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Cappadocia is famous for its strange and unique landscape that will make you feel like you’re on another planet with its underground cities, ¨fairy chimneys,¨ and cave houses and churches carved into the rocks. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Turkey’s most visited and photogenic sights, visiting Cappadocia is a must while traveling Turkey.
TOP THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN CAPPADOCIA
EXPLORE THE FAIRY CHIMNEYS AT THE VARIOUS VALLEYS
Devrent Valley, which is also known as Imagination Valley because you can let your imagination run wild with all of the strange shaped rocks.
Pasabagi (Monks’ Valley), which is home to the best fairy chimneys in Cappadocia.
My maturity did not allow for me to not find a lot of the fairy chimneys and Love Valley highly amusing…
There are many more valleys to visit as well.
VISIT THE GÖREME OPEN AIR MUSEUM
Which is one of the most famous sites in central Turkey. Here you’ll find more than 30 churches carved into the rock, some of which have fresco paintings inside. The museum was very cool, but unfortunately when I was there, the amount of tourists took away from my enjoyment of it.
STAY IN A CAVE!
Cappadocia is, perhaps, the only place in the world where it’s not only acceptable and normal, but preferable to live in a cave because it keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
I stayed in a cave dorm room at Yasin’s Place Backpackers Cave Hotel in Göreme, but they also have private rooms available. Breakfast is included in your stay and the staff, like most Turkish people, are very helpful. Dorms are around 23L per night (€5.50).
My cave room was much warmer than it was outside (thank god, because it was nearly freezing in the mornings and nights when I was there), but it was very damp and it smelled funny. Back in the day, barn animals were kept in that room. Backpackers and barn animals, same thing.
ENJOY THE GÖREME PANORAMIC VIEW AT ESENTEPE
The view at sunset (or sunrise, with all the hot air balloons in the sky) is really beautiful. I went there twice for sunset and you can walk there from Göreme. There’s a cafe at the top to get a coffee or hot chocolate.
HOT AIR BALLOONING
It’s a very popular activity that Cappadocia is famous for. Some say it’s a must, but it’s fairly expensive, so make sure it’s something you really want to do. Prices range from about €150-240 for a 60-90 minute flight, with breakfast included. See a comparison of balloon companies and their tours and prices here. Pick up time from your hotel is typically between 4:00am and 6:00am (depending on the time of year and when the sun rises).
The balloon ride was an hour long, with nine other people in the balloon and we got up to 650m. It was very cool, but I felt that the best part was seeing all the balloons in the air (which you can see from the ground), as opposed to being in the actual balloon. It was cool to see them filling up the balloons. I wasn’t overly impressed with my hot air balloon tour. I was picked up at 5:45am and they congregated everyone for breakfast and that took a whole hour, which was a complete and unnecessary waste of time, so we missed the sunrise. I don’t know if this was normal or if there was an issue.
If you want to go in a hot air balloon, you need to book in advance because it’s very popular and it books up, especially in high season. And you should stay for more than one day in Cappadocia because it’s weather and wind dependent. My balloon was postponed a day due to wind. But, regardless of the balloon, you should still stay in Cappadocia for more than one day because there is a lot to see and do.
IHLARA VALLEY
You can enjoy a peaceful walk in the mostly shaded 16km canyon alongside the river. The whole canyon is lined with rock carved churches and houses from the Byzantine period.
MOUNTAIN BIKING
HORSEBACK RIDING
HIKING
VISIT A HAMMAN
(A Turkish bath)
WATCH THE WHIRLING DERVISHES
For evening entertainment
WINE TASTING
Yes, you can find wine in Cappadocia! Turkey is known as one of the oldest winemaking regions in the world, as they have been producing wine since around 4th century B.C.
THE CULTURE
The Cappadocia region is much more conservative than Istanbul and certain places on the coast, so women need to dress modestly and appropriately.
GETTING IN AND OUT
Cappadocia is located in Central Turkey and it’s an 11 hour overnight bus from Istanbul, a 10 hour overnight bus from Antalya, and a 4.5 hour bus from Ankara. Or you can fly, as flights are very reasonable within Turkey.
The Nevşehir airport is 45km away and the Kayseri airport is 75km away.
WHEN TO GO
The summers get very hot and the winters get very cold. I was in Cappadocia at the beginning of October, which was around 20C during the day, but nearly freezing in the mornings and evenings at 4C (which was a very unwelcome shock that I was unprepared for, after arriving very early in the morning on a night bus and wearing sandals, as I had just been in the Turkish Mediterranean, where it was 30+ degrees).
WHERE TO STAY
I stayed in Göreme, a very small, quiet town near the attractions, where you can stay in a cave. You can easily walk to and from the small centre of town and the bus station within minutes from anywhere in Göreme. There are many budget hostels and guesthouses to pick from and many have the option of sleeping in a cave. Unless your cave accommodation has good ventilation, it will be very humid and damp, so beware if you have respiratory issues. Your belongings could also become damp (mine did). Don’t expect any exciting nightlife in Göreme. Overall, Göreme is geared more towards budget travelers and backpackers.
An alternative to staying in Göreme is to stay in Ürgüp, which is another great base for exploring Cappadocia, as it’s also near all the attractions. It is one of the largest towns in Cappadocia and offers the highest quality accommodation, restaurants and nightlife in the area. Overall, Ürgüp is more upscale, it’s bigger and it has more going on than Göreme.
And there are few other towns to pick from as well.
GET AROUND
The Göreme Open Air Museum and Uchisar castle are within walking distance from Göreme, but the rest of the sights in Cappadocia are very spread out and public transportation is limited. You can rent a bike, scooter or motorbike; take a taxi; rent a car or go on a tour to get around and see the sights. There’s no shortage of travel agencies, which offer various tours to the sights.
WHERE TO EAT
In Göreme, I stumbled upon Cafe Şafak, which is family run and serves really good homemade food. They’re known for their lential soup and their gözleme, which is like a pancake, with savory or sweet fillings. This is also where you’ll find the best coffee in town. Ali, the owner, was a barista when he lived in Melbourne. His adorable mother makes all the food. The menu includes Turkish food and some western food, smoothies, kebabs and vegetarian options. I ate here a few times as it was affordable, very good food and nice people.
Any trip to Turkey isn’t complete until you’ve experienced the weird and wonderful world of Cappadocia.
MORE REASONS TO TRAVEL TO TURKEY
What to Know Before You Go to Turkey
18 Pictures That Will Make You Want To Travel to Turkey
Ephesus – Turkey’s Ancient City
Pamukkale – Turkey’s Cotton Castle
Olympos – Treehouses, Ancient Ruins and Beaches in Turkey
Sailing Turkey’s Turquoise Coast
I have always wanted to go here! Amazing photos!
Thank you!
So jealous! It’s so beautiful!
This is literally my dream – and next on my bucket list. Cannot believe the air ballooning photos, they look super amazing.