per person (seasonal, subject to weather). Tell us that you want a flight when you book so we can request it for the most suitable morning; availability for your date is confirmed with your booking. Our complete guide to the Cappadocia hot air balloon ride explains what to expect, and the cave hotel guide helps you understand your stay.
When to Take the Konya and Cappadocia Route
Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–November) are the most comfortable seasons: days are mild for walking Ihlara Valley and the Göreme museum, and the light is excellent for photography. Central Anatolia has a continental climate, so summer afternoons can be hot and dry, while winters are cold, with snow in both Konya and Cappadocia that makes the fairy chimneys look dramatic but can affect roads and balloon flights.
Konya is especially atmospheric around 17 December, the anniversary of Rumi’s death, when the city holds its Mevlana commemoration programme (7–17 December). Hotels fill early at that time, so tell us your dates as soon as you can. Konya is also a conservative city: during Ramadan some restaurants open later or close in the daytime, so let us know if you travel then.
Practical Tips for the Konya–Cappadocia Journey
Central Anatolia sits at about 1,000 to 1,300 metres above sea level, so mornings and evenings are cool even in summer: pack a light jacket, a hat and sunscreen, and layers for spring and autumn. Many Cappadocia hotels have steps and uneven stone floors, so tell us if anyone in your group has limited mobility and we will request a suitable room. Keep a scarf or light shawl handy for mosque visits, and carry some cash for small purchases in the villages and the Avanos pottery workshops.
Photographers get the softest light at sunrise and in the late afternoon. If you bring a drone, check the current rules first: flying near balloons, heritage sites and national parks is restricted in Türkiye.
Is the Konya & Cappadocia Tour Right for You?
Choose this tour if you want to see Cappadocia together with Konya’s Sufi heritage, and you prefer an unhurried journey through Central Anatolia with flights from and back to Istanbul.
Consider another route if you want to see Istanbul as well: our 5-day Istanbul & Cappadocia tour combines both destinations, and our 4-day Cappadocia tour with flights keeps everything in the volcanic valleys. Day 1 here pairs a flight and Konya sightseeing with a drive of about three hours, so travellers who prefer short transfers may like a Cappadocia-only itinerary better. All Cappadocia options are listed on our Cappadocia tour packages page.
Tour Price & Booking
What’s Included
What’s Not Included
Optional Upgrades
Add these to your request — we confirm availability and the final total before you pay.
Cappadocia hot air balloon
Drift over the fairy chimneys and valleys at sunrise. An optional flight that depends on the season and on the weather that morning.
~1 hour flight · Apr–Nov, weather permitting View details
Private tour upgrade
Switch from the shared small group to your own vehicle and guide, with a flexible start time and a slower pace.
Own vehicle + guide
Turkish night in Cappadocia
An evening of folk dances and a whirling dervish ceremony in Cappadocia, arranged on request.
Evening · CappadociaHave something else in mind? Ask us on WhatsApp
Good to Know
Long Days on the Road
Day 1 combines a flight, Konya sightseeing and about 3 hours on the road (roughly 250 km) to Cappadocia, and Day 3 has about 3.5 hours of driving in total between stops. Sille has cobbled lanes and Ihlara Valley an uneven trail, so wear comfortable shoes.
Baggage on Domestic Flights
Domestic flights allow about 15 kg of checked baggage plus 8 kg of cabin baggage per person; the exact allowance depends on the airline and can change. We recommend packing a small overnight bag for flight days.
Pick-up Times
Your exact pick-up time is confirmed with you the day before each tour.
Hotel Check-in & Check-out
Standard hotel check-in is from 14:00 and check-out is until 12:00. Early check-in or late check-out depends on availability; ask us and we will request it.
Dietary Requirements
Halal and vegetarian options are available. Please tell us about any dietary needs when you book.
What to Wear
Please dress modestly when visiting mosques and religious sites: shoulders and knees covered, and a scarf for women. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended on every tour.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, cancel up to 15 days before the start date.
- If you cancel less than 15 days before, the amount paid is non-refundable.
- Changes made less than 15 days before the start date cannot be accepted.
- If the tour is cancelled due to poor weather, you'll be offered a different date or a full refund.
- Domestic flight tickets are issued after the balance payment and are non-refundable once issued.
Payment
Reserve now, pay later (no credit card required). A 30% deposit secures your booking after we confirm availability; the balance is due 15 days before the start date.
What guests say about TourQuaz
"Super und zuverlässige Organisation unseres Fimenausflugs. Zuverlässige Abholungen zu vereinbarten Zeiten und hilfreiche Tips beim Programm vor Ort.
Vielen Dank an das ganze Team. Jeder Zeit wieder!"
"Everything was very good specially the staff there
Special thanks to Mr. Emre for amazing efforts and support during all visit in istany"
"معاملة راقية تجربة تستحق الإشادة شكرا على حسن التعامل"
Frequently Asked Questions
The package includes the domestic flights Istanbul – Konya and Nevşehir (NAV) or Kayseri (ASR) – Istanbul, 3 nights in a 4★ hotel (or similar) in Cappadocia with breakfast, ground transportation starting from Konya (KYA) and ending at Nevşehir or Kayseri, an official licensed tour guide, all listed museum and national park entrance fees (including the Mevlana Museum and Göreme), and select regional lunches. The optional hot air balloon flight is not included.
Yes. The tour is offered as a Shared (Small Group) or Private (Vehicle + Guide) option for 1–12 guests. Contact our travel advisors via WhatsApp or email to arrange the details for your group.
The tour starts in Istanbul with a domestic flight to Konya Airport (KYA) on Day 1; the Istanbul–Konya flight is included. On the last day we transfer you to Nevşehir (NAV) or Kayseri (ASR) Airport for your included flight back to Istanbul.
Yes. The balloon flight is optional and depends on the weather; it starts from $180 per person and is usually flown early on Day 2. Tell us when you book that you would like one, and we will confirm availability for your date.
Expect moderate walking on most days: cobbled lanes in Sille, steps at the Göreme Open-Air Museum, narrow, low passages in Kaymaklı Underground City and a walk on an uneven trail in Ihlara Valley. Comfortable shoes are essential. If you do not like tight spaces, tell your guide before the underground city.
Yes, the route suits families who are comfortable with a long first day (a flight, Konya sightseeing and a drive of about 3 hours). Children aged 0–2 travel free; children aged 3–7 get a 30% discount when sharing the room with adults.
Free cancellation: cancel up to 15 days before the start date for a full refund. Reserve now, pay later (no credit card required). A 30% deposit secures your booking after we confirm availability; the balance is due 15 days before the start date.
