Things to do · Cappadocia · Turkey
17 best things to do in Cappadocia
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Cappadocia are Hot-air balloon flight, Göreme Open-Air Museum and Derinkuyu Underground City. Of the 17 picks below, 6 are free, 4 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Hot-air balloon flight
- Free sights
- 6
- Good on a rainy day
- Derinkuyu Underground City
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot-air balloon flight | Göreme | 3–4 hours including pickup | Expensive |
| Göreme Open-Air Museum | Göreme | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Derinkuyu Underground City | Derinkuyu | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Uçhisar Castle | Uçhisar | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Paşabağ (Monks Valley) | Çavuşin | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Kaymaklı Underground City | Kaymaklı | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Rose and Red valleys | Çavuşin | 2–4 hours | Free |
| Love Valley | Göreme | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Pigeon Valley | Uçhisar | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Zelve Open-Air Museum | Avanos | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Devrent Valley | Ürgüp | 20–30 minutes | Free |
| Çavuşin old village | Çavuşin | 45 minutes | Free |
| Avanos pottery workshops | Avanos | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Ortahisar Castle | Ortahisar | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Mustafapaşa village | Mustafapaşa | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Sarıhan Caravanserai | Avanos | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Wine tasting in Ürgüp | Ürgüp | 1 hour | Low cost |
The 17 best things to do
Experience · Göreme
1.Hot-air balloon flight
Dozens of balloons launch from the valleys around Göreme at dawn on calm mornings, drifting over fairy chimneys, vineyards and rock churches for about an hour, often climbing high enough to see Mount Erciyes. Flights depend on wind and are approved by the aviation authorities each morning, so cancellations are common, especially in winter.
Book your flight for your first morning so that, if it is cancelled, you can rebook on a later day of your stay.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours including pickup
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Book weeks ahead for spring, summer and autumn, choosing a licensed operator with clear cancellation and refund terms.
- Iconic
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Historic site · Göreme
2.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. 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.
Arrive at opening time before tour buses, and don't miss the Tokalı Church below the entrance, which many visitors skip.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Architecture
Historic site · Derinkuyu
3.Derinkuyu Underground City
The deepest of Cappadocia's underground cities reaches about 85 metres below ground, with several levels open to visitors. Narrow passages connect stables, kitchens, wine presses, wells, a chapel and ventilation shafts, and huge rolling stone doors could seal each level from inside.
Avoid it if you are claustrophobic or have back problems; some passages require crouching.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Castle · Uçhisar
4.Uçhisar Castle
A towering rock pinnacle honeycombed with tunnels and rooms, once a refuge and lookout over the whole region. Steps lead to a summit platform with views across Pigeon Valley to Göreme and, on clear days, to the snowy cone of Mount Erciyes.
Go late in the afternoon for the warm light, then eat on a terrace in Uçhisar village at sunset.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Kids
Nature · Çavuşin
5.Paşabağ (Monks Valley)
A field of mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys with two or three stone caps on a single stem, where hermits once lived. One chimney holds a chapel dedicated to St Simeon. Paved paths make it one of the easiest places to see fairy chimneys close up.
Combine it with Zelve and Devrent Valley on the same half-day loop.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Kids
- Photo spot
Historic site · Kaymaklı
6.Kaymaklı Underground City
Wider and shallower than Derinkuyu, Kaymaklı has a maze of low tunnels and rooms over several levels, including storage chambers, a church and stone mortars. It is about 10 km north of Derinkuyu, so most tours visit one or the other.
If you can only see one underground city, Kaymaklı is a little easier going for children and older visitors.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Nature · Çavuşin
7.Rose and Red valleys
Two connected valleys of pink and red rock between Göreme and Çavuşin, crossed by walking trails past hidden rock churches such as the Church of the Cross and the Columned Church. A ridge above the valleys is Cappadocia's most popular sunset viewpoint.
Hike in the afternoon from Göreme towards Çavuşin and finish at the sunset viewpoint; use a mapping app, as trails branch often.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Views
- Nature
Nature · Göreme
8.Love Valley
Known for its tall, smooth pillars of rock, Love Valley lies just north of Göreme and is one of the most photographed landscapes in Cappadocia. Balloons often fly low over it at dawn, and a trail runs along the valley floor among orchards.
Watch the balloons from the rim above the valley at sunrise; it is a short drive or a 30-minute walk from Göreme.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Nature
Nature · Uçhisar
1.Pigeon Valley
A green valley between Uçhisar and Göreme whose cliffs are dotted with dovecotes carved into the rock; farmers once collected pigeon droppings to fertilise vineyards. An easy trail of about 4 km links the two villages.
Walk it downhill from Uçhisar to Göreme, ending with lunch in Göreme.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Active
Historic site · Avanos
2.Zelve Open-Air Museum
Three adjoining valleys of cave houses, chapels, a mill and a rock-cut mosque, inhabited until the 1950s, when erosion made them unsafe and residents moved to a new village nearby. It is less crowded than Göreme and gives a sense of everyday cave life.
Bring a torch and sturdy shoes if you want to explore the tunnels connecting some of the dwellings.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Nature · Ürgüp
3.Devrent Valley
Also called Imagination Valley, Devrent is a lunar landscape of pink rock cones without cave dwellings, where visitors look for shapes such as the famous camel-shaped rock. It lies on the road between Paşabağ and Ürgüp.
Stop briefly on a drive between Avanos and Ürgüp; it needs no more than 20 minutes.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Photo spot
.jpg){kind=link}
Historic site · Çavuşin
4.Çavuşin old village
Above the modern village, a cliff is riddled with abandoned cave houses, and the Church of St John the Baptist, one of the oldest in the region, is carved high in the rock. A rough path climbs through the ruins.
Climb carefully; parts of the cliff are eroding, so keep to the visible paths.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Views
Experience · Avanos
5.Avanos pottery workshops
Potters in Avanos still shape red Kızılırmak river clay on kick wheels, continuing a tradition that goes back to the Hittites. Many workshops offer demonstrations and let visitors try the wheel, with showrooms of glazed bowls, plates and jugs.
Visit independently rather than on a tour stop to avoid pressure to buy, and haggle in the showrooms.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Art
Castle · Ortahisar
6.Ortahisar Castle
A great rock fortress carved with rooms, rising above the village of Ortahisar. Climbing to the top gives wide views over the valleys towards Göreme and Ürgüp, with fewer visitors than Uçhisar.
Afterwards, walk the village lanes to see the tuff caves where lemons and potatoes are stored.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Off the beaten path
- History
Neighbourhood · Mustafapaşa
7.Mustafapaşa village
The former Greek village of Sinasos has stone mansions with carved façades, the 18th-century Church of Saints Constantine and Helena, and a former Greek school. Rock churches lie in the valleys around it, and the village is calm even in high season.
Stop for tea in the main square and wander the lanes behind it to see the carved door frames.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Avanos
8.Sarıhan Caravanserai
A 13th-century Seljuk caravanserai a few kilometres east of Avanos, with a carved stone portal. In the evenings it hosts sema ceremonies of the Mevlevi whirling dervishes, a religious ritual rather than a show.
Attend the sema in silence and avoid applause and flash photography during the ceremony.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Sema evenings are usually booked through hotels or agencies a day or more ahead.
- History
- After dark
- Architecture
Experience · Ürgüp
9.Wine tasting in Ürgüp
Cappadocia has been a wine region since antiquity, and the volcanic soil suits the native white Emir grape. Wineries and tasting rooms in Ürgüp and Uçhisar pour local whites and reds, some in cellars cut into the rock.
Try an Emir white; it is rarely exported and is the region's signature grape.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Couples
- Rainy day
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Göreme Open-Air Museum and Avanos pottery workshops |
| History | Göreme Open-Air Museum, Derinkuyu Underground City, Kaymaklı Underground City and Zelve Open-Air Museum |
| Views | Hot-air balloon flight, Uçhisar Castle, Rose and Red valleys and Çavuşin old village |
| Outdoors and nature | Rose and Red valleys, Love Valley, Pigeon Valley and Zelve Open-Air Museum |
| Food and markets | Wine tasting in Ürgüp |
| After dark | Sarıhan Caravanserai |
| With children | Derinkuyu Underground City, Kaymaklı Underground City, Uçhisar Castle and Paşabağ (Monks Valley) |
| On a rainy day | Derinkuyu Underground City, Kaymaklı Underground City, Avanos pottery workshops and Wine tasting in Ürgüp |
What to book ahead
- Hot-air balloon flight: Book weeks ahead for spring, summer and autumn, choosing a licensed operator with clear cancellation and refund terms.
- Sarıhan Caravanserai: Sema evenings are usually booked through hotels or agencies a day or more ahead.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Cappadocia?
Hot-air balloon flight. Dozens of balloons launch from the valleys around Göreme at dawn on calm mornings, drifting over fairy chimneys, vineyards and rock churches for about an hour, often climbing high enough to see Mount Erciyes.
+What can you do for free in Cappadocia?
Rose and Red valleys, Love Valley, Pigeon Valley, Devrent Valley and Çavuşin old village. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Cappadocia when it rains?
Head indoors to Derinkuyu Underground City, Kaymaklı Underground City, Avanos pottery workshops and Wine tasting in Ürgüp.
+What is there to do in Cappadocia at night?
Sarıhan Caravanserai are best after dark.