Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Aksaray
Overview
Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Aksaray is a lengthy road transfer that leaves the Asian side of Istanbul and heads inland across the Anatolian plateau toward Cappadocia's edge. A name board already carries your surname when you reach the arrivals hall, and only your own party then fills the V-Class or Sprinter for this leg, with the plateau scenery soon replacing the city skyline behind you. Days before you fly, our desk puts the entire Sabiha-to-Aksaray amount into a WhatsApp message in Arabic or English, so the long inland crossing carries no further cost to work out once the car is moving. Many travellers choose this route because it avoids crossing the Bosphorus altogether, making Sabiha a practical starting point for the long drive south toward Ihlara Valley and Aksaray.
Highlights
- Inland crossing from Sabiha Gökçen straight to Central Anatolia.
- Avoids any Bosphorus crossing since both ends sit on the Asian side.
- Reaches the Ihlara Valley region after a full day of driving.
- Passes open Anatolian plateau scenery for much of the route.
- Practical starting point for onward Cappadocia sightseeing the next day.
- Driver confirms your Sabiha landing before beginning the long drive south.
- Single WhatsApp fare is settled for the entire route beforehand.
Route details
About the destination
Aksaray is a Central Anatolian provincial capital on the southern edge of Cappadocia, more often passed through than stayed in for its own sake. What pulls visitors off the highway is the countryside around it: the Ihlara canyon, where a river has carved a deep gorge lined with frescoed churches hidden in the rock, and the nearby monastic complex at Selime, hollowed directly out of the cliff. On the plain outside town stands Sultanhanı, one of Anatolia's grandest surviving Seljuk caravanserais, built to shelter merchant caravans on the road to Konya. The city centre itself keeps a modest historic core, while most travellers treat Aksaray as the practical base for exploring these sites before continuing into Cappadocia proper.
Landmarks nearby
- Deep gorge of Ihlara canyon lined with hidden frescoed churches
- Selime Monastery, hollowed directly into the cliff face
- Sultanhanı, a grand surviving Seljuk-era caravanserai near the highway
- Güzelyurt village overlooking the valley with its old cave houses
- Aksaray's historic quarter with its leaning stone minaret
- Zinciriye Medresesi, a Seljuk stone college in the old town
Good to know
- Collect your bags at Sabiha's arrivals hall and watch for your driver's name board by the exit.
- Exchange a little cash before departure, since the drive covers a long, rural stretch inland.
- Bring headphones or offline entertainment, as parts of the plateau road have limited mobile signal.
- Pack a warm layer for the evening, since Aksaray's altitude brings a noticeable temperature drop.
- Keep snacks within reach, as towns along the route thin out past the first couple of hours.
- Save your accommodation's exact address to share with the driver before leaving the airport.
