Ankara to Cappadocia: How to Reach Cappadocia from Ankara?

You can go from Ankara to Cappadocia in 3 hours and 27 minutes by road, approximately 3 hours and 35 minutes by bus, and 7 hours by train if you wish. If you want to go by air, it will take 4 hours and 45 minutes with a connecting flight from Istanbul.

Transportation by train is made only via Kayseri. First, you must go from Ankara to Kayseri by train, and from Kayseri to Cappadocia by bus or taxi.

If you want to go by plane, you have two options. You can go to Kayseri Airport or Nevşehir Cappadocia Airport with a connecting flight from Ankara to Istanbul. But road transport will take a shorter time.

If you prefer the Kayseri airport, you need to go to Cappadocia from Kayseri by bus or taxi. Of course, renting a car is also an option.

Cappadocia hosts thousands of tourists every year. Since airline companies do not have any direct flights to Cappadocia, those who want to visit prefer to come to the big cities of Turkey such as Istanbul and Ankara first and then travel to Cappadocia from these cities.

Cappadocia is a tourism center full of fairy chimneys and valleys formed thousands of years ago by river waters and winds. You can stay in the hotels formed in the fairy chimneys and take a ride with hot air balloons in the valleys.

You might need to tell Cappadocia in Turkish, if you are wondering about Cappadocia pronunciation in Turkish, you can check the Cappadocia Pronunciation blog post as well.

If you are asking what I can do in Cappadocia, you can take a look at our Top 10 Things To Do in Cappadocia 2023 article. If you are wondering about the Cappadocia balloon festival, you can read our Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Festival 2023 article. It may also be helpful to take a look at where to stay in Cappadocia and the best restaurants in Cappadocia.

If you are wondering how to get from Istanbul to Cappadocia, you can read our article “Istanbul to Cappadocia“.

Or you can choose to go from Izmir to Cappadocia.

If you are looking for detailed answers to the question of how to get from Ankara to Cappadocia, continue reading.

How to get from Ankara to Cappadocia by plane? (Ankara to Cappadocia flight)

Flight from Ankara to Kayseri

Unfortunately, there are no direct flights from Ankara to Kayseri. The plane that takes off from Ankara Esenboğa International Airport (ESB) first goes to Istanbul and then to Kayseri Airport (ASR).

This journey takes 4 hours and 45 minutes if you never wait in Istanbul, but most of the flights are waiting in Istanbul and the journey takes up to 12 hours in total.

Therefore, it takes less time to go to Cappadocia from Ankara by bus or car.

However, if you still want to travel by plane, going from Kayseri Airport to Cappadocia is easier and faster than Nevşehir Airport.

In the summer and winter seasons, there are approximately 10 trips to Kayseri per day. You can easily find flight tickets to Kayseri from companies such as Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, and Anadolu Jet.

After this plane trip, you need to go to Cappadocia by road. The distance between Kayseri airport and Cappadocia is approximately 75 km and takes 58 minutes by road.

There are direct shuttles from Kayseri to Cappadocia and their fees are approximately 10 USD. Since it will be busy, especially in the summer season, you can talk to the hotel you have booked and ask them to make a service reservation on your behalf. These shuttles will pick you up from the airport and drop you off at your hotel. These services are usually for 18 – 24 people.

👉 You can rent a globally secure transfer vehicle here.

Another option is to go to Cappadocia by taxi after getting off the plane. You can take the taxis waiting in front of the airport and you will pay a fee of approximately 650 – 700 TL. It will be a more comfortable and faster transportation option than the service, but it is a very expensive option.

Another method is to rent a car. You can rent a car from corporate companies such as Enterprise, Garenta, and Avis at the airport. Depending on the vehicle you want to rent, you can rent a vehicle for an average of 1000 – 1500 TL per day.

👉 Our advice is to take a look at competitive car rental prices from global brands and make a reservation. If you are wondering how to do it, take a look here.

👉 Also, it can be very useful for you to get a Sim Card in Turkey. You can browse our SIM Card for Tourists in Turkey article or get an e-SIM here.

Flight from Ankara to Nevşehir

The second way to go to Cappadocia by plane is to go to Nevşehir Cappadocia Airport(NAV) from Ankara Esenboğa International Airport(ESB).

This trip is operated by Turkish Airlines for 3-4 flights a day during the summer months. It is done only once a day during the winter season.

You can buy flight tickets from the Turkish Airlines website. Another alternative airline is Pegasus, but Pegasus may not always have direct flights.

👉 Check out competitive airfare here.

Well, I came to Nevşehir by plane, but how do I get to my hotel?

Nevşehir Airport is located in Tuzköy, 107 km from Cappadocia, and takes approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes by road. Unfortunately, there is no direct public bus from Nevşehir Airport to Cappadocia.

You can go from the airport to Cappadocia with the shuttle vehicles of the airline companies. Service fees vary between approximately 150 – 200 TL. Another option is to go to your hotel by taxi and private shuttle vehicles. But this method will be more expensive.

Pegasus Airlines does not have a shuttle service, but you can take the Turkish Airlines service.

How to get from Ankara to Cappadocia by car?

You can use the Ankara – Niğde – Tarsus highway to go from Ankara to Cappadocia. This road is 331 km and takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes.

If you are traveling from Ankara to Cappadocia by car, there are some important things you should know.

One of them is toll tolls. There are many tolls on the roads between cities and you have to use them. If you are going to rent a car from Ankara and set off, be sure to ask the rental company whether it is integrated into the vehicle recognition system called HGS. Rental companies usually register the license plate and ask you to pay for the toll roads you cross on the day you deliver the vehicle.

Ankara Niğde highway fee is 300 TL for 2023.

👉 Buy your most affordable bus ticket.

Another is traffic fines. The average speed limit on Turkish roads is 90 and there are radars that monitor your speed in many places. If you have a traffic ticket, you will be asked to pay them while delivering the car you rented, as in the road fee. The rental company takes the ticket fees from you and pays the ticket.

As we mentioned under the heading of air travel, if you want to rent a car, we recommend you to choose corporate companies located at the airports.

You can go to Cappadocia by taxi from Ankara. Currently, taxi fares in Turkey are 5 TL per 1 km. It can cost approximately 1800 thousand Turkish Lira (103 Dollars) with highway fees. However, you can get a discount if you bargain with the taxi driver.

How to get from Ankara to Cappadocia by bus?

Another way to go to Cappadocia is to travel by bus. Buses use the same road as cars and take 3 hours and 30 minutes and bus tickets average 300 TL.

There is not a single bus station in Ankara and companies have their own private areas.

You can find a bus from Ankara to Nevşehir or Ürgüp. If you have chosen the Ankara – Nevşehir bus, you can go to Cappadocia by shuttle vehicle or taxi from Nevşehir or Ürgüp bus stations.

The most popular bus companies you can choose when traveling to Nevşehir are Metro Turizm, Kamil Koç, and Pamukkale.

👉 Check out the safest and most competitive bus tickets.

How to get from Istanbul to Cappadocia by train?

To go from Ankara to Cappadocia by train, you can take the Ankara – Kayseri train from the train station in Ankara’s Ulus district and go to Kayseri station, and from there you can go to Cappadocia by renting a bus, taxi, or car.

It takes 7 hours and 30 minutes from Ankara to Kayseri by train, and approximately 1 hour from Kayseri to Cappadocia by road. You can reach Cappadocia from Ankara by train in 8 hours and 30 minutes.

Ankara – Kayseri train fee is 98 TL, Kayseri Cappadocia bus fee is 60 TL. Traveling by train costs 158 TL in total.

You can visit the Turkish Republic State Railways (TCDD) website to purchase Ankara – Kayseri train tickets.

Frequently Asking Questions About Ankara to Cappadocia

Browse to stay safe on your visit to Türkiye; Is Turkey safe to travel?

Look at!

Istanbul: 7 Secret Travel Tips
Izmir Travel Guide 2023
Eastern Thrace Guide 2023: Edirne, Kirklareli, Tekirdag
Pamukkale Travel Guide 2023