Cappadocia airports: Kayseri or Nevşehir?

Cappadocia has two airports: Kayseri Erkilet (ASR), 75 km and about 75 minutes from Göreme, and Nevşehir Kapadokya (NAV), 30 km and about 40 minutes away. Kayseri has far more flights, so most travellers from the Gulf land there and make up the extra half hour with a car waiting at arrivals.

What is the nearest airport to Cappadocia?

By distance, Nevşehir Kapadokya. It sits north of Nevşehir town on open plateau, and the road to Göreme passes through Nevşehir and Uçhisar. On a normal day our drivers cover it in 40 minutes.

By convenience, Kayseri. It is a larger regional airport with flights from Istanbul through the day, and it is the airport that has carried seasonal direct services from the Gulf. The drive is 75 minutes on a dual carriageway that runs past Mount Erciyes and into the valleys from the east.

Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR)

Kayseri is a single terminal with domestic and international arrivals under one roof. The arrivals hall is small, so a driver with a name board is easy to find. Turkish Airlines and Pegasus connect it to Istanbul; [to verify: other domestic and international routes operating this season].

The good side of Kayseri is choice. If your Gulf flight lands in Istanbul at 07:00, there is usually a Kayseri departure that gets you to the hotel for a late lunch. The downside is the drive, and on a snowy February night the 75 minutes can become 100.

Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV)

Nevşehir is a small airport with a handful of flights each day, almost all from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines and Pegasus. The terminal is quiet, bags come out quickly and you can be on the road within 20 minutes of landing.

The catch is the timetable. Flights cluster in the morning and evening, and if your connection from the Gulf does not match, Kayseri will get you there sooner even with the longer drive. Late at night the taxi rank can be empty, so a pre-booked car matters more here than at Kayseri.

Transfer times to the main villages

These are our drivers' times on a dry road with normal traffic. Snow adds 15 to 30 minutes in January and February; the roads are cleared, but we slow down on the descent into Göreme. A private car is priced per vehicle, so a family of five pays the same as a couple. The live price in dirhams is on the transfer booking page.

How to get from the airport to your hotel

Private transfer. A driver meets you at arrivals with a name board and takes you to the hotel door. This is what we book for almost every family, and the flight number sits on the booking so the driver waits if the plane is late.

Shared shuttle. Minibuses run from both airports to hotels in Göreme, Uçhisar, Ürgüp and Avanos. They must be booked in advance, they wait for the last passenger, and they stop at several hotels. [to verify: shuttle operators, fares and villages served] Fine for a couple; slow for a family with a pushchair and five bags.

Taxi. Available at Kayseri most of the day. At Nevşehir the rank is not reliable after the last evening flight. Agree the fare before you get in, or use the meter.

Hire car. Desks for the main rental brands are at both airports. Driving is easy from March to November. In winter ask for winter tyres and read our is Cappadocia safe page before you decide.

Which airport should a Gulf traveller choose?

Choose by the connection, not the distance. Open both airports in the search, look for the flight that lands between 11:00 and 16:00, and take that one. Landing in daylight gets you to the hotel with time to see the valley, eat and sleep before the balloon pickup at about 05:00.

If both airports offer a good time, take Nevşehir for the shorter drive. If only Kayseri does, take Kayseri and let the driver absorb the extra 35 minutes.

Dubai to Cappadocia lists the connecting airlines from DXB, AUH and SHJ. If you are coming from the city rather than the Gulf, Istanbul to Cappadocia has the domestic flight table and the bus and train options.

What the desk arranges

We book private transfers from Kayseri and Nevşehir to every village in the region, with child seats on request and vehicles for up to seven passengers. Prices are per vehicle, shown in dirhams before payment, indicative as of the date at the top of this page, and confirmed live on the booking page.