What to do in Cappadocia | and why 😉

By Roberto (Updated Apr 2025)

⏱12 min

Hello!! 👋 If you’re planning your trip to Turkey maybe you’re checking ideas or blogs about what to do in Cappadocia and this post can help you a lot. In our recent trip, we did a full 10-day trip around Turkey and we dedicated 3 days to Cappadocia after doing a good research about what to do there.

The idea of this post is to first explain a bit the region of Cappadocia and then tell you what we enjoyed the most and why, and the best things to do.

Explaining Cappadocia area (just a bit)

When I was organising the trip to Cappadocia I didn’t see a blog that explained this region. If the only thing you know about Cappadocia is that it is a famous place because the balloons fly and the landscape is very unique, this may help you.

Cappadocia is a historical region located in central Turkey, in the Central Anatolia and is formed by several provinces. Cappadocia is famous for its history, the interesting landscape and man-carved houses and cities, with Christian byzantine frescoes and of course, the balloons. But there is much more.

In Cappadocia there are small towns like Göreme (the most famous for tourism) but also big ones like Nevsehir. And around these towns, there are valleys to hike, churches to visit, mountains to climb, sunset points… To sum up, Cappadocia is a vast region!

To keep it simple, when people go to Cappadocia they go to or around Göreme because it has the majority of balloon companies, several valleys around it and it’s in terms or landscape, one of the best areas. This doesn’t mean you have to stay in or around Göreme, but it makes thing easier because Göreme is “in the middle” of Cappadocia.

In my opinion, what makes Cappadocia special is the mix of things to do and places to discover. In addition to the balloons flying that epic scenario there is nothing that you MUST do, but the more things you do, the richer the trip.

So now that we have a better understanding of the region, let me talk about the best things to do in Cappadoccia!

What to do in Cappadocia in 2 or 3 days

We stayed three full days there and in my view, it was a good decision. If you only have one night to spend in Cappadocia consider skipping it or coming in another moment when you have more time to spend. Also, the chances of not seeing the balloons are high with just one night and one morning. I would consider 2 days the minimum, and 3 full days the perfect amount of time. Ok let’s go with the things to do!

1. Watch the balloons at sunrise

It’s typical, instagrammable, BUT it’s really amazing. The experience is unique. I remember when I woke up the first day and I told Ellen: “they are already taking off!” and then I headed running to a hill to watch them fly. We have an entire post dedicated to this so check it!

Why did we liked this? One of the best experiences and views at sunrise in the world. Simple.

2. Hike or walk in the valleys

Around Göreme there are many valleys with different rock formations. For example, Love Valley with the penis-shape rock makes the perfect background for sunrise photos. Red and Rose Valley have rocks that seem from another planet and the sunsets are amazing, plus, there are free churches to visit or welcoming cafes. Pigeon Valley connects Göreme with Uchisar has plenty of carved rocks to observe. But there are more valleys to explore.

The point here is that you can discover these different scenarios without a car, just by foot, and in addition to your body benefit, you’ll be away from the crowds (since few people hike here) and you can have a closer contact with the landscape. I personally like this post about the valleys and possible hikes, in case you want to check more.

Why do we think this one of the best things to do in Cappadocia? Each valley is different and very picturesque. You can do short or long walks and won’t find many people there. You can be in a touristic area without a crowd-feeling.

3. Admire the carved houses in rock

I had seen other carved houses in rocks in Andalusia, Spain, but not with this level of detail and size. In Cappadocia there are carved rocks in many places, there are not just in one area. You can be walking and see a church in the middle of nowhere, or see windows at distance that are from a group of houses.

We can’t say there is “a best” place to see the rock houses, because they are a bit different in each place. In our opinion, the visit to Göreme Open Air Museum, is overpriced. You pay 20 €/pp for a set of big buildings with frescoes, which is nice. But they don’t provide any information or guide nor explanation about how people lived there. Plus, you find hundreds of people taking photos and the caves are (in my opinion) nothing extraordinary compared to others in Cappadocia.

Better options are without doubt, the underground cities or Selime Cathedral. We didn’t go to Zelve Open Air Museum but it looks better and it’s less visited than Göreme Open Air Museum. So I would recommend some of these instead.

Why did we liked this experience? It’s crazy to see what people carved in the rocks or the painted frescoes. It also adds something special to the already cool scenery of Cappadocia.

4. Visit an underground city

But if you think the carved coves are interesting… The underground cities are really worth the trip to Kaymakli or Derinkuyu. These two cities have huge underground tunnels with 5 or more levels underneath, rooms to storage food, sleep, and even had animals! These crazy structures hosted more than 3.000 people living inside, to be protected from incursions.

Kaymakli is smaller than Derinkiyu, but it also has bigger rooms and tunnels (thank god we went for the “easy” one). There is a lot to know about these underground cities and we recommend getting a guide at the entrance or online. It was 55-60 € for approx. 1 hour of visit. We didn’t know that the cities were that big and didn’t get a guide at Kaymakli.

Anyway, we didn’t need a guide in our case because… I have a bit of claustrophobia, and after trying to go down the second level I started to sweat and feel agitated when I entered a really narrow tunnel… and we had to leave! 😅

Why doing this experience? How many underground cities that can hold thousands of people do you know?

5. Stay in stone or cave hotels

Note that I make a differentiation here, because in Cappadocia there are two types of hotel. Many of them say “Cave” in Booking or other platforms, when they should say stone hotels. Stone hotel is a hotel made WITH stones coming from the rock formations, and cave hotels are those that are actually carved IN the rock formation. It’s something we learned there.

We stayed at Safran Cave Hotel in Göreme and we really liked it. The restaurant has a perfect atmosphere and its super convenient location.

Why should you try them? This hotels are special because they offer a special vibe, since they are made with or in the rock from the special formations around Göreme. It feels like well integrated with the town and full of details. Not to mention that they usually have terraces to view the balloons and the service is overall great, due to the competition.

6. Try local food

We found Turkish food is quite flavoured but also heavy. Perhaps they use more fatty meat than we like, but the sauces, bread and spices provide meals with really good taste. Also my favourite cheat meal is kebab so… 😋.

You should try the most typical food like: Testi Kebab (meat cooked in a clay pot), Manti (Turkish dumplings), and Gözleme (stuffed flatbreads). The later are eeeeverywhere. Additionally, the restaurants we tried there were quite good and the service was great too.

Why is this one of the best things to do in Cappadocia? Ok this is a bit typical recommendation but… Trying food wherever you go is a mandatory travel experience!

7. Hike in Ilhara Valley (only May-October)

Ilhara Valley is as one of the best things to do in Cappadocia, because it contrasts a lot with the arid landscape of the rest of the region… or at least if you in the good moment. haha. Ilhara Valley is one of the highlights of the Green Tour and many people go there year round. This Valley, more than 1 hour driving South West from Göreme, is a green area following a river, with carved cliffs and the restaurants mount their tables in the river, so you can have lunch in the water.

The thing here is that we went in March, and the valley, despite being in an obvious nice environment, it wasn’t green at all and it looked “sad” compared to other photos we had seen. We suggest going there from May to October, and that’s what a waiter from a restaurant recommended too. He also showed me how in winter there is snow everywhere and they also work in the restaurants because tourists also go. Crazy!

Why is this a special plan? It’s another option to see churches and carved rocks around a nice green valley. The experience of having lunch in the river sounds original and the path is easily walkable.

8. Visit Selime Cathedral

At the end of Ilhara Valley, but reachable by car, there is Selime Cathedral, the largest religious structure made in Cappadocia. This massive “construction” dates from 8-9th century and could host 5000 people! The place has a huge kitchen, big halls, rooms a church… It’s fair less visited than Göreme Open Air Museum, much cheaper, and better in our opinion.

If you go to Ilhara Valley or do the Green Tour, make sure to come to this place. When we were driving from Ilhara to Konya, we saw it from distance and we said WTF is that?

Why visit this place is Cappadocia? It’s one of the best examples of carved rocks and the dimensions are outstanding.

9. Watch a sunset

If a sunrise watching the balloons is a mandatory plan, we think the sunsets in Cappadocia are also a wonderful evening idea. We have a dedicated post to the best sunset spot in Cappadocia. I highly encourage you to check it.

Why experiencing a sunset in Cappadocia? Epic views with red and rose colours in a valley with distinctive shapes and a privileged location… just GO!

10. Have a tea or coffee at a privileged place

Around Göreme there are plenty of coffee shops that are decorated with pillows, carpets and other local details or furniture. They usually have views to rock formations, valleys or other aesthetic places. We highly recommend making a stop at Nakıl Cafe&Restaurant in Uchisar.

Why is this one of the best things to do in Cappadocia? The decoration and the crazy rock formations at the background give a nice atmosphere to these coffee shops, that are at the end, a perfect spot to have a break or try the local tea or coffee.

11. Learn some pottery

We are almost done with the list, but we want to mention the pottery of Avanos. This town is really really famous for the pottery but there are important things to know here. Avanos, just 10 minutes driving from Göreme, has tons of pottery and souvenir stores. Many buses from both the Green and Red tour stop here and drop you to visit some of these stores.

The thing is that only few places are real workshops and prepare handmade elements! By few we mean 5 or 6 in the town. The majority of stores sell cheap industrial pottery from big factories. We found this information thanks to xx. He and his sister offer pottery workshops and have very nice store that breathes quality and good taste. He showed us how he makes glasses, his utensils and the oven where he cooks. We bought two glasses that we love for our coffee ☕️.

Why should you visit Avanos? If you want to buy a special handmade souvenir or learn some pottery, Avanos is a convenient town to visit.

12. Go to the top of Uchisar Castle

And finally, the highest point in Cappadocia according to many blogs and even the AI: Uchisar Castle… 😅 Nope. The highest point is the top of Mount Erciyes with almost 4000 m. But hey! Reaching the top of Uchisar Castle is worth the trip to the town his name.

Uchisar Castle was a fortress that is visible from many places in Cappadocia that has a special shape and many windows and rooms that make it interesting. You can go all the way up (paying, of course because in Turkey you pay for almost everything) to have views from the top.

Why do we recommend this plan? Uchisar is so easy to visit from Göreme. You can go there it by foot through Pigeon Valley. The top of the castle serves as a perfect lookout to have an idea about how expense is the Cappadocia region.

Other things to do in Cappadocia

In this part I want to put some other things to do in Cappadocia that are ok, but we didn’t make mainly because we were with baby Lara:

• Fly in a balloon. This should be actually the #1 thing to do in Cappadocia. We didn’t make it because kids under 6 can’t fly, I had my drone for the views and we’ve been in balloons before. This should be in your top things to do in Cappadocia. Estimate spending between 120-250 €/pp depending on the company, the season and what’s included. And please, stay minimum 2 nights to maximise the chances to be able to fly in the morning.

• Get a quad (ATV) or a horse! If you into the adventure mood, these vehicles are really affordable here, around 25 €/hour. I saw riders in the sunrise with the balloons and I image that riding horses with the balloons in the sky has to feel mind-bending.

• Rent a classic or vintage car. For approximately 50 € you cant rent these cars for epic photos in the region. The companies also provide photographers as an extra or other services. In case you are in your Instagrammable mood, it’s a good thing to consider for a special occasion.

• Relax! One of the most important, and we couldn’t get it this time. Remember that you’re on vacation, you don’t HAVE TO do things, if you want to explore, it’s fine, and if you want to chill in a bar and admire the landscape, it’s perfect too. Go with the flow and try to do what gives you happiness.

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