Why do so many people travel to Cappadocia? Is it that unique – Well, we will show you something spectacular.
Be it a cave house or a weird penis-look-alike rock, Cappadocia’s magical landscape is the strangest of all. You can call it “Moon-like”, “Alien”, or “Extraterrestrial” – Cappadocia justifies all the above words. I was surprised to see questions on online forums when people asked if Cappadocia was worth the hype!
So our Cappadocia Travel guide will show you the true side of this amazing natural wonder, along with reality checks on social media photos.
Index
- What is Cappadocia,
- Why visit?
- How many days to spend here?
- How to reach?
- Where to stay?
- How to go around Cappadocia
- Exploring different routes
- What you see on social media Vs reality
- Dos & Donts
- Few Viewpoints for the incredible views
What is Cappadocia
What does Cappadocia mean in English?
Cappadocia (pronounced Kapadokya) is a Persian word translated to the land of the horse. So by this word, it is clear that this cave town of the Anatolian region was under Persian, later Ottomans, and fell into Christians’ hands.
Why should travel to Cappadocia?
Travel to Cappadocia for the caves & unique landscape
The strange-looking Penis and mushroom-shaped rocks are a result of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. It is super strange to see the ancient cave houses with a Minaret of a mosque popping up next to them! Call it fairy Chimneys or stranger things; Cappadocia is the land of uniquely magical things. The best part is you get to see the magic from above too!
What is Cappadocia known for?
Cappadocia is known for hiking trails and hot air ballon rides.
If you love hiking and biking, Cappadocia has hundreds of trails for you. When you want to see it as a bird, the hot air balloons take you up, making you feel like you landed on a different planet. If you want to do neither of it, sitting and watching the balloons rise up in the air behind the crazy rocks while eating some delicious Kayseri cheese and smoking hookah on a Turkish carpet can soothe your soul to the fullest.
An hour’s drive can take you to the nearby villages to see the endless grasslands with snowcapped mountains on the horizon. Solitude, nature and great works like a great combo in the heart of Turkey’s best-preserved natural wonder.
How many days is enough in Cappadocia?
Travel to Cappadocia for minimum of two full days
We spent two full days and stayed for three nights in Cappadocia – It wasn’t enough. We lost half a day because of the delay in our flight. So we missed watching the hot air balloon rising from our cave hotel terrace.
In the heart of nature like this, with fine cheese and incredible views, you can easily stay for a week. But one thing I am sure of – A day trip to Cappadocia is a waste. If you are taking up any private guided tour, if the organiser says a day trip to Cappadocia from Istanbul, please don’t fall for it as you don’t even get to scratch the surface of this Chimney land.
Three full days is good to explore all three routes by bike, along with a hot air balloon ride and watch the balloons rising in the sky from your breakfast table. With the super cheap cave houses for rent, full-time travellers spend a week to ten days hiking and walking on different trails.
What’s the best way to get to Cappadocia?
The nearest train station and airport to Cappadocia is Kayseri. Which is 70km away.
The airport is a small domestic airport with only a runway and an entry/exit gate.
To get to Cappadocia from Kayseri, cheap and best shuttle buses will be waiting right outside the airport and train station
How do I get to Cappadocia from Istanbul?
The cheapest way to travel to Cappadocia is by night bus. From Istanbul to Cappadocia, it takes 12hrs which may be tiresome. The night bus journey that we took was of 8hr from Cappadocia to Pamukkale, which was super comfortable. You find lots of bus agencies in the town centre.
HEADS UP – Probably 20 minutes after leaving Kayseri, the magical land reveals. Very likely, you will be sleep-deprived. Put an effort to stay awake for a while. Once the fairy chimneys and rolling hills appear, your eyes, mind and soul will be awake mesmerised by the beauty outside your bus window.
Where to stay in Cappadocia?
Cappadocia region consists of multiple towns. One common thing among all these areas is the cave hotels and the usual hotels. So any area you choose, you can get a cave room or you can stay in a regular hotel/BnB to save money.
Which part of Cappadocia is best to stay?
This is Urgup, the most beautiful village you come across when you travel in Cappadocia
Goreme – It is the main town with the bus stand and Bike/Car rental places, travel hot air Ballon rides agencies, route tours, many restaurant choices, and so on. The town centre caters to everything that a tourist needs, so the prices here for rooms are higher. A famous Instagram photo of Breakfast with the dog and Balloons in the background is usually taken in the hotel Sultan Caves here at Goreme.
Urgup – It is a quieter town, 12km away from Goreme. With few restaurants and hotels, you can expect more excellent views of the new village meeting the older caves.
Uchisar – This is located on the highest point in Cappadocia, so expect some best views. Less touristy than Goreme, but make sure you have either car or bike to go around Here.
Avanos – The smaller town is famous for its cheese and pottery. Very likely, you may not get the views of the valley or chimneys here, but rooms will be cheaper. If you want to stay with locals more than the tourists and don’t mind going around with your bikes, this is a great choice.
Where did we stay in Cappadocia?
SOS Cave Hotel, Goreme. CAUTION – WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL. As per booking.com, the check-in time was 12, but when we went there, the owner made us wait for an hour even after 1.30 telling us, that booking.com had given us false information, and his check-in time was 2 PM. He did help us in booking bus tickets and the Green route trip, but was extremely rude! We even hired a bike from his father’s rental agency – Gortur. He was unfriendly and wasn’t ready to answer our two or three questions. While we returned the bike, we saw other tourists fighting with him for false allegations of the bike’s damage. Fortunately, he did not try to cheat on us. Breakfast was very basic; the cave room was clean enough. The views were good, but We are sure there are better hotels for the same rate in Cappadocia.
How do you travel around Cappadocia?
Is it easy to drive in Cappadocia?
Self-driven bikes/bicycles are the best way to explore Cappadocia because the roads are more fascinating than those labelled destinations on the map. It was in May when there were few vehicles on the road.
Is Cappadocia safe to travel ?
We have missed some routes, taken detours, and ended up in some noman’s land with a poor network. I wouldn’t say drop your guard and get lost in the woods; it is still safe to do so. You can stop at random places where the bus tourists don’t come. Local Turks also love to play music and dance with their hookas in some exotic locations. So it is all good to go by yourself to witness the magical land by yourself.
Are there camels in Cappadocia?
If you feel like not walking in the hilly areas, you can hire either a horse or camels in that spot( Keep in mind that Camel and Horse rides aren’t available everywhere.) My recommendation is Two-wheelers, either bikes or Bicycles since you don’t have to worry about finding a parking space much.
Cycling or mountain biking will be fun but may consume more time. A motorbike is the best option if you are in Cappadocia for less than 3 days. We rented a motorbike for a day, and we had a fantastic chilling evening and Ashrith’s fever that he got from Hagia Sophia increased. Without any choice left, we booked two seats on a Group bus tour, which was a waste of money – I will tell you why next.
How to rent bikes in Goreme?
There are plenty of rental agencies in Goreme and very few in Uchisar and Avanos. You have to show your original DL and a copy of the same to rent bikes or cars. I had forgotten to carry my DL. Fortunately, I had the copy in my email. We rented it from the agency called Gortur in Goreme. He did agree to give the bike without seeing the original document. You can rent bikes for hourly ( Minimum 2hrs) or days together.
Why I don’t prefer buses to Travel around Cappadocia?
It may be suitable for those who don’t or can’t drive and are ok with the limited time allotted to see particular spots. After having a splendid time the previous day, as per our wish and will, this time-constrained tour felt restricted. Plus, they take you to specific tourist spots. There was no way we could choose if we wanted to go further ahead or stay back more. It was very irritating to be mechanical and bound to clock at an amazing natural wonder like Cappadocia.
Exploring different routes -Red, Blue & Green
The maps you get at your hotel room will have three routes marked in different colours. Red- Blue and Green. We explored the Red route by bike and the Green by bus group tour. If you plan to take up any two routes and Ballon ride, make sure to sort out which trail you want to see by bike. Because the hot air Ballon ride takes you to the valleys and spots on these trails, it is better to explore the valleys that aren’t covered by the Ballon ride.
What is Red tour in Cappadocia?
Love valley – Penis Rocks
Uchisar Castle
Pasarbag valley
Devrent Valley – Camel rock
This is the shortest route, with a 29km round trip. Perhaps the best. Red highlights of the route are – Love valley, Uchisar castle, Pasarbag valley, and Devrent Valley (camel rock). You get to see a lot of rock formations and chimneys on this route. The detours you can take are endless, hence we recommend renting a scooter or bicycle.
Is Green or Red tour Cappadocia better?
Hasan Dagi mountain
Pigeon Valley
Ilhara
Kaledibi monastery
The longest of all routes is the Red tour with a Round trip 213km. I wish we had chosen the Blue route over this! The brochure or internet image about Ilhara is way far from reality. Highlights of this route are – Göreme Panorama, Kaledibi monastery, and Ihara. Compared to the Red route, this route is less impressive.
Blue route – Round trip 119km. More Monasteries, churches, Greek villages and vineyards
It is good to follow these routes, but it is all fine to even miss them and end up in some village or rocks you never thought of going to. On our way to fairy Chimney, we missed a right turn and ended up in a beautiful compact village called Avanos. The village is famous for pottery and cheese. Plus, the chilling cold made us buy a good quality jacket here for a cheap rate. An unintended detour result is that the jacket that we have used in every colder place since 2018 is something unexpected.
What you see on social media Vs reality
Cappadocia is one of the most Instagrammed locations. Before you get carried away by the over-edited glam pictures or get discouraged by the off-beaten travellers who label this extraordinary place “Touristy”, read ahead to decide for yourself.
PS: Cappadocia’s Dervish dance is supposedly hypnotically beautiful. The good whirling Dervish dance ceremony is as expensive as 40 Euros!
The Carpets & Cappadocia
Most Carpet shops in Cappadocia don’t encourage you to photograph them! So pretty photos on Instagram of Cappadocia carpets may be difficult to click, or you may have to pay for click the carpet photos. So allow yourself some budget for the pretty carpet photos here.
Is Cappadocia worth the hype?
Yes. It is. Tourists who travel from social media overemphasize it. The globe wanderers find it very touristy. We are neither of them. You can easily get away from the touristy crowd to relish yourself in nature. And still, come back to the crowd to enjoy usual things like Hot air balloon.
Is Cappadocia too touristy?
The monasteries and their caves are breathtaking. The cave openings sometimes frame the snowcapped mountains at the horizon. This scene looks like a painting. When you see the underground cities, you will be speechless and wonder how humans lived 8 floors underground with each floor interconnected. IT IS WORTH THE HYPE. TOURISTS FLOCKING CAPPADOCIA FOR A VALID REASON.
Is it worth it to go to Cappadocia?
The sights of Love valley, red valley and vineyards from above were beyond our imagination. It looks more fascinating than the internet pictures. I don’t deny the fact that it is touristy, but the valley is so big that you can go infinite hiking and camping if you want to and know how to do it.
Is the Cappadocia Hot air balloon ride worth the money?
A trip to Cappadocia without taking a Hot Air Balloon ride is like eating Veg Biryani. You get the taste, but the actual taste lies in the meat. The prices aren’t as low as in Egypt, but it is worth every single paisa we pay. Every weird formation that you saw on land the previous day becomes visible at one glance from above. The combination of vineyards, caves and rocks makes you realise how feeble you are in front of mother nature. Take up early rides that start right before the sunset. The sunrays falling on the valley make it even more dazzling.
Is hot air balloon ride worth it in Cappadocia?
There is no doubt in seeing Caapdocia from above, but it isn’t all about serenity. We booked a non-private ride through Hot air Balloon Cappadocia online a week before the day of the ride. It included a two-way transfer o the hotel, morning mini breakfast and tea. Plus a certificate of Participation ( LOL Ya, we did nothing but stand and watch the phenomenal landscape . Still a certificate of participation :D) and a champagne celebration at the end.
Be prepared to face the annoyance of your fellow passengers in the ballon. There were 16 people in one cradle.
All of us were overexcited, and few of them didn’t know how to control themselves. Many made video phone calls to their families to show them how beautiful their background is. Some were jumping with joy, unaware of them pushing the person next to them.
There were over-enthusiastic videographers recording and giving live commentary for their vlogs. And there were only a few of us who quietly took photos on phones for a while and savoured the otherworldly landscape while trying to ignore the annoyance for 1.5hrs. To avoid this annoyance, you can book private Balloon rides that cost you a fortune.
Hot air Ballons in Cappadocia are throughout the year.
On paper, YES – IT IS THROUGHOUT. If the fortune isn’t in your favour, the ride may get cancelled if the wind speed is more than 10km/hr or the weather is rainy, snow, stormy or foggy.
Breakfast, Ballons and Cappadocia are – Most famous pictures on the internet.
You have to have a perfect plan for one of the most sought Instagrammed pictures of Cappadocia. You can’t get the Ballon+breakfast frame randomly. It is not as candid or natural as it looks on Instagram. You have to schedule your trips to do Breakfast at a particular time of the day and particular locality. Balloons fly above particular locations. Make sure your room or hotel is in that area, especially near Goreme, at around 6 AM! IT IS NOT AN ALL-DAY PHENOMENON. Plus, most cafes that have the perfect spot are expensive.
Every route/spot on the map is magical.
NOPE! The underground villages are a charm, but not everything on the map is worth your time in Cappadocia for less than 3 days. The Green tour itself is a big trap. Ilhaara is not worth wasting your time if you are in Cappadocia for two to three days. Those sloped roof-hanging huts on the river are not as good as they appear on the brochure. Plus, the food tastes horrible in the place where I ate.
Things not to do when you travel to Cappadocia.
- Don’t buy Turkish delights at Cappadocia; they are not as fresh as the ones in Istanbul.
- Don’t buy Zultanite or Sultanate from random shops, even if your tour organiser says these are genuine stones.
- You don’t need camels and horses to climb unless you want to. Don’t get fooled by agents who scare you by saying the trails are hard to walk.
- The magical post/pre-wedding shoots cost you a bomb and are not as easy as it looks.
- Avoid bus group tours as much as possible.
- Go hiking, carry lots of water and some food. Many hiking trails don’t have shops selling water also.
- Wear the most comfortable footwear and carry jackets even during early summers.
Where can I take pictures in Cappadocia?
If you are in Cappadocia for two to three days, finding the best spots for sunset times may be overwhelming. Here are our 7 favourite spots for watching the sunset and hiking. Click on the image for the Google Map link.
- Near SOS Cave hotel, Goreme – Anytime hiking
- Near Spelunca Hotel – sunset spot
- Rose valley – view of vineyards and hiking
- Love valley – Hiking and Balloon ride views
- Fairy Chimneys – Craziest of all chimneys, touristy spot. Make sure to climb up for better views and to escape the crowd
- Devrent Valley – The best road we have ever driven. Go to this exact spot for sunset.
- Cruising Red Hill – Wavy hills with a tint of red. One of the famous trails for hiking, best viewed from a balloon ride.
Near SOS Cave hotel, Goreme – Anytime hiking
Near Spelunca Hotel – sunset spot
Rose valley – view of vineyards and hiking in the morning
Fairy Chimneys – Climb the hill opp to the monastery
Devrent hills are – Best spot for watching the sunset
Cruising Red Hill – Best time is during sunrise
Will you travel to Cappadocia or skip it after reading our post? Let us know in the comment section below.
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