Please sign in to post.

Bodrum vs Cappadocia

We are going to Turkey in April 2012. We will be Spending 5 days in Istanbul and 3 days in Izmir to go around to Epesus and Pammukale. I have 2 more days and not sure where to spend it. Cappadocia or Bodrum. Pros to Bodrum its easy to get to, we see one of the 7 wonders of the world and go on a yatch cruise hang out at the beach. Cappadocia a little difficult to get to on a tight budget long train and bus ride but get to sleep in a cave and see all the other interesting and unique rock formations ! Would really appreciate some help from people who have been there who can sway me one way or the other ! Any comments would be greatly appreciated !!

Posted by
175 posts

Sarah, Just returned from Turkey....Grand Circle trip for 18 days. Cappadocia was definitely a highlight! It's so unusual with lots to see. You must splurge for a balloon ride as it's one of the neatest things we've done. Could you shorten Istanbul to 4 days and add a day to Cappadocia? You'll love Turkey! Judy

Posted by
11 posts

I'm also interested in being "swayed" one way or the other. :) I'm leaning towards Cappadocia. Caves and air balloon rides! I'm planning to go October 2012. 4 days in Istanbul and 2 or 3 days in either city (although a part of me would love to see Athens after Instanbul). I've read that if coming from abroad it might be logistically easier to go to Cappadocia first, then end my trip in Istanbul. I'll be taking a plane between cities. Any thoughts?

Posted by
338 posts

I recommend Cappadocia over Bodrum. It has much more to see and do. It is one of the most unique areas in Turkey. Imagine the badlands of the Dakotas but with 1,000-year-old churches, rock-cut villages and underground cities added. That being said, two days is probably not enough time to travel to and experience the area, espcially if you are traveling by rail and bus. From Izmir it is probably a 10 to 12 hour drive. I'm not as sure about the train, but you'll probably have to go through Ankara which will add time. You'll be tired and not have much time on the ground. If you fly into Kayseri from Izmir and rent a car, you could pull of a decent turbo-tourist visit. I think Cappadocia takes about 2.5 to 3 days to experience, but you can still see a lot in one long dawn to dusk day. If you decide to go to Bodrum, there are still plenty of interesting sites between Selcuk and Bodrum, and around Bodrum that could easily occupy two days. Good luck!

Posted by
811 posts

the yatch cruise is pretty good in bodrum and there are a lot of little fishing villages along the coast you can bus to, find a local beach and relax. the wonder is not there anymore - all you see is just a ruin without much left. you get to see more in efes, so if you're likely not to make a 2nd trip to turkey you should go to cappadocia.

Posted by
1499 posts

Recently returned from 23 days in Turkey. Wwe did not go to Bodrum so can't comment on it, but Cappadocia is not to be missed! As others have said, the open air museums (cave churches and houses), underground cities, beautiful valleys, and overall outstanding scenery are all spectacular. Agree the balloon ride is great but be careful about expecting too much. Seeing the rock formations from above is really special but each ride is different depending on the weather and the number of balloons. We spent 4 days in Cappadocia, based in Goreme, and loved every minute.

Posted by
81 posts

Thank you all for your comments ! I think I will stick to my original plan of going to Cappadoccia! Had cold feet when I started planning and realized how much it adds to the trip commute wise but I am back on track I think ! But if there is anyone out there who feels Bodrum is a better choice I am still willing to consider it !

Posted by
81 posts

So here is my itinerary. Tell me what you all think . Day 1 Fly into Izmir Day 2 Izmir to Ephesus Day 3 Pammukale Day 4 Pergamum and Asklepion ( with Izmir as base we will take trains or bus ) May consider driving if we can find a good deal Day 5 Izmir to Ankara by plane and then the bus to Cappadocia Day 6 Cappadocia Day 7 Cappadocia Day 8 Cappadocia to Istanbul by plane Day 9 Istanbul Day 10 Istanbul Day 11 Istanbul
Day 12 Fly back to Chicago Should I add one more day to Istanbul or 3 1/2 days would be enough ?? Thank you !

Posted by
964 posts

Just came back from a RS tour of that area. Bodrum is very pretty, and the trip on the gulet was terrific- but the Mausoleum (one of the 7 wonders of the world)? Well, at the risk of being called a Philistine- I wouldn't bother! There's a video and a cardboard mock-up of the original structure- and a large crater with some masonry in it! OK, maybe i'm being a bit simplistic about it- but after seeing Ephesus, Pergamon and all the other places we went to, it did feel like a major let-down. Other than that- I love Turkey and especially Istanbul. hope you do too.

Posted by
833 posts

Sarah, Hopefully it's good, I'm flying Pegasus from Rome to Istanbul in two weeks! I will let you know afterward.

Posted by
23 posts

Depends on how many Greco-Roman ruins you have seen in your travels. Ephesus is lovely and the new house excavation is spectacular, but it is over-crowded. There are other sites like Aphrodisias which have a lot of beautiful ruins and zero crowds. I chose Ephesus the first time I traveled to Turkey over Cappadocia thinking Capp sounded overrated. Hooboy, was I wrong. There is so much to do and see in the area and sleeping in a deluxe cave is a highlight. I have never cared for heights so I was not excited about the hot air balloon, but again, was I mistaken! The underground city is a must. The whole area is just magical and the people who live there have a lot of interesting stories to tell. Pammukale is pretty overrated unless you like swimming in human soup with hundreds of pudgy tourists( I am pudgy too) in tiny Speedos. The area has been turned into a big tourist trap and the pools are now off limits except for a couple of faux wading pools. The gulet cruise is lovely, but it is only a few hours and some of them seem to be all about the booze. We shared a beautiful bay with about a dozen competing booze cruisers complete with fake pirates and plank walking. Oh well. On my third trip I am going to try the Black sea and the far East again. Love Turkey and here people.

Posted by
653 posts

You could stay in Selcuk and visit Ephesus from there (about 1 kilometer away), you'll have an experience of a smaller city with excellent transportation links. Aphrodisias is beautiful and works well as a half-day trip from Pamukkale. I also suggest Cappadocia rather than Bodrum.

Posted by
11 posts

We are going to Istanbul and Goreme over New Years this year. Do they run hot air balloon rides in the winter? We are planning the overnight train from Istanbul, has anyone tried that?

Posted by
338 posts

This is in response to the itinerary you posted on 11/10. It looks doable, but will require a lot of travel. If you can find a good car deal, I'd recommend that for use out of Izmir. It will give you flexibility in your schedule and allow you to see interesting secondary sites near Bergama and Selcuk. There are several companies that rent out of that airport. If you do this, bear in mind that the road to Selcuk has a toll portion now. I think a car is essential for Cappadocia, so rent there if you only have the budget for one rental. Sites are fairly widely scattered and smaller (avery interesting) sites aren't really served by tours or buses. For any car rental budgeting, factor in the high cost of gas. If you're thinking about adding a day, you might consider adding it to Ankara. In a day you could see the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ataturk mausoleum, etc. My opinion of the amount of time it will take to see the key sites at each location matches what you've alloted for the most part. Ephesus – the main ruins, Temple of Artemis, Basilica of St. John, and museum in Selcuk will take about a day. Pammukale – see it as an afternoon break during your travels. Pergamum – a day is plenty to see the two sets of ruins (Pergamum and Asklepion), the red church, and the museum in Bergama Ankara – consider adding day here to see a few of the big sites and experience the city. Cappadocia – 2.5 days is enough to see the top sites if you have a car. Try to see at least one of each of these – churches, underground cities, villages and castles, caravansaries, and fairy chimneys. Istanbul – you'll need at least 4 days to see the main sites in Istanbul, so you'll have to do some picking and choosing. The four must sees (Blue Mosque, Aya Sophia, Topoki Palace, and Archaeology Museum) are right next to each other. Have fun.

Posted by
81 posts

I have my plane tickets and hotels next is between city air line tickets. So wanted to see if Devon is back and has any thing to add regarding Pegasus airline. Comments from anyone else who has experienced pegasus airline are welcome as well !!

Posted by
1499 posts

Regarding Pegasus Air - we flew Pegasus from Izmir to Istanbul and found they were as reliable as any other national or international airline. We flew Istanbul to Kayseri (Cappadocia) on Turkish Air. We wanted to fly from Ataturk Airport and Turkish Air was the only reasonably priced airline to do so. We also had no problem with Turkish Air and based on our experience we would recommend either airline.