I solo travelled to Cappadocia and spent 6 days exploring this magical location. Below are the best photo spots and some extras tips to help with planning your trip!

Sunrise Viewing Terrace

The above sunrise terraces were in the hotels that I stayed at during my trip. Read here for the details!

Love Valley

To get up close to the massive rock formations (like in the photo above), you’ll need to walk through the valley. Park your car here along the main road—if you’re coming from Göreme, park on the left-hand side. The trail itself isn’t marked, but the starting point is directly across the road from the “3 Feentürme am Eingang ins Tal der Liebenden.”

The trail begins with a short climb uphill before descending along a rough path that eventually merges with a sandy track. I’d suggest wearing hiking shoes or boots since the sandy path is frequently used by horse tours (and you can probably guess what that means for the trail).

The walk to the impressive rock formations takes about 20 minutes. You can continue the hike all the way back to Göreme if you like, but I stayed to enjoy the sunset views over Love Valley and then returned to the starting point.

Balloon Take Off Point

The hot air balloon take-off site is an enchanting spot to experience the sunrise. However, it’s important to remember that by the time the sun rises, the balloons are already floating high in the sky. They typically start launching around 45 minutes before sunrise, so plan to arrive early! When I visited Cappadocia, sunrise was just after 6 a.m., so I made sure to be at the take-off point by 5:15 a.m. to catch the entire spectacle from the very beginning. Click here for the exact location of the picture above.

Zelve Open Air Museum & Pasabag

Paşabağ Vadisi is a must-see when visiting Cappadocia. Tours start arriving to Pasabag from 9am so I would advise getting there around 8am to capture the perfect picture!

Zelve Open Air Museum is definitely an underrated attraction in Cappadocia. It is not a stop for most tours which means that it is relatively quiet. I visited Zelve at 11am and there were only a handful of other people there. For the first pictures, head straight through the valley and look for the mosque. For the second picture, head left as you enter Zelve museum and climb up the stairs.

Panorama Viewpoint (Secret Location)

Not quite the well-known panorama viewpoint – but better! This hidden gem was an unbelievable location to enjoy the sunset. Unfortunately, I won’t be sharing this location. You will have to go out and explore to find it yourself!

Uchisar Castle

Uchisar Castle is another great sunset spot. Entrance fee is only €6.50 and very much worth it! The first picture was captured just as you enter the castle. While the second picture was taken after climbing the first flight of stairs.

Red Valley & Rose Valley

The above pictures were taken here at Red Valley. It is a very popular sunset spot to getting the perfect pic might take a little time- be patient! There is a small entrance fee of €1.30 (card is accepted for this) for Red Valley.

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.

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!