CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY FULL GUIDE
Day 1
Start your day at one of the most visited open-air museums in the region.
1. Goreme Open Air Museum
We recommend you start your day exploring the impressive open-air museum that is located just a few minutes from the center of Goreme, you can arrive by minibus, taxi, or you can enjoy a 15-minute walk with beautiful views of the valleys and the fairy chimneys.
The Góreme Open Air Museum is very important in the region, you can see beautiful churches and houses of the monks who once inhabited this place.
Monastic life was intensely present in Göreme from the 4th century AD to the 13th century. There are churches, chapels, cafes, and rest areas on almost every rock block. The Göreme Open Air Museum houses the Boys and Girls Monastery, St. Basil's Church, Elmalı Church, St. Barbara's Church, the Serpent Church, the Maltese Crusader Church, the Dark Church, St. Catherine's Church, Çarıklı Church and Tokalı Church.
To visit the museum you need approximately 2 hours.
It is open every day from 8 am to 5 pm.
Museum pass Cappadocia and Turkiye are accepted here.
2. Paşabağları Archeological Site
Once you finish touring the Goreme museum, we recommend taking a mini bus or taxi to this other archaeological site formerly known as 'Valley of the Priests', which immediately attracts the attention of visitors for its unique rock formations known as "fairy chimneys".
Inside the fairy chimneys, which have various bodies and heads, chapels and seating spaces are carved.
It is quite a unique site that is worth visiting.
To visit the place you need between 1 hour to 1 hour and a half.
It is open every day from 8 am to 5 pm.
Museum card Cappadocia and Turkiye are accepted here.
3. Zelve Archeological Site
Just a few minutes from Paşabağı is this other site called Zelve, which is one of the most impressive in the area and one of my favorite places.
Zelve is made up of 3 valleys and here too there are plenty of fairy chimneys, as well as beautiful churches and dwellings carved into the rocks.
In addition, Zelve became one of the most important settlements and religious centers for the Christians, especially between the 9th and 13th centuries, and the first religious seminars were held for priests in this region.
To visit the entire site you need between 2-3 hours, we recommend you take your time and enjoy the site, as it is one of the most interesting in the area.
It is open every day from 8 am to 5 pm.
Museum card Cappadocia and Turkiye are accepted here.
4. ATV sunset tour
When you finish exploring the archaeological sites and after having eaten something in the center of Goreme, we recommend doing this activity as it is another way to explore some of the valleys of Cappadocia. If you like adventure, then this activity is for you.
In general, the agencies that provide this service will pick you up from your hotels two and a half hours before sunset, they will provide you with all the necessary equipment and information before starting the tour.
These tours usually last 2 hours and you will be able to tour the valleys in a very fun way, as well as enjoying fabulous sunsets. It is an activity for all ages.
The first time we went to Cappadocia we book this tour with the company Oskonca Travel Agency in the center of Goreme, but the last time we booked with another company we found and was also great, the company is Mephisto Travel, the only difference between both is the number of people they take on a tour, the first one has larger groups, when we did it we were like 20 atv's in total and we ended up more dusty, the second agency, they only organize small groups, no more than 10 atv's that's what we really liked! it even felt like a private tour, the day we booked, we were only 3 couples, that means 3 atv's plus our guide, we had so much fun and ended less dirty and dusty. The other option, you can also quote prices with your hotels where you are staying or other agencies too.
GOOGLE MAPS LOCATIONS FOR DAY 1:
DAY 2
1. Hot Air Ballooning
Now is time to live one of the most incredible experiences!
Hot air balloons in Cappadocia fly 365 days a year, they only depend on weather conditions. In case of bad weather or a lot of wind, the flights are canceled and moved to the next day. That is why we recommend staying in Cappadocia for at least 3 days to have a better chance of ballooning.
The balloon companies will pick you up from your hotel in the early morning before sunrise and take you to the site where the balloons take off. Depending on the package you have purchased, they can fly between 45 minutes to 1 hour and a half.
At the end of the flight, a toast will be made and souvenir certificates will be given.
2. Book the Green Tour
This is another quite popular tour among visitors. These tours are especially recommended for those who do not want to book a car and move on their own. These sites that are included in this tour are far from the main area of Cappadocia, which is Goreme, and there is no public transport to take us to each of them. Here it already includes transportation to each of the sites, entrance fees to the museums, food and a certified guide. The first time we went to Cappadocia, we took this tour and quite enjoyed it, but the second time we went, we visited some of these sites on our own as we rented a car for 1 day as we were already familiar with the region.
On this tour you will visit: the Derinkuyu underground city which is the deepest so far discovered in the region, the Ihlara valley where you can walk through a canyon where you can also visit some cave carved churches, the Selime monastery which is the largest in the area, Pigeon Valley and other places with beautiful views to take pictures.
Usually these tours start between 9-10 am and finish between 5-6 pm.
You can book this tour directly at your hotel or at one of the agencies in the center of Goreme.
DERINKUYU UNDERGROUND CITY⬇️
SELIME MONASTERY⬇️
IHLARA VALLEY:
GOOGLE MAPS LOCATIONS FOR DAY 2:
Day 3
1. Horse riding
Cappadocia means "the land of beautiful horses", therefore, one of the activities that is highly recommended is horseback riding, where you can also explore the area in a unique way.
The most requested horse tours are at sunset, but you can book one at any time of the day, even when the balloons are flying over the area. I recommend riding during the balloon hour as the views are incredibly beautiful and unforgettable.
A professional guide will accompany you during the tour.
Like the previous tours, these can be booked through your hotel or with an agency in Goreme.
2. Uchisar Castle
This castle is located in the small district of Uchisar, just 10 minutes by minibus from Goreme.
This is the highest point in the region and from where we can admire wonderful views of Cappadocia.
The castle and its surroundings take between 1 to 2 hours to visit. You must take into account that you have to climb quite a few stairs to reach the viewpoint located in the highest part of the castle, so wear comfortable shoes.
Once you've finished touring the castle, you can pick up some souvenirs at one of the shops just outside the castle.
3. Avanos
Pottery is very famous in the Cappadocia region and the small town of Avanos, very close to Goreme, is the best place to join a workshop.
The Chez Galip workshop is the place to go for ceramics and pottery. If you don't want to join the workshop, you can just watch how they do it. To get to Avanos, you can take a taxi from Goreme, or there are also minibuses that take you directly to the small town.
We also suggest you walk a bit to explore the streets of the town as it is very pretty.
The tour can take about 4 hours in total, depending on what you want to tour after visiting the pottery workshop.
4. Sunset Point views
To end up the day, we suggest you visit this famous viewpoint at sunset, where you can enjoy beautiful sunsets with great views of the center of Goreme and the fairy chimneys. This viewpoint is located quite close to the Goreme hotels, you will only have to walk uphill between 5 to 10 minutes maximum.
Now it has a cost per person of approximately 10 Turkish liras but at night there’s not fee.
It is also recommended to go to this point to see the balloons fly over Goreme at sunrise.
GOOGLE MAPS LOCATIONS FOR DAY 3:
🎈HOT AIR BALLOON OFFICIAL COMPANIES WE RECOMMEND🎈:
One of the most fascinating activities not to be missed in Türkiye is hot air ballooning in one of the most amazing regions of the country, Cappadocia.
Cappadocia is well known around the world for its impressive rock formations and landscapes that seem straight out of a fairy tale.
And one of the best ways to admire such beauty is from above in a hot air balloon.
The balloons fly 365 days a year, they only depend on the weather conditions in the region, where if there is a lot of wind or poor visibility, the flights can be canceled.
In case of cancellation, the flights for that day are rescheduled for the next day, that is why we recommend staying in Göreme, Cappadocia for at least 3 days, that way you will have more opportunity to ride a balloon.
The price of balloons depends a lot on the season in which you travel, if it is in autumn-winter it is low season, therefore prices may be more accessible, if it is in summer, prices will rise because it is high season in Türkiye.
We recommend booking the balloon flight in advance as the demand is quite high and you may not find affordable flights and available places.
You can book them from the hotel where you will be staying at, with tourist agencies, or directly from the balloon companies that operate in the region.
In our case, before flying in a hot air balloon in Cappadocia, we did some research on the best companies and their costs, for which we called each one of them, depending on the services they offer, the duration of their flights, and the number of people they put in a basket the price differs.
These are the balloon companies that we recommend and those that we know that have a good reputation and offer good services, some have their prices on their websites, others do not, but to request their fees and packages you can contact them by Whatsapp or email ⬇️
1. THIS IS THE COMPANY WE HAVE FLOWN WITH:
Ürgüp Balloons:
OTHER RELIABLE COMPANIES:
2. Butterfly Balloons:
3. Türkiye Balloons:
4. Air Kapadokya Balloon Flights:
5. Royal Balloon Cappadocia
6. Voyager Balloons:
7. Anatolian Balloons
8. Balloon Turca:
9. Sultan Balloons:
10. Kapadokya Balloons:
If you want to know about the full experience of flying in a hot air balloon in Cappadocia, you can watch the full video here ⬇️
WHERE TO EAT IN CAPPADOCIA?
The ma'n area where most of tourists stay and where we'll find more options for accommodation is the little town of Goreme.
The town is very small, therefore, most of the restaurants are quite touristy, so expect to pay higher prices compared to other nearby towns.
In case that you do not have a car, then more likely you'll end up eating at any of the restaurants in the center of Goreme, so here are some of the restaurants we have eaten at:
1. Büyük Adana Kebap Göreme
2. İnci Cave Restaurant Göreme:
3. Sedef Restaurant:
4. Cappa Gusto:
5. Paprika Burger and Pasta:
6. BBQ House restaurant:
WHERE TO STAY IN CAPPADOCIA?
As I mentioned before, Cappadocia is a whole region, but the town where you'll find more options for accommodation is the small town of Goreme, which is the main area for tourists, followed by Avanos and Urgup but the last two mentioned towns are a bit far from Goreme so more likely you'll need to rent a car to be able to move easier from place to place. In Goreme you can even find more public transportation available too.
Here you can find hotels for all budgets and also those beautiful and famous cave hotels!
Staying in a cave hotel is a wonderful experience in Cappadocia, that is why we recommend staying at one of those.
Here are the hotel options we recommend including the one we usually stay at when we visit Cappadocia:
1. Adelya Cave Hotel:
This is our favorite hotel and the main reason is because is a family business who are always there for each one of the customers, they are super welcoming and warm, here we can truly experience the Turkish hospitality! The owners are a multicultural couple, a wonderful Australian lady married to a Turk but don't get fooled! She's more Turkish than many locals!
Also if you are a cat lover, get ready to pamper their beautiful cat who is always there to welcome every new visitor.
The hotel is small, it only has about 8 rooms so is very quiet, and the attention given to each one of the people staying is outstanding!
This is a cave hotel and is a lovely place to stay at, is in the center of Goreme.
2. Hera Cave Suites:
3. Terra Cave Hotel
4. Goreme Suites:
5. Osmanli Cappadocia Hotel:
6. Takunya Cave Hotel:
7. Henna Konak Hotel:
8. Aren Cave Hotel and Art Gallery:
9. Arinna Cappadocia:
10. Museum Hotel Cappadocia:
11.Imperial cave suites
12. Local cave house
13. Aza cave hotel
14. Canela Cave Hotel
We also had the opportunity on our last trip to Cappadocia to stay at this small boutique hotel and we loved it.
The service is equally exceptional, with very comfortable and clean rooms.
The service is magnificent, and above all, the views are beautiful as it is located next to the castle of Çavuşin.
The hotel restaurant also includes breakfast and meals depending on the package you purchase for your room; we bought one with breakfast and meals, and the food was delicious.
I want to emphasize that it has a terrace, and when the balloons fly, the views are excellent since the balloons practically start flying from this area.
HOW TO GO FROM THE AIRPORT TO GÖREME
Both airports are located about 1 hour from the town of Göreme, you can go to Göreme either by taxi, or by shuttle services that are just outside the terminal at the airport, they drop you off directly at your hotel. We suggest booking a shuttle service with your hotel, usually they charge between 10-20 euros per person but is the fastest and direct way. Unfortunately, there aren't buses with Havaş company going to Göreme.
The airlines for domestic flights in Turkey are the following:
*Turkish Airlines. The most expensive but has more options in schedules and flights.
*Pegasus Airlines. It is a low-cost airline, so they will not offer snacks or drinks during the Flight.
*AnadoluJet. This is an airline that belongs to the Turkish Airlines group, but it is cheaper. Although it is low cost, its services are good.
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