Cappadocia
A landscape unlike anywhere on Earth. Fairy chimneys, underground cities, cave hotels — and the best hot air balloon flights in the world.
Cappadocia is one of those places that photographs cannot fully prepare you for. The fairy chimneys, the underground cities carved by ancient civilisations, the cave hotels that are genuinely extraordinary to sleep in — the scale and strangeness of it is only apparent when you're standing inside it.
The best visits are slow ones. A minimum of three nights lets you do the balloon flight at dawn, walk the major valleys at sunset, and still have time to explore the towns without feeling rushed. Our guidebook covers everything in detail — which balloon company to choose, which cave hotel is actually worth the price, and the hidden valleys the tour buses never find.
Best time to visit
April–June and September–November. Summer is hot and crowded. Winter is cold but magical — snow on the fairy chimneys.
Getting there
Fly into Kayseri (ASR) or Nevşehir (NAV). Both have direct flights from Istanbul. Journey time: ~1.5 hours.
Hot air balloons over the valleys
Sixty licensed operators fly out of Göreme. The flight lasts about an hour and the views — fairy chimneys lit pink at sunrise — are worth every cent.
Cave hotels carved into the rock
The best cave hotels in Göreme and Ürgüp are genuinely extraordinary — stone-cut rooms, arched ceilings, private terraces over the valleys.
The valleys at sunset
Rose Valley, Pigeon Valley, Love Valley — each one is a different colour at different hours. Walk them before sunset and stay until the light goes entirely.