Our Guide to 8 Awesome Activities in Cappadocia

The region of Cappadocia in Turkey has without a doubt become a top travel destination. Even if you’ve never heard of it, you’ve probably seen pictures. It’s famous for its rock formations, cave homes and churches, and sunrise balloon flights. 

There’s lots to see in Cappadocia, but some of it can be pretty similar. So we’re going to group things into specific categories to make it a little easier for you. We’ll discuss the sites that are similar and explain why we chose the things we did. 

Based on our research, there are the 8 main types of activities in Cappadocia. 

1. Soar in a Hot Air Balloon 

One of the most popular activities in Cappadocia is taking a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the beautiful rocky landscape. 

Balloon flights typically range from 60-75 minutes and cost approximately $135-$230/person, with prices varying by season. Group flights usually include 10-20 people. Private flights cost substantially more, in the thousands. Many flights also include a flight certificate or medal, champagne toast, and snacks or breakfast. Be sure to check the tour details to get the one that’s right for you. 

While this is one of the most popular things to do in Cappadocia, we actually decided not to do one during our visit. First, because we’ve already done hot air balloon rides a couple times and second because the prices here are much higher than what you can do in other locations. We did a private balloon flight in Teotihuacan that cost the same per person as a group flight in Cappadocia. I didn’t feel like being on a crowded group flight, fighting for a spot along the edge of the basket for pictures. 

Though we didn’t do one on this trip, based on our previous experience, I’d recommend wearing layers since it can be chilly in the morning and a hat, not just to protect yourself from the cold, but also to shield your head from the heat given off by the flame in the balloon.  

Instead of a flight, we opted for a leisurely sunrise breakfast on our hotel’s rooftop terrace, while we watched the balloons rise and float off in the distance.  

2. Uncover the Magic of Uchisar Castle 

Uchisar Castle is a must. We loved exploring all the various nooks and crannies. The 60-meter high castle is built into a cone shaped rock formation and is the highest point in Cappadocia, providing a great view of Uchisar city and the surrounding mountains. The castle was first mentioned in texts from the 14th century. However, it’s possible it may be much older, as people have been living in the area since the 7th century.

When it was actually used, it served as a lookout and defensive fortress, and it’s estimated that approximately 1,000 people lived there. Our guide told us that it wasn’t worth going in and that it was most impressive from the ground. Others described it as a difficult hike to the top. But I totally disagree. We actually didn’t think the walk was that bad, and it ended up being one of my favorite attractions. We went there at the end of a tour day, which turned out to be perfect! I highly recommend going there at the end of the day, so you can explore the castle and take in the view as the sun sets over the beautiful landscape.  

3. Tour a Cave Church/Open-Air Museum

One of the biggest things to explore in Cappadocia are the century old cave churches. Goreme and Zelve seem to be the most popular since they’re close to where most people stay. 

The most popular Open-Air Museum is the one in Goreme, which is the one we went to. Goreme Open-Air Museum was one of my favorite sites in Cappadocia. It’s a former Christian monastery composed of several chapels dating back to the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries, complete with religious frescoes. 

The museum costs 150 TL to enter, and we hired a guide for an additional $25 USD. He mostly explained the religious frescoes in the churches. So if you’re into that, then it’s worth it. If that’s not your thing, then you can explore on your own. I would also recommend paying the extra 50 TL to visit the Dark Church, because it has the most complete frescoes of all the churches inside the complex. It takes about an hour to explore the whole complex.    

The second most popular Open-Air Museum in Zelve dating back to the 9th-13th century. The reason Goreme tends to be more popular is because it has more intact religious frescos. However, while Goreme was primarily a monastery, Zelve was a monastery and small town, so it’s bigger and has more to explore, taking about two hours. 

Some people prefer Zelve over Goreme, because it tends to be less crowded and touristy. One blog said that it felt like exploring an abandoned village. We didn’t have time for both on our visit, but I would definitely put this at the top of the list on a return trip. 

You can find additional rock churches in Cavusin, Soganli, and Selime Monastery. 

Cavusin is close to Zelve and Goreme, but smaller. It has two rock churches, the church of St. John the Baptist and Nicephorus Phocas. If you have time to do everything then it may be worth a visit, but if your time is limited, I would focus on Goreme and Zelve. 

Soganli and Selime Monastery are further from Goreme. Soganli is about an hour drive from Goreme. It has over 20 churches, Roman tombs, pigeon houses, and hiking trails, and is significantly less crowded. But few people visit it since it’s a longer drive and isn’t close to other attractions. 

Selime Monastery dates back to the 8th or 9th century and is the biggest single monastery in Cappadocia. It includes a cathedral, two large halls, monks quarters, a kitchen, and stables. Due to its proximity to Ihlara Valley, it’s often paired with Ihlara Valley tours and was originally planned for a tour we did. However, our guide convinced us to go to a smaller church and a crater lake instead. In hindsight, I wish we had gone to Selime. The pictures I’ve seen from there look amazing!

4. Explore an Underground City

While many people have seen pictures of hot air balloons soaring over the rocky landscape, you may be less familiar with the underground cities. There’s actually an astonishing 200 underground cities throughout the Anatolia Plains! The underground cities were originally built during the 8th-7th century BCE by Christians to protect them from Roman religious persecution and foregin invaders, particularly Arabs, Mongols, and Turks. The two most popular underground cities in the Cappadocia region are: Kaymakli and Derinkuyu. The two cities are close to one another, just a 10 minute drive between, and are actually connected by underground tunnels. 

We visited Derinkuyu as part of a green tour, which was one of my favorite stops on the trip. Most people visit Derinkuyu since it is the largest and deepest underground city in the region and is included on several organized tour routes. The city dates back to 780-1180 CE. Eight levels have been excavated, with estimates of up to 18 levels, 4 of which you can explore. (Editor’s note: when trying to verify this information, we’ve found varying information on the estimated levels. Regardless, you will be impressed when you visit!) 

The city extends approximately 85 meters underground, and could house up to 20,000 people. You’ll see living quarters, kitchens, wine cellars, stables, and chapels. It also has larger passageways, which may be better for elderly or individuals who get claustrophobic. The downside is since it’s the most popular, it is busier, more crowded, and may feel rushed. 

While Derinkuyu is the deepest and largest overall, Kaymakli is the oldest and widest underground city. It has 8 levels, with 4 that are open to the public, but is smaller than Derinkuyu, housing approximately 3,500-6000, compared to Derinkuyu’s 20,000. But it gets fewer tour groups, which makes it quieter and easier to explore. It also allows more freedom in exploration, while Derinkuyu follows a one way route.  

5. Visit the Fairy Chimneys

There are several valleys in Cappadocia, and this list is by no means exhaustive, but I like to group them into three groups: valleys with fairy chimneys, valleys with a red rocky mountainous landscape, and green valleys with vegetation.  

The first category, valleys with fairy chimneys, includes: Love Valley, Sword Valley, Pasabagi Valley, Gorkundere Valley, and Devrent Valley.  

In all five of these valleys, you’ll find the famous mushroom, chimney, or phallic shaped rock formations formed by eroded volcanic ash. 

Love Valley is considered to have one of the best views of the fairy chimneys. And it’s only a 10 minute drive or 1 hour walk from Goreme, where most visitors stay while visiting Cappadocia. It’s free and you can hike through the valley or go to a popular viewpoint and look down on the fairy chimneys below. Group tours usually go to the viewpoint. It’s a bit crowded and touristy, with heart-shaped benches and swings, but may be preferable for families with young children, the elderly, or individuals with mobility difficulties. We prefer being down in it, where you can walk among the formations and get a better sense of their height and majesty.  

The rock formations in Sword Valley are shorter and look more like mushrooms or arrowheads than phallices. It also has cave churches and houses. But I think the taller chimneys and the cave churches in some of the other areas are more impressive. 

Gorkundere Valley (also labeled as Love Valley on Google Maps) is closer to Goreme, easily accessible, generally has fewer people, and has a cafe, Gorkundere Cafe Breakfast, where you enjoy breakfast while overlooking the fairy, phallic chimneys. 

The chimneys in Pasabagi Valley look similar to those in Love Valley and Gorkundere Valley, but with darker tops. It’s also easier to access than Love Valley, which makes it pretty popular. You can drive straight up to the entrance instead of having to make a longer hike. But in contrast to the other valleys with fairy chimneys, Pasabagi Valley requires an entrance fee.   

Devrent Valley is a little different from the other valleys mentioned above because its fairy chimneys come in various shapes and sizes. It’s often referred to as “Imagination Valley” because its rock formations look like human and animal figures, including the Virgin Mary, a camel, dolphin, seals, and birds.  

For an extensive list of valleys to explore, we recommend checking out this website. You can also visit several of these valleys if you take a horseback, Jeep, or ATV tour. So if hiking isn’t your thing, there are other fun alternatives!

6. Trek through a Gorgeous Rocky Valley

The next category of valleys, those with red rocky mountainous landscape, includes: Red Valley, Rose Valley, and Pigeon Valley.  

Red Valley gets its name from the reddish color of its rock formations and was my favorite of the three valleys we explored on this hike. It costs a small fee to enter, but it was definitely worth it. Red Valley is similar to Rose Valley, but the rock formations here are bigger and more awe-inspiring. It’s also a popular sunset spot.  

Rose Valley is known for its striated red, pink, and yellow rock formations and rock churches. The coolest rock church we explored was Direkli Kilise (Kolonlu). From the outside, it doesn’t look like it would be that interesting, but after going in you enter a cavernous chapel with stone columns. It feels like you’re in some long lost temple from an ancient civilization or searching for priceless treasure like Indiana Jones.    

Red and Rose Valley run into one another and can easily be combined into a one hike. Depending on the route you take, it could be 2-4 hours. 

Pigeon Valley is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s lined with little pigeon houses that used to be homes for carrier pigeons used by the churches and monasteries. This valley is sort of a combination of Red/Rose Valley and Ihlara Valley. It has ripply rocky mountains and cave churches and houses similar to Red and Rose Valley, but has some greenery like Ihlara Valley. It’s nice, but Red, Rose, and Ihlara Valley are more impressive. 

You can string Love Valley and Pigeon Valley into a much longer hike that takes you by Uchisar Castle if you’d like.

Finally, another good canyon to explore is Meskendir Valley. You can combine a hike through Meskendir with one to Red and Rose Valleys for a full-day hike that will blow your mind with amazing views and homes and churches carved into the rocks. Definitely recommended if you like scenic hikes and have a good amount of time to spend in Cappadocia.

7. Hike through Ihlara Valley 

Ihlara Valley is the only valley with a river running through it in Cappadocia and therefore the only one with much greenery. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very green when we went. I forgot to take the season into account. The valley spans approximately 15 km and descends into a canyon 100-150 m below the rocky cliffs. It’s lined with touristy picture spots, cave homes and churches, pigeon houses, small waterfalls, and cafes and restaurants. 

The main appeal of Ihlara Valley over the other valleys is that it is an easier walk and has greenery, but if you’re primarily interested in the cave homes and churches, then I’d recommend Rose Valley and the Open-Air Museums. And if you want to see a lot of pigeon houses, the best spot for that is Pigeon Valley. Most people don’t do the whole valley. We entered at attraction #4 and left at #15, making it just about a forty-five minute comfortable walk for us with some stops for pictures and exploration. 

8. Relax at a Hammam 

Hammams have been a part of Turkish culture since the 7th century, which was likely adapted from the Roman baths. It’s been a place for gathering, cleansing, and relaxing. But it’s a little different than the type of bath you may be thinking of, because you don’t actually sit in a bath. 

Traditionally the baths are separated by sex, which some still do, and guests are bathed naked. Today, some bath houses are mixed and provide disposable undergarments. You can also book private baths as a couple or small group.

If you’ve never done something like this before, it can feel a bit strange. Especially for Americans who aren’t used to public nudity. But it’s very normal for this experience and when we’ve done it it has always been very professional. Women are always provided with a natir (female attendant), and men are provided with a tellak (male attendant). 

We didn’t do a hammam in Cappadocia, since we booked one in Istanbul. But I would definitely recommend trying one at some point during your trip in Turkey. If you’re looking for one in Goreme, we heard good things about Century Hammam Spa.

The one we did in Istanbul was mixed gender, and we were provided with disposable underwear. 

First we were taken to a small room to undress, store our belongings, and put on the underwear, towel, and slippers provided. 

The bath consists of three main parts. First you’re led to a steam room room and seated next to a kurna, or marble basin, where you rinse off. Then you are led to the main bathing chamber, the gobektasi, where you sit or lay down on a marble bench while an attendant scrubs you down with a kese, a rough exfoliating mitt. Then, after scrubbing off all the dead skin, they suds you up with a soapy looking pillowcase called a torba. This part is sometimes accompanied by a brief massage. And finally you’re rinsed off again. I’ve honestly never felt so squeaky clean.  

After the bath, you’re taken to a room to relax for a bit and enjoy some juice or tea. And for an additional fee, you can sometimes book a longer, more relaxing massage with it, as well.