Ephesus, Cappadocia, or Konya?

My vote is Cappadocia. Its one of the most unique areas in Turkey. It has a little bit of everything - early cave churches, underground cities, interesting geology, old caravan stops, etc. Two and a half days would let you see a little bit of everything. One note - I think a rental car is a must to see this area.

Hmm... I probably wont be able to get a rental car because I will be traveling alone (too expensive), I can't drive a manual yet, and I have no idea how international licensing works. Does this mean I should save Cappadocia for a later trip when I can get a rental car? Or is it really cool enough to justify solving all those problems above?

There are a lot of tour companies in Turkey that run 2-4 day tours to Cappadocia from Istanbul. They also offer a 1 or 2 day tour to Ephesus which I am planning on taking in oct. You can either book a private tour(costly) or a group tour.

Any idea on costs of group tours? I was assuming I would have to go self guided just to save money, but a tour would be nice. *I'm already on a tight budget so I will probably end up being forced to go with the cheapest option.

Hi Isaac. My wife visited Turkey last May and we spent time in Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Ephesus. Its a close call but for something markedly different than perhaps you've seen before on your travels, I'd spend 2 days in Cappadocia with a car and take a balloon ride one early morning. The area is fascinating. We stayed in Urgup but there are a number of nice towns in the region. Staying in a cave hotel is cool though. Be sure to go to the Goreme Open Air Museum but the Zelve Open Air Museum is less crowded and almost as good. Be sure also to visit one of the underground cities. Hope this helps. Pete

So it sounds like Cappadocia is the most popular option, is a rental car really necessary to see this area?

I'll offer a different perspective. I agree that Cappadocia is pretty cool but if you like Roman ruins, you can't beat Ephesus! It's also a little easier to get to for a 2 night trip - you can easily fly from Istanbul to Izmir to get to Selcuk near Ephesus. I'd save Cappadocia for another trip - having a car or hiring a driver makes it much easier to see the area. Another option to save transportation costs, is to spend the entire time in Istanbul! There is so much to do and see there that you could easily stay busy for one week.

If you can't work out a car or a tour in Cappadocia, I'll second the idea of switching to Ephesus. Without a car you'll still be limited, but you'll be able to see the most important sites (Ephesus itself, the museum in Selcuk, temple of Artemis, and ruins of St. John's basilica) in about a day and a half. To do this option cheaply you'll need to fly to Izmir, take the bus to Selcuk and hike a 2 or 3 miles to Ephesus. All of the other sites are in or near town. Good luck.

>_> I just checked skyscanner and it was like $650+ for a flight from Istanbul to Izmir and back, is that really off? Because unless the cost of transport round trip is less than ~$200 I will probably just stay in Istanbul. Estimate on ftransport costs for Ephesus? (and where to find them)

Hi Isaac The rate you found on Skyscanner seems way too high. Last Sept we flew from Izmir to Istanbul 1 way for two persons was 148TL on Atlas Jet. There are hotels in Selcuk for example Hotel Bella that will pick you up at the airport (for a fee) but also will drop you off and pick you up at all the major sites. Other hotels may offer the same convenience. Cappadocia is also great but a car makes the best use of your time. In Goreme there are tours you can book. Sights like the Love Valley and the Goreme Open Air Museum you can do on foot.

Issac, Also check Onur Air and Pegasus Airline.
I agree that Hotel Bella is a great place to stay in Selcuk!