Nestled in the heart of Turkey, Cappadocia is a dreamlike region renowned for its surreal landscapes, ancient cave dwellings, and captivating history. I recently spent six unforgettable nights here as a solo traveler, exploring its unique charm. At the heart of Cappadocia lies Göreme, the main town and a perfect base for discovering the area’s wonders. With its iconic fairy chimneys, hot air balloons floating across the sky at sunrise, and hidden valleys waiting to be explored, this region feels like stepping into another world. Cappadocia offers an incredible blend of adventure, culture, and natural beauty for those seeking an extraordinary travel experience.

If you want to cut to the chase and know the best picture spots in Cappadocia, click here. Otherwise, keep reading for everything you need to know when visiting Cappadocia.

About My Trip: Tips and Practical Info

I visited Cappadocia at the beginning of September and enjoyed 6 days surrounded by hot air balloons and fairy chimneys. The weather reached 30-33°C in the afternoons which is pretty hot for September. Below are some useful tips for when visiting Cappadocia.

• Accommodation: I stayed in 3 different hotels when I visited Cappadocia. Click here for the full rundown on The Best Hotels in Cappadocia.
• Getting from the airport to Goreme: I flew into Nevsehir airport, which is a 35 minute drive from Goreme. I rented a car which I collected from Nevsehir airport and drove to my hotel in Goreme. If you are not renting a car, I would highly recommend having your airport transfer booked in advance- otherwise the taxis will overcharge you!
• Car Rental: I rented a car from Garenta via Booking.com costing €200 for 6 days including insurance. Petrol also only cost me €22 in total. Within Goreme, everything is within a 5-10 minute drive; while the trip to and from the airport being 35 minutes, and driving to Derinkuyu underground city about 40 minutes.
• Cost: The most expensive part of the trip was actually getting to Cappadocia. I flew Dublin-Istanbul-Nevsehir(Cappadocia) return via Turkish Airlines and it cost €550 including a 23kg checked bag. I decided to include a 3-day stopover in Istanbul on the return flight. Hotels in Cappaodocia are quite reasonably priced especially with breakfast included. Click here for more info on the hotels that I stayed at. Keep reading for more details on the cost of each attraction.
• Drone: I brought a DJI Mini 2 to Cappadocia via Istanbul airport. I found it very hard to find any info online about bringing drones to Turkey. What I did find, was that drones over 250grams had to be registered, which was impossible to do without a Turkish residence number. I had sent a few emails about registering my DJI Air 3 (720grams); however all of my emails went unanswered. In the end, I bought a mini 2 solely for the purpose of this trip and brought it through the airport without any hassle.

What To Do In Cappadocia

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Let’s start with the reason everyone comes to Cappadocia – Hot Air Balloons! On the first morning when I arrived in Cappadocia, the hot air balloons were cancelled due to winds. This meant that the cost increased significantly for the following day. If hot air balloons cannot fly due to weather, all hot air balloon companies will cancel your booking and you will have to rebook for the following day at a higher price. If they are cancelled again, this process will keep repeating with prices going higher and higher. This is why I recommend to give yourself at least 3 days in Cappadocia.

I booked my hot air balloon through my hotel (Osmanli Hotel), where I was advised to wait an extra day before booking. The price dropped from €300 down to €160! The ride lasts about 1 hour and ends with a champagne toast. Generally there are 24-32 people in each hot air balloon basket, which I didn’t know beforehand and it was a bit of a shock to me! If I am honest, it is a bit of a tight-squeeze. All in all, flying in a hot air balloon over the breathtaking landscapes of Cappadocia was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Simply Amazing!

Sunrise Viewing Terrace

The above sunrise terraces were in the hotels that I stayed at during my trip. Read here for the details. If you are staying in a hotel that does not have a rooftop terrace, I would suggest getting in touch with other hotels before you arrive in Cappadocia and ask if you can use their terrace. While most hotels reserve their terraces for guests, some hotels might make an exception.

Love Valley

The landscapes in Cappadocia just blew my mind! Love Valley was one of my favourite places in Cappadocia. If you go here, you can enjoy Love Valley from a viewpoint.

However, if you want to stand amongst the huge rock formations (like the picture above) you need to walk through the valley. Park your car here along the main road. If you are driving from Goreme, you will park on the left side. The path or trail isn’t marked. The trail head starts directly across the road from the 3 Feentürme am Eingang ins Tal der Liebenden. When I visited, there was only 1 other car parked there. It is a very quiet trail and you will more than likely only meet a few other people in the valley. Whereas the viewpoint is extremely busy!

The path first leads up a small hill, then downhill on a rugged road which will soon join a sand path. I would recommend wearing hiking trainers/boots as the sand path is used by horse tours (you can use your imagination for what is all along the route).

The walk takes about 20 minutes to arrive at the amazing rock formations. You can continue the hike and end back in Goreme. However I just enjoyed the views of Love Valley at sunset and headed back to the starting point.

Balloon Take Off Point

The Hot Air Balloon take off point is a magical place to spend your sunrise. Keep in mind that the balloons are already high in the sky at the time of sunrise. This means that they start taking off about 45 minutes before the sun rises. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time in the morning! When I visited Cappadocia, sunrise was just after 6am which meant that I was at the take-off point at 5.15am. Click here for the exact location of the picture above.

Zelve Open Air Museum & Pasabag

Paşabağ Vadisi is a must-see when visiting Cappadocia. Entrance costs €12 which includes entrance to both Pasabag and Zelve! Tours start arriving to Pasabag from 9am so I would advise getting there around 8am and enjoy having the place to yourself!

Zelve Open Air Museum is definitely an underrated attraction in Cappadocia. It is much quieter than Goreme Open Air Museum and you are free to climb and enter most of the structures. If choosing between Goreme or Zelve, I would definitely recommend Zelve. It is not a tour stop for most tours. I visited Zelve at 11am and there were only a handful of other people there.

Panorama Viewpoint (Secret Location)

Not quite the well-known panorama viewpoint – but better! This hidden gem was an unbelievable location to enjoy the sunset. There were a few cars that stopped in, took a quick pic and left again. Other than that, I had the entire place to myself! (You should know by now that I love finding spots away from other people!) The other perk of it being relatively unpopular is there was no parking or entry fee. Unfortunately, I won’t be sharing this location. You will have to go out and explore to find it yourself!

Goreme Open Air Museum

If you have time to spare, I would suggest visiting Goreme Open Air Museum, however it wouldn’t be at the top of my list. As mentioned above, Zelve has my heart! Goreme Open Air Museum has a €20 entry fee which I felt was a bit expensive. Majority of the structures have been closed off, which is understandable due to the huge amount of tourists that visit. They have also built wooden pathways/platforms inside most of the structures, which I found really took away from the uniqueness and authenticity of the experience. While these make it easier to explore, they lessen the natural, historic feel of the place. The mix of modern pathways with the ancient caves made it harder to fully appreciate the original atmosphere. If you do visit, definitely arrive at opening time as it gets unbelievably busy throughout the day.

Derinkuyu Underground City

Derinkuyu Underground City is 1000% a must-visit! It is one of the most amazing places I have ever witnessed. The entrance is only €13 and worth every cent! You get the chance to go 8 storeys deep and explore the narrow tunnels, hidden rooms, and ventilation shafts that were once home to thousands of people. The sheer size and complexity of the underground city are mind-blowing, and walking through its tight passageways really gives you a sense of what life might have been like for those who sought refuge there centuries ago. My only regret is not getting a guide, simply because i did not have any cash on me 😦 . When you enter and go down the first flight of stairs, you will see a couple of tour guides standing and offering assistance – GET ONE! Even in the 2 minutes I did spend speaking with them, I learnt so much!

Uchisar Castle

Uchisar Castle is another great sunset spot. It is the highest point in Cappadocia, offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes, including the fairy chimneys, valleys, and distant mountains. Entrance fee is only €6.50 and very much worth it! It stays open past sunset so you won’t be rushed leaving. Arrive early and explore the castle while climbing up to the very top in time to watch the sun do down.

Red Valley & Rose Valley

The above pictures were taken here at Red Valley; and to say that this is a popular sunset spot would be understatement! I decided not to visit Rose Valley as the hotel advised that it gets very dusty with the quad bike tours; so instead I went to Red Valley! Arrive early and give yourself time to hike through this amazing valley. Red Valley was definitely the busiest spot I visited for sunset. But it is amazing to see the sun light up the red landscape, so brave the crowds, hike a little into valley, and find a quiet spot for yourself to enjoy a Cappadocia sunset!

There is a small entrance fee of €1.30 (card is accepted for this). There are also plenty of taxis available after sunset too to bring people back to Goreme!

Sword Valley

Sword Valley is the perfect spot for both sunrise or sunset. Click here for the exact spot that the above pics were taken. As you walk through Sword Valley, you’ll encounter fairy chimneys, cave dwellings, and ancient churches carved into the soft volcanic rock, showcasing the area’s rich history and geological wonders.

The above picture location is another hidden gem! It doesn’t even have a name on Google Maps! Click here for the location. You can walk here from Sword Valley or the Balloon Take Off Point. You can climb right up to the castle and amazingly there was not one other person here when I visited- both at sunrise or sunset!