Top 10 things to see and do in Cappadocia: Turkey has many naturally beautiful attractions, with Cappadocia being one of its best! Cappadocia is well known for its fairy chimneys and hot air balloon rides, but what else can you see and do there? After staying in Cappadocia, we have put together a list of our top 10 things.
Top 10 things to see and do in Cappadocia
Most tourism companies promote Cappadocia as a location that only requires three days, but this will be a very action-packed couple of days, so if you are like us and have the ability to stay for longer then make sure you do. It will give you time to truly explore the beauty of Cappadocia.
#1 Watch the Hot air balloons rise
While setting your alarm for 5 am may sound crazy, we highly recommend dragging yourself outÂ
of bed and marching up the hill in Goreme like a zombie. Once you get to the top and catch sight of the balloons rising it will be totally worthwhile, plus you can go back to bed after!
#2 Explore Çavuşin Castle
Çavuşin is only a short ride, walk or bus trip from Goreme and the castle there is well worth a look. It does not cost anything to enter, plus you are allowed to explore EVERYTHING, as nothing is fenced off. Check my photo essay about Çavuşin Castle for more details.
#3 Visit the Underground City
Only a small per cent of the Underground City is open to the public but you can go down 8 levels of it! Tours from Goreme run daily that stop in at the Underground City (eg the Green Tour) or if you have a car then we recommend not visiting at 11 am, as this is when the Green Tour groups will arrive and the tunnels will turn into human traffic jams!
#4 Mountain biking in Kilclar Valley & Kizilcukur Red Valley
Depending on your skill level, you can choose to stick to the roads and flat paths, or if you are a more advanced rider, then you can ride along the tops of the valleys and fairy chimneys!
#5 The Selime Cathedrale
The Selime Cathedrale is accessible via car or on a tour such as the Green Tour. We really enjoyed exploring it, however, certain areas are fenced off as they are classed as ‘dangerous’. Entry costs 10TL per person.
#6 Hiking and trekking
You can either choose to hike/ trek with friends or with a guide. Unfortunately, it is advised for girls to not hike alone.
#7 Watch the sunset
We highly recommend grabbing some of your newly made friends and walking to the top of the hill in Goreme to watch the sunset. Make sure you take your camera and your sunnies, plus for 10 TL you can buy an ice-cold Efe’s beer from the shop up there.
#8 Hot air ballooning
If you are willing to part with over 100 euros in order to fly over the fairy chimneys and possibly get within only a few meters from the tops then it’s time to fork out and pay for a hot air balloon ride!
#9 Make a wish on an evil eye tree
There are a few of these trees around, one of them is on the way to the Open Air Museum.
#10 Visit the Dark Church
The Dark Church is located within the Open Air Museum. It is quite commercialized and overpriced as the Museum costs 20TL to enter and the Dark Church is an extra 10TL. However, if you wish to view frescos that are still intact (ie the faces have not been scratched off), then the Dark Church will interest you.
