Goreme Turkey > 10 Things to Know Before Visiting Cappadocia!

Before venturing to Goreme, Turkey, located in the enchanting Cappadocia region, there are crucial insights to grasp. Most visitors revel in the region’s wonders for two to four days, though three nights prove ideal for many. Efficient planning ensures a fulfilling experience amidst fairy chimneys and balloon rides.

In Goreme, Turkey, a captivating blend of old-world charm and modernity awaits. Whether it’s the contrast between cave dwellings and luxury resorts or the sight of a sleek sports car beside a traditional horse-drawn wagon, the juxtapositions leave a lasting impression. Prepare for a harmonious tapestry of life.

Now, before delving further, here’s a concise rundown of the top tours and excursions awaiting in Göreme.

Visiting Goreme Turkey in Cappadocia

Goreme, Turkey is located in central Turkey in one of the most picturesque areas, the region of Cappadocia. The landscape is sprinkled with extraordinary rock formations, the result of wind, water, and volcanic activity over millions of years.

However, thousands of years ago locals began carving marvelous tunnels and chambers into the soft rock. Cappadocia has made the list of “1,000 Places to See Before You Die“—visiting is one of those once-in-a-lifetime type experiences.

10 Things to Know Before Visiting Goreme Turkey

Before you visit, let’s focus on the things you need to know relevant to Goreme instead of the whole country. In other words, instead of addressing things like travel adapters and what to wear to a Muslim-majority country, let’s target aspects specifically for Goreme.

Here are the 10 things you need to know before visiting Goreme Turkey:

1. Consider a hot air balloon ride through Cappadocia. It’s a must-do—know the basics including the best time to fly, how to pick a pilot, and more!
2. Head to the viewing terraces, rooftops, and viewpoints which are the best places to take pictures with hot air balloons in the background—this includes the best places to stay!
3. Determine the best town to stay in because the difference between Goreme and Urgup is vast.
4. Know that Goreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia are UNESCO world heritage sites.
5. Understand the highlights and differences between the red, blue, and green tours in Cappadocia.
6. Trek one of the five beautiful day hikes to take from Goreme.
7. Enjoy a unique drinking experience by checking out the area’s best Turkish coffee and tea shops.
8. Visit Goreme and Cappadocia from April to early June and late September to early November for the best weather.
9. Bring good non-slip footwear.
10. If you’re short on time focus on the 10 best things to do in Goreme, Turkey and you’ll walkway satisfied.

1. Consider a Hot Air Balloon Ride Through Cappadocia

If you’re planning on flying in a hot air balloon then the most important thing to remember is to book your flight as early into your stay as possible. Balloons fly about 260 days per year so the odds you’ll go up are in your favor. However, in cases of delays or cancellations, especially due to weather, your agency can reschedule you for another day.

In cases of poor weather, visiting Goreme for at least three days should allow for abnormal climatic conditions to pass. Also, it will allow you time to see the main attractions, take some scenic walks, explore caves, and take a hot air balloon ride. The best flights fill up months in advance so it’s essential to book early.

Are the Pictures on Instagram of the Hot Air Balloons in Goreme Turkey Real?

Just about everyone has seen the pictures of dozens of air balloons flying in Turkey over the fairy chimneys—while many of these pictures are over-edited they are real. On a typical day, about 2,000 passengers fly aboard 100 balloons during the sunrise and about 1,000 passengers are on 50 balloons during sunset.

What Is the Best Hot Air Balloon Tour to Take in Goreme Turkey?

There are numerous hot air balloon tours to choose from. The best hot air balloon tour will depend on your personal preferences such as the cost, length of flight, the total number of allowable passengers, and whether a Champagne toast is included. However, prices generally range from $150 to $400 per person depending on the time of year.

Three of the most popular and reputable companies are Butterfly Balloons, Turquaz Balloons, and Royal Balloons. All companies offer standard and deluxe flights—the deluxe flights last about 30 minutes longer than standard ones and usually end with a Champagne toast.

Typically, the less money you pay for the flight the higher the number of passengers in the basket. In other words, you’re paying for a bit of shoulder room and a more intimate experience.

No matter what tour operator you select make sure the pilot can descend between the fairy chimneys and caves. This will give you the best angles for pictures and videos. We’ve been on two hot air balloon flights before so if you have any questions about the experience, feel free to ask questions in the comments section below.

What Happens If Your Hot Air Balloon Flight Gets Canceled?

If your hot air balloon flight gets canceled it’s important to work with the agency you booked the flight with to rebook for another day. For this reason, we booked our hot air balloon flight through Royal Balloon—they make it easy to reschedule.

Traveling by a hot air balloon is like no other form of transportation.

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2. Head to the Viewing Terraces, Rooftops, and Viewpoints.

Just about everyone who visits Cappadocia wants an epic picture with hot air balloons in it. Below are the best places to take pictures with hot air balloons in the background.

Some of the most popular pictures of Goreme and Cappadocia are taken from the ground on viewing terraces, elevated platforms, and viewpoints. There is such an abundance of hot air balloons in the sky that just about any unobstructed view may provide a unique perspective.

However, the best places to take pictures with hot air balloons in the background usually occur from viewing terraces and rooftops from hotels and viewpoints around Goreme. We suggest you stay in one of the hotels below—they are also some of the highest-rated in the city, and all have amazing viewing terraces.

Budget – $

• Caravanserai Inn Hotel (buffet breakfast)
• Arif Cave Hotel (superb balloon views!)
• Emit Cave Hotel (rooms with massive hot tubs!)

Mid-Range -$$

• Henna Hotel (country-style décor)
• Tulip Cave Suites (suites carved into the rock)
• Doors of Cappadocia (Adult Only) (rooftop pool!)
• Aydinli Cave Hotel (amazing staff)

Luxury -$$$

• Sultan Cave Suites (private patios or balconies)
• Carus Cappadocia Hotel (wow-factor!)

A few of the best viewpoints around Goreme include from closest to farthest:

• Sunset Viewpoint (Sunset Aydın Kırağı Seyir Yeri)
• Rose Valley Sunset Viewpoint
• Esentepe Viewpoint
• Uchisar Castle
• Ortahisar Castle
• Or, visit one of the balloon launch sites

For many people, watching the balloons from a viewpoint is just as memorable as taking a flight. This is mainly because they can relax and enjoy the experience without feeling rushed with time or having to be concerned with heights.

3. Determine the Best Town to Stay

The two most popular towns to stay in Cappadocia are Goreme and Urgup, and both are vastly different. If you have the time to stay or at least visit both towns it’s worth the short trip—they’re only about 5 miles apart.

Goreme

Goreme is the closest town to the Goreme Open Air Museum and is physically a much smaller size than Urgup with a population of about 2,000. The advantage of staying in Goreme is that it’s within walking distance from the fairy chimneys, the museum’s caves, cave churches, and the Uchisar Castle.

The quaint magical landscape of Gomere is full of plenty of both budget and mid-range accommodations and plenty of excellent restaurants.

Some of the most popular pictures on Instagram are taken from Goreme. Also, the town makes for an easy departure point for mountain biking and hiking. Goreme is ideally located for viewing hot air balloon rides. However, there is still some driving required to visit nearby attractions.

Urgup

Urgup is a much larger town with a population of about 19,000 and is famous for both its white and red wines. Because of this, wine aficionados will most likely enjoy staying in Urgup rather than Goreme.

Also, Urgup offers visitors a much larger selection of accommodations. This is where you’ll find luxurious hotels as well as cozy pensions.

Turasan is the local winery and they’re responsible for producing about 60% of all wine produced in Cappadocia. Visitors take pleasure in the free tastings and tours as well as taking pictures in the vineyards.

The highlight of a visit to Turasan Winery is drinking wine in the rock-carved wine cellar. If wining and dining is a passion, you may consider taking the Ancient Cappadocia’s Wine Tasting tour.

Finally, when comparing nightlife, Urgup has quite a lot more to offer tourists versus Goreme. For example, there are a lot more shops, bars, and cafes.

4. UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The Goreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is made up of seven parts:

1. Derinkuyu Underground City: Deepest underground city in Cappadocia.
2. Goreme Open Air Museum: Goreme National Park is a 39-square-mile area that includes the Goreme Open Air Museum, Cappadocia’s main attraction. The museum is a monastic complex made up of churches, dwellings, and rectories, and one of the earliest places for religious education. It’s about a 15-minute walk from Goreme.
3. Karain Guvercinlikleri (Pigeon Valley): Pigeon Valley connects Goreme with Uchisar. Along the way, there are amazing views, pigeon houses, and fairy chimneys.
4. Karlı Church (Dark Church): Inside a rock cave, the Dark Church is famous for its colorful frescos and vaulted ceilings. It’s located in the Goreme Open Air Museum.
5. Kaymaklı Underground City: Largest underground city in Cappadocia.
6. Soganlı Archaeological Site: The 15.5-mile-long valley features impressive rock formations, caves, pigeon houses, fairy chimneys, and shelters.
7. Tagar Cave Church (Theodore Church): The brilliant T-shaped church is located in the village of Yesiloz, about 9 miles southeast of Urgup. The frescoes here have been well-preserved and include scenes of Christ on the crucifix, the prophets, and the angels Gabriel and Michael.

Devrent Valley

Another highlight of Goreme National Park is Devrent Valley (also known as Imagination Valley or Pink Valley). It’s about a 10-minute drive from Goreme.

Visitors enjoy walking through the small fairy chimney-filled landscape. It’s called Imagination Valley because of the wonderful shapes of the rock, you’re sure to think you’re seeing snakes, camels, dolphins, and even seals. While it’s in the National Park, it is not considered part of one of the seven UNESCO world heritage sites.

5. Differences Between Red, Blue, and Green Tours

Understanding the best attractions to see in the region of Cappadocia can be extremely confusing for tourists, especially if you’re one of those people that need to make sure they see the best attractions. To dumb down the attractions for tourists, local tour operators have color-coded the tours based on the route that they explore.

Below is an easy guide to understanding the highlights and differences between the red, blue, and green tours in Cappadocia. The route may change based on unforeseen circumstances. However, these are the main stops along the way. There is some overlap between the tours. With the knowledge below, you can do it yourself!

Red Tour in Cappadocia

The red tour in Cappadocia is a full-day tour that typically visits seven locations. They include:

1. Uchisar Castle: An old citadel that sits on a rocky ridge with impressive views of Cappadocia.
2. Goreme Open Air Museum: The museum is a monastic complex made up of churches, dwellings, and rectories, and one of the earliest places for religious education.
3. Love Valley: Love Valley is named after the chimney rocks that cover the landscape and are in the shape of phalluses. Love Valley connects with White Valley and then Pigeon Valley. Also, it’s a great place for hiking.
4. Avanos Pottery Demonstration: The small town of Avanos hosts a traditional pottery workshop where visitors may watch the process and purchase the finished product.
5. Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley): Located just west of Urgup, Monks Valley is famous for its three-headed fairy chimneys. This area is also known as “Pasha’s Vineyard,” for the earth pillars sitting in a vineyard.
6. Devrent Valley: Visitors enjoy walking through the small fairy chimney-filled landscape. It’s called Imagination Valley because of the wonderful shapes of the rock, you’re sure to think you’re seeing snakes, camels, dolphins, and even seals.
7. The Three Graces (Beauties): Three fairy chimneys located near Urgup.

Get tickets for the Red Tour here.

Green Tour in Cappadocia

The green tour in Cappadocia is a full-day tour that typically visits seven locations. Sites include:

1. Goreme Panorama: Panoramic viewpoint of Goreme.
2. Derinkuyu Underground City: Deepest underground city.
3. Ihlara Valley: The 10-mile-long canyon is riddled with churches and underground dwellings from the Byzantine period. It is believed that the Ihlara Valley was the first settlement of Christians hiding from the Roman Empire.
4. Selime Monastery: The largest rock-cut monastery within Cappadocia features a massive cathedral-sized church.
5. Yaprakhisar Koyu Muhtarligi: Wonderful conical fairy chimneys cover the landscape of Yaprakhisar Koyu Muhtarligi. Also, because of the resemblance, it’s referred to as the “Star Wars Movie Set.”
6. Pigeon Valley: Pigeon Valley connects Goreme with Uchisar. Along the way, there are amazing views, pigeon houses, and fairy chimneys.
7. Onyx Factory: Watch how onyx is cut, shaped, and polished into its final product.

Get tickets for the Green Tour here.

Blue Tour in Cappadocia

The blue tour in Cappadocia is a full-day tour that typically visits five locations. The stops include:

1. Kaymakli Underground City: Largest underground city in Cappadocia.
2. Soganli Valley and Archaeological Site: The 15.5-mile-long valley features impressive rock formations, caves, pigeon houses, fairy chimneys, and shelters.
3. Sahinefendi (Sobessos): Sobesos Ancient City in Sahinefendi Village is a Roman-era archaeological site that is in the process of being excavated.
4. Keslik Monastery: Keslik Monastery was carved between the 6th and 7th centuries. At one point, 200 Monks were living in the rock-cut Byzantine monastery complex. The monastery has three churches to tour, a refectory, and living and sleeping quarters.
5. Mustafapasa Old Greek Village (Sinasos): A lovely village that’s full of beautiful mansions built during the 18th and 19th centuries by wealthy Ottoman merchants.

Get tickets for the Blue Tour here.

6. Five Beautiful Day Hikes to Take From Goreme

Hiking the area around Goreme is a great way to escape the crowds. Most visitors don’t walk much farther than the side of the road or a parking lot. As a result, many of the walking trails around Goreme are empty.

Maps.me and All Trails are easy to use and help make sure you’re on the right trail.

The hikes below can be found on All Trails. The five-day hikes near Goreme are:

1. Start in Goreme→Love→White→Uchisar→Pigeon is a 7.3-mile loop trail
2. Complete the Goreme Loop is an 8.6-mile loop trail
3. Start in Goreme→Pigeon→Zemi→Görkündere is an 8.1-mile loop trail
4. Start in Goreme→ Akdag→Zvelve→Cavusin is an 11.5-mile loop trail
5. Zemi Valley Loop is a 2-mile moderately trafficked loop trail

Another great option is to combine hiking with sightseeing on the Full-Day Tour in Cappadocia with Ihlara Hiking and Underground City.

7. Partake in a Unique Drinking Experience

You’ll probably need a good afternoon tea or coffee after getting up early to view or ride on the hot air balloons. Both Turkish coffee and tea are made uniquely and should be experienced in person.

Some of the best Turkish coffee can be tasted at King’s Coffee Shop. Tea drinkers should stop by Coffeedocia and enjoy their great outdoor patio.

8. Best Time to Visit Goreme

The best time to visit Goreme and Cappadocia is from April through early June and late September through early November. During these months the days are warmer and the nights are cooler. The winter months are a nice time to visit because the landscape is likely to be snow-covered.

However, in the winter, the weather is more likely to be rainy and windy which may prevent balloon flights. It’s best to avoid the summer months when prices, crowds, and temperatures increase.

9. Bring Good Non-Slip Footwear

The beautiful and unique region of Cappadocia is popular because of its impressive rock formations, cave towns, and underground cities. The soft stone made it extremely easy for locals to carve out their homes, caves, and other dwellings.

However, over time and with rain this rock has become exceedingly slippery and dangerous. To prevent an injury, make sure you bring a pair of good non-slip footwear with good tread.

10. 10 Best Things to Do in Goreme

Like most visitors to Goreme, you’ll likely be a bit short on time. This is mainly because the area is so expansive and there’s so much to do. Therefore, your time must be well planned out which is why many visitors make reservations for the Red Tour. Below are the 10 best things to do in Goreme, Turkey:

1. Goreme National Park
2. Goreme Open-Air Museum
3. Zelve Open Air Museum (Fairy Chimneys)
4. Love Valley (Fairy Chimneys)
5. Pigeon Valley
6. Sunset Viewpoint
7. Gulludere Vadisi (Rose Valley)
8. Zemi Valley
9. Karanlik Kilise (Dark Church)
10. Camel Rock (Devrent Valley/Imagination Valley)

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