Places to Visit in Cappadocia

This content was last updated on 24.01.2024 22:20

Before going into the subject of places to visit in Cappadocia, it is necessary to briefly talk about Cappadocia. Cappadocia is an extraordinary place beyond dreams. Cappadocia is such a unique region that you can find an important point that you must see at every step.

Located in the middle of the Anatolian peninsula and on important roads, Cappadocia is a place where many cultures, beliefs and philosophies blend with its existing structure.

The name of Cappadocia comes from the word Katpatukya, which means "Land of Beautiful Horses". Many things await you in Cappadocia, such as unique houses carved into the rocks, churches, underground cities, colorful balloons, famous Cappadocia wines and magnificent sunset views. There are so many places to visit and see…

Places to Visit in Cappadocia

Places to Visit in Goreme

1. Valley of Love

"Love Valley" is one of the most popular of the Cappadocia valleys and one of the most beautiful scenery. The reason why the valley is associated with "love" is that it is the scene of many marriage proposals.

Also known as the Baglidere Valley, the "Valley of Love" starts from Örencik on the Göreme - Uçhisar road and ends on the Göreme - Avanos road with a length of 4.9 km. It takes 2.5 hours to walk to the exit of the valley, where Cappadocia balloon tours are also visited, and therefore, if you are interested in nature walks, it is the place for you.

2. Goreme Open Air Museum

Göreme Open Air Museum, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a natural and cultural asset since December 6, 1985, is an area to be explored with its interesting structure and scenery made of volcanic tuff.

You will encounter many churches, chapels and living spaces carved into the rocks in this region, where the monastic life began and the missionary and seclusion of Christians fleeing from oppression began.

Göreme Open Air Museum is home to many structures such as Tokalı Church, Elmalı Church, Yılanlı Church, Saint Barbara Chapel, Saint Basil Chapel, Çarıklı Church, Girls Monastery and Dark Church.

Since the murals inside the Dark Church are still intact and very clear, an extra fee is paid to enter the church to preserve these values.

Visiting hours:

• 1 April – 1 October / 08:00 – 19:00 (Close to the box office 18.15)
• 1 October – 1 April / 08:00 – 17:00 (Close to the box office 16.15)

Entry Fee: 75 TL

3. Gulludere Valley

While walking this 4-kilometer valley, you will see the most beautiful aspects of Fairy Chimneys. The fairy chimneys, which offer a magnificent view especially with the sunset, turn into a red rose color with the sunlight.

There are also ruins and churches belonging to the monastic life of ancient Christians in the valley.

The "Three Crosses Church" built in the 7th century and the "Ayvalı Church" built in the 9th century, which you will see among the vineyards and apricot trees, are the important historical relics of this valley.

Places to Visit in Urgup

1. Temenni Hill

Hill of Hope (Temenni Tepesi) is a place you must see in Ürgüp and you will definitely see it even if you don't want to. Because this is in the very center of Ürgüp and at an altitude of 80 meters, it is a rock hill that cannot be missed.

Temenni Hill can be seen from all parts of Ürgüp. When you look from Temenni Hill, you can see a very wide area, including the surrounding region, up to Ürgüp and even Erciyes Mountain. If you are a landscape lover, I recommend going out.

The view is not the only feature of the hill. There are two cupolas and tombs of important people on the hill.

The tomb on the right after entering the hill, the Kılıçarslan Gazi Tomb, is the place where the story of the name of the hill is hidden. People tie rags to this shrine to make wishes, that is, to express their wishes.

The cupola in the middle of the hill was formerly used as Tahsin Ağa Public Library, but the library was later moved to a new building in the district center.

Finally, there are the ruins of St. Georgios Church on the south-west side.

Visiting Hours: 08.00 – 19.00

2. Gomeda Valley

If you are interested in horror movies and mysterious legends, I would definitely recommend adding Gomeda Valley to your list of places to visit in Cappadocia.

Gomeda Valley is 5 km from Ürgüp. It is located in the town of Mustafapasa, located at a distance of

Although the "Bey Stream", which glides through the valley, offers a lively atmosphere with nature, such as fruit trees, it is just as scary with its dark caverns and rock cavities that look like apartments.

However, the reason for this image is actually pigeons! These rock cavities, called Güvercinlik, look like 5-6-floor apartments in some places, and castles in some places.

There are also many churches in the Gomeda Valley, some of which are too old to even be known. Alakara Church, St. Basilios Church are the prominent ones among these churches.

There is also an old underground city in the valley. It is a little difficult to visit the underground city, which has a very small entrance, because the tunnels and the entrance are quite narrow. If you're claustrophobic, I wouldn't recommend trying it.

After Gomeda Valley, there is Üzengi Valley. If you intend to progress on the hiking trail, you can also explore the Üzengi Valley.

At this point, you have to jump from place to place or enter the water. If you have a plan to hike, I recommend you come prepared.

3. Three Beauties

Three Beauties, three fairy chimneys that stand out with their beauty worthy of their name among the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia.

But how did this trio come to the fore when everywhere is fairy chimneys and rock formations everywhere?

For one thing, their shapes are quite distinctive. It is one of the fairy chimneys where the mushroom hat form that comes to mind when it comes to this triple fairy chimney is seen most clearly. For this reason, they have become both the symbol of Cappadocia and a photographic spot for many tourists.

There is also a legend of the Three Beauties. According to legend, the daughter of the King of Cappadocia falls in love with a shepherd in the region and wants to get married. Despite the king's disapproval, the princess and the shepherd get married and have a baby. The king sends soldiers to slaughter the entire family, and all three turn to stone when the princess begins to pray to escape death.

It is believed that the foremost fairy chimney of the Three Graces is the shepherd, the middle one is the child and the back one is the princess.

If you want to see the Three Beauties too, proceed from Kızılçukur Valley towards Ürgüp. Of course, you will know from the crowd on the side of the road that you are in the right place.

Places to Visit in Uçhisar

1. Uchisar Castle

Uchisar Castle is the largest fairy chimney in the region, which can be seen from all over Cappadocia.

The summit of the castle is the best place where you can see all of Cappadocia from a bird's eye view and it is the only place where you can see Erciyes Mountain and Hasan Mountain together.

I especially recommend you to watch the sunset from the castle. Especially if you come across a day when the balloons take off, you can encounter an unforgettable view.

Inside the castle, there are many rooms, tombs, cisterns and shelters carved into the rocks.

If you are planning to visit Uchisar Castle, keep in mind: You have to make some effort to get up to the castle. Although not many, a considerable staircase awaits you.

Visiting Hours: 08.00 – 17.30
Entry Fee: 8 TL

2. Pigeon Valley

Güvercinlik Valley is a 4 kilometers long valley that starts from Uçhisar and extends to Göreme, taking its name from the pigeon nests carved into the rocks.

In the Pigeon Valley, which can be visited with a green tour of Cappadocia, the people of the region fed the pigeons until the 9th century and used their manure in the vineyards and their eggs in the plaster of the frescoes.

Know These Before You Go To Cappadocia

• Whenever you go to Cappadocia, know that the weather can be cold or suddenly cold. Even on summer days, it gets cold suddenly in the evenings. Therefore, you should definitely have long-sleeved clothes, socks and a hoodie with you.
• It may be better for you to have your museum card, otherwise you can consider getting it
• If you don't have a car, consider renting it or you may have difficulties in transportation (if you are going to participate in tours, it is not necessary)

Where is Cappadocia

Cappadocia is actually a name given to a whole geographical area covering the following regions.

• Goreme
• Urgup
• Avanos
• Derinkuyu
• Ihlara
• Kaymaklı

Covering the regions of Cappadocia, it is a center of attraction with a wonderful nature.

While most of the Cappadocia region, which is one of Turkey's tourism paradises, is located in Nevşehir, some regions are within the provincial borders of Kayseri, Niğde, Kırşehir and Aksaray.

How to go to Cappadocia

Nevşehir, which is the main center of the Cappadocia region, is located in the middle of the Central Anatolia Region and is at a very easy point in terms of transportation.

You can reach Nevşehir with your private car, bus or plane.

How to Get to Cappadocia by Bus

It is possible to reach the Cappadocia Region by bus, not only from metropolitan cities, but also from other cities.

It is possible to find round-trip tickets for an average of 75 TL from intercity bus companies in any city in Turkey.

The bus journey from Istanbul to Cappadocia takes about 10 hours.

How to Go to Cappadocia by Plane

Turkish Airlines has an average of 4 reciprocal flights from Istanbul to Nevşehir every day (350 TL on average / December 2021). It is quite possible to find tickets from other airline companies according to the date you will go to Nevşehir.

The duration of the flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia takes an average of 1 hour and 30 minutes. The distance from Nevşehir Cappadocia Airport (NAV) to the center of Nevşehir is 30 km.

Unfortunately, there are no direct bus services from the airport to Nevşehir centre. For Nevşehir Airport Cappadocia transfers, Turkish Airlines and Anadolu Jet have special services for their passengers to districts such as Nevşehir Center and Ürgüp, and from the center to the airport. The average fee for the service is 35 TL.

If you do not have such an opportunity, you can come to Gülşehir by Tuzköy minibuses departing from the airport every hour, and to Nevşehir center by municipal buses from Gülşehir. You should also keep in mind that when you make airport transfers with Tuzköy minibuses, even if you pay small fees, you will lose at least 2 hours of time.

This is why it is very important to research beforehand whether the hotel you will be staying in provides transfers.

If you have a flight departing from Nevşehir Cappadocia Airport, you can take the airport shuttles departing from Çarşı center, in front of Nevşehir University and Forum Kapadokya at least 2 hours before.

How to Go to Cappadocia by Private Vehicle

If you want to reach by your own vehicle by choosing the highway, some road information is as follows;

• The distance between Kayseri and Nevşehir is approximately 80 kilometers and takes 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• The distance between Ankara and Nevşehir is approximately 295 kilometers and takes 3 hours and 40 minutes.
• The distance between Istanbul and Nevşehir is approximately 725 kilometers and takes 7 hours and 40 minutes.
• The distance between Bursa and Nevşehir is approximately 630 kilometers and takes 7 hours and 15 minutes.
• The distance between İzmir and Nevşehir is approximately 760 kilometers and takes 8 and a half hours.

When to go to Cappadocia

First of all, it should be said that there is no clear answer to this. You can visit Cappadocia in every season and every season Cappadocia will be waiting for you with a different beauty.

Therefore, the answer to the question of when to go to Cappadocia may vary according to your expectations.

If you want to get on the balloon, then you should choose the summer and spring months when the weather conditions are most suitable for the balloon.

If you are going to do activities where you will be intertwined with nature (such as nature walks), it is possible to do it, provided you have the appropriate equipment and clothes. Of course, it may be logical to choose the spring and summer months so that the weather conditions do not force you.

If you can see the fairy chimneys when they are covered with snow, you can visit Cappadocia in winter.

If you want to experience romance, the best time for you is autumn.

In short, this is a matter that depends entirely on your expectations.

Let's add as a general information that the average annual temperature value in Cappadocia is 12 degrees, 20% of the year is below 0 degrees and 10% is above 30 degrees.