Things to Do in Cappadocia, Turkey
Travel to Turkey
Cave Hotel, Cappadocia, Things to Do in Cappadocia, Turkey
We hopped on the bus to visit Nevsehir in Central Antalya, where we wanted to do some hiking in Cappadocia. It was a very long journey from Istanbul to Cappadocia by bus. For those, who don’t want to take the bus, they have the option to take one of the many flights from Istanbul to Cappadocia. We were students and we did not mind the inconvenience of the bus. Where is Cappadocia? You may wonder. It is right in the middle of Turkey. It is about 750kms away from Istanbul. The nearest town is Nevsehir. We were excited to arrive to Nevsehir as the town and its surroundings was one of the best places to visit in Turkey. We arrived in a pretty scenic town that was surrounded by mountains of all sorts of shapes. Cappadocia is a must see if you are on a tour of Turkey. Visiting these rock formations is one of themost interesting things to do in Turkey. Soon after, we checked into our cave hotel. We stayed in one of those famous Cappadocia cave suites that you probably seen on TV or in travel magazines before. Staying in a cave hotel in Cappadocia was one of the best idea of the trip.
Everything inside our room was carved into a cave, the chairs, the tables, the bed. After a delicious Turkish breakfast on the roof terrace of our hotel, which consisted of philo pasty stuffed with feta cheese and olives and tomatoes and cucumbers, we went to explore the city. We were very tired from the trip, but we went on a Cappadocia daily tour to discover the underground cities and learn about how the Christians were hiding under the ground 1000 years ago. These people carved beautiful churches as well as their homes into the walls of the caves. These underground caves were still in pretty good condition even 1000 years later. This place was one of the most important of the Turkey tourist attractions.
Things to Do in Cappadocia, Turkey
Many of them were preserved. We went for a hike and saw some beautiful sights as we walked along the river. The mountains were beautiful and colorful birds were flying around us. It was one of the most fascinating places to see in Turkey.
Hiking in Cappadocia, Travel to Turkey
The next day we went to the Goreme Open Air Museum. It was a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first period of settlement in Goreme was established during the Roman period. Ancient volcanoes 3-9 million years ago left the area with spectacular pillars and minaret like rock formations. People carved out houses, churches and monasteries of the soft volcanic rock formations. The Goreme National Park was one of the most interesting part of our trip.
1000 Year Old Temple in Cappadocia – things to do in Cappadocia
We spent the whole day exploring the caves. We saw more beautiful mountains and more evidence of how people lived inside these mountains in the 9-10th centuries. The mountains were fairy chimney shaped. After a while we felt like we hiked and saw enough mountains. Instead of heading back from Cappadocia to Istanbul, we hopped on the bus to visit Pamukkale instead. We traveled from Cappadocia to Pamukkale on a bus for a whole night. We loved Cappadocia, we thought it was a fascinting place to visit with all its history. We also loved our Cappadocia cave hotel. It was such a fun experience sleeping in a cave.
Cappadocia Balloon Tour
Lots of tourists come to Cappadocia to see the landscape from a balloon. There are many hot-air balloon tours offered by local operators. These tours are not cheap. They usually start at $100 for an hour, but they can be as much as $500. Some of the tours even offer a champagne breakfast before you fly. A Cappadocia balloon ride can be a once in a lifetime adventure. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to do it in Cappadocia, but I did have a chance to do it in Sri Lanka and in Ankor Wat in Cambodia as well. I recommend it to everyone, however if you have a fear of heights, you should not take the balloon, because you will not have a good experience. Also, if you don’t like flying, it is most likely not for you. However if you want to see a beautiful sunset or sunrise from the balloon, I totally recommend you to take the ride. You will have a chance to take some stunning photos from above. Here is a list of 15 tour operators who offer balloon tours in Cappadocia.
Fairy Chimneys Rock Formation in Cappadocia – Travel to Turkey
traveller’s cave hotel, cappadocia cave resort, cappadocia things to do, how to get to cappadocia, turkey places to visit, top places to visit in turkey, hot air balloon in cappadocia,
Pin It Up!
About Barbara
Barbara is a London based luxury travel and lifestyle blogger. She started traveling through Paris, London, New York, Milan, Tokyo at the age of 17 to conquer the World as a model. Ever since, she has visited 67 countries. She writes about the most exclusive jet-set destinations such as Cannes, Venice Film Festivals, Monaco Grand Prix, Oscar Parties in LA, Fashion Weeks in Milan or Paris as well as yacht parties in St-Tropez, Miami Art Basel, Biennale in Venice, Frieze in London or the Royal Wedding in Monaco.
- Web |
- More Posts(158)
22 comments
Comment by The Invisible Tourist
The Invisible Tourist May 28, 2017 at 6:37 am
Good on you for taking a bus from Istanbul – how long did that take?! How awesome to have your room within a cave, what an unforgettable experience. The caves are incredible, I didn’t know people lived in them as far back as the 9-10th centuries. Interesting to learn the ancient volcanoes are responsible for those fascinating rock formations, too. Champagne breakfast from a balloon sounds like a wonderful experience! Sounds like it was a very enjoyable trip 🙂
Comment by Barb
Barb May 30, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Yes, it was. It s a very memorable place. The bus ride took a night. We left Istanbul at night and arrived in the early morning. You should fly if you can.
Comment by Ryan Biddulph
Ryan Biddulph May 24, 2017 at 4:40 pm
Hi Barb,
Brilliant! We missed Cappadocia during our Turkey trip last summer. Had to get back home quickly for family stuff. Cancelled that trip. Bummed. Because it is one of these special spaces on earth quite unlike anywhere else. I’d fly these days but during college days, yeah, I’d do the bus thing too 🙂
Ryan
Comment by Barb
Barb May 27, 2017 at 8:26 am
It is a pretty beautiful place. I hope you will see it some time in the future. You will surely love it.
Comment by Shruti Prabhu
Shruti Prabhu May 23, 2017 at 5:50 pm
Turkey is so beautiful! I would love to do the Cappadocia balloon tour. Sounds like something to do for my next wedding anniversary. The cave hotel also looks like a lovely experience.
Comment by Barb
Barb May 27, 2017 at 8:27 am
Sounds like a great plan for a wedding anniversary. I m sure you will both enjoy it very much!
Comment by Vyjay Rao
Vyjay Rao May 23, 2017 at 3:44 am
Turkey is an exotic and enigmatic destinatio and tour post shows the beautiful direction to explore the places in Turkey. Really interesting to know, how each place has a new adventure to offer us with, the rocky city is sure to keep our spirits higher. I would love to do hot air ballooning over Cappadocia too.
Comment by Barb
Barb May 27, 2017 at 8:27 am
I think hot air ballooning is fun. I didnt have a chance to do it this time. Hopefully some other time.
Comment by Wanderlust Wayfarer
Wanderlust Wayfarer May 23, 2017 at 3:05 am
The cave hotel and underground tour are amazing! I would love to do that. And even though I’m scared of heights, I would want to take the balloon tour! Awesome post!
Comment by Barb
Barb May 27, 2017 at 8:28 am
Thank you! You should probably not do the balloon tour if you are scared of heights.
Comment by An Outcast Wayfarer
An Outcast Wayfarer May 22, 2017 at 7:39 am
I so dearly want to go to cappadocia, it has been my dream since I started with Instagram!
Comment by Barb
Barb May 27, 2017 at 8:29 am
Oh, if you dream about it, you should do it! It s important to get these things off your bucket list.
Comment by london_unattached
london_unattached May 21, 2017 at 7:35 pm
What little I’ve seen of Turkey I’ve really enjoyed. I’d love to visit cappadocia and take the balloon tour or stay in a cave hotel
Comment by Barb
Barb May 27, 2017 at 8:29 am
I think you will very much enjoy the experience.
Comment by Darlene M
Darlene M May 21, 2017 at 11:35 am
Love this! Learned new stuff since im dying to go to Cappadoccia because of the balloons and the awesome formations. Good to know i can explore the caves!
Comment by Barb
Barb May 27, 2017 at 8:30 am
I think you will enjoy the journey very much. This is a very beautiful place to visit.
Comment by Efthimis Kragaris
Efthimis Kragaris May 20, 2017 at 4:58 pm
The balloon tours are so popular in Cappadocia! I’ve never seen a cave room before. It must have been really cool to sleep in there!
Comment by Barb
Barb May 27, 2017 at 8:33 am
yes, it is a very authentic experience. You will surely enjoy it very much.
Comment by Danik Bates
Danik Bates May 20, 2017 at 2:32 pm
This is one area of the Middle East I totally want to check out (and hike of course). Loving the photos and your advice on what to do here.
Comment by Barb
Barb May 27, 2017 at 8:34 am
I m glad I awoke your interest about the place.
Comment by Tasha Haley
Tasha Haley May 20, 2017 at 12:07 pm
I have heard of this place a lot of times recently. It is so beautiful. I would love to go back to Turkey and go to this place
Pingback: Best Tourist Activities in Istanbul, Turkey, a Transcontinental Capital with Incredible History
Comments are closed.