When we in Cappadocia, it felt like we were in a different universe. With the magical balloons that light up every day, to the fairy chimney rock formations, Cappadocia is a feast for the eyes. It’s been on my bucket list since last year, so I was so excited to have been able to visit. And it was definitely out of this world… Read more to see everything you need to do while you’re here.

When to visit: I personally recommend visiting in Spring and Autumn when there are less tourists and while the temperature is still pretty mild. Otherwise, I would opt for visiting in the Summer (over winter), especially if you want to experience the hot air balloons because there’s less of a likelihood that they’ll get cancelled (I know, they do get cancelled!)

How long to stay: I was there for 3 days, 2 nights and trust me, it was jam-packed schedule. We were able to experience most of what we wanted to see, but I think I’d recommend 4 or 5 days for a more relaxed stay.

How to get here: Cappadocia is around an hour flight from Istanbul and there are many flights daily. You can fly either to Nevsehir (a little closer to Goreme) or Kayseri (a larger airport). If you’re staying in a hotel in Goreme, ask your hotel for a (free) shuttle transfer. Also I’m hoping that by this point, you’ll already have had a Turkish visa, if not visit http://www.evisa.gov.tr/ to pay $20 for your visa now.

Goreme vs Cappadocia: Ok I’ve mentioned Goreme a few times already, so to clarify…. Goreme is the small town with the fairy chimneys and everything you’d want to see, while Cappadocia is the larger region.

Do you need a car: Mixed – a lot of sites are quite far away from each other which means that doing either a tour or driving yourself is your best bet.

Also, not to be Hermione Granger, but Cappado-kya not Cappdo-chia and we’re good to go here. Here’s what you have to do once you get here:

See the Sunrise

Sultan Cave Suites is hands-down the best place for photos at sunrise and seeing the balloons rise. This hotel was made popular by GypseaLust & Doyoutravel with the (in)famous rooftop breakfast. Because of that ⚠be warned⚠, it can get pretty crowded up here. Maybe a year ago or so, people could actually enjoy breakfast up here, but nowadays, not so much. That being said, I still enjoyed it, and it made for some killer photos.

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Hot air balloon tour

If you have any doubts, listen to me, just do it. and book it, now. I knew I wanted to do it, but had some reservations on the price (it’s definitely not cheap ~$170/pp) but this was hands down one of the most magical things I’ve ever experienced. Seeing the sunrise from the sky, and being able to see the fairytale landscape, is something that was out of this world that I could have never dreamed of. I recommend booking this as soon as possible, as they do get full quickly starting in mid – high season. Also keep in mind that the balloons sometimes will not fly if its too windy, so I’m praying for you that the good graces are in your favor. We flew Butterfly Balloon – the flight was smooth, and they also serve you breakfast and champagne (yassss) at the end of the flight.

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Stay in a Cave Hotel

The coolest thing about the cave hotels is that every room. is. different. How cool is that? I stayed in the Kelebek hotel, which has a pool, a Turkish hammam, and all you can eat breakfast (so delicious). Kelebek also has a shared rooftop with Sultan Cave Suites (which I mentioned in the earlier section), so you can enjoy their rooftop for sunrise as well.

All photos below were taken at Kelebek Cave Hotel.

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Other hotels I’d recommend:

($-$$): Local Cave House (for their amazing pool), Sultan Cave Suites
($$$$): Museum Hotel

Underground Tour

There are so so many tours to choose from: Green Tour, Red Tour, Blue Tour… the list goes on. Because we were short on time, we chose a combo of the Green and Red tour to maximize what we saw. I usually opt for the “choose your own adventure” and try not to do tours, but I’d highly recommend doing a tour here. Not only do they drive you to all the sites (that are very far away), listening to the stories and history of the places and how they became to be was something truly memorable. The underground city blew me away. It was clear that the people who lived back then were extremely advanced – they had wells, chimneys, niches for lamps, kitchens, wineries.

 

Don’t forget about Sunset

The best places for sunset are Sunset Point (just 10-20 min walking from town) or in Rose Valley (15 min drive). Seeing the rock formations and the skies change color is something that you won’t want to miss.

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Indulge in Traditional Food

You also have to try cave food too while you’re here! These photos were taken at Topdeck Cave Restaurant. You get a choice to either dine in a traditional table setting, or on these comfy pillows and rugs (and of course we chose the latter). While I still much prefer the food in Istanbul, this was an experience worth trying.

 

Have you visited Cappadocia before? What was your favorite activity?

Until next time, xx Molly

 

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