12 Best Things To Do in Cappadocia (Heart of Turkey)

Cappadocia is a fascinating region in central Turkey, mostly famous for hot-air balloon rides and fairy chimneys, but offers a lot more. The interesting landscape, which was entirely formed by erosion, was once home to countless communities that used the landscape to their advantage and built impressive underground cities and villages carved into the rock.

Due to their uniqueness, some of Cappadocia’s sites, such as Goreme National Park, Derinkuyu Underground City, and Kaymakli Underground City, are also designated as UNESCO-protected areas.

We had a wonderful time exploring Cappadocia during our Turkey Road Trip and can comfortably say that the hype about Cappadocia is justified! It’s definitely one of the most unique landscapes in the world and, without a doubt, one of the top places to visit in Turkey.

On our last visit, we spent over a week exploring the area, so in this Cappadocia Travel Guide, we’d like to share our first-hand travel tips and our list of the top things to do in Cappadocia and must-visit attractions.

Things to do in Cappadocia

1. Hot Air Balloon Ride

Without a doubt, the top thing to do in Cappadocia is to go on a hot air balloon ride over the fascinating landscape!

It was a true bucket-list experience for us because Cappadocia is one of the best places in the world for hot-air balloon flights. Especially because of the interesting landscape.

On average, you can fly in a hot air balloon about 260 days a year in Cappadocia. Because of this, every morning in Goreme looks like a ballooning festival, as more than 150 balloons fly above the town. You can’t get this anywhere else!

• Check this top-rated Hot Air Balloon Ride

2. Zelve Open Air Museum

There are plenty of free things to see in Cappadocia, but the best parts are in the so-called open-air museums, where you can see various cave churches and cave dwellings cut into the rocky landscape.

And the best open-air museum in Cappadocia is Zelve, a truly unique site, which was once home to one of the largest communities in Cappadocia and has been very well preserved.

Zelve Open Air Museum is much less crowded than the more famous Goreme Open Air Museum near Goreme, as it’s a bit further out from the main town. But still offers everything and more.

We loved exploring Zelve’s ruins and imagining what life was like for the people who lived there centuries ago.

• Check availability: Red Tour Cappadocia Highlights (includes Zelve)

There is a restaurant at the entrance to Zelve Open Air Museum, where you can enjoy some delicious pomegranate or orange juice, as well as tasty Gözleme (a Turkish pancake, but better). We had some potato and spinach Gozleme here and we can highly recommend it for a mid-day snack. Plus, the pomegranate juice is to die for.

Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley)

Nearby Zelve Open Air Museum, there’s another Cappadocia attraction that’s worth visiting, The Pasabag Valley, or Valley of Monks.

It’s one of the most interesting sites in Cappadocia with many unique rock formations to explore. Plus, it’s one of the most famous photo spots in Cappadocia, as you can get up close to the fairy chimneys.

Community updates: There was no ticket for Pasabag Valley before 2022, but Anna Holzer updated us in the comments after her visit that there is now one. If you also have any updates or comments for Cappadocia or any other destination we covered, please let us know. We’re always happy to share them with others. ♥

Cavusin Castle

On the way to Zelve, just a bit outside Goreme is the town of Cavusin and the Cavusin Castle. Built right into a mountain, the castle is a spectacular site that you can visit for free.

3. Goreme Open Air Museum

Goreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the most popular attraction in Cappadocia where you can see cave dwellings and churches with frescoes and walk around and explore old buildings by yourself.

• Check availability: Red Tour Cappadocia Highlights (includes Goreme Open Air Museum)

Personally, we only visited Zelve, but observed the Goreme Open Air Museum from the road while passing by many times.

We would recommend visiting the Zelve open-air museum, as it’s less crowded. There are lots of similar things to see as in Goreme, and you can also visit the nearby Pasabag Valley, where you can get up close to fairy chimneys.

4. Fairy Chimneys

Fairy chimneys in Cappadocia are a unique natural rock formation created when volcanic tuff (soft, porous rock) is hardened by the surrounding lava and eroded by wind and rain to form the chimneys.

If you’re wondering how volcanic tuff and lava ended up there, it’s because the Cappadocian land was covered by lava and ash from countless volcanic eruptions of the now dormant (not active) volcanoes. The main volcano that did the most “work” was Mount Erciyes, which you can see from Goreme.

There are different spots in Goreme and around Cappadocia where you can see the fairy chimneys. We already mentioned the Pasabag Valley, where you can get up close to them, but there are many more places.

Twin Fairy Chimneys just outside of Ürgüp are the most popular, but the site is often overcrowded. It’s a cool spot to visit but maybe think twice if you’re coming in the high season. We skipped those, as we saw many elsewhere, for example, at Pasabag Valley.

Between Urgup and Zelve, you can visit Devrent Valley, also known as Imagination Valley, known for the animal-shaped rock formations (thus you need imagination to see it!). The most famous rock formation in Devrent Valley is the one resembling a camel.

You can also see spectacular fairy chimneys if you hike in Love Valley or visit some of the surrounding valleys.

5. Love Valley

The Love Valley in Cappadocia is one of the world’s most unusual sights, with interesting natural rock formations that resemble the male private organ.

The fairy chimneys at Love Valley are different from others in the area as they’re much taller. So, understandably, it’s the most popular spot for wedding photo shoots. 😉

You can visit Love Valley in two ways. You can walk the Love Valley Trail or visit the viewpoint above the valley. If you have an hour or two to spend, we recommend a walk, as you can get really close to the fairy chimneys and stunning landscape.

To walk it, you can park just before entering the valley (check location). You can also do it as part of the Goreme – Love Valley – Uchisar loop trail.

6. Red Valley, Rose Valley, and Pink Valley

The most famous valleys in Cappadocia are the Red Valley, Rose Valley, and Pink Valley – the best places to visit in Cappadocia for hiking.

Red Valley in Cappadocia is a beautiful valley named for the red-colored rocks, which look especially amazing at sunset.

You can walk through the Red Valley from Goreme and then end the walk by hiking the last 20 minutes to the Red Valley Sunset Viewpoint, which offers fantastic views of Goreme and the surrounding landscape. We highly recommend it, especially ending the day there at sunset. This was one of our highlights of Cappadocia!

Travel tip: You can also get to the Red Valley Viewpoint by car and then just walk the last 20 minutes to the top of the hill.

Right next to the Red Valley is the Rose Valley, which is often combined on a loop hike. The best way is to do it counter-clockwise so you avoid one steep rope ascent. We recommend checking the Red and Rose Valley loop trail information and reviews.

Finally, there’s the Pink Valley (Meskendir Vadisi), just south of Red Valley, another picturesque valley that’s worth visiting.

7. Derinkuyu Underground City

We already mentioned lots of rock-cut dwellings, like in Zelve and all around Goreme. But one of the most fascinating attractions in Cappadocia is the Derinkuyu Underground City, which used to be able to house over 20000 people with all the amenities they would need.

So not only were the people of Cappadocia using the landscape above, but also below ground to build their houses.

Derinkuyu is the deepest and largest underground city in the world, and you can walk down five levels of its incredible cave system.

However, there are many underground cities in Cappadocia. According to some sources, there are possibly hundreds.

Most popular underground cities to visit in Cappadocia:

• Derinkuyu Underground City
• Kaymaklı Underground City
• Özkonak Underground City
• Mazı Underground City

We visited Derinkuyu by ourselves, but we can imagine that a tour would be a good idea, as there aren’t any signs with information. So it’s hard to understand which room you are in at times. We were lucky and picked up some extra information by eavesdropping on a tour there at the time.

• Derinkuyu is one of the places visited on this Green Tour.

8. Castles

In addition to the rock-cut villages and underground cities, Cappadocia is also famous for some of the stunning castles built into the hills and hilltops.

We already mentioned the Cavusin Castle, which you can visit just outside of Goreme on the way to Zelve, but two of the best castles to visit in Cappadocia are Ortahisar Castle and Uchisar Castle.

Uchisar Castle

Uchisar Castle is one of the most well-known and iconic castles in Cappadocia. It’s heavily photographed and has stunning views of the surrounding landscape, especially at sunset.

You can also see Uchisar Castle from many spots around Goreme, since it’s one of the highest points in the area. In the photo below, you can see Uchisar Castle in the background when we visited the Love Valley viewpoint.

The views of Uchisar Castle are so popular that locals have built cafes around it to serve those who want to enjoy picturesque views with a cup of coffee.

We took that opportunity and enjoyed a meal at Dream Spot Cappadocia Restaurant. It has great food and an amazing view of the Uchisar Castle.

Pigeon Valley

Next door to Uchisar Castle, the Pigeon Valley offers a glimpse into the history and culture of raising pigeons in this part of the world. Here, you can see dovecotes, houses made for pigeons.

Since ancient times, pigeons have been used as food and fertilizer in Cappadocia where this practice was integral to the region’s economy due to poor soil.

There is no entrance ticket or opening hours and you need only about 15 minutes at Pigeon Valley if you don’t intend to hike it. Otherwise, plan for 2 hours since you can hike Pigeon Valley from and to Goreme.

Ortahisar Castle

The Ortahisar Castle is an incredible place to visit if you’re looking to take in some of the best views of Cappadocia. You can see Uchisar Castle and other nearby landmarks from the top of Ortahisar.

The climb up to the top of Ortahisar Castle takes only 5 minutes and is not too hard. While climbing Ortahisar Castle, you also have to walk up a steep staircase on the exterior of the castle at one point.

This castle was our favorite because the climb was much more fun than just walking up the stairs at Uchisar Castle.

Since Ortahisar Castle closes at 6 pm, you can only stay for sunset if you’re visiting in October or later. This was the case when we visited. We had just about enough time to see the sun go down before we had to rush to the exit. We managed to leave a few minutes after the closing time.

9. Sunrise and Sunset Points

The best times to see the fascinating landscape of Cappadocia are definitely sunrise and sunset. At sunrise, you can see hundreds of balloons fill the sky, which is definitely a highlight. But the sunset is equally great, as the golden colors paint the interesting landscape and funky rock formations.

This is the perfect time to head to a viewpoint to simply take it all in. Luckily, there are plenty of great viewpoints in Cappadocia. And while some are best for hot-air balloon views, others are best for panoramic landscape views.

During our last week in Cappadocia, we didn’t miss any sunrises, so we got to watch them in many spots all around Goreme.

Best Cappadocia Sunrise and Sunset Viewpoints

• Lover’s Hill Viewpoint – easiest to reach, right above Goreme
• Red Valley Viewpoint – stunning views of Cappadocia
• Sword Valley Viewpoint – right next to balloon take-off
• Love Valley Panorama – great view of balloons above the landscape
• Ridge Viewpoint – right outside Goreme town, 360 views
• Hotel terrace – the best option for balloon views

10. Hiking

Cappadocia is a great place for hiking, with many well-known trails throughout the area. These trails are easily accessible and offer stunning views of the valleys and mountains. They also pass by historical sites such as churches, schools, and rock-cut homes from centuries ago.

We already mentioned walking and hiking through Love Valley, Red Valley, and Pigeon Valley, but there are lots more trails you can take.

11. Fun Activities

In addition to all the interesting and unique rock formations, castles, and top attractions in Cappadocia, there are also lots of fun activities you can do on your visit if you have extra time.

The most popular activity in Cappadocia is an ATV tour, which takes you around the different parts of the Cappadocia valleys. It’s a super cool way to explore the area.

• Recommended: Check this top-rated ATV Tour with a well-planned itinerary of valleys, fairy chimneys and viewpoints.

Another activity in Cappadocia that allows you to explore the area in a different way is Horseback Riding. Horseback riding in Cappadocia is one of the most famous activities, and you can do it in different locations, with some even going up the hill at Red Valley.

TIP: As always, please make sure to do proper research and go on a horse ride only with reputable companies that treat their animals well.

• Recommended: Check this top-rated Sunset Horseback Riding experience from a professional horse ranch with well-cared-for horses and great trail choices.

There are also many more tours and activities in Cappadocia, such as paragliding, an organized hiking tour, a pottery workshop, and a dervish show.

Rose Valley Sunset Hiking Tour	check availability
Full-Day Hiking Tour	check availability
Pottery Workshop	check availability
Mountain Bike Rental	check availability
Whirling Dervishes Ceremony (in a real caravanserai)	check availability
Paragliding Experience	check availability

12. Day Trips

There is lots to do in Goreme, Cappadocia’s main town and where most of the attractions are. But there are also a few great day trips you can do. One of those was the Derinkuyu Underground City we already mentioned, but there are two other ones we’d like to highlight.

Two of the best day trips in Cappadocia are to Lake Tuz, a stunning salt lake, and to the lush Ihlara Valley.

For day trips, we highly recommend renting a car, as it’s the easiest way to explore the area beyond Goreme and nearby towns. 

Otherwise, you can do many day trips with the specialized Cappadocia tours organized by local tour agencies. Two of the most famous day tours are the Red Tour and the Green Tour.

The Red Tour focuses on shorter walking distances, visiting Goreme Open-Air Museum, Uchisar Castle, Pasabag Valley, and a few other nearby things, while the Green Tour focuses on things further away from Goreme, like a hike through Ihlara Valley and visiting the underground city of Derinkuyu.

Read our full comparison of Red Tour vs Green Tour for more information.

Ihlara Valley

A great day trip in Cappadocia is to Ihlara Valley, a dramatic valley with a stream cutting through it about an hour’s drive south of Goreme. The best way to explore Ihlara Valley is by hiking its trail, which passes through the stream, and various cave churches decorated with frescoes and ancient dwellings cut into the volcanic rock.

On the north end of Ihlara Valley, in the town of Selime, you can visit the Selime Monastery (Selime Cathedral), the biggest monastery cut into the rocky landscape in Cappadocia. While there are many similar rock-cut churches around Cappadocia, Selime Monastery stands out as a unique one due to its size.

Ihlara Valley is part of the Green Tour itinerary, so if you’re more interested in a guided experience, choose that tour.

Lake Tuz

Lake Tuz is the furthest away spot on our list of things to do in Cappadocia. It’s a 2-hour to the west of Goreme. While Lake Tuz Salt Lake is not exactly part of the Cappadocia region, it’s a great day trip option since it’s the second largest lake in Turkey and offers great photo opportunities.

What makes Lake Tuz special is its pink color. However depending on when you visit, the color of Lake Tuz can be different from the recognizable pink you might see from other people’s photos. It also wasn’t pink when we visited.

Also, depending on the year and time of year, the water level can be low to the extent that you would have to walk a long way to reach the water. You will only know the best spot when you get there and see it for yourself.

You can visit Lake Tuz by renting a car. There are some tours you can book from Goreme, but they’re not of the best quality, so a private car rental with a driver (customized by you) is a better option.

Things not to do in Cappadocia

Now that we covered the top things to do Cappadocia, here are some of the things that you definitely should not do on your visit:

• Book a room in Cappadocia in winter without heating
• Miss any sunrises in Cappadocia
• Ride horses or camels from unethical businesses
• Book only one night if you want to fly in a hot air balloon

Cappadocia Map

Navigate around Cappadocia by using our practical Cappadocia Travel Map. You can bookmark it by clicking the star ⭐ icon next to it. Later, you can use it on your phone in the Google Maps app by tapping “Saved,” then scrolling down and tapping on “Maps,” where you will find a list of your saved maps. Then, simply click on the name of the map, and the location pins will show and you’re ready to go.

Best restaurants in Cappadocia

Cappadocia is the perfect place for all foodies. The region has a variety of restaurants, both traditional and international, serving a wide range of cuisines, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options.

If you’re looking for something more traditional, there are great restaurants serving classic Turkish dishes, as well as local specialties like testi kebab (pottery kebab).

Best restaurants in Cappadocia:

• Goreme Han Restaurant (Turkish, Vegetarian Friendly)
• Oscar Steak House
• Happena (Turkish, Arabic, Vegetarian Friendly)
• İnci Cave Restaurant (Turkish, Vegetarian Friendly)
• Pal’s Pizza (Italian, Pizza, International)
• Cratus Premium Restaurant (European, Turkish, Wine Bar)

We frequented the Fat Boys restaurant, which offers traditional and international food, vegetarian options, and a delicious lentil soup. The staff was super friendly, and the owner’s wife is Australian, so don’t be surprised if you find interesting items like Vegemite on the menu.

Where to stay in Cappadocia

Cappadocia is famous for its cave dwellings in which people lived for more than 3000 years, some of which can be rented now.

Our recommended cave house in Cappadocia is this Goreme Cave Hotel. You can also stay in similar accommodation in nearby towns, like the Ortahisar Cave House.

These cave houses are usually carved into the rock of cliffs and hills and many times provide scenic terraces with panoramic views of the area. These are the famous terraces you might have seen on viral social media posts, as they truly are an excellent opportunity to take some unique photographs.

Beyond the cave houses of Cappadocia, you can find a great selection of budget and luxury hotels. Great options to stay include stunning hotels, like the Stone House in Uchisar and the Rose Mansions in Urgup – restored Greek mansions surrounded by green gardens.

We stayed at Seven Stone Hotel in a great part of Goreme, which was among the cheaper options. Still, it offered a very tasty Turkish breakfast and a great rooftop terrace from which we could observe the balloons.

How to visit Cappadocia

Traveling to Cappadocia is easy, as it’s well connected to most other Turkey destinations. Fly into Cappadocia Nevsehir or Kayseri airport and catch a taxi or shuttle to Goreme, where you will most likely stay. You can also rent a car at one of the airports and drive to Goreme.

The airport shuttle service in Cappadocia is effective and frequent. The shuttle from Kayseri to Goreme takes 70 minutes, while the shuttle from Nevsehir takes 40 minutes.

You will be picked up by a reliable driver at the airport right after landing. Since Cappadocia’s airports are not very big, it’s easy to see the shuttle bus waiting for you when you get off the plane and exit the terminal.

In case you’re not flying to Cappadocia, it’s easy to get to Goreme by bus from Antalya, Ankara, and even Istanbul. Check bus lines.

Getting around Cappadocia

To properly explore Cappadocia, the best thing to do is to rent a car or scooter and explore the area on your own.

Renting a car in Cappadocia is the best option, as it gives you more freedom and flexibility to explore the entire region. The car rental prices in Goreme start from around 50 EUR per day. If you want a cheaper deal, we recommend renting a car in Kayseri (or Nevsehir) where the rate is about 35 EUR per day.

Best car rental deals: We recommend DiscoverCars and its comprehensive full insurance. If you don’t want to pay a large deposit or don’t have a credit card, check LocalRent.

Driving in Cappadocia is straightforward and safe, as the roads are great. Everything is easily accessible by a regular car, and you do not need a 4×4 vehicle.

If you do want to go offroad, then we’d suggest an ATV or a mountain bike. Check this ATV tour or rent a Mountain Bike.

Beyond the standard tours we already recommended, you can also book a private full-day Cappadocia tour by car and customize it to your liking. This is best if you checked the Red and Green Tour and don’t like the itinerary or want to spend more time in specific spots.

How many days in Cappadocia?

Ideally, you should plan on spending 3 to 5 days in Cappadocia, the perfect duration for a hot air balloon ride, seeing fairy chimneys, climbing the castles, and exploring the open-air museums, valleys, and an underground city.

Of course, staying in Cappadocia for more than just a few days will give you plenty more things to do. On our last visit, we spent a wonderful week there, and it was absolutely worth it.

Costs of traveling in Cappadocia

On average, you can expect to spend around $700-$1000 USD for a week in Cappadocia. This includes accommodation, meals, transportation, and a hot air balloon ride – flights not included (check flights here).

Check our table below to get an idea of prices for traveling in Cappadocia.

Best time to visit Cappadocia

The best time to visit Cappadocia is between April and October when the weather is ideal for sightseeing and hot-air balloon rides.

We visited Cappadocia in early October and had a great time. The temperatures were pleasant and not too hot during mid-day, so exploring was easy (especially hiking). Plus, during the days we stayed in Goreme, there weren’t any cancellations of flights.

After our hot air balloon flight on the first morning, we observed them flying each morning throughout the week. We had a whole week of sunrises and catching views of balloons all over Goreme!

Planning a visit in the winter? The winter season is also a great time to visit Cappadocia since it’s less crowded, and the snow-covered landscape is a sight to be seen.

However, in the winter, the weather is a bit more unpredictable, so there might be more hot air balloon flight cancellations. That’s why it’s best to spend at least a few nights in Cappadocia, just in case your flight on your first morning is canceled and postponed!

• Read our Complete Guide to Hot Air Balloon Flights in Cappadocia to learn all about the best choices, prices, cancellations, and more.

Is it worth visiting? – Personal thoughts

In our opinion, after a wonderful trip to Cappadocia, we can say it’s definitely worth visiting!

We thought that Cappadocia was another “overhyped” tourist destination where people only come for photoshoots with balloons and flying dresses. And while it’s true that you will see a lot of that, there’s SO MUCH more to Cappadocia than that. Hopefully, this guide proved just that!

The amazing landscape is full of historical sites showcasing its rich cultural heritage with many attractions, and activities, including hot air balloon rides, incredible rock formations, and underground cities like Derinkuyu.

It’s a destination that truly deserves be on top of your Turkey bucket list – it was on ours.

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Thank you for reading our Cappadocia Turkey Travel Guide. We hope we helped you plan your trip. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

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