History · Cappadocia · Turkey
8 historic sites to see in Cappadocia
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Göreme Open-Air Museum, Derinkuyu Underground City and Kaymaklı Underground City. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 8–10 hours across 7 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 8–10 hours
- Areas
- Göreme, Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı
Historic sites in Cappadocia
Historic site · Göreme
1.Göreme Open-Air Museum
The Dark Church (Karanlık Kilise), with an extra ticket, has the best-preserved colours because little light entered it. The Tokalı Church, just down the road from the main gate, has some of the finest painting in Cappadocia.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Architecture
Historic site · Derinkuyu
2.Derinkuyu Underground City
Narrow passages connect stables, kitchens, wine presses, wells, a chapel and ventilation shafts, and huge rolling stone doors could seal each level from inside.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Historic site · Kaymaklı
3.Kaymaklı Underground City
It is about 10 km north of Derinkuyu, so most tours visit one or the other.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Historic site · Avanos
4.Zelve Open-Air Museum
It is less crowded than Göreme and gives a sense of everyday cave life.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
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Historic site · Çavuşin
5.Çavuşin old village
A rough path climbs through the ruins.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Views
Castle · Ortahisar
6.Ortahisar Castle
Climbing to the top gives wide views over the valleys towards Göreme and Ürgüp, with fewer visitors than Uçhisar.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Off the beaten path
- History
Neighbourhood · Mustafapaşa
7.Mustafapaşa village
Rock churches lie in the valleys around it, and the village is calm even in high season.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Avanos
8.Sarıhan Caravanserai
In the evenings it hosts sema ceremonies of the Mevlevi whirling dervishes, a religious ritual rather than a show.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- After dark
- Architecture
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Göreme | Göreme Open-Air Museum | 1.5–2 hours |
| Derinkuyu | Derinkuyu Underground City | 1 hour |
| Kaymaklı | Kaymaklı Underground City | 1 hour |
| Avanos | Zelve Open-Air Museum and Sarıhan Caravanserai | 1–1.5 hours + 1 hour |
| Çavuşin | Çavuşin old village | 45 minutes |
| Ortahisar | Ortahisar Castle | 45 minutes |
| Mustafapaşa | Mustafapaşa village | 1–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 2 low cost, 4 mid-priced. Book ahead for Sarıhan Caravanserai. The longest visit is Göreme Open-Air Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Sarıhan Caravanserai: Sema evenings are usually booked through hotels or agencies a day or more ahead.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Göreme, Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı): Göreme Open-Air Museum → Derinkuyu Underground City → Kaymaklı Underground City, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Avanos, Çavuşin and Ortahisar): Zelve Open-Air Museum → Sarıhan Caravanserai → Çavuşin old village → Ortahisar Castle, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Mustafapaşa): Mustafapaşa village, at least 1 hour.
The quietest months for queues
- November: highs of 12°C (54°F), about 6 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold mornings and shorter days, with fewer visitors and lower prices; balloon flights become less reliable.
- January: highs of 4°C (39°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold, with snow on the fairy chimneys making for spectacular photos; balloon cancellations are frequent and some trails are muddy or icy.
- February: highs of 6°C (43°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. Still cold with occasional snow; quiet and low-priced, with frequent wind cancellations for balloons.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Göreme — The main base, packed with cave hotels, valley trailheads and balloon views
- Ortahisar — Quiet village under a rock castle, with caves used to store lemons
- Avanos — Pottery town on the Kızılırmak river, with good-value hotels
- Mustafapaşa — Former Greek village of carved stone mansions and quiet lanes
- Çavuşin — Tiny village below a cliff of cave dwellings, at the mouth of Rose Valley
More of Cappadocia
All things to do in Cappadocia · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Cappadocia?
Göreme Open-Air Museum. A cluster of rock-cut monasteries, chapels and refectories with frescoes from roughly the 10th to 12th centuries, the core of the UNESCO-listed Göreme National Park.
+Which of these are free in Cappadocia?
Çavuşin old village and Mustafapaşa village.