CAPPADOCIA

Cappadocia is one of the most visited regions in Turkey and it is a magical travel destination. Exploring the authentic cave hotels, fairy chimneys, ceramic arts and mysterious underground cities of Cappadocia is every traveler's dream. Cappadocia is definitely the place to go in Turkey. Even though we traveled to many places in the world, we hadn't seen Cappadocia before. Almost all people that we met while traveling were asking us about Istanbul and Cappadocia when they learned we were Turkish and we actually felt bad that we didn't see the worldwide infamous travel destination of Turkey. We were looking at the fabulous Instagram posts of balloons in Cappadocia and we were aching to be inside the fairy chimneys to tell the truth. Finally, we created a break amidst our busy master thesis studies to visit Cappadocia for 3-4 days. Of course it was a delight to find a direct flight to Nevsehir from Izmir.

Cappadocia means "the land of beautiful horses" in Persian. According to the legend, people used their gorgeous horse breeds for paying taxes as well as in stadium races during the Roman period. As you already know, Cappadocia fairy chimneys is the trademark of this region. It's hard to believe but these fairy chimneys formed as a result of the eroded lava that erupted from Mount Erciyes and Mount Hasan almost 60 million years go. These natural structures have different types such as capped, conic or mushroom-shaped. They are called fairy chimneys because in the past, people believed that fairies used to live in them. They even claimed to hear the sounds of fairy weddings. It may sound funny now but when you travel to Cappadocia, you'll feel how magical and epic the place is and maybe you can even start believing these legends.

THINGS TO DO IN CAPPADOCIA

Since we landed in Nevsehir Airport at night, we went to drop our bags to the hotel first and started roaming around in Göreme streets afterwards. The illuminated fairy chimneys looked fascinating at night but we were so exhausted that we chose to go to the hotel and rest for the night.

A photo from the road we walked to Göreme Open Air Museum =)

The next day we woke up early and well-rested. After a rich Turkish breakfast in our Cave Suits Hotel, we decided to take a walk to the Goreme Open Air Muesum, which stands high in the top attractions of Cappadocia. We almost always choose to walk to places that we visit whenever we can. Since this museum was only 2 km to our hotel, we were happy to walk on the sunny streets of Goreme. On the road there were many fairy chimneys and while we were taking a selfie, a taxi driver stopped by offering to take us to touristic spots like an exclusive Cappadocia tour. The price he requested was really modest, 20 TL per person in 2016. He took us to many touristic spots for almost the whole day, not to mention he was really polite and positive. 

Fairy chimneys in Göreme

Cappadocia fairy chimneys

Transportation in Cappadocia is done by taxi or dolmus between villages but you can't always predict the dolmus schedule. Therefore, you can opt to rent a car in Cappadocia or use a taxi like we did. We decided to take the taxi driver, Yunus' offer and started a spontaneous day tour in Cappadocia between the yellow colored roads listening to the spiritual music that Yunus chose for us. We left visiting Goreme National Park to another day but being spontaneous is one of our favorite things while traveling.

Cavusin Village

A cafe in Çavuşin Village

Our first stop was Cavusin Village. It is 2.5 km to Göreme and it is one of the oldest settlements in the region, nestling the oldest church in Cappadocia, St. John the Baptist Church dating back to 5th century. It is worthy to note that Cappadocia was once an important center for Christianity and that's why there are many cave churches here. In the past, Christian communities used to live in Cappadocia region but nowadays, Çavuşin Village is a quiet, tiny village. We spotted the best prices for Cappadocia souvenirs in this village, so make sure to browse around if that is your intention.

Pasabag Valley

After this cute village, we headed to Pasabag Valley. Actually, there are trekking tours in Pasabag but the weather was so hot in April during day time that we didn't even consider it. Make sure to have your hat and water bottle with you if you are traveling to Cappadocia in summer or spring.

Did you notice how big the fairy chimneys actually are?

Capped fairy chimneys

The most important characteristic of fairy chimneys in Pasabag is that they are capped. After taking some photos and being stunned by the giant structures, we took a tea break in a nearby cafe. you can find Turkish tea almost anywhere in Turkey, even in the middle of a valley like this.

Paşabağı Valley

Capped fairy chimneys in Paşabağ

Later, our driver Yunus took us to see the camel shaped fairy chimney. The local authorities had to surround this camel in Devrent Valley with a fence due to the high attention it gets. So you can only see it from afar, like the Mona Lisa painting =D.

Camel shaped fairy chimney

At this point of our Cappadocia tour, we were very tired but Yunus insisted we should see the Zelve Open Air Museum and took us there. It was so worth it that we thanked Yunus for this. People of the region were actually living in actively in these caves 50-60 years ago. Zelve Open air Museum is home to many churches, an ancient wine house and even a mosque.
Recent information for Zelve Open Air Museum entrance fee and hours can be found here.

Zelve Open Air Museum

A window for Tugce in Zelve Open Air Muesum

Cappadocia wines and grapes are also famous and it's an ancient tradition here. You can see ancient wine making techniques inside this open air museum, makes you kind of relate to ancient people for being epicure. Zelve Valley consists of three valleys but we only saw the first part. They told us that sometimes concerts take place here. It is really interesting to imagine how people used to live here, especially when you see the rooms, the tunnels that bind the churches, observation decks, etc. It almost provokes the child within to play hide and seek here. 
​See your options for Turkey museum pass here.

Zelve Open Air Museum

After a beautiful day tour, we ended up in Love Valley Cappadocia. Some sources say this is the only place you can refresh your love. We don't know about that but the sunset in Love Valley was incredible. We hate to wake up early, but if you are not taking a hot air balloon flight, sunrise in Love Valley Cappadocia is a must for watching the colourful hot air balloons during sunrise. Most photos you see on Instagram for hot air balloon watching in Cappadocia are taken here. However, you can see the sunset photos below including the famous evil eye tree.

See other day tours in Cappadocia here.

Sunset in Love Valley Cappadocia

Evil Eye tree in Love Valley Cappadocia

Before we ended our day, we made one last stop in a ceramic workshop in Avanos. Ceramics is a notable craft in Cappadocia. An artisan in Kapadokya Seramik shop showed us how to make a small ceramic bowl and also told us a little about the art. He gave us information about how the bowl is put in a pottery kiln and then got painted. According to the old traditions, a man needed to know how to craft ceramics in order to get married and a woman needed to know how to weave a rug. Furthermore, when a girl's hand in marriage was asked, the girl's father would hand a ceramic lid to the groom and request him to make a ceramic bowl that can fit this lid. If the groom can manage this, the marriage bells would ring! The bride, on the other hand, is tested with a small rug weaving test. If she chooses to weave with bright vibrant colors, her psychological state is considered good but if she chooses dark colors, it's the opposite. Some kind of Roscharch test, I guess! Anyway, we made our way back to Göreme for dinner after this ceramic session.

Our second day in Cappadocia was very special for us because we were going to ride a hot air balloon for the first time in our lives. We woke up at around 5 am in the morning, spent some time chatting with other tourists in the lobby, and then got picked up by Air Kapadokya's van to their office. This is a typical hot air balloon tour in Cappadocia, they pick you up from your hotel very early in the morning, then you have a light breakfast at their office. Meanwhile, they register you for insurance purposes and brief you shortly about the balloon ride. This briefing usually only includes a position you should take when the balloon is landing. Then off you go to the balloon area with a van again! It gets a little cold when you're waiting for the balloon but the view is so magnificent, you forget all about it. After you get on the balloon, even your hair roots will heat thanks to the burner =D

Normally, a hot air balloon will take around 20 people. At least it was like that before covid-19. We suggest you get on last, so you can stay in the corner and see the most beautiful views from a wider angle. Flying a in a hot air balloon over the fairy chimneys was fascinating, nostalgic and so magic. It's an incredible feeling to take off in a basket and slowly raise in the sky. After all the other balloons start to fly, everything turns into a calm but very colorful festival.

On one hand, the sun starts to rise while on the other hand tens of fairy chimneys pass below you and you find yourself trying to decide between seizing the moment and sending a story to Instagram. By the way, it felt really safe to fly in a hot air balloon because the pilot stands right next to you and you are aware of the whole process. For the landing part, we had to try 3 different spots because the ground team has to catch you as well at the spot. Eventually, our hot air balloon landed safely.

As we had seen on many social media accounts before, a small table was set for us after the landing, they took out champagne and glasses from the picnic basket for celebration. This champagne is acohol free because of the civil aviation regulations in Turkey but the tradition lives on to celebrate each safely landing hot air balloon. This was truly a one of a kind experience, we suggest to grab this opportunity if you can because it creates a really unforgettable memory.
Cappadocia hot air balloon prices change between 70-100 Euros. Take a look at all hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia.

Cappadocia hot air balloon timings vary between sunrise and sunset but if you take the sunrise one, you'll be up and ready to roam around other places at 8:30 in the morning. We took advantage of this and headed to Uchisar to see the Uchisar Castle without the crowds rushing in. Luckily, we were the first visitors and managed to get to the top alone. You'll have to climb a lot of stairs once you enter the castle but the views from the top are so magnificent that you'll forget your exhaustion. The top of Uchisar Castle is the highest point of all Cappadocia and it's possible to see Mount Hasan and Mount Erciyes from here on clear days. Uchisar Castle entrance fee is 8 TL, which is well worth it. They say it is very crowded during sunset but in the morning it was pretty quiet.

Uçhisar Castle

Uchisar Castle Cappadocia

Alone at the top =D

After all these activities in Cappadocia, we were really hungry so we decided to try Karlik Evi Hotel for breakfast. This hotel serves a great breakfast in a big green garden overlooking Uchisar Castle. If you want to try Turkish breakfast in Cappadocia, this can be an ideal spot. For us, having breakfast and Turkish tea while feeling the sun was joyful. They also have interesting art pieces in the garden and it's a preferred honeymoon hotel in Cappadocia. We haven't stayed here but really loved the breakfast.

After a delicious break in Uchisar, we took a taxi to Avanos. In our opinion, Avanos is the best village in Cappadocia because Kizilirmak River runs through it and riverside cafes are great to hang out. You can even take a gondola trip here. Plus, you can see the genuine local life once you start to wander around Avanos streets. 

Kizilirmak River in Avanos

Hanging Bridge in Avanos

Avanos has two important bridges, which are the Stone. Bridge and the Hanging Bridge (aka Suspension Bridge). The hanging Bridge is a little scary because as you keep walking on it, it swings more and more with every step. Local people are used to it but we had a little shaking in our knees. After crossing the bridge, we just wandered around the residential streets of Avanos with no agenda. We saw kids playing on the street, historic mansions, old women herding sheep and headed back to the river at the end. Then, we decided to have a short tea break alongside Kizilirmak River and took the dolmus to Goreme, back to our hotel.

Famous Potteries of Avanos

Avanos Streets

There are so many attractions in Cappadocia, it's sometimes difficult to choose. There are very well established three day tours in Cappadocia, which are the green tour, the blue tour and the red tour. Generally, we prefer to organize ouw own day but in this occasion, Cappadocia green tour was very convenient for us because it goes to a further area then other tours. Cappadocia green tour includes Guvercinlik (Pigeon) Valley, Selime Monastery, Ihlara Valley, Derinkuyu Underground City, a wine tasting activity and a stop in a shop selling sultanite, a rare gem. You can buy this tour from your hotel or from a travel agency. We found the best price for Cappadocia green tour in a hostel called Rock Valley Hostel but just keep in mind you need to pay for some entrances if you don't have a museum pass. By the way, if you are a budget traveler, Rock Valley Hostel provides a really good service for a low fee.
​You can see all day tours in Cappadocia from here. 

Pigeon Valley

Pigeon Valley

​Sonuç olarak, yine sabahın erken saatlerinde otelimizden alınarak turumuza başladık. İlk durağımız Güvercinlik Vadisi oldu. Burada, yine tepeden çok güzel bir manzaraya şahit olunuyor, tabii fotoğrafların, çekilen selfielerin haddi hesabı olmuyor. Buranın ismi, vadide eskiden beslenen güvercinlerden geliyormuş, zaten güvercin gübresi de çok değerli bir gübreymiş ve zamanında senede bir kez buradan toplanıp bölgedeki tarım arazilerinde kullanılıyormuş. Artık böyle bir şey yapılmıyor ama bu, her gördüğünüzde büyülenmekten kendinizi alamadığınız peri bacalarıyla süslü manzaranın güzelliğine engel değil.

Selime Monastery

Gokay trying to squeeze his head =D

Tugce fits just right here

While our guide informed us on the tour van, we headed to Selime Monastery next. This is the biggest cathedral of Cappadocia and it's carved into rocks. Historically, this was a complex used for religious purposes and as accommodation for caravans. We were fascinated by carved stone dinner tables and seats. It was challenging to climb to the two story cathedral but it was worth it. We just can't believe these places were used by people more a thousand years ago. Also did you know that this place inspired George Lucas for some Star Wars scenes?

Selime Monastery

The region that inspired Star Wars

After leaving this interesting monastery, we had lunch and made our way to worldwide famous Ihlara Valley. You can use your museum pass but otherwise Ihlara Valley entrance fee is 36 TL in 2020. We didn't know about this before we traveled here but this valley, aka Ihlara Gorge, is almost as famous as Grand Canyon. 

Ihlara Valley

Ihlara Gorge

To experience this natural beauty, you need to go down 150-200 meters and then walk for 4 km. Don't worry it's not a hard path, it was pretty leisurely in fact. You'll have the opportunity to take in all the beautiful scenery and you won't even understand you walked 4 km when following the river that flows down in the valley. The tour bus leaves you in Ihlara Valley entrance adn you need to go down 200 steps down a modern stairway but you won't have to climb back. The exit is done from a flat path and the tour bus will pick you up from there. There is a tea break during this short trek in a cute tea garden. We opted to have our tea on a log by the river, almost felt like a movie scene. You can also arrange an Ihlara Valley hike through some tour companies in the center.

Our tea break spot

The next stop of the green tour is Derinkuyu Underground City, which is not suggested for claustrophobics. To be honest, I was a little worried at first but just when we were at the entrance, it started raining and I found myself inside. This is actually a 12 floor underground city but you can only see 8 floors of it. It is assumed that this place was built for hiding purposes during wars. There are living areas, storages, wineries, stables and even morgues inside this huge complex. It wasn't as scary as we thought it was, it's actually cool inside and narrow corridors open up to big rooms eventually.
Derinkuyu Underground City entrance fee is around 6 USD.

Derinkuyu Underground City

They told us this was a classic pose here =D

Lastly we stopped by a small wine house to taste local wines but we were more interested in sultanite jewellery. Sultanite is a rare gem and it's famous for changing colors according to light. They say sultanite is only found in Mugla-Milas region of Turkey. Sultanite necklaces and earrings were really fascinating because it's so unique when compared to gold or even diamonds. It's a little expensive but maybe better prices can be found in less touristic areas. This was the end of Cappadocia green tour and we headed back to our hotel for rest.

Göreme Open Air Museum

Göreme National Park

Next day, which was our last day in Cappadocia, we went to see Goreme Open Air Museum once again since we didn't get to see it the first time. You can use the Turkey museum pass to enter here or pay the entrance fee at the door. This national park is under UNESCO protection since 1985 and you can find cave churches and monasteries from 4-13th centuries. At some point all these cave structures start to look similar but the Dark Church Cappadocia inside this park was special. It had very vibrant wall pictures inside but you need to pay a small extra fee for this church.

Goreme Open Air Museum

Goreme Open Air Museum

It takes 2-3 hours to see Goreme Open Air Museum. The weather was so nice when we were there, we enjoyed it a lot and then finally went back to our hotel to pack. We are really happy to have seen these lands finally.

WHAT TO EAT IN CAPPADOCIA

Even though we searched around, unfortunately Cappadocia has no unique food but interestingly a dish from Yozgat city is being served in restaurants in Cappadocia. It's called testi kebab and you can find it almost in all touristic restaurants. Other than this, you can find traditional Turkish cuisine dishes such as pide, gozleme or manti everywhere. We asked every local we met about where they ate normally but they all answered the same: "at home" =) So we found our way in Cappadocia restaurants ourselves.

Testi Kebab

We tried testi kebab in Sedef Restaurant, a relatively luxury option in Goreme. Testi is a kind of ceramic in Turkey. The presentation is a show itself, they bring a traditional terra cotta pot to the table and then break it on your table. There is slowly cooked beef inside this pot, which tasted ok but nothing too special. However, the show was worth it.

Breakfast in Karlik Evi Hotel

Warm chocolate puffs

As we have mentioned in this post, we went to have breakfast in Karlik Evi Hotel after our Cappadocia hot air balloon tour. We went there at 8 in the morning but they serve breakfast all day. We really appreciate this because most hotels don't serve breakfast after 10 am these days. Many cheese options, toasted bread, jams and traditionally brewed Turkish tea is especially enjoyable when you have your breakfast on green grass amidst ducks roaming around. There are even hammocks to rest after breakfast. 

We also had dinner in our hotel, Cappadocia Cave Suites' Restaurant. It wasn't more expensive than other restaurants in Goreme and you can find a different menu every night. We had some Turkish mezzes, chicken and rice here. The food was delicious and the service was excellent.

Dinner at Cappadocia Cave Suites restaurant

On our last day, we chose to have dinner in Pide House Restaurant in Goreme because we were tired and it was a close option to our hotel. We had lentil soup and pide with minced meat and cheese. This was the best meal we had in Cappadocia to tell the truth. They also serve complimentary tea after dinner but this is pretty much the code in all Turkey.

Other than these, you can have tea and gozleme in Avanos while you feed the ducks in Kizilirmak River or have ice cold pomegranate juice inside Ihlara Valley.

WHERE TO STAY IN CAPPADOCIA

There are all kinds of hotels in Cappadocia. you can find backpacker hostels as well as luxury hotels in Cappadocia. It is also a sought after honeymoon destination and this means there are many available options.

Cave Suites Hotel Terrace

Authentic rooms in Cappadocia Cave Suites Hotel

We stayed in Cappadoccia Cave Suites Hotel in Goreme. This is the only hotel with three fairy chimneys and therefore most of its rooms are fairy chimney rooms. There is even a thousand years old chapel at the top of one of these fairy chimneys. The decorative details, service and its cave rooms were a delight for us during our 4 day stay in Cappadocia. Take a look at our post about different Cappadocia accommodation options here.

WHAT TO BUY IN CAPPADOCIA

There are many authentic things to buy in Cappadocia. For instance, cermics and pottery is a traditional craft here. There are ceramic glasses, many colorful plates and even some cooking pots. You can find such ceramic products especially in Avanos. Be sure to compare prices in different places though, because some places have higher places. We bought a ceramic coffee pot to cook traditional Turkish coffee.

Sultanite jewellery can also be found in Cappadocia and if you love that kind of stuff, it is really rare. It changes color according to light. Sultanite shops give you information about this gem and then suddenly shout as "Lights!" just like actual showmen. Then the shop is illuminated with different colored lights for you to see how sultanite changes color.

You can find really cheap magnets that are in the shape of hot air balloons or fairy chimneys.

TRANSPORTATION IN CAPPADOCIA

There is dolmus between Goreme, Avanos, Urgup and Uchisar villages and generally there is one every hour.​ However, you can choose to use taxis because the distances are short, around 5-8 km, and so the taxi fares in Cappadocia are not high. This gives you more freedom as well. If you need airport transfer in Cappadocia you can find them here or just call Helios Transfer and they will arrange a van from your hotel in Cappadocia to the airport for you.
Flights to Cappadocia come to two airports: Kayseri Airport and Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport. They are both around 1 hour by shuttle to Cappadocia. If you are coming from abroad, we recommend using Turkish Airlines or Qatar Airways to find a flight to Turkey.