With kids · Cappadocia · Turkey
Cappadocia with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cappadocia is an adventure for children: crawling through underground cities, exploring cave houses, trying the potter's wheel and watching balloons fill the sky. Most balloon operators set a minimum age, and long or steep hikes need planning. Top picks: Kaymaklı Underground City, Derinkuyu Underground City and Avanos pottery workshops. Families usually base themselves in Ürgüp.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Ürgüp
- Rainy-day options
- 3
- Busiest months
- September
Best things to do with kids
Historic site · Kaymaklı
1.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
Historic site · Derinkuyu
2.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
Experience · Avanos
3.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
Nature · Çavuşin
4.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
Castle · Uçhisar
5.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 · Ürgüp
6.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
Rainy-day ideas
- Derinkuyu Underground City — Avoid it if you are claustrophobic or have back problems; some passages require crouching.
- Kaymaklı Underground City — If you can only see one underground city, Kaymaklı is a little easier going for children and older visitors.
- Avanos pottery workshops — Visit independently rather than on a tour stop to avoid pressure to buy, and haggle in the showrooms.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for couples, families, food lovers and luxury
Ürgüp
Ürgüp is a working town of stone houses and cave hotels about 8 km east of Göreme, with restaurants, shops, banks and wine-tasting rooms around its main square. Temenni Hill gives a view over the rooftops, and it is a good base for the southern sights such as Mustafapaşa, Soğanlı and the underground cities.
- Good
- More local life and services; Good restaurants and wine; Central for the south
- Watch out
- Not within walking distance of the main valleys; Less dramatic setting than Göreme
- Nearby
- Temenni Hill, Mustafapaşa, Ortahisar
Family travel tips
- Check balloon operators' minimum age rules before booking; watching from the ground is a good alternative for young children.
- Underground cities involve narrow, low tunnels; carry small children rather than using strollers.
- Bring warm layers for cold mornings and sun protection for exposed afternoon hikes.
- Cave hotels often have uneven steps and terraces without railings; ask about family rooms.
- Short walks such as Pigeon Valley and Paşabağ suit younger children better than long valley hikes.
Day trips for families
- Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery (About 1 hour 30 minutes by car) — A canyon around 14 km long carved by the Melendiz River, with rock-cut churches in its walls and a shady riverside path; the popular section runs from Ihlara village to Belisırma.
- Mount Erciyes (About 1 hour 30 minutes by car) — The extinct volcano that dominates the horizon is home to a modern ski resort with lifts and pistes, usually from December to March or April.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–June and September–October. September is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Cappadocia good for kids?
Cappadocia is an adventure for children: crawling through underground cities, exploring cave houses, trying the potter's wheel and watching balloons fill the sky. Most balloon operators set a minimum age, and long or steep hikes need planning.
+What can kids do in Cappadocia?
Kaymaklı Underground City, Derinkuyu Underground City, Avanos pottery workshops, Paşabağ (Monks Valley) and Uçhisar Castle.
+Where should families stay in Cappadocia?
Ürgüp: Larger town with boutique hotels, wineries and a proper town centre.