We will be spending 5 days in Cappadocia. One reason is that we do not want to be rushed so we can paint and take photographs. We will rprobably take a medium hike maybe twice and will probably stay in Urgup.

Do we need to rent a car? What are our transportation options?

Thank you in advance for your responses.

We stayed in Goreme, which is a nice small village , with plenty of scenery, nearby Open Air Museum,etc.. There are a few restaurants and some shopping in the town.

We rented a car and drove from Istanbul. We went to one underground 'city' and stopped in the Ihlara valley to hike to a couple of cave churches.

We spent one night there (I know, what were we thinking!). I would go back and spend some more time there. Having a car gave us flexibility.

There is "Dolmus" minibuses between towns. Some of which will be reasonably close to interesting sights.

You would need a rental car, a private guide or a tour to those areas which are not on Dolmus routes.

You can also rent scooters, but painting and photography paraphernalia may not easily be carried on them.

I would get a private guide the first day to familiarize myself with the region, get my bearings and then drive myself in your place.

You also have enough time to see the new neolithic village uncovered at the end of Ihlara Valley, and possibly a quick trip to Hattusas, the capital of the Hittite empire (possibly two and a half hour drive North/Northeast.)

Thank you.

I agree with otherchelebi (who, by the way, is our resident expert on Turkey). We stayed in Urgup for 3 1/2 days and took an organized day tour each day which, for what we wanted to see, was perfect. We could have easily rented a car, though. The region is fairly spread out and driving would be easy.

I agree that you should take a tour the first day to get your bearings, then decide what you want to see and paint. Rock Valley Tours, http://www.rockvalleytravel.com/, is headquartered in Urgup. They were wonderful and may be able to accommodate private tours.

By the way, we stayed at the Melekler Evi Cave Hotel in Urgup. It was heaven; the best accommodations we could have imagined. Here is their website: http://www.meleklerevi.com.tr/

Whatever you choose, you'll have a wonderful trip!

I have the same question. As there are 5 people in our party, I like the idea of the private guide on our first day to get our bearings and then decide about tours, car rental, etc. Does anyone have recommendations on a private guide?