Cappadocia Short Break

Trip Code: ERAK

Why we love it

Discover an out-of-this-world landscape, made up of mystical fairy chimneys and cave-like dwellings., Visit one of Cappadocia’s famous local wineries and enjoy your glass with the best natural entertainment (sunset, of course)., Walk past ancient architecture at your own pace, with heaps of free time and a flexible local guide to show you the way., Explore the fascinating underground city of Kaymakli, listen to local stories and admire artwork from the Byzantine-era., Hike the beautiful Red Valley or Love Valley and spark your imagination with the natural rock formations that dot the land., By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, CYDD (Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği). Donations help them provide scholarships and educational programs for economically disadvantaged youth in Turkey.

Is this trip right for me?

On Short Breaks, you maintain a good level of independence and freedom, with the added bonus of having the details sorted out for you. You’ll have lots of free time and you won’t be accompanied by a Trip Leader. This means that all included activities and tours will be run by different local Intrepid partners, and these may operate independently from each other. The included activities and transfers will operate on a join-in basis, which means that you could have your Adventure all to yourself, or others may join you along the way. If you would prefer to travel in a group with a dedicated Trip Leader, just get in touch with your booking agent and they will take you through some alternatives.

Important information

1. This Short Break Adventure is a ‘join in’ group departure, which means you are not accompanied by an Intrepid group leader. Instead, our local representative in your destination will fill this role and the configuration of any fellow travellers in the group might change during the trip. This trip will run with a minimum of one person, so you may be joined by other travellers booked on the same date as you, or you may be on your own.
2. Please check at the hotel reception at check-in for the meeting time for your tour and any other important information our local representative may leave for you.
3. Private transfers are available with Intrepid from both Airports in Cappadocia. Alternatively, there is a local shuttle service that can be reserved.

What to bring/pack

What you need to bring will vary according to the trip style you have chosen, the countries you are visiting and when you are travelling. Generally speaking, we recommend you pack as lightly as possible and make sure that you are able to carry and lift your own luggage, and walk with it for short distances.

Most travellers carry their luggage in a backpack, bags or backpacks with wheels are convenient although we recommend your bag has carry straps. You'll also need a day pack/bag to carry water and a camera etc for day trips.

Below are some ideas and helpful tips on what you specifically need for this trip.

GENERAL PACKING LIST
• Travel documents: passport, visa (if required), travel insurance,
   air tickets or e-ticket receipts and a copy of this document.
• Photocopy of main passport pages, visa (if required), travel insurance and air tickets.
• Personal medical kit. Your guide will carry a large kit but we recommend you carry items such as mild pain killers, electrolytes and bandaids.
• Daypack
• Watch/Alarm clock or phone that can be used for both.
• Power adaptors
• Insect repellent
• Sun protection - hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
• Earplugs and eye mask (you might be sharing with a snorer!)
• Water bottle. We recommend at least a 1.5litre capacity. The sale of bottled water contributes to an enormous environmental problem around the world. In addition to the water in bottles, the production of a 1 litre plastic bottle takes 2 litres of water and 200ml of oil. A large proportion end up in limited landfill or discarded in waterways and natural environments.
• Warm clothes including hat and gloves when travelling in cooler climates
• Wind and waterproof rain jacket
• Toiletries/travel wipes/ hand sanitizer 
• Travel Towel
• As most of our trips include some walking elements, we highly recommend that you take a pair of comfortable, closed-in walking shoes. 
• Camera with spare memory cards and batteries
• Clothing. The staple travel items but consider the time of year. We recommend a fleece/jacket any time of the year and a scarf for women for visiting religious sites
  Cold Weather• Long-sleeved shirts or sweater• Scarf• Warm gloves• Warm hat• Warm layers / thermals
  Warm Weather • Sandals/flip-flops• Shorts/skirts (Longer shorts/skirts are recommended)• Sun hat/bandana• Swimwear

LUGGAGE LIMIT
On this trip, you must pack as lightly as possible because you will be expected to carry your own bag and, although you won't be required to walk long distances with your luggage, we strongly recommend keeping the weight under 15kg. If your itinerary includes a flight, please keep in mind that some domestic airlines have checked luggage limits of 15kg.

CLOTHING & CLIMATE
Please note that as a desert region, the Middle East can have extreme weather. Temperatures are generally hot with little rain. This can become extreme during the summer months of June to August. In the months of December to March, it can be very cold, particularly next to the river or the ocean and out in the desert where night temperatures can drop dramatically. Even in the hot months, it can get cold in the desert at night. Consider bringing a sleeping bag, thermals, scarf, gloves and a warm jacket for travel in this period, especially on itineraries which include camping such as on a felucca, in a desert camp, or at a Red Sea beach camp. A light water and windproof jacket is useful and a hat is essential.

VALUABLES
Please try to avoid bringing unnecessary valuables, and use your hotel safes to store the bulk of your money, passport, and airline tickets. It’s also a good idea to purchase a money belt or pouch that is easily hidden. We strongly recommend that you photocopy all important documents e.g. air tickets, passport, vaccination certificate, etc. and keep the copies separate from the originals. While not valid, a photocopy makes it very much easier to obtain replacements if necessary.

BATTERIES/POWER
Most of our trips have access to power to recharge batteries for phones and cameras regularly. We always recommend that you carry an extra battery for your camera just in case. Charging of batteries is advised before checking out of your hotel rooms. Please bear in mind there may be some nights were electricity may not be as readily available as you might be used to – home stays, beach and desert camps etc.

RESTRICTED ITEMS
Generally, drones are not permitted into any Middle East destination or they require registration and pre-approval please refer to your airline carrier if you are considering taking a drone on your travels or check out drone laws by country on line. We have had some reports of binoculars being confiscated or causing delay in customs if carried in hand luggage.  

Physical rating

 
2

Joining your group

Majestic Cave House, İsali Gaferli mahallesi Ünlü Sokak no 25, Goreme, Nevsehir, 50180, TURKEY, Phone: +90 5367127487

Alternate Joining Point


Joining instructions

The two main airports servicing the Cappadocia region are Nevsehir Airport (NAV) (40kms/25miles west of Goreme) and Kayseri Airport (ASR) (70kms/45miles east of Goreme). Taxis are not readily available, and we recommend booking an arrival transfer. Intrepid can assist with pre-booking an arrival transfer from the airport - enquire with your agent. Please advise your flight arrival details, including which airport – Nevsehir (NAV) or Kayseri (ASR), at least 14 days prior to your departure. If you have pre-booked an arrival transfer, you will be met by a transfer representative holding an Intrepid sign as you exit the customs area.

Finishing your trip

Majestic Cave House, İsali Gaferli mahallesi Ünlü Sokak no 25, Goreme, Nevsehir, 50180, TURKEY, Phone: +90 5367127487

Alternate Finish Point


Intrepid can assist with pre-booking a departure transfer to the airport - enquire with your agent. Please advise your flight details, including which airport – Nevsehir (NAV) or Kayseri (ASR), at least 14 days prior to your departure. If you have pre-booked a departure transfer your leader will advise your pick up time the day before your trip ends.

Meals & dietary information

Breakfasts included: 3

Lunches included: 1

Dinners included: 

Your group leader or local representative will endeavour to cater to specific dietary requirements where possible, and vegetarianism and gluten intolerance will be catered for in most instances. There are, however some meals and activities that are fixed in advance and therefore cannot be modified to suit dietary requirements.

Please notify your booking consultant of any dietary requirements at the time of booking. For those suffering from particular food allergies, your group leader or local representative will endeavour to disclose to their fullest knowledge the main ingredients in dishes being consumed. It is, however, your personal responsibility to ensure that you do not ingest any foods to which you are allergic.

Climate & seasonal information

Turkey is a large country split into seven regions. As a rule of thumb the Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have typical Mediterranean climates with hot summers and mild, wet winters. In the east it is more mountainous with warm summers and very cold, snowy winters. Central Turkey (Cappadocia), has low rainfall, very dry, hot summers and very cold winters. Istanbul and coastal centres can experience very high humidity.

Winter (November to March) can be very cold. Not all of our hotels have heating so consider bringing thermals, a scarf, gloves and a warm jacket for travel in this period. Summer (June to August) can be very hot. Not all of our hotels have air-conditioning, and in those that do it's not always functioning. Please consider the seasons when planning your trip.

RAMADAN 2021
In 2021, the important month of Ramadan or Ramzan in Turkey will be in progress from 12 April through until 11 May, and the Eid ul-Fitr festival or Bayram in Turkey will be held directly at its conclusion for 3-4 days. Ramadan is a festival of sacrifice where the devout refrain from eating or drinking during daylight hours. During Ramadan, business hours are shortened, including opening hours at some tourist attractions. Alcohol is not permitted during daylight hours and many restaurants will be closed. While you should expect some delays and inconveniences during this period, the month is a fantastic opportunity to travel in a Muslim country and witness this unique period, particularly the nightly celebrations when the sun sets and the fast is broken. Please note that although the Eid ul-Fitr festival can also be a fascinating time to travel it's a period of national holiday. Most government offices and businesses will be closed and some tourist site opening hours may be affected.

Ramadan month can differ from country to country and region to region, it can be a wonderful inclusion in your vacation. If you have concerns about travelling at this time, please check with Intrepid or your booking agent before your departure.

In case of emergency

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

For general contact details please use the following page: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/ourtrips/contact/

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

Intrepid Turkey Office: +90 850 309 68 76

Accommodations

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.

Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.

Transportation