The hot air balloon ride is the very first thing which comes to mind when heard of Cappadocia. It is also the very first Google tells you about when you type in things to do in Cappadocia. However, there are a lot of other interesting and unique things to do in Cappadocia, which are often overlooked by the typical tourists coming to the city only fascinating the balloon ride.
Today you and I will dive a bit deeper to see the lesser explored beauty of Cappadocia. So, if you’re someone who for some weird reason is not interested in the hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, or you’re an acrophobic or just not rich enough to afford the insanely expensive balloon rides – then you’re in the right place!
But that is not all you will get today! This article will cover a little more than 10 top things to do in Cappadocia. To help you plan your trip – I’m also going to share with you a sample 2-day Cappadocia itinerary based on my experience and recommendation, along with some insights on the best places to stay, how to reach and moving around in Cappadocia.
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Let’s start with brief general information of Cappadocia before diving into the nitty-gritty!
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Where is Cappadocia located in Turkey?
Cappadocia is located in the Central Anatolian region of Turkey. The city is surrounded by five provinces which makes it easily accessible. The nearest is the famous city of Kayseri just 1.5hrs drive away. The main tourist attractions in Cappadocia are slightly away from the city center in a radius of 15-20 km.
History of Cappadocia
Cappa-do-kia as mostly pronounced by the locals literally means ‘the land of beautiful horses’. This name was given to the valley as it was home to the best breed of horses in the region. Moreover, the locals of Cappadocia back in the day excelled in horse riding. However, the history of Cappadocia, just like most of Turkey dates back to prehistoric times. The Hattitis civilization was the presumed first civilization which settled down in the valley during 2500-2000 BC.
The unique and rugged landscape with towering fairy chimneys, rock formations, and barren land was a result of erosions that took place millions of years ago. Later on, before Christianity was announced as the official religion of the Roman Empire, monks took refuge in Cappadocia’s cave to practice and spread Christianity.
Now that we know a little about the city and its history – let’s see the top 10 things to do in Cappadocia without hot air balloon ride.
Pasabag (Monks Valley)
What makes the Pasabag Valley one of the top-rated things to do in Cappadocia is the peculiar fairy chimneys with mushroom heads all across the valley. These structures were formed millions of years ago due to land erosion. There are many folk tales also associated with these fairy chimneys. Some claim that the area was actually a fairyland while others have stories of a cruel king who turned his daughter, granddaughter, and son-in-law into rock stones when they tried to escape the valley. However, these are just tales with no actual evidence to prove them right.
During the early 2nd and 3rd century AD, monks resided in this valley to meditate and hence it got its name of Monks Valley. Small windows and rooms can be seen on the top of the fairy chimneys – but it is not permitted to climb on them. Cappadocia can get insanely hot during summers and it receives plenty of sunlight throughout the year, therefore, always wear a lot of sunscreens and carry an umbrella while visiting the Monks valley.
Quick tip: The slopes and rocks in the valley can get very slippery – so take care while climbing into the rocks just for that Instagram snap. Believe me, the danger of falling on bare rocks and injuring yourself is not worth your gram picture!
Devrent (Imagination Valley)
Just a short 5-mins drive from Pasabag is the Devrent valley also known as the Imagination valley, which is yet another unique place to visit in Cappadocia! Here allow your imaginations to run wild, because, unlike the other valleys in Cappadocia, Imagination valley does not have any ancient churches or Roman ruins. It is an unmissable place because of the animal-shaped rock formations in the valley. You can easily spot rocks resembling a camel, penguin, pigeon, and dolphin. The huge camel-shaped rock is just right in front of the parking spot and the easiest one to spot. For the others, you will have to carefully walk a little deeper in the valley or seek assistance from your tour guide.
Ozkonak Underground City
Beneath the magical Mars-like landscape of Cappadocia, there are more than 300 hidden underground cities, which are perhaps one of the best things to do in Cappadocia! Only around 28 to 30 such cities have been found and only a few of them are open for the public. Archeologists are still studying the remaining underground cities with excavation works going on for years now. One of such open for the public underground city is Ozkonak Underground city. It was built as a hideout during 1st to 3rd century AD when the Pagans were attacking Christians.
Later on, the underground city was expanded as people back then found it easy to excavate and expand the existing underground spaces rather than building the city on land. Moreover, the average temperature inside the underground cities remains between 15-22 degrees Celsius and it stays warm in winter and cold during summers with minimal humidity at all times, which made it favorable for the people to stay there. The Ozkonak Underground city have eight storeys, however, only three of them are open to the public as excavation work is still going on in the other storeys. It is free to enter. The place looks pretty much the same so a 30 to 40 mins walk inside it would be enough.
Note: if you’re claustrophobic or dealing with any kind of breathing difficulties – it is not recommended to visit Ozkonak or any other underground city in Cappadocia.
Goreme Open Air Museum
Among all amazing things to do in Cappadocia in this list – Goreme Open Air Museum is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site. The existence of Goreme dates back to 400-1200 AD when it was a Christian University where monks, nuns, and priests used to gain religious education. A lot of the cave houses in the Goreme Open Air Museum were used as either classrooms or dormitory rooms for monks and nuns. There are a lot of small churches and chapels caved in the rocks all across Goreme Open Air Museum.
Some of the churches and chapels have beautiful colorful drawings of important biblical events and scenes, which were used to spread the teachings of Christianity among the people. There are no written scripts but only illustrative figures in Goreme Museum as reading and writing was not used for religious education during those times.
Uchisar Castle
One thing that stands above everything else on the rugged landscape of Cappadocia is the Uchisar Castle. It is rated as the best things to do in Cappadocia particularly to get a panoramic view of the city. And let me tell you – this is not the typical castle you would expect it to be! Uchisar Castle is basically a huge rock formation with caves located in the Uchisar area, which is a short drive away from Goreme.
The visible holes that can be seen from the bottom all the way to the top of Uchisar Castle are the rooms and passageways inside of the castle. Most of the rooms have now converted into pigeon houses. Due to erosion over the years – a lot of the rooms are not any more accessible. However, you can still climb all the way to the top of the castle to get a majestic sunset view over the valley.
Quick Tip: Climbing the rocks in Cappadocia requires a certain level of strength and fitness. If you doubt your fitness level, then do not try climbing the rocks as they’re quite slippery and sharp.
Ceramic Pottery Workshops
Pottery and craft-making have been very unique to the region of Cappadocia from the Hittite period. Till date, the skill is practiced and now it is used as a major source of income for the local craftsmen. Turkey is famous for its clay made pottery and utensils; though, the best among it comes from Cappadocia which is made up of the Red clay. This red clay comes from the Red River where it is harvested at the banks of the river. There are many pottery workshops located in the small city center in Cappadocia where you can buy the handmade pottery and even see a demonstration of how it is made by one of the potters.
They make all sorts of things from plates, bowls, cups, teapots to wall frames and even Quran/Arabic Calligraphy frames.
Quick Tip: If you want to avoid buying anything from ceramic workshops due to the fear of breaking the items while traveling – a workshop named ‘Kapadokya Seramik’ offers delivery services of the items to different countries with insurance.
ATV Rides in Valleys
One of my favorite things to do in Cappadocia in order to explore the real rugged terrain of the city is to take an ATV Ride across the different valleys. This is a great option for those who are not very keen on hiking in the valleys under the harsh sun of Cappadocia! There are many ATV rentals in Goreme where ATVs can be rented to ride in the neighboring Rose Valley and Love Valley. The most popular ATV ride is the sunset ride where one can see the sun setting in the beautiful barren valleys making it look like gold! The sunset ATV ride is a 2hr ride, however, you can opt for a shorter time as well according to your convenience.
Panoramic Viewpoint
Just near the Goreme Open Air Museum and Devrent valley is a place called Panoramic Viewpoint. It is a typical tourist site with many souvenir shops leading to a huge viewpoint area which overlooks all over Cappadocia. So, in case you didn’t climb all the dangerous-looking rock formations in the valleys – this is the best place to get a full 360 degrees view of the city. Most importantly, unlike many tourist places to visit in Cappadocia – Panoramic Viewpoint is completely free to enter, which makes it worth at least of a short stop.
Stay at a Cave Resort
When in a unique cave city like Cappadocia – it does not make much sense if you do not stay in one of the many cave hotels or resorts. This is also a great way to experience the lives of the local Cappadocians living in caves many years back – but of course, you will have all the luxury. The cave rooms include colored patterned walls, rock-cut arches and panoramic balconies overlooking the amazing landscape of the city, which you can see right from your bed! There are all sorts of cave hotels in Cappadocia, from ultra-luxurious ones to budget cave hotels (more about that on ‘Where to stay in Cappadocia’ section later in the article).
Sunrise Yoga & Hot Air Balloon Watching
Even if you’re not taking the hot air balloon ride this time in Cappadocia – no one has stopped you from watching them. And believe me, seeing more than hundreds of hot air balloons’ going in the air altogether is a sight to behold! I specially set up an alarm for 5 AM in the morning to see the balloons getting up in the air right from my balcony. To make things even better – the very next day, my hotel arranged an early morning yoga session at a spot from where the hot air balloons can be seen easily. That morning, I truly didn’t regret waking up quite early after only a few hours of sleep. The beauty of Cappadocia in the wee hours of dawn was worth it, completely!
Book These Tours In Cappadocia Before They Sell Out!
2-Day Sample Itinerary of Cappadocia
Now that we have covered the top ten things to do in Cappadocia – here is a sample itinerary of how you can utilize two full days in the city to visit all the places I mentioned above. This itinerary is planned based on the accessibility of the sites from one place to another to avoid any time being wasted on the road.
Day 1 in Cappadocia
- Wake up early in the morning (around 4:00 to 5:00 AM depending on the time of sunrise when you’re in Cappadocia) to see the hot air balloons going up in the year.
- After the breakfast, head out and start with Pasabag (Monks Valley). The early you will reach there, the less tourist crowd you’ll encounter. If you wish to explore every nook and corner of the Monks valley, then it will take easily more than 2hrs. Even to wrap it up quickly – a little more than one hour will be required.
- Just a short drive away from Monks Valley is the Imagination valley, where you can visit next. Imagination valley can be explored in at least an hour or a little less than that.
- By this time you will be surely tired and kind off exhausted considering the hot and very sunny weather of Cappadocia, so you can take a lunch break.
- After lunch – drive to the area of Goreme to visit the Goreme Open Air Museum, which can be reached by a 15mins drive from Imagination Valley. This is one of my personal favorite places to visit in Cappadocia, so I will recommend you to stay here a bit longer. Walkthrough the small churches and chapels to see the pictures of famous biblical events. Use the stairs to climb to some of the rooms, which were classrooms for the monks and nuns. If you still have enough energy – do try to visit the pigeon houses on the cliffs. Visiting Goreme Open Air Museum can take 2-3 hrs, however, you can make it shorter as per your convenience.
Day 2 in Cappadocia
- Start your day by heading out to the majestic Uchisar Castle in the town of Uchisar in Cappadocia. The inside of the castle is very much similar to the cave rooms you saw in the Monks Valley the other day so you can completely choose to skip it today. However, you can climb at the top of the castle to get a full view of the city.
- From Uchisar, you will be now driving 30mins to the Ozkonak Underground City. Once you reach there – you will find many cafes, food stalls and a couple of restaurants outside of the underground city. There are many small souvenir shops as well; however, I would not recommend you buying souvenirs from there as they are double in price than anywhere else. The underground city can be explored in an hour or two maximum.
- You can choose to dine in for lunch at any of the restaurants outside Ozkonak Underground City or you can drive 20mins to Avanos where you will be visiting the Ceramic Pottery Workshops.
- After lunch, you can visit the Ceramic Pottery Workshops where you can see a demonstration of how different shaped pottery is made there. If you like – you can try your hand for making something for yourself too. It is also a great place to buy some pottery as a memorable souvenir.
- From Avanos, you can visit the Panoramic Viewpoint – the final item to checkoff from our best things to do in Cappadocia list. Here you can spend as long as you please absorbing the beautiful 360-degree views of Cappadocia’s landscape or even staying late till the sun goes down in the valley.
- Alternatively, you can also opt for the sunset ATV ride in Goreme, which can be done in the Rose Valley and Love Valley.
If FOMO is hitting you real hard for the Hot Air Balloon Ride – then check this guide on All You Need To Know About Hot Air Ballooning In Cappadocia
This is the recommended itinerary I followed for the unmissable things do in Cappadocia. Next up, is some basic travel information about visiting Cappadocia, which will help you to plan your trip at the right time and in the right way.
How To Reach Cappadocia
As Cappadocia is located right in the heart of Central Turkey – it is quite easy to reach from all of the major cities. Here’s how:
- By Air:
There are daily multiple flights operated by Turkish Airlines and Pegasus (Turkey’s budget airline), flying in and out from Kayseri International Airport, which is a 90 minutes’ drive away from city center Cappadocia and also one of the nearest airports to the city. Most of the hotels arrange an airport pickup and drop-off at a minimal price or you can hop in a taxi as well, which might be slightly cheaper than the airport pickup. I flew out of Cappadocia by air through Turkish Airlines, which cost me only 31 USD, that too during the peak season in June. Yes, it is that cheap!
Check The Cheapest Flight Rates To Cappadocia
Another hassle-free option is to book a door to door ride with Kiwi Taxi. They offer airport pick-up and drop-off all across the world! In Cappadocia, Kiwi Taxi offers transfers from Kayseri Airport to city center Goreme
- By Road (Self-drive):
Self-drive is a great way to explore Turkey to avoid the domestic flight tickets and to move at your own pace. If you’re driving from Istanbul – it will be a wonderful 8 to 9hrs drive to Cappadocia. From cities like Pamukkale and Antalya, Cappadocia can be reached in seven to five hours respectively.
- By Train:
Turkey is well connected by a high-speed rail network; however, it can sometimes get a bit more time consuming to travel completely by train in Turkey. From Istanbul, Cappadocia can be reached by a high-speed train while making a stop at Ankara and then at Konya. From Konya to Cappadocia, you will have to take a bus or car rental for the four hours’ drive.
- By Bus:
Reaching Cappadocia by bus can be really very time consuming as the fastest bus from Istanbul to Cappadocia takes 11 to 12hrs to reach. The best option here is to opt for an overnight bus, which is fairly comfortable to sleep and bear the long journey. The overnight coach to Cappadocia from Istanbul costs USD 17.
Best Time To Go To Cappadocia
The city of Cappadocia has its own charm during each season. Where most of the people tend to visit it during the summers, in winters it gets covered in snow and still manages to look magnificent! I visited Cappadocia in the month of June, which is referred to as the high tourist season in Turkey and also the best time to go to Cappadocia. However, in June in Cappadocia, the days can get seriously hot with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius or above. The nights are, however, quite chilly and pleasant.
Moving Around In Cappadocia
Getting around in Cappadocia will not be a problem if you’re driving yourself or touring with a group tour as all the tourist sites are well marked and easy to find. Though using public transport inside the city can sometimes get tricky. Minibusses and taxis are the only two means of getting around in Cappadocia by public transport. Moreover, to reach from one place to another – there is a huge probability that you will need to switch buses which are often not on time. Therefore, in short, if you’re opting to use public transport then make sure you have enough spare time.
Taxis, on the other hand, are faster and easily accessible, but they can get a lot more expensive than the mini-buses. Here I’d recommend you to try both the options at least once to understand which one is best suited for your budget and comfort and which can be missed. Car rental is a great option but a slightly expensive one if you don’t want to use public transport at all.
Where To Stay In Cappadocia
As already mentioned earlier, when in Cappadocia, it is highly recommended to stay at a cave hotel as it gives a more local experience of the city. However, to be honest, cave hotels can get a bit too expensive for some travelers. So, to cover all kinds of travelers here is my best recommendation on where to stay in Cappadocia:
Luxury: I stayed at the wonderfully luxurious but expensive Cave Resort Cappadocia & Spa, which is one of the top-rated properties in the city. Located at the top of the hill, you can see the entire valley with hot air balloons going up in the air right from your bed! Grand Elite Cave Suites is another beautiful and lavish property in Cappadocia, apt for families. The hotel also has a garden and an in-house bar.
Mid-level: Gedik Cave Hotel is the best example of an affordable cave hotel in Cappadocia. Located in Goreme, the hotel is in close vicinity with Goreme Open Air Museum and Pasabag. Village House Hotel also in Goreme is a 3* star cave hotel with excellent facilities and amenities of an above-average hotel at a very reasonable price.
Budget: Atak hotel is a family-run hotel and one of the best options for budget travelers and backpackers in Cappadocia. It is run by a mother and her daughters who lovingly prepare breakfast for the guests themselves every morning. There is a huge terrace seating for breakfast or to just relax and enjoy the views around. Valleypark Hotel is another open terrace budget hotel located in Goreme, Cappadocia. It is rated among the best backpackers hotel in the city.
Phew! With this, we have reached the end of this post! Thanks for sticking around to this long post. I hope I was able to answer most of your Cappadocia travel questions if not all.
BUT BUT BUT before you leave here is one last bonus for you:
To check the latest prices and business times of all the tours, activities, museums, restaurants and public transport in Cappadocia – check this Cappadocia Price List.
Well now, I am going to wrap up this post! If you still have any doubts regarding visiting Cappadocia, write it all in the comments so I can answer them for you and for the other readers too!
Have a magical stay in Cappadocia!
To discover more of Turkey, how about one of my other posts?
- Traveling As A Brown Solo Girl In Turkey
- An Honest Review of Ramada Hotel & Suites Istanbul Golden Horn
- 7 Exciting Things To Do In Tokat – The Hidden Gem of Turkey
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You might think (and we might agree) that one of the best things to do in Cappadocia to authentically experience the region is to stay in a cave hotel made of carved stone. But we also think that camping and being able to wake up to the skyline and watch the balloons pass by in the early hours of the morning is also a great way to experience Cappadocia. If you agree with us, then There are a couple of bakeries that open early to accommodate the people who wake up early to ride in the balloons. We asked where they were a day in advance so we could drop by in the morning before watching the balloons. As you can see in the picture, we set up our table and chairs.
Thank you for the full information post. Especially the Sunrise Yoga & Hot Air Balloon Watching is what picks my attention.
Oh it will be a magical experience if you give it a shot 🙂
Wow, stunning rock formations! How I wish… thanks for the experience. I love all the things I found on your article.
So, happy to know that! Thank you 🙂
This is a place I have dreamt of going to. I hope one day to make that dream come true. Thank you for sharing other things to do in this beautiful location. Such beautiful photographs.
I am sure you will get to visit Cappadocia soon 🙂
Happy travels!
Wow! This is an informative post and I love the angle. Having once had an (at best) uncomfortable hot air balloon in Luxor, it’s one of those travel experiences I’ve little interest in repeating. I’ve seen many photos of Cappadocia, but they never interested me due to said experience in Egypt. However, you cast a new light on the destination.
Definitely, maybe someday!
I am sorry to hear about your experience. That’s the whole purpose of this post to inform people there is so much more to do in Cappadoccia apart from the hot air balloon ride – the only thing the city is promoted for. Thank you for your comment 🙂
Wonderful post! I have always wanted to visit Cappadocia and even more so now. Would love to see the underground city and open air museum!
Cappadocia is a magical city! I am glad I was able to give you more reasons to visit it 🙂
Wish I had done sunrise yoga while I was there, it looks absolutely incredible with all the hot air balloons in the distance! I’d love to go back someday, had some of the best hikes there ever!
Oh yeah! The sunrise yoga was truly a treat as I wasn’t very happy about waking up so early for it 😀
There is so much more to do in Cappadocia other than a hot air ballon ride. My husband is petrified of heights so this was ruled out for us.
Cannot agree with you more! People visit Cappadocia only for the hot air balloon overlooking the unique places to visit there. I hope you had a great time in Cappadocia 🙂
I’m dying to stay in one of the cave resorts/hotels that you mentioned!
Haha! It is a definite must to stay in a cave hotel/resort when in Cappadocia
I’ve only heard about the hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia, so it’s good to know that there’s more to see! I want to go shopping for some of those beautiful ceramics now!
I am so glad you were able to know more about Cappadocia through this post. The city has so much more potential than just the hot air balloon ride
Lovely ideas! It’s great to see you can enjoy Cappadocia without spending a mini fortune in the hot air balloon ride. It might be an amazing experience, but completely out of reach for the budget traveler.
I totally agree with you! The balloon ride is just ridiculously expensive! However, being a budget traveler – now you can visit Cappadocia for many other reasons 🙂
I absolutely love that you talk about things to do outside of the hot air balloon! Super informative and I would love to do the sunrise yoga, looks like so much fun with beautiful views.
I am so happy you found my post useful, thank you so much 🙂
Such an informative post. Cappadocia has so much to offer. Great post!
Thank you, Nabiha 🙂