Konya is a useful base for several substantial day trips into the central Anatolian plateau:
Sille (8 km) — Greek Orthodox village with its ancient Aya Eleni church. Half a day; reachable by city bus.
Çatalhöyük (50 km) — The Neolithic city, one of the great archaeological sites of the world. Allow a full day if you want to combine it with the small museum near the site as well as the Archaeological Museum in central Konya, which holds the best finds.
Sultanhanı Caravanserai (110 km) — The largest Seljuk caravanserai in Turkey, halfway to Aksaray, often combined with a continuation toward Cappadocia rather than a same-day return.
Beyşehir Lake (90 km west) — The biggest freshwater lake on the Anatolian plateau, ringed by reedy marshes and small villages. The town of Beyşehir has the well-preserved thirteenth-century Eşrefoğlu Mosque, a Seljuk wooden hypostyle building.
Meke Crater Lake (110 km east) — A volcanic crater filled with salt water on the road to Cappadocia, dramatic in early morning light.
The drive on east — about three and a half hours — takes you to Cappadocia and its rock-cut towns, including Göreme, Ürgüp and the underground cities at Derinkuyu; combining Konya with a few days in Cappadocia is one of the classic itineraries through central Turkey.