Hot air balloon ride, Enjoy the horse riding, Watching balloons go up and up, Explore the Cappadocian cave hotels, Shopping through the maze of rugs, The Turkish food palette, Explore the Pasabag and Open Air Museum, Beach Delight, Trekking, Ihlara Valley’s hike and many more.
From a relaxing night stay at the infamous cave hotels to a thrilling hike through the narrow valleys of Goreme, there's no end to the exquisite activities and things to do in Cappadocia. With its geographic diversity and rich traditional architecture, it stands out as an inviting Turkish destination for some of the most memorable and fun things you've ever witnessed or done. With Turkey travel packages you can explore several activities in Cappadocia, and joy rides all over the four of its major towns, namely Aksaray, Kayseri, Nevsehir, Nigde.
Tourists from all over the world visit Cappadocian valleys to enjoy horse riding expeditions on the famous Cappadocian Horses. Goreme's hot air balloon's point, museums and mausoleums of cultural significance are some of the once in a lifetime experiences in Cappadocia. Cappadocia stands true to its heritage status and gives its visitors a rich glimpse of Anatolian culture. Its rich Turkish food, beautiful valleys, and underground mazes of old cities validate the status further.
On top of it, Cappadocia’s merchandise, customized carpets, and traditional cuisines can be seen in every street and corner of the heritage town. Some of the free things to do in Cappadocia such as hiking up to the Uchisar Castle, Ihlara Valley, Pasabag, etc., or watching the naturally carved rock formations in the valley of Goreme are also some of the most sought after activities in the city.
Cappadocia is known for housing a number of natural rock-cut caves and cave dwellings that have well been preserved for several years. Caves, shelters, houses, churches, and monasteries were carved into these soft rocks by people. Several of them have also been turned into hotels that offer a unique experience when you stay here.
Locally known as the Guvercinlik Valley, the Pigeon Valley is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the region between the towns of Goreme and Uchisar. The Pigeon Valley is spread across an area of almost 6 km and derives its name from the several pigeon houses that can be found here carved into the soft stone of the caves.
Immerse yourself in the surreal beauty of Goreme Valley, a captivating destination in Cappadocia, Turkey. Marvel at the unique landscape of fairy chimneys and cave dwellings, carved by nature's artistic hand. Explore the ancient rock-cut churches adorned with frescoes, bearing witness to centuries of history. A must-visit location for travelers seeking to experience the enchanting charm and cultural heritage of Goreme Valley, a true wonderland amidst Turkey's captivating landscapes.
Located in the heart of Cappadocia is a unique geological wonder, Love Valley, (Turkish Aşıklar Vadisi). The valley is a part of Göreme Historical National Park and is situated just outside the small town, Göreme. The attraction is renowned for its unique phallic-shaped rock formations, formed through 60 million years of natural erosion. The valley is well known for both its spectacular view and for its significant history.
Discover the intriguing depths of Ozkonak Underground City, a mesmerizing subterranean wonder in Cappadocia, Turkey. Delve into the ancient labyrinth of tunnels and chambers, carved into the soft volcanic rock. Uncover the mysteries of this historical site, which once served as a shelter and refuge for early civilizations. A must-visit destination for history enthusiasts and travelers seeking to immerse themselves in the fascinating underground world of Ozkonak, an unforgettable experience in the heart of Turkey's cultural heritage.
Visit this unique outdoor museum in Turkey that comprises the remnants of several churches that were carved out of the famous Cappadocia stone. Particularly noteworthy are the several frescoes that you can witness during your exploration of all the structures here. The UNESCO World Heritage Site showcases impressive Byzantine artistry that is situated about 1 km uphill from the Goreme’s center.
This picturesque gorge located in the Cappadocia region of Turkey has been formed over several thousand years by the Melendiz river. Known for its hiking trails and several churches, the 14 km long valley has some of the most scenic viewpoints and is said to be one of the favorite spots among monks for their recreational purposes.
The Uchisar Castle is a stunning landmark located in Cappadocia, Turkey. This is a natural rock formation, from which a castle is carved and offers some of the best views from the tip. The castle has an intricate network of tunnels, rooms, and caves that you can explore to know more about the rich history and unique architectural heritage.
Derinkuyu Underground City is the deepest underground place in the Cappadocia region goes down to a depth of almost 85 meters. The brilliantly created city is a gigantic labyrinth of cave-like rooms which also boast an impressive ventilation system, secret entrances, and connecting passageways. A veritable city, this underground wonder also comprises churches, schools, wine cellars, and much more.
Kaymakli Underground City in Cappadocia, Turkey, is an ancient subterranean complex carved into volcanic rock. This mysterious Kaymakli Underground City is known for offering an extraordinary subterranean experience.
Renowned for its interesting rock formations in various shades of pink, the Devrent Valley in the Cappadocia region is a must visit when you are in this city. Also known as the Pink Valley or Imaginary Valley, you will find a range of naturally formed pillar-like structures, rock formations and the most striking features here known as the fairy chimneys.
One of the best places for hiking in Cappadocia, the Pasabag valley is a must visit if you wish to witness the raw beauty of this region. The valley brilliantly showcases the surreal charm of the place with some of the most exquisite fairy chimney formations. Also known as the Monks Valley, you can find the famous chapel of Saint Simeon here.
One of the most popular locations in Cappadocia, the Zelve Open Air Museum has been created with the combination of three valleys. When you explore these valleys you will also get a deeper understanding of the life of the inhabitants from the Byzantine era. The area also features some brilliant rock structures and cave paintings here.
Known for the best sunset views, the Red Rose Valley in Cappadocia is a great place to visit. The beauty of the rock formations in these parts gets further enhanced during this time of the day. It is also famous for its moderate level hiking trails that can be undertaken by hikers of varying proficiency levels. The valley is also great for exploring the cotton castles and the Cappadocia fairies.
Cavusin is a village in the Cappadocia region that is divided into two parts - the new village and the old village. The old Greek village of Cavusin is one of the historical Places to visit in Cappadocia. The village is extremely popular for its cave homes that are now deserted after the rock boulders started falling down from the rock.
As you walk up the hill, you can see many cave houses put for sale! The 5th century church of Saint John the Baptist, situated in Cavusin is the key attraction here that looks larger than many others in the region. The frescoes in the walls of the church depict the scenes from the Bible. The views from the church are a treat to the eyes and the cave houses look like miniatures from such heights.
Location:
Avanos district, Nevşehir Province, Turkey
Price:
1.28 $ | 8 TL
Timing:
8.00 AM - 6.00 PM Mon - Sun
Best Time to Visit:
April - June; September & October
Located at a distance of 36 km from Mustafapasa, the only way you can get to this picturesque valley is by hiking. The trail here is famous for its tranquil surroundings as well as a number of ancient churches that cover it on all sides. Apart from other Roman era tombs and pigeon houses on cave walls, there was also a tiny Turkish village here that got moved sometime ago due to environmental issues.
Tucked away in the Nevşehir province of Cappadocia, this scenic town seems straight out of a picture book. Avanos is very popular for its souks, pottery workshop, and other incredible experiences. The town maintains its old world charm with cobbled walkways lined with quaint shops and cafes. It is also known for its various souvenir shops and pottery making.
This is a new age tourist city in the Cappadocia region which feature a number of modern hotels that have been created around some ancient cave dwellings. The city along with its nearby locations is popular for its unique fairy chimneys, mesmerizing vineyards, as well as Christian rock churches from the ancient periods. The city is quite famous for its handmade carpets and scintillating nightlife
The town of Cappadocia offers its tourists authentic Turkish cultural nights. Apart from the scenic tours and expeditions, the city has a low-key nightlife tinged with Islamic traditions. There are several night activities and innumerable things to do in Cappadocia at night.
Take a look at some of them listed below:
1. Sunset Tours and Night Dinners: One of the most memorable things to do in Cappadocia at night is watching the semi-arid town glow in the evening light. After moving through the hot arid caves and rocks, you can give yourself some sunset rides to some of the peaceful valleys situated in Goreme and Nigde. The setting red sun pours its saffron glow all over the Goreme valley, followed by a lit-up sky.
The glowing and lit up Uchisar Castle is a soul steering view at night. The open sky, when seen from the Uchisar Castle, casts a picture of the Universe shown in any sci-fi movie. In addition to this, the towns and markets of Ortahisar and Urup lit up at night-time only. You can also sign in for lavish dinners at all glam and glitz Cave hotels or opt for the street food delight at Avanos.
2. Turkish Nights: The Turkish Nights are a lavish show of Turkish culture, music, and dance forms and are most sought after things to do in Cappadocia. Several artists from all over the Turkish towns can be seen dancing by the fire or enjoying the traditional belly dance. You can also enjoy the wedding festivities going side by side. The musical nights are one of the most alluring things to do in Cappadocia at night with traditional Cappadocian diner and free beverages as well.
3. Dervish Ceremony: You can pre-book your spots for the Dervish Ceremony, a ritual where people belonging to Islamic fraternity vows against materialistic needs and whirls in a circle for pleasing their God. There are several cave hotels hosting the ceremony in the night time. In the Cappadocian town, the Ceremony usually takes place around 6:00 pm in Winters and 21:00 during Summers.
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The landscapes of Cappadocia are heaven for couples visiting the place. Here are some of the most romantic things to do in Cappadocia:
1. Enjoy at Goreme National Park’s Detour: The national park offers you a walk through the ancient Christian culture buried deep inside their caves and arches. A short detour to the National Part is a perfect getaway from the crowded streets and hotels. The long romantic walk across the caves and arches are counted among the most romantic things to do in Cappadocia.
2. Visiting Love Valley: Located in the Nevsehir of Cappadocia, a bus ride would lead you to the famous love Valley. The valley is among the few green tours of the location with stunning evening views and towerlike cave structures. It is also one of the easily accessible and free things to do in Cappadocia. The naturally occurring rock carvings here at love valley stands tall and is known for their erect stature.
3. Explore Uchisar Castle: Uchisar Castle is the highest point of the town of Cappadocia and presents a bird-eye view of the Goreme Valley of the city from above. One can easily have a full-scale view of the town of Goreme as well as the nearby valleys from the top of Uchisar castle. The top view from the castle is unparalleled one of the most romantic night views when you opt for visiting the place along with your partner. The twinkling of stars, as well as the lit-up low lying valleys create a mirage of being above the sky. You can also opt for the night tour of the palace with the Castle all lit up with the night lights. There are several restaurants offering the castle-view dinner tables as well.
4. Visit Avanos Oren Yeri: The Oren Yeri is a place where Cappadocian people gather to feed Pigeons and Goose. The location is a pretty sight with all the feathered being hovering around, and with your partner holding your hand, it’s a different experience altogether.
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The town of Cappadocia is a palace of curiosity for young minds. If you too are visiting with your young ones, here are some of the activities you must try in the Cappadocian town:
1. Do Night Stay at the Cave Hotels: The cave hotels at Goreme leave a different impact on the children. The hotels with its traditional rustic looks and cone-like structure appear to be a dreamlike abode for the kids. By staying there, you can live their dreams along with them and also give them a brief account of the vast history of human civilization.
2. Take Kaymakli Underground City Tours: The caverns and tunnels of the underground town serve as a playground for kids. The Christian refuse, which was once the hiding place of several Christian religious groups, now serves as a major tourist spot for people coming with their families. The narrow tunnels are usually filled with children crawling and squeezing themselves throughout the tour.
3. Visit The Open Air Museum: A ride to the Open Air Museum is also a fun activity to do with kids. Museums are usually the favorite spot of young kids, and with the caves and canyon structure of the Cappadocian open museum, they would have an enjoyable experience.
4. Go for Ihlara Valley’s Hike: Visiting Ihlara Valley along with your kids is one of the most adventurous things to do in Cappadocia. The children enjoy traveling through the rock-cut cliffs and the river gorge at Ilhara. The place also is one of the most sought after hiking destinations. The valley is well-connected to the town as compared to the other steep canyons, and hence can be accessed from Goreme itself.
5. Take Hot Air Balloon Ride: The ride starts as early as 5:30 so you have to leave your hotel at 5 in the morning. A short trip from your respective hotels would lead you to the Goreme valley from where the flying expedition starts. With Cappadocian Air Balloon services, you can fulfill their dreams at somewhat cheaper rates.
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Your budget, too, has a considerable say in deciding your detours. Hence, here are some of the budget-friendly and free things to do in Cappadocia while rummaging through its nook and corners:
1. Hike through the Love Valley: The green tour to Love Valley is perhaps the most cost-effective trip in the whole town, as it is one of the free things to do in Cappadocia. You can easily take a short detour all over the steep valley, which also happens to be a place of the exquisite natural bounty with skyscrapers like natural rock structures on one side and lush green valley on the other. The valley is one or 2 hours long stroll, and one can quickly return to their respective positions for a healthy dinner.
2. Watch the Air Balloons Soaring High: The precious glimpse of these balloons acing the Turkish airspace can be seen from the steep roads down the Goreme valley. Seeing these air balloons soaring high is among one of the most amazing free things to do in Cappadocia. All you need to do is wake up as early as five in the morning and reach the road down the valley to get the full view around 5:45.
3. Walkthrough the Pigeon Valley: Pigeon Valley’s tour is also free of cost, with a load of moonscapes and natural beauty on the way. The moonscape is famous for the dovecotes, i.e., the small nestle structure inside the volcanic rocks giving the place its name and several green and steep valleys. The hike itself is an adventure, and the fresh air rejuvenates your spirit. The area also guarantees a glimpse of fairy chimneys and flying air balloons in the Cappadocian sky.
4. Enjoy Visiting Underground Cities: In any case, you missed residing in the famous cave hotels, you can still have your fair share of enjoying ancient Turkish cave-life. Visiting the old towns buried underground are free things to do in Cappadocia. Cities like Kayamakli and Denikuyku are famous for their tunnels and caverns and can be visited at zero expenses.
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Cappadocia is a land of scenic beauty. With its one of a kind steep valleys and sedimentary rock formations, visiting landscapes here are the most sought after things to do in Cappadocia
Here are few of these landscapes listed down for your better assessment:
1. Goreme Panorama: The UNESCO heritage site paints a panoramic picture of the fairy chimneys. The conical and canyonlike structures, along with naturally carved moonscapes and rock caricatures, are the significant attractions luring people out here on several expeditions.
2. Rose Valley: The valley is known for the ideal landscapes and beautiful natural gardens in between the sharp volcanic rocks. The valley has excellent high and lows with naturally cared surface roads for better transportation. It is also used for getting a highland view of the flying hot air balloons in the Cappadocian Sky.
3. Pigeon Valley: The green valley offers you the view of the landscape of the best of Sunrise and Sunsets in the Cappadocian town. You can try hiking through the steep land and have a beautiful glance over the setting red Turkish Sun.
4. Ihlara Valley:The valley has a river dividing the rocky cliff and forming a Gorge down its landside which casts a different picture of the semi-arid land and is worth the time and money spent. The green waters by the gorge along with the high cliff, offers you a scenic view of setting Sun by the green waters. The two hours journey from Goreme via bus or a hired taxi would lead you to the town of Acigol, and from there, a short ten minutes hike is enough to leave you near the cliff facing the calm and serene river.
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There are many ways through which you can reach Cappadocia, but the best medium to visit this place is through flying, which is the quickest and convenient way. You can choose Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR) located in the town of Kayseri and at a distance of one-hour driving to the Cappadocia. The other alternative is opting for Nev?ehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV), relocated now in Gül?ehir town.
There are train rides to Cappadocia as well and the trains can be boarded from almost all the stations in Turkey to Kayseri and there you can find the bus to Goreme. There are bus services also varying 5 hours from Ankara to 12 hours from Izmir.
The town of Cappadocia is busy and full of tourists throughout the year. However, based on the preferences, the summers and spring at Cappadocia are cherished the most. The months of September and October are best for those who wish to enjoy the summers at the Cappadocian town. And for the spring lovers, the cool breeze and green valleys are at their best between April and MAy. Moreover, the balloon flights in the islands starting in April are the best flights of the season.
There are lots of things to do in Cappadocia, and so 2-3 days is enough in Cappadocia. Some of the things which you can do in Cappadocia are as follows.
Day 1: You can start your tour by visiting the Goreme Hot Air Balloon expeditions beginning early in the morning around 5:30. After having the balloon flight, you can take a stroll down the valley and enjoy several rock-cut carvings and a subjective view of “fairy chimneys.'' The day can be concluded by visiting the top of Uchisar Castle and having the bird-eye view of the Cappadocian town.
Day 2: Explore rock-cut churches valley in red-cut crutches and hike 5 km in Gulludere valley. After that, you can visit Cavusin village, which is famous for its houses and churches of the Christian clergymen and then to Kaymakli underground city, all including breakfast and lunch.
Day 3: On the third day of Cappadocia, you can visit Derinkuyu Underground City, where a huge refugee settlement was carved. And Ihlara Valley Tour, also known as peristerema, which will include breakfast and lunch and at the end of all we will drop you to the airport.
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There are lots of extraordinary things to do in Cappadocia, and some of them are mentioned below:
1. Underground cities
There are about 36 underground cities which are said to be a home of about 10000 people.
2. Goreme open-air museum
This is a world heritage site to be visited as by UNESCO
3. Pasabag Valley
These valleys are famous for their peculiar fairy chimneys. Some of them are mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys.
4. Devrent Valley
Its moonscapes are its real resemblances. There are lots of rocks that resemble many animals, like snakes, camels, dolphins, etc.
5. Pottery and Ceramics Shop in Avanos
Avanos city located on the shore of the Red River in turkey has become the center of potter and handcrafting.
6. Hot air balloon
The flying expedition gives a whole new experience from the top and a full view of Goreme’s famous fairy chimneys. You can also enjoy watching the balloons flying up by watching it from the steep roads nearby.
7. Pottery kabab
This is a particular type of kabab which is served in the pot and takes almost 5 hours of cooking time.
8. Turkish night
If you want to have a perfect night and end the Cappadocia trip, then Turkish night is the best way to do it. The biggest highlight is their traditional dance.
9. Horse riding
There are several valleys such as Rose Valley and Pigeon valley in the city of Goreme and other nearby towns offering horse rides both up and down the slopes at cheaper rates.
10. Stay in cave hotel
There are many cave hotel which gives you a chance to experience how people in ancient times used to live in caves
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Usually, the price range varies from $140 to $250, but the price gets low when you book them in a group and book a private flight. The price may also increase depending upon the various conditions, such as the busy hours in the springtime. The month of April and May sees the most demand for these flying rides, and hence the price starts going high as per the requirement.
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Yes, the federal government of the town, as well as the Cappadocian local environment, is quite safe and welcoming. Statistics show minimal crime rates against the tourists and visitors in the Cappadocian cities, and the jurisdiction is strict about the laws as well. Cappadocia is always considered safe for solo female travelers with its severe crime against women laws.
Yes, you can reach Cappadocia by the train running throughout all the major cities. There is a high-speed train that connects Istanbul to Ankara and Konya viar Eski?ehir, and from there, you can catch a bus or rent a private car, which takes almost 4 hours to reach the center of Cappadocia. The cost of the train may range from 100 to 160 Liras and may take ten to eleven hours under normal circumstances.
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The road distance of Cappadocia from Istanbul is 735.4 km. At the same time, from the air, it is 567 km. an estimated 10 to 11 hours are consumed while traveling via trains from Istanbul to reach the closest Cappadocian town of Eskisehir.
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Some of the best things to buy in Cappadocia are ceramics, carpets, art and crafts, homewares in Goreme, retail, fabric textile, etc. in Kayseri.
The literal meaning of the Persian word Cappadocia is “the land of beautiful horses.” Presently, in modern culture, Cappadocia means the Ancient region of East Asia Minor famous for its horses. The semi-arid region boasts of its wild horses since the era of the Persian Empire and hence derived its name from the same language.