By air: Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV), 30 km northwest of Göreme, and Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR), 75 km east, both serve Cappadocia. Turkish Airlines and Pegasus operate frequent flights from Istanbul to both airports. Transfers to Göreme or Ürgüp take 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on your hotel; book a transfer shuttle through your accommodation when you arrive, or use the shuttle buses operated by Havas.
By overnight bus: The most popular land option from Istanbul. Buses depart Istanbul's main otogar (Esenler) nightly and take 10 to 12 hours, arriving in Nevşehir, Ürgüp, or Göreme depending on the service. Metro Turizm and Süha are reliable operators. The overnight journey saves a hotel night — leave at 9pm and you are waking up in the rock.
From Ankara: Buses take about 4 hours; there is also a high-speed rail line to Kayseri (about 2.5 hours from Ankara), and from Kayseri buses and taxis serve the region.
Getting around the region: Distances between Cappadocia's towns are modest (Göreme to Ürgüp is 6 km, to Uçhisar 3 km) but there is no reliable public transport connecting them. Your options are: rent a car from any of the major towns; hire a local taxi or driver for the day (negotiate a flat rate in advance); or join one of the guided day tours that run circuits of the main sights. Rent a scooter or moped in Göreme for flexible half-day explorations of the valleys.