What's a good 3-day itinerary for Cappadocia?

Day 1 stays within Göreme. Hit the Göreme Open Air Museum at 8:30 AM, before the tour buses from Nevşehir arrive around 10. The rock-cut churches date to the 10th and 11th centuries, and the frescoes inside the Dark Church still hold deep reds and blues because the tiny window kept out centuries of sunlight. The Dark Church costs a separate 150 TRY and it is the single best room in the museum. The air inside sits around 15°C and smells faintly of mineral dust. After the museum, walk the 4-kilometre trail through Rose Valley, where the rock shifts from cream to orange as afternoon light moves. The trail finishes at the Kızılçukur overlook. This is probably the best sunset viewpoint in Cappadocia. Dinner at Dibek in central Göreme. Their testi kebab arrives sealed in a clay pot the waiter cracks open at the table. A full pot runs about 450 TRY, roughly $10, and the lamb-and-tomato steam hits you before the food does.

Day 2 is the south loop, about 160 kilometres by car or guided tour, because no public transit covers the route. Kaymaklı Underground City opens at 8 AM and the first hour is the quietest. The passages drop 8 storeys below ground, and by the 4th level you'll feel the temperature settle at about 13°C regardless of the heat above. Ceiling height drops to 160 cm in places, so tall visitors will be ducking constantly. Mind you, Kaymaklı tends to be less crowded than Derinkuyu, 10 kilometres further south, and it covers roughly the same ground. After Kaymaklı, drive 45 minutes west to Ihlara Valley. The 3.5-kilometre walk along the Melendiz River at the valley floor passes about a dozen Byzantine churches carved into the cliff walls. The river is cold and audible the whole way, and the shade from the canyon walls keeps July temperatures bearable. Stop for lunch at Belisırma village, about halfway through the gorge, where 3 or 4 riverside restaurants serve fresh grilled trout for around 350 TRY.

Day 3 starts at 4:30 AM if you fly a hot air balloon. The flight lasts about 60 minutes, and current prices sit around 200 to 250 EUR per person with operators like Royal Balloon or Butterfly Balloons in Göreme. Flights cancel for wind about 30% of mornings between November and March, so summer visitors have better odds. After landing and the champagne toast, go back to the hotel and sleep until noon. After noon, drive 15 minutes to Devrent Valley, where the rock formations are stranger than anything in the Göreme basin, shaped by differential erosion in the volcanic tufa. Then Zelve Open Air Museum, a Byzantine-era settlement the Turkish government evacuated in 1952 when the rock became unstable. Zelve gets a fraction of Göreme's visitor count, and the monastery complex carved across 3 separate valleys takes about 90 minutes to walk through.

Cappadocia has two airports. Kayseri Erkilet (ASR) sits 75 kilometres from Göreme. Nevşehir Kapadokya (NAV) is about 40 kilometres from Göreme. Most hotels arrange shuttle transfers for 300 to 500 TRY per person. A private taxi from Kayseri to Göreme runs about 1,500 TRY. You won't need a car on Day 1 or Day 3 morning. The south loop on Day 2 and the north loop on Day 3 afternoon require a car. Rental cars start around 1,200 TRY per day from agencies in Göreme, or a full-day private tour with driver costs 3,000 to 4,000 TRY. Worth noting, a 30-kilometre drive between sites often takes 45 minutes because the roads wind through valleys and over ridgelines. For dinner on Day 3, Ziggy's in Ürgüp does a good lamb shank for about 550 TRY. The 15-minute drive from Göreme passes Ortahisar Castle lit up against the night sky.