Cappadocia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a historical region located in Central Turkey. It is mostly known for its moon-like landscape or as the land of whimsical fairy chimneys and peculiar rock formations. Cappadocia is generally regarded as the plains and the mountainous region of eastern Central Anatolia around the upper and middle reaches of the Kizilirmak river. Due to its inland location and high altitude, Cappadocia has a rather continental climate, with hot dry summers and cold snowy winters.

The caravan path between Cappadocia and Konya also used to be a part of the Silk Road, a historic system of caravan trails through Turkey, Persia (Iran), India and China that allowed trade to prosper and cultures to come in contact over the centuries.

The typical landscape was shaped by erosion and by ancient volcanic eruptions. The thick ashes became solidified in rock formations and these were then shaped by the eroding wind and water. This way a fairytale landscape of cones, pillars, mushrooms and chimneys came to exist and every year draws in millions of people from all over the world!

But human hands also performed incredible work here and created a network of handmade caves and tunnels. You imagine it and they created it into the soft stone rocks: houses, places of worship, storages. They actually created entire towns underneath the ground, all connected through different tunnel complexes which could run 8 different storages deep underground!

When we missed our flight to Keysari from Istanbul, I was so devastated since the flight has been paid for and it was the Eid ul Azha holiday season. It had completely messed up our entire Turkiye trip since three nights were allocated to Cappadocia. Now that one night has been scrapped due to our misfortune, we had to make the most of the two nights we got.

How to get to Cappadocia

By Air

It takes about 1 hr and 15 mins to fly to Cappadocia from Istanbul. Cappadocia has two airports — Nevsehir Kapadokya (NAV) and Kayseri Erkilet (ASR).

There are direct flights daily from Istanbul – Istanbul (IST) or Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) – to either airport. Nevsehir is closer to the main towns of Göreme and Urgup but Kayseri is the larger airport.

By Bus

Several companies run nightly buses from Istanbul to Cappadocia, including Metro Turizm and Nevşehir Seyahat. This is the cheapest way to go but it’s also the longest, around 10 hours so it’s best done as an overnight trip. With that said, Turkish long-haul buses are among the most comfortable I hear but travelling with two kids, we opted to travel around either by air or direct taxi where the distance was within 300 kms. Due to the missed direct flight to Kayseri, we had to first take a flight to the capital city Ankara and then drove about 300kms in around 3.5 hours directly by airport taxi to come to Goreme, the center of Cappadocia region.

When we first arrived in Cappadocia, it didn’t feel like we were stepping out of a car. It felt more like we were getting off a spaceship. It was the oddest-looking landscape I had ever seen with its mushroom-capped fairy chimneys and cities carved in stone and roads going up and down. Cave dwelling has a long history in Cappadocia so people have likened its landscape to the Flintstones but to me, it felt more like the surface of the moon, completely alien and not of this earth.

One of the things that surprised me the most about Turkey was its geographic diversity. Natural or man-made, there is so much to marvel at from its calcium travertines in Pamukkale to the minaret-filled skyline of Istanbul. But for me, Cappadocia topped them all. It’s beauty, as you’ll soon see, is out of this world.

And if you think it looks stunning from the ground, wait till you see it from the skies.

They’re comprised of two types of rock – a harder outer basalt and a softer inner volcanic tufa rock. Sculpted by the elements over thousands of years, the tufa erodes at a faster rate, creating these alien-looking spires with dark mushroom-like caps. For centuries, people have utilized the region’s soft volcanic rock to carve houses, cave churches, and monasteries, even underground cities going hundreds of feet deep.

From what I understand, some people still live in these cave dwellings today though most of them are now used for tourism. They’re marketed as cave hotels and are a popular choice of accommodation for tourists.

Because of the region’s unique landscape, one of the most popular things you can do here is to ride a hot air balloon. Early in the morning, just before sunrise, you’ll often find hundreds of colorful balloons dotting the sky. Spectacular from the ground or from the air, it’s an unforgettable experience and a must-do in Cappadocia.

BEST TIME TO VISIT CAPPADOCIA

Spring (March-May) and Autumn (September-November) are the best times to visit Cappadocia. It isn’t peak season and the weather is moderate. Summer (June-August) can get pretty hot — up to 32°C/90°F — and it’s the busiest time of the year with tourists flocking in from the southern coast. Prices are at their peak during that time. Winter (December-February) can become bitingly cold with temperatures dropping down to -6°C/21°F.

We went in early July and it was pretty hot. It gets really cold in January or February. If you don’t mind cold weather though, then winter may be an interesting time to go. I saw pictures and Cappadocia looks stunning blanketed in snow.

MAR-MAY: This is the ideal time to visit Cappadocia for the reasons outlined above. The weather is ideal and the crowds aren’t as heavy as they are during the summer peak season.

WHERE TO EXCHANGE CURRENCY

The unit of currency in Turkey is the Turkish Lira (TL).

Based on my research, the only true currency exchange offices in Cappadocia are in Nevşehir. There are none in the popular tourist towns of Göreme, Ürgüp, or Uçhisar.

The only bank outside of Nevşehir is Denizbank in Göreme. Other than that, I’ve read that jewelry shops can exchange your currency as well though you’ll need to be familiar with the day’s exchange rate.

If you’d rather not carry too much foreign currency with you, then a better alternative might be to withdraw TL from an ATM. The rates are competitive.

Be sure to let your bank know that you intend to use your ATM card abroad, as it may need to be activated for overseas use. That’s what I do before every trip. In my experience, my ATM card works in some machines but not in others.

NOTE: Some ATM machines may give you the option of proceeding “with or without conversion”. Always choose WITHOUT conversion because proceeding with conversion allows the foreign bank operating the ATM to do the conversion for you, usually at highly unfavourable rates.

WHERE TO STAY IN CAPPADOCIA

We stayed at Hera cave suites which I have booked in advance through booking.com. As our flight got cancelled, I reached out to them and the politely and diligently changed my booking from three nights to two nights.

Typical for people who travel to Cappadocia is that they stay in a cave hotel overlooking the town of Göreme. I’ve selected the best ones for you where I am sure you’ll not only have an amazing time but where you’ll also be able to take beautiful photos and make memories that last a lifetime!

• Mithra Cave Hotel – Located on one of the top levels in Göreme and offering a spectacular view over the entire valley. This is the hotel where we wanted to stay but it was fully booked.
• Sultan Cave Suites – This is probably the most photographed hotel in Cappadocia. Known for inviting influencers from all over the place to promote their property. Sultan Cave Suites is actually located below Mithra Cave Hotel.
• Local Cave House Hotel – Known for its pool which can come in handy on those sizzling hot Turkish afternoons.
• Museum Hotel – This stunning Relais & Chateaux hotel is a masterpiece on its own and is definitely worth a visit! It’s a stunning hotel and if you want to splurge yourself with some luxury then this is the way to go!

Just outside Hera cave suites, was this beautiful lavender field with another hotel behind it.

THINGS TO DO IN CAPPADOCIA

1. Ride a Hot Air Balloon

Without a doubt, riding a hot air balloon over this alien landscape is the most epic thing you can do in Cappadocia. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and there are few better places in the world to do it than here. It isn’t cheap but sometimes you just need to forget about the money. This is one of those times. You can book a hot air balloon ride through Get Your Guide or the cave hotel you stay in can help you out. Mind you, they are not cheap averaging €150-€220. The one I rode on was from Voyager company and it cost me €160. They can quickly run out so the first thing upon reaching, I booked the balloon ride for next morning. There is a minimum age limit for kids which is 6 years of age. I must say it was an unforgettable experience as the photos below demonstrate. They will pick you up real early like around 3:30-4:00AM so that by the time we are up in the air, we can view the breathtaking sunrise.

Visit Cappadocia’s Highlights on the Red Tour

In my opinion, the Red Tour is one of the best things you can do in Cappadocia outside of the hot air balloon ride. It’s a great introduction to the area and takes you to the most striking spots in northern Cappadocia. We did not do any of these tours rather went by ourselves booking a taxi to see underground lost city in Kaymakli and the Goreme open air museum. If you were to do just one tour (other than the hot air balloon), then I suggest doing the red tour. Here’s a quick rundown of all the stops you’ll be making on this tour:

Uçhisar Castle: Rock castle offering the best panoramic views of Cappadocia.
Love Valley: Valley with erotically shaped fairy chimneys.
Göreme Open Air Museum: Vast monastic complex and Cappadocia’s most popular attraction.
Three Beauties: Most famous fairy chimneys in Cappadocia.
Devrent Valley: Lunar landscape with animal-shaped rocks.
Chez Galip: Studio of master potter Chez Galip.
Paşabağ Valley: Landscape with some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia.
Cavusin Cave Village: Ancient village built into the region’s soft volcanic rock.

3. Discover Cappadocia on the Green Tour

Arguably the second most popular tour in Cappadocia after the Red, the Green Tour will take you to a slew of interesting sites in southern Cappadocia.

Highlights include an underground city that goes 300 ft below the surface of the earth and a picturesque hike through a valley honeycombed with rock-cut dwellings and churches.

Göreme Panorama: Area offering fantastic panoramic views of the landscape.
Derinkuyu Underground City: Ancient multi-level underground city.
Selime Monastery: Rock-cut monastery and the largest religious structure in Cappadocia.
Ihlara Valley: Picturesque valley famous for hiking.
Pigeon Valley: Long and beautiful valley with interesting rock formations.

4. Explore Cappadocia’s Moonscape on Horseback

Cappadocia in Turkish means “land of the beautiful horses”, so what better way to explore this alien landscape than on horseback? You can book a Cappadocia horseback riding experience through Get Your Guide.

5. Explore Cappadocia on an ATV

If horseback riding isn’t your thing, then you may want to go on an ATV ride instead. We didn’t do this but cruising around on ATVs is another popular activity in Cappadocia.

You can book an ATV tour through Get Your Guide

Center of Goreme and Old Cappadocia Restaurant

So just like that our two nights stay in Cappadocia came to an end. I just wished we didnt miss our initial flight and a day wasted in Istanbul. Hopefully when we come back to Turkiye, we will allocate more time to this beautiful land and conduct our unfinished business here. Our flight to Antalya was late in the afternoon so we checked out of Hera Cave Suites and headed to the airport 2 hours in advance. Flight was delayed as usual. All the internal flights we took were delayed by several hours. Perhaps it was due to the holiday season. Well stay tuned for the trip to Antalya and Pamukkale…..