Travel Guide to Cappadocia, Türkiye

Ra's Travel Guide to Cappadocia

The city with the unique fairy chimneys and the famous hot air balloon scenes and experiences; a complete travel guide to Cappadocia.

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A UNESCO World Heritage Site located in central Türkiye, Cappadocia is a uniquely enchanting city with one of the most extraordinary landscapes I've ever seen. Over the years, Cappadocia's allure has surged on social media, featuring picturesque landscapes, romantic weddings and proposals, and breakfasts with breathtaking views. Also referred to as the 'land of beautiful horses,' Cappadocia attracts crowds of tourists drawn to its fairy chimneys, hot air balloons, scenic photography spots, cave houses and churches, and equestrian experiences. As an emerging top-travel and honeymoon destination, explore this comprehensive travel guide to Cappadocia for an unforgettable experience.

Getting to Cappadocia, Türkiye: Transportation Options and Travel Tips

As a major city and tourist destination in Türkiye, there are a few options for traveling to reach Cappadocia. The choice ultimately depends on your budget, available time, preferred travel route, and whether you want to take the scenic route or the most direct path. The quickest option is by plane to Nevşehir Airport. There is also Kayseri Airport, but traveling from this airport to Cappadocia is more expensive as it is further away. Many airports within Türkiye offer domestic flights directly to Cappadocia, with daily arrivals and departures. If you're traveling from an international destination, you will likely need to connect through an airport in Türkiye.

A more budget-friendly option, especially for domestic travelers, is to rent a car and drive or take the bus. While this choice takes more time, it provides a scenic route through the country. Major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Selçuk, Pamukkale, Izmir, and Ephesus offer direct buses to Cappadocia. Note that these bus journeys are often overnight. For instance, the drive from Istanbul to Cappadocia takes approximately 10 hours. If you're coming from Ankara or Konya, there is even a sleeper train available, though it is quite lengthy.

The last option is to book a transfer or tour with a tour group that offers direct luxury bus transfers to Cappadocia. During my visit to Türkiye, I traveled around the country with a tour group that had a small luxury minibus to transport us between cities and destinations. While the drive from Istanbul to Ankara to Istanbul was long, it provided stunning scenic views and was a more economical choice.

In planning my travel routes, assessing costs, and considering transportation methods, I frequently rely on Rome2rio. This invaluable tool offers comprehensive information, including potential route combinations and suggestions for stops along the way, facilitating a customized and well-informed travel experience. Rome2rio link

Where to Stay in Cappadocia, Türkiye?

As a large city in Türkiye, Cappadocia has a few regions that offer different accommodations and prices for you to choose from. If you're on social media, you have most likely encountered the famous rooftop viewing video of the hot air balloons and chimneys where people have photoshoots and drink Turkish tea or coffee while watching the hot air balloons in the sky during sunrise. These videos are mostly shot from the rooftops of the Sultan Cave Suites, Artemis Cave Suites, or Mithra Cave Hotel in Göreme, which are only open to hotel guests. They also offer the unique experience of staying in a cave recreation of the fairy chimneys since people are no longer allowed to stay in them for safety purposes.

When choosing a place to stay in Cappadocia, it is important to consider if you're looking for this rooftop viewing experience. However, it is possible to get similar views at one of the many cafes in the city that have beautiful viewing spots. To help you decide where to stay, I have listed the main regions below:

Göreme: Best for hotel private rooftop viewing access to the hot air balloons and scenery, for close-up views of the balloons, restaurants, and nightlife. This is the best and most central option if you are not renting a car.

Uçhisar: Most known for luxury hotels and as the highest point in Cappadocia.

Çavuşin: Great for those seeking a quieter area, close access to hikes, and views of the sunrise balloons.

Ürgüp: The location of many cave hotels.

Ortahisar: Best for budget travelers.

When I visited Cappadocia, I was traveling with a tour group around the country who arranged all of our accommodations on our behalf. We were placed at a small 3-star hotel in Ortahisar that was quiet, had inclusive breakfast, and was near a corner store and spice market. Our tour group provided the transportation to take us to and from Göreme city center.

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Getting Around Cappadocia, Türkiye

Car

If you're traveling around the country or in a different part of Cappadocia other than Göreme, having a car is extremely convenient since there are limited buses for public transportation around Cappadocia, and they don't go to the main tourist attractions. Therefore, they're not ideal for non-locals. Some of the main tourist attractions are outside the center of Cappadocia, so you will either need a car, arrange a shuttle, take a guided tour, or use a taxi.

Bus

There are local mini-busses that travel between towns throughout the day, but not on a consistent schedule. As mentioned above, they don't travel to many of the main tourist attractions and are, therefore, not ideal for tourists. Additionally, not many of the drivers speak English. Unless absolutely necessary and no other options are available, I do not recommend taking the bus.

Guided Tour

Many tour companies include Cappadocia as part of their tours of Türkiye or offer Cappadocia-only tours. This is one of the best ways to get around the city since the tour company operates with a private shuttle and includes the main tourist attractions and excursions that people come to visit Cappadocia for. Additionally, you will have a guide to provide history, answer questions, assist with translations, and offer local tips.

Taxi

While there are not many taxis available in Cappadocia, it is possible to use taxis as your main form of transportation around the city. To ensure access to a taxi and a fair price, have a local guide or your hotel arrange the cab or provide you with the number of the trusted local company they work with. Then make sure the meter is turned on before you start your trip. Bring cash to pay and confirm the price to your destination before agreeing to a ride.

Bicycle

A few local companies offer regular and motorbike rentals to get around the city and also for sightseeing in Rose Valley and other scenic paths as an alternative to hiking.

Walking

In Göreme, walking around the city center and between tourist attractions is possible and a great way to experience the city. There are also many hiking trails starting in Göreme. However, there are not many sidewalks beyond the city center, making it difficult to get to a few of the tourist sites and to travel on foot between the different regions of the city.

What to Do in Cappadocia, Türkiye?

Walking Tour

Despite being a large city, many different companies offer different walking tours to teach you about the history of the city and to show you the main sites and attractions. This is one of the first things I do when I arrive in a new city because it is a great way to get insider tips from locals and to learn about where you’re visiting. While many companies offer walking tours or other methods of transportation for guided tours, I highly recommend taking advantage of the free walking tours available(link). These are usually led by locals as a passion project and are a great way to meet fellow solo travelers.

Hot Air Balloon

Whether you’re interested in going up in one of the balloons or are looking for the best views for sights and photos, this is a MUST in Cappadocia. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the views of the fairy chimneys make it even more magical. Many companies offer the hot air balloon experience and require reservations in advance. During the peak tourist season, you will need to reserve your spot weeks in advance. Additionally, many companies offer photoshoots with balloons in the scenic background, which is popular amongst couples and engagement/proposal shoots. These also need to be reserved in advance. However, if you’re just interested in the views, be sure to travel to the top of the hill in Göreme and visit Red Valley Cafe or Ask Vadisi Salincak Cafe. Note that as mentioned in my tip section, there are preferred times of the year for those interested in visiting the hot air balloons since the experience is weather-dependent. I visited outside of this season and the weather wasn’t good, so I couldn’t go up in the balloon nor did I see ANY hot air balloons. Also, these balloons start to rise between 6 AM-7 AM to coincide with the sunrise, so be prepared for an early morning start.

Rose, Pink, and Red Valleys

The perfect places to watch the sunset and great places to hike. In addition to the fairy chimneys and unique rock formations, Rose Valley got its name from the pink hue of the minerals in the sandstone. Many excursions travel to the sunset at Rose Valley on 4-wheelers, as well as locals drive to the lookout spot to hang out, drink, chat, listen to music, and take in the stunning views. You will need to arrive at least 40 minutes before sunset if you want to get a great viewing spot before the crowds of tourists arrive.

Uçhisar Castle

Located in the town of Uçhisar is the large castle that once was an important part of Cappadocia’s protection and invasion detection. Made from soft volcanic rock, the castle is composed of unique architecture and showcases the skills of the builders working with the soft rock. Today, visitors can wander the tunnels and chambers that once housed the inhabitants and climb to the top of Uchisar Castle for a panoramic view of Cappadocia’s beauty.

Derinkuyu Underground City

The largest underground city in the world. Located 40 minutes from Göreme is this ancient subterranean complex that was built thousands of years ago. It is believed to have served as a shelter and refuge for the local communities during times of religious turmoil and conflict and could have contained thousands of people at a time. Travel five levels below the earth, wandering the labyrinth of tunnels, pathways, houses, wells, kitchens, and more. For those who have claustrophobia, this experience may not be for you.

Love Valley

Best known for its erotically shaped rock formations, which earned the spot its name. The warm hues of the fairy chimneys and rock formations are a result of millions of years of volcanic activity and erosion. Many tours offer horseback riding or 4-wheeling through this valley during the day and during the evening for a sunset viewing, similar to the other three valleys mentioned above. Love Valley has been gaining social media fame from the “creativity” of some peoples’ photos of the rock formations.

Göreme Open Air Museum

A UNESCO World Heritage Site that displays the unique rock-cut architecture and early Christian Byzantine art in Cappadocia in the 10th to 12th centuries. Within the museum is a complex of churches, chapels, and monasteries cut into the rock and frescos depicting biblical scenes and religious figures. Within the complex is the famous Dark Church which has the best-preserved frescos since they were kept away from the sun, and visitors are not allowed to take photos. Entrance to the Dark Church is an additional fee.

Selime Monastery

The biggest monastery in the rocks in Cappadocia with a cathedral-sized church, dating back to the 8th century. The monastery complex is composed of Byzantine architecture and has a network of chambers, corridors, and tunnels that were used as living quarters, storage areas, and places of worship by the monks. From the top of the monastery is a spectacular view of Ihlara Valley which contains around 50 rock-hewn churches and buildings.

Whirling Dervishes

A cultural experience that originates from the teachings of the philosopher Rumi, the 13th-century poet. The Whirling Dervishes perform a mesmerizing ritual known as the Sema, which is a graceful and spiritual dance that symbolizes the journey of the soul toward unity with the divine. During the performance, the dervishes are dressed in white robes and tall conical hats and spin in sync and on beat with the beat and singing.

Visit a Fairy Chimney House

While locals are not supposed to be living in the fairy chimneys after a recent policy change by the government that declared safety issues, it is still possible to visit one of the remaining fairy chimney houses in Cappadocia. Located near Hermes Cave Hotel and Ciko'nun Yeri Cafe is a standalone fairy chimney where a local resident has lived all his life and that has been in his family for generations. For 20 TRY, you can go inside on a tour of his house and see the interior of a typical fairy chimney house.

Cappadocia stands as a captivating blend of ancient history, surreal landscapes, and unique experiences that create an unforgettable journey. This travel guide to Cappadocia has unraveled the wonders of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, from its fairy chimneys and hot air balloon-filled skies to its historic landmarks and cultural treasures. Whether navigating the labyrinthine valleys, exploring underground cities, or witnessing the mesmerizing Whirling Dervishes, Cappadocia offers a tapestry of experiences. As you plan your visit, may this travel guide to Cappadocia serve as a compass, leading you to the heart of Cappadocia's charm and ensuring a truly enchanting adventure in this magical region of Türkiye.

Travel Tip

While the hot air balloon experiences are available year-round, the best time and highest chances for the experience are from late April to June and September and October.