Cappadocia

Cappadocia is a volcanic region of central Turkey where erosion cut the soft rock into valleys, cones, and cliffs. People carved homes, churches, and whole underground cities into it over two thousand years. Sunrise hot air balloon flights are the region's best-known draw.

🗺️ Plan your visit: Cappadocia airport transfers · Istanbul to Cappadocia · Cave hotels · Balloon flights

Why go to Cappadocia

Few landscapes on earth look like this. Volcanic ash, worn down by wind and water over millions of years, became a world of fairy chimneys, honey-coloured valleys and soft rock that people carved into homes, dovecotes and painted churches. Göreme National Park and the rock sites of Cappadocia are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and at sunrise the sky above them fills with hundreds of hot-air balloons.

Top things to do

• A sunrise balloon flight: the experience most visitors come for. Even from the ground, watching the balloons rise over the valleys is unforgettable.
• Göreme Open-Air Museum: a valley of rock-cut churches and chapels with Byzantine frescoes, the heart of the UNESCO site.
• The valleys: walk the Rose and Red Valleys at sunset, or the Love and Pigeon Valleys between Göreme and Uçhisar.
• Underground cities: Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı go several storeys down into the rock, with tunnels, stables and chapels where whole communities once sheltered.
• Uçhisar Castle: the highest point in the area, a rock fortress with views over the whole region.
• Avanos: a pottery town on the Kızılırmak river, where you can try the potter’s wheel.
• Paşabağ and Zelve: the most famous fairy chimneys, some with two or three “caps”.

Hot-air balloons: what to know

• Flights take off at dawn and last about an hour. Hotel pick-up is usually very early, well before sunrise.
• Weather decides everything. Flights are often cancelled because of wind, especially from November to March. Book your flight for your first morning, so there is time to rebook if it is cancelled.
• Choose a licensed company and ask how many people share the basket; smaller baskets cost more but feel very different.
• Not flying? Watching from a viewpoint or a hotel terrace in Göreme is free and almost as magical.

Red tour and Green tour

Most agencies in Cappadocia sell two classic day tours. The Red tour covers the north: the Göreme Open-Air Museum, Paşabağ, Avanos and Uçhisar. The Green tour goes south: an underground city such as Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı, a walk in the Ihlara Valley and the cliff monastery of Selime. With two or three days you can do both.

Where to stay

• Göreme: the centre of everything, with many cave hotels and the best balloon views. Lively and walkable.
• Uçhisar: quieter and more upmarket, with wide views from the top of the region.
• Ürgüp: a real small town with boutique hotels, wine cellars and restaurants.
• Ortahisar and Avanos: calmer villages with a more local feel.

Getting there

• By air: fly from Istanbul in about an hour and a half to Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (about 40 km from Göreme) or Kayseri Airport (about 75 km). Shuttles and private transfers meet most flights.
• By bus: overnight buses run from Istanbul and other big cities to Nevşehir and Göreme.
• Tours from Istanbul: many agencies sell one- and two-day Cappadocia packages that include flights, transfers and the balloon ride. See our guide: Istanbul to Cappadocia.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the best months: mild days, colourful valleys and the most reliable balloon weather. Summer is hot by day but cool at night. Winter brings snow on the fairy chimneys, which is beautiful, but more balloon flights are cancelled.

Places to visit in Cappadocia

Cappadocia: frequently asked questions

How many days do I need in Cappadocia?

Two to three nights is ideal. That gives you one or two chances for a balloon flight, a Red tour and a Green tour, and an evening walk in the Rose Valley.

When is the best time for a hot-air balloon flight?

Spring (April to June) and autumn (September and October) have the most stable weather. Flights run all year, but in winter strong winds cancel them more often, so plan an extra morning.

What happens if my balloon flight is cancelled?

Flights are cancelled when the wind is unsafe, which is decided on the morning itself. Companies usually move you to the next morning or refund you, so book the flight for your first day in Cappadocia.

Which is better, Göreme or Ürgüp?

Göreme is the best base for first-time visitors: walkable, close to the valleys and full of cave hotels with balloon views. Ürgüp is a bigger town with more restaurants and wineries and a calmer feel.

How do I get from Istanbul to Cappadocia?

The fastest way is a flight of about an hour and a half to Nevşehir or Kayseri, followed by a shuttle or private transfer. Overnight buses take around 10 to 12 hours. Many agencies in Istanbul sell packages that include everything.

What are the Red and Green tours?

They are the two classic day tours. The Red tour visits the north of the region (Göreme Open-Air Museum, Paşabağ, Avanos, Uçhisar); the Green tour goes south to an underground city, the Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery.

Card photos via Wikimedia Commons: Slyronit, CC BY-SA 4.0; Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY-SA 3.0; Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0; Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0; Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0; Ahsioz, CC BY-SA 3.0; Jérôme Bon, CC BY 2.0; Endersenkaya, CC BY-SA 4.0; Schorle, CC BY-SA 3.0. Full credits on each guide page.