Cappadocia, Turkey: visitor guide

What to expect at Cappadocia

Cappadocia is unlike anywhere else on earth, a landscape of volcanic tuff sculpted over millions of years into the unusual formations known as fairy chimneys (peri bacaları): tall cones of soft volcanic rock capped by harder basalt that resisted erosion while the softer material beneath was worn away. The result often astonishes visitors who have seen photographs and still find the reality more striking than the image: hundreds of pinnacles, mushroom-shaped columns and sculpted valley walls in shades of cream, ochre, rose and grey, many of them carved by Byzantine-era Christian communities into churches, monasteries, homes and entire underground cities.

Göreme Open Air Museum

Also, the Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is the finest concentration of rock-cut Byzantine churches in the world, a compact valley containing dozens of churches carved from the tuff between the 10th and 13th centuries, their interiors painted with Byzantine frescoes. Generally, the Dark Church (Karanlık Kilise, additional entry), with the best and best-preserved frescoes in the complex, is the unmissable highlight, the depth of colour preserved by centuries of darkness rivals anything in the cave churches of Göreme.

Hot air balloon flight

Besides, the hot air balloon flight at sunrise is the defining Cappadocian experience. About 100 balloons lift from the Göreme valley floor before dawn every calm morning (roughly 300 days per year), ascending above the fairy chimney landscape as the sun rises and floods the formations with amber light. The silence, the scale and the surreal quality of floating among other balloons above the rock formations creates a visual experience that has no equivalent in European or Middle Eastern travel. Flights (about USD 180–250 per person for 1 hour with champagne breakfast) must be booked at least 24–48 hours in advance during peak season.

Underground cities

The underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymakli extend 8–18 levels below the surface, multi-level complexes carved from soft volcanic tuff by early Christian communities seeking refuge from Arab raids. Derinkuyu reaches 85 metres below the surface and was capable of sheltering about 20,000 people with stables, wine presses, churches and ventilation shafts. The Ihlara Valley (50km southwest of Göreme) is Cappadocia's finest hiking destination, a 14km gorge with walls rising 100m above the river, lined with about 60 rock-cut Byzantine churches containing frescoes from the 6th to 13th centuries. Moreover, the 4km central section (Ihlara to Belisırma) combines river walking, poplar forest, Byzantine churches and traditional restaurants on platforms over the river.

Besides, the best bases are the villages of Göreme (most accommodation, closest to the Open Air Museum), Uçhisar (best views, more upmarket) and Urgüp (best cave hotel options, quieter). Cappadocia is accessible by flight from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir airports (about 1 hour), with transfers taking 30–60 minutes to Göreme. Peak season is April–June and September–October. Winter (December–February) is cold but gives the unusual spectacle of snow on the fairy chimneys and balloon flights above the frosted landscape in exceptionally clear cold air.

Valley walks

The valley walks of Cappadocia are equally as rewarding as the organised tours and underground cities, the Rose Valley (Gülüdere), the Pigeon Valley (Güvercinlik Vadisi) and the Sword Valley (Kılıçlar Vadisi) all give multi-hour walking routes through the fairy chimney landscape with Byzantine churches at intervals, the paths well-marked and requiring no guide or special equipment. In fact, the Love Valley north of Göreme has the most photogenic fairy chimney formations.

Besides, the phallic columns of compressed tuff, reaching 20–30 metres, are the most photographed geological formation in Cappadocia outside the Göreme valley itself. The evening light (one hour before sunset) on the Love Valley columns creates the finest photography conditions, the long shadows define the columns' form and the warm light saturates the ochre and cream colours. Getting around: Cappadocia is most flexibly explored by rental scooter (about TRY 500–800 per day from Göreme rentals, driving licence required), bicycle (available from most accommodation, the terrain is hilly but manageable for fit cyclists), or by the organised minibus tours that cover the underground cities and Ihlara Valley as a daily excursion (about USD 30–50 per person).

A private car gives the most flexibility, car rental from Kayseri or Nevşehir airports starts at about USD 30–50 per day. Accommodation in Göreme ranges from budget hostels (USD 15–25 per person) to atmospheric cave hotels (USD 80–200 per room) whose rooms are carved from the volcanic tuff with original cave ceilings. The cave hotel experience, unique to Cappadocia, is a good idea even at the modest budget end of the range.