A trip to Cappadocia is a serious bucket list item that everyone should experience at least once in their lives. Here’s my round up of must do things in Cappadocia, how to get there, where to stay and where to eat.
- Ride a hot air balloon at sunrise (€100+) – check out Kapadokya Balloons or Butterfly Balloons or book via Get Your Guide online here (prices in 2022 seem to be coming in at €160+)
- Hike to sunset point (20mins)
- Visit Goreme Open Air Museum
- Visit Uchisar castle
- Go horseback riding through Red Valley at sunset
- Go hiking through Rose Valley (so called because of the rose glow at sunset) or Pigeon Valley
- Wander the streets of Goreme
- Visit Sultan Carpets (€20 for 1 hour)
- Watch 150+ balloons take to the sky at sunrise from your hotel rooftop
- Go to the balloon take off point for sunrise – ask your hotel for the nearest/ some recommendations
- Visit the fairy chimneys in Love Valley
- Go on a 2 hour quad safari through Sword, Rose & Love Valleys (€30-40), book online here
- if quads aren’t your thing, be sure to visit Love Valley, Rose Valley and Sword Valley anyways.
- Book a sunset horse trek (suitable for all levels), book online here.
How to get to Cappadocia
Fly to Kayseri airport. Kayseri is only a 90min plane ride from Istanbul, with prices often as long as €25 each way. Once you arrive at Kayseri, you can get a 1hr15min taxi to Goreme for €55-65 or you can get a shuttle bus to Kayseri for €1 (runs every hour) with Havas and another shuttle bus onwards to Goreme for €2-3 (every 4 hours) with Kamil Koc.
Where to stay in Cappadocia
Here’s a list of hotels to suit various budgets (prices are for one night in October 2022)
- Aza Cave Hotel: €238 for a deluxe room (€169 with booking.com genius discount)
- Hera Cave Suites: €230 for double room (€111 with booking.com genius discount) – where we stayed, with amazing cave rooms and a rooftop terrace with a fab view for sunrise
- Cappadocia Caves Hotel: €75 for a small double room – we stayed for 1 night here, they have a small rooftop pool and bar too
- Koza Cave Suite: €218 – well known from Instagram, this place is located up a hill and has a great sunrise view from the rooftop terrace
- Sultan Cave Suites: €450 for a suite room (€348 with booking.com genius discount)
Where to eat in Cappadocia
- Keyif restaurant- great local cuisine, try the pottery kebab and enjoy the great view!
- Dibek restaurant- another local spot, with an incredible rooftop view
- One Way restaurant – enjoy dinner accompanied by some live music!
- Oscar Steakhouse – enjoy steak and wine, with a view.
- Meihua Chinese – if you are craving some fresh and authentic Chinese food (with delicious veggies)
- Organic Wine House – enjoy some vino with a view.
- Get your caffeine fix at King’s Coffee House on the main street.
Above all, enjoy your trip and let me know if the above was helpful and what the highlights were.
