Air balloons at sunrise, cities built into rock, and sleeping in caves: Cappadocia is a place unlike any other I have seen on this planet. Allow me to take you on a ride by sharing with you the most thrilling things to do in Cappadocia. Cappadocia is a magical place with so much to do and some of the friendliest people I have ever met. And did I mention the massive and friendly street dogs that follow you around on the street??
Something to consider is the time of year that you visit Cappadocia. Winter is cold, but you’ll have the whole place to yourself. Summer is warm, but you’ll be sharing Cappadocia with thousands of other tourists. I went in January and the temperature wasn’t bad. Light jacket during the day, heavier one at night / morning.
What kind of person are you? Mull that over like this lovely Turkish street dog below.
Let’s get into the best things to do in Cappadocia.
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The Five Best Things to Do in Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a must-visit place when you come to Turkey. Here are our top 5 ‘must-dos’ when you come here!
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#1 – Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride
I was in Cappadocia in January for 4 days, and each day I was there the balloons were grounded on account of it being too windy in the area. This is common for this time of the year. However, the day before I got there the balloons were not grounded. It’s all luck of the draw.
Because of this, I don’t have that magical photo of myself floating over Cappadocia. Next time … hopefully.
If you are looking to book your Cappadocia tour, I recommend this one with Royal. The price is $172 per person, and comes with hotel transport, a light breakfast, a 60 minute balloon ride, champagne, and a flight certificate. This company is very reputable and I have heard great things. Most tours are early in the morning for sunrise.
#2 – Visit the Underground Cities
You’ll find this at the top of basically every ‘Things to Do in Cappadocia’ list… right after the hot air balloon ride.
The underground cities were created during the Byzantine Era by the Greek-speaking Christians who needed to hide from the Arabs during the Arab-Byzantine Wars more than a thousand years ago.
Then they were used again by the Christians to avoid the Mongolian invasions in the 14th Century. These cities were used as late as the 1900’s as massacres of Christians were taking place across Turkey.
The more famous of the two, Derinkuyu, was discovered in 1963 by a local man who found a hidden room behind a wall in his home. They fully excavated the city in 1969 and started opening it up to tourists soon after.
I did the Green Tour with a small group and I highly recommend it. This included hotel pickup, sightseeing, tour of Derinkuyu, Ihlara Valley, Lunch, Pigeon Valley, Shopping, and return to Goreme. The price right now is $55 per person. If you want a private tour with just your group you can book a similar one for $106 per person on the same site.
#3 – Go Hiking through Love Valley / Pigeon Valley / Both
Cappadocia is completely free to explore and there’s no better way to do it then with your own two feet. We walked through Pigeon Valley and Love Valley which ended up being about a 4 hour trek. We even had a dog Achmed (we named him) follow us almost the whole way until he literally couldn’t anymore. (Intense climbing using hands and feet)
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#4 – Go ATV Riding through Cappadocia
You can take a Sunset ATV tour through Cappadocia for as little as $16! Tours can be scaled up from here depending on how long your tour is and what’s included. I recommend this 2 hour tour at sunset for $30.
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#5 – Watch the sunset at Sunset Point in Goreme
When I first got to Goreme at around 4 PM, the owners of my hostel told me that I should go watch the sunset at this “special viewpoint” about 10 minutes walking from the hostel. Say less. Depending on where you are staying in town, this could be anywhere from a 10 minute – 20 minute walk – but man is it worth it! You can buy snacks and tea up there and enjoy the best view of Goreme. And there’s a bunch of local Turkish guys playing their local tunes on the guitar. The vibes were prime. There are plenty of spots to walk around and get a 360 view of the town without too many people being all up in your grill. It does come with a small entrance fee… money well spent.
There are a lot of things to do in Cappadocia, but there is no need to overwhelm yourself with more than these 5. If you get these ‘things to do in Cappadocia’ done, your trip will be a trip well spent. I assure you that.
How Much Time to Spend in Cappadocia?
Three full days in Cappadocia seems perfect to me. This can also be done in 2.5 days if you are arriving in the afternoon.
Day 1 – Green Tour to see the Underground Cities, Ihlara Valley, Lunch, Selime Monastery (Star Wars landscape), Pigeon Valley.
Day 2 – Hot Air Balloon, Shopping/Exploring Town, ATV Ride at Sunset
Day 3 – Hiking in Love Valley and/or Pigeon Valley
Day 4 – Head back to Istanbul in the morning. Book your transfer to Kayseri airport here.
How to Get to Cappadocia from Istanbul? We have a whole post HERE to help you.
Where to Stay in Cappadocia
Most people stay in the town of Goreme. This is the closest to the balloons, restaurants, and cafes. Goreme is perfect for people without a car as everything is close by and walkable. Other options are Uchisar, Cavusin, Urgup, and Ortahisar.
I stayed at Diadem Cappadocia Guest House & Hostel and would highly recommend it. They have a mix of private rooms and dorm rooms. This is probably the best hostel I’ve ever stayed at anywhere in the world – the owners are some of the most friendly and generous people I’ve ever met. If you’re looking for a community experience when you come to Cappadocia – this is your spot.
If you’re looking for a luxury hotel – I wouldn’t know as I only stayed at Diadem. But there are tons of luxury options in Cappadocia, not to worry.
How to Get to Cappadocia
See our detailed post on How to Get to Cappadocia.
Car – rent a car in Istanbul or Antalya. Cappadocia is about 6.5 hours from Antalya, but if you’re planning out a longer Turkey Road Trip (highly recommend!) then this could be a good option. See our complete 2 Week Turkey Itinerary for inspiration! Also, see our post on renting a car in Turkey for all you need to know. We always rent with Discover Cars and would highly recommend them.
Bus – There are overnight buses that go from Istanbul all the way to Cappadocia. This will take about 10-12 hours. We recommend booking through Busbud if you plan on taking the bus.
Tour – Going with a tour to Cappadocia is very common for visitors to Turkey. A lot of tours head to the magical Pamukkale, the ruins of Ephesus, and Cappadocia as well. You can find a tour with these three stops here.
Plane – This is the best option. Fly to Kayseri Airport, then book a shared transfer to Goreme (about 45 minutes from the airport).
Summary – TOP Things to Do in Cappadocia
Cappadocia is one of the most amazing places in the world, and easily one of the places that you have to visit when you come to Turkey.
A lot of people who come to Turkey only visit Istanbul and Cappadocia, but in our opinion … that’s a sin. Turkey is LOADED with places you absolutely have to see. Pamukkale, Fethiye, Kas, and Antalya should be visited by everyone who comes to Turkey. (We have detailed guides on each of these places)
Turkey is also the perfect place to rent a car and get out of the city.
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If you’re interested, we have designed the Perfect 2 Week Turkey Itinerary for your upcoming trip. Turkey is currently our favorite country that we have ever visited.
Enjoy Turkey & Cappadocia!
