Cappadocia, Turkey– The land of fairy chimneys and hot air balloons.
I’ll never forget the moment I stepped off my overnight bus from Antalya. It was almost 6 am and the sun was just beginning to rise up over the mountains. Suddenly, a large, dark circular shape started to rise up from the ground.
What on earth, I thought to myself, absolutely bewildered. A moment later, it lit up with the flames of the fire inside it. A hot air balloon.
Slowly but surely, more started to rise up from the ground into my line of site. I stood at the bus station, suitcase in hand, utterly gobsmacked at the sight before me. I knew about the hot air balloons, but I was not expecting to see them the very second I stepped off the bus. It was an unassumingly miraculous display, almost more beautiful because it was completely unexpected. It was one of those rare moments I knew then and there that I would remember forever.
TOP TEN THINGS TO DO IN CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY…
1. Witness the hot air balloons at sunrise
Most people, however, don’t see them by accident. The most common thing to do is wake up very early and head to one of the well known viewpoints that give you a very grand outlook of either the entire town of Göreme or of the residing valleys.
Popular viewpoints include Lover’s Hill (also called Sunset Point) and Red Valley Panoramic Viewpoint. It is also possible to watch the show from a variety of cave hotels in the area (this makes for great photo-ops).
Make sure you plan ahead so you know how much time it takes to get to your viewpoint in time for the balloons to go up.
Also important to know is that hot air balloon do not take off every day. Sometimes they do not take off for weather related reasons. Make sure they are planning to take off before you make the effort to wake up early- you can ask the host of wherever you are staying as they will likely know.
2. Watch the sunset at one of the popular viewpoints
The sunset in Cappadocia is just as spectacular as the sunrise. Although you don’t have the additional marvel of multiple hot air balloons, the pinks and oranges of the sunset reflect off the mountains in a way that is truly unique to the region.
There are also many great sunset viewpoints, such as Red Valley Panoramic Viewpoint, Rose Valley, The Castle of Uchisar, and Lover’s Hill (Sunset Point).
My friend and I decided to head to Rose Valley, where the pink hues of the sunset are famous for turning the rock formations pink. However, we took a few wrong turns and ended up accidentally driving our motorbike down some dirt road to a ledge that we had all to ourselves. It was beautiful nonetheless. Check out those vibrant colors.
3. Shopping at all the gift stores
My friend and I absolutely loved the gift shops in Cappadocia. There was no other place in all of Turkey that we had gone that had so much fun stuff. I bought basically all my souvenirs at these stores. We must have wandered in and out of them for hours, circling back around to look in the same ones again and again. They have very cool socks and some beautiful pottery!
Also don’t forget to grab yourself a handmade evil eye protection charm, the perfect Turkey souvenir. Here’s the one I bought, keeping watch next to my window!
4. Red Valley Hike or Rose Valley Hike… or both?
Cappadocia is probably the best place in Turkey for hiking. There are so many different options, but two of the most popular are the Red Valley Hike and the Rose Valley Hike. To make a whole day of it, you can start in the morning and arrive at the viewpoints in time to watch the sunset.
Both hikes are moderate level difficulty and offer some of the best views of the rock formations and caves.
5. Check out the fairy chimneys!
This is somewhat inevitable if you head to any of the viewpoints or trek one of the hiking trails. Fairy chimneys are what they call the odd rock formations that bulge up towards the sky.
Another one of the most popular spots for seeing fairy chimneys is Pasabag Valley. Though I did not go myself, I’ve heard great things about it!
Some of the fairy chimneys are phallic shaped, which is quite amusing. Here’s a picture of me trying to make the most of that (and failing).
6. King’s Coffee Shop (the best coffee shop in Göreme!)
I am an avid coffee drinker and need my daily coffee. This means going out of my way to try all the coffee shops in a place until I find the best one and completely obsess over it.
King’s Coffee Shop was my favorite, not just because of the coffee, but because of the sweetest old man that owned it. He was honestly so adorable. I loved him.
Please go and support him and his coffee shop if you are in the area!
(Honorable mention for a coffee shop goes to Black World Coffee Shop, which sits in a large yellow van right next to the Göreme bus station. I had the best ice coffee here.)
I didn’t take pictures of either coffee shop, but here’s one of my friend Ze’ev at Sery-u Sefa Cafe, a nice restaurant along the main street of Göreme’s city center. They had great food!
7. Rent a motorbike!
There is nothing in this world more freeing than driving down the roads of a foreign country on a motorbike and screaming Bon Jovi at the top of your lungs. Trust me on this.
My friend and I rented a motorbike for one day and were able to have the autonomy to drive around the mountains and see a whole lot more than we would have been able to otherwise. We also drove to the next town over and further on out to the middle of nowhere where we came across a little lake. We had the best time being able to go wherever we wanted.
Although some renters will say you need a motorbike license, there are a couple who are a bit less strict. Ask around at a few places to find a suitable renter to your needs and abilities.
The cost to rent a motorbike is not very high. I think it was about $20 or less (17 euros). They also have other transportation you can rent, like cars or four wheelers.
8. Uchisar Castle
In order to get to Uchisar Castle you either need to drive or take a small hike. However, it is well worth the effort. Sitting at the top of a hill in Uchisar, a small town near Göreme, the castle looks down at Uchisar Valley below.
There is a bit of a trek to the top, but it’s only about 100 or so stairs, and definitely worth the physical strain!
Uchisar Castle is also a brilliant place to sit and watch the sunset.
9. Göreme Open Air Museum
This is a very popular site to see in Göreme. It’s only about a 15-20 minutes walk from town.
They offer a very in depth audio tour that tells you the history of the art, buildings, the cave homes, and the people who lived there. It’s a great way to learn a bit more about the area.
10. Go on a hot air balloon ride!
Wow, so cool! Thanks!