If you are on social media, you have probably seen some incredible photos of Cappadocia in Türkiye. There are photos in hot air balloons, photos in flowing dresses, photo shoots in carpet shops and rooftops, and photos with horses or vintage cars. And this list goes on and on!

Even though many of these photos are 100% staged, one thing is undeniable: Cappadocia is beautiful! Regardless of the number of tourists this region receives every day, it’s hard not to fall in love with it.

So I’ve decided to put together this post with a list of things you should know about Cappadocia to help you better plan a trip there and also to avoid any disappointments or unwanted surprises when travelling.

To help you plan a trip to Cappadocia, I suggest also reading my post with a 2-day itinerary in Cappadocia.

Cappadocia is much more than the hot air balloon rides (although that may be one of the most exciting things about this visit! 😄). For example, there are loads of hiking trails in Cappadocia, as well as lots of fun and interesting activities to do there.

Even if you don’t want to walk some trails, several attractions in Cappadocia can be visited without too much effort.

For a first visit to the region, I believe that 2 full days in Cappadocia is the minimum amount of time you need to visit the main points of interest (and quite calmly!). For example, I spent 2 full days there and was perfectly able to check out the top things to do in Cappadocia (which I’ll tell you about in a moment).

However, if you want to include some activities other than the balloon ride, I suggest an extra day or two. To be honest, I think it’s hard to get bored with this part of Türkiye.

Cappadocia is located at an altitude of around 1000 metres and in the interior of Türkiye. This means it has rather harsh winters. For example, snow is quite common from November to March.

Even when it’s not winter, the hottest days are usually marked by a wide temperature range, and the nights and early mornings are cool, so I always recommend taking some kind of warm clothing when travelling to Cappadocia.

However, any time of year is a good time to travel to Cappadocia. Even covered in snow, the region is absolutely magical. Nonetheless, snow can make some of your plans impossible, such as hiking trails and hot air balloon rides (if it’s snowing at the time of your flight, for example).

The best months to visit Cappadocia are from April to early June and late September and October. July and August are the months with the highest temperatures (it can get quite hot during the day) and also those with the highest volume of tourists.

Even so, I’d like to point out that it’s a bit difficult to avoid tourism in Cappadocia, given the popularity of this region. To give you an idea, the low season only lasts from November to March. For example, I chose to visit Cappadocia at the beginning of October and there was plenty of tourism still. As for the temperatures, during the day it was pleasant (not too hot, not too cold) and at night and early in the morning, the thermometers already hit 3 °C – 6 °C.

Firstly, you can get to Cappadocia by car or bus. The region has bus connections with cities like Istanbul, for example. However, these journeys are quite long (at least 8h30). You can see the timetables and prices available directly at Flixbus.

However, flights often have similar prices to buses and are much quicker (a journey between Istanbul and Cappadocia takes about an hour). There are two airports in Cappadocia:

• Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport – the closest airport to Cappadocia
• Kayseri Erkilet International Airport – about 1 hour from Cappadocia by car, but with more flights available

While Nevşehir airport only has connections to Istanbul, Kayseri has other destinations available, such as Izmir, Antalya in Türkiye and other cities in Europe (many flights are only available during the high season). For example, although I arrived in Cappadocia by car, I ended up flying from Kayseri to Istanbul. I flew with Turkish Airlines and the flight cost just 28€.

I stayed for two nights in Çavuşin, located less than 10 minutes by car from Göreme, at In Stone House. Compared to the cave hotels, this accommodation was much cheaper (26€/night with breakfast) and is absolutely incredible.

Besides the excellent location, the service was excellent and the hotel’s outdoor space was really lovely as well. In addition, the room was very spacious (especially the bathroom) and very comfortable. The room was always warm, which was great when I returned to my room at the end of the day.

The breakfast service was relatively simple, but it changed throughout the days and was good. In addition, there was always hot tea available at any time of the day. This hotel was a bargain in terms of value for money and for that reason I highly recommend it.

Even so, I’d like to share other accommodation options in Cappadocia, apart from those mentioned above:

Although I felt safe in all the places I visited in Türkiye (I only went to the most touristy parts of Türkiye, in the western part of the country), Cappadocia was the one where I felt the safest.

In any case, I highly recommend previously purchasing travel insurance for Türkiye. However, this recommendation is especially related to possible health expenses and not to any insecurity you may feel while travelling around the country.

So, let me finally share with you all the things you should know before visiting Cappadocia. If you’re looking for a Cappadocia itinerary, I suggest you also read my post with a Cappadocia 2 days itinerary.

Although it may seem that way to many people, Cappadocia is not a city. There isn’t really a town called Cappadocia. Cappadocia is actually a region in central Türkiye, where some of its main cities/villages include Göreme, Uçhisar, Çavuşin, Ortahisar or Ürgüp.

The nearest major cities to Cappadocia are Aksaray and Kayseri. However, these are a bit further away from the main points of interest in Cappadocia.

It’s common to combine a trip to Cappadocia with a visit to other parts of Türkiye, such as the Turkish Riviera or Istanbul.

However, although this is a very popular option, visiting Cappadocia is a bit out of the way (even though it’s VERY worthwhile!). To give you an idea, a trip between Istanbul and Cappadocia is almost 800 kilometres, taking at least 8 hours by car.

Konya (240 kilometres) and Ankara (300 kilometres) are the major touristic cities located next to Cappadocia.

One of Cappadocia’s distinctive features is its rock formations, which are unique in the world.

Millions of years ago there were volcanoes in the region which, at a certain point, covered the area with various materials. The action of erosive agents over the years then gave rise to the rock formations that exist today.

The softer material at the base disappeared and since the top of the formations was made of more resistant material, it resisted. This is a simple explanation of how Cappadocia’s famous rock formations (e.g. fairy chimneys) have formed but you get the idea.

Although the most popular activity in Cappadocia is the hot air balloon tour, there is much more to visit in the region. As well as unbelievable viewpoints over the special rock formations, there are several trails to explore the region’s valleys, hidden underground cities, pottery classes and much more.

My recommendation is that you set aside at least 2 days in your Türkiye itinerary to visit Cappadocia. The region has a lot to offer and this is the minimum amount of time recommended for first-time visitors. I suggest you also read my other post with a complete 2-day itinerary in Cappadocia.

Given the long distance from Cappadocia to the most visited places in Türkiye (such as Istanbul, for example), it is impossible to visit Cappadocia in one day (including the return journey).

Even if you’re planning to leave from one of the nearest cities (e.g. Konya), travelling back and forth on the same day doesn’t make much sense, as it would only allow you to spend a few hours in Cappadocia. This would be totally unfair given that the region has so many incredible things to visit.

What’s more, it would also mean missing out on one of Cappadocia’s best shows – watching hundreds of hot air balloons in the sky at sunrise.

Although some cities in Türkiye can be very hot (especially in summer), Cappadocia is a bit different. Given its altitude, it often snows in the region during the winter months, which makes the days very cold.

Even in the warmer months, for sunrise, I recommend wearing warmer clothes, as the temperature varies greatly throughout the day. Just to give you an idea, I visited Cappadocia at the beginning of October and even though I wore summer clothing during the day, it was very cold early in the morning and at night, and even my warmest clothes weren’t enough to keep me warm.

Given the popularity of hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia, one of the best recommendations I can give is to book the hot air balloon flight as soon as you’re sure you’re going to visit Cappadocia.

Although there are hundreds of balloons in the air every day, there is a limited number of balloons in the air and, especially in high season, this activity can be very popular. I booked my experience with Royal Balloon, which is one of the best hot air balloon companies in Cappadocia.

💡 EXTRA TIP: If you’d like to know more about hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, I suggest you read all about my hot air balloon experience here.

To ensure safety, the balloons only take off if authorized by the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority. Therefore, if the weather conditions are not favourable, the balloons will not take off.

This is one of the most important things to know before visiting Cappadocia to avoid disappointment and make sure you manage your expectations.

The weather is a completely unpredictable factor. However, the good news is that there are around 260 days a year when balloons are authorized to fly 🥰.

Given the flight’s unpredictability, I suggest that you book your Cappadocia hot air balloon ride for the first morning in the region. If it’s not possible to fly on your first morning in Cappadocia, depending on the availability of the companies, you can try to postpone a few more days until it is possible to fly.

If it’s not possible to fly at all, most companies guarantee a 100% refund.

You’ve probably wondered whether balloon rides in Cappadocia are worthwhile or if it’s all a social media phenomenon where people want to do it because they’ve seen others doing it.

Although I do not doubt that social media has played a tremendous role in promoting Cappadocia in recent years, I can assure you that flying in a hot air balloon is an unforgettable experience. Of course, it’s even more special in Cappadocia, but I think it’s a memorable experience anywhere in the world.

Riding in a hot air balloon is quite hard to explain… you feel a strange feeling of lightness. You’ll only understand what I mean if you try it 😍.

The number of people each balloon carries depends a lot on the package you purchase. There are more premium options, where it’s almost possible to travel in the hot air balloon almost by yourself (and the pilots, of course). However, the most common option is to share the balloon basket with other travellers.

Most balloons carry between 20 and 30 people. You probably didn’t expect that many people per balloon, right? But the truth is that hot air balloons are much bigger than they seem when they’re in the air.

For example, I flew in a balloon carrying 20 people and, although it was a large number of people, my experience was still amazing.

As much as we dream of visiting Cappadocia and taking a hot air balloon ride, it’s true that hot air balloon rides are extremely expensive. The prices of this activity depend on several factors (more information here), but in high season, for example, a ride can cost almost 300€.

So, let’s face it: it’s normal that not everyone who visits Cappadocia can afford a balloon trip. The good news is that Cappadocia is incredible anyway! And even if you don’t go hot air ballooning, you can always watch the sunrise show that happens daily with hundreds of balloons in the air. It’s also a magical moment, believe me 🥰!

Cappadocia is one of the most visited places in Türkiye and is on many people’s bucket lists. So, it’s no surprise that Cappadocia has taken advantage of this and is now a very tourist-orientated place.

Although there is a low season and a high season, it’s hard to find this Turkish region without tourists. The good thing is that you only have to travel a bit outside the most popular places (e.g. taking one of the trails in the valleys) and you’ll find fewer people, as most tourists tend to stay in the most easily accessible places.

Without a doubt, one of the most magical moments of the day in Cappadocia is sunrise. This is when the hot air balloons (weather conditions permitting) take off, making their appearance in the skies of Cappadocia.

So, in your Cappadocia itinerary, I recommend at least one morning to watch the balloon show from one of the many viewpoints available and another morning for the balloon ride. You can thank me later 😉!

Although the main tourist attractions are relatively close to each other, it’s impossible to travel the distances between them on foot. In fact, some of the best things to do in Cappadocia aren’t even that close to Cappadocia’s main towns.

Therefore, the most practical way to explore Cappadocia is to hire a car. Alternatively, you can opt for tours that pick up and drop you off at your accommodation, but you always lose some freedom in how you can organize your days.

If Cappadocia wasn’t already a dream in itself, there are lovely accommodations in this Turkish region too. How many times have you imagined staying in a cave hotel? 😱 Well, there are several cave hotels in Cappadocia and some of them are even some of the best hotels in Cappadocia to see balloons (almost) every morning.

These are some of the best cave hotels in Cappadocia:

• Divan Cave House
• Mithra Cave Hotel
• Koza Cave Hotel
• Sultan Cave Suites
• Aza Cave Cappadocia

The proof that Cappadocia is a box of surprises is its underground cities. Their origins still raise many questions, but one thing is certain: they are extraordinary. It’s hard to imagine how thousands of people lived there so many centuries ago.

Several underground cities can be currently visited, but the best known is the underground city of Derinkuyu, as it is the largest.

I think I can say that I’ve travelled a bit and I’ve never seen tourism as dedicated to photo shoots as in Cappadocia.

There are props on the viewpoints to perfectly frame the landscape, a parade every morning of vintage cars to photograph next to the balloons, and dozens of photo shoots with flowing dresses (there are several companies that rent dresses). Oh, and of course don’t forget to rent carpet shops for photo shoots too.

This is what Cappadocia has become too, and it’s all fine! The beauty of the landscapes is still there, regardless of the 4 or 5 photo sessions happening simultaneously in the same place. It may be a type of tourism that many people don’t appreciate, but I confess that it didn’t bother me at all. You just need to know this before you visit Cappadocia so that you can manage your expectations properly.

Another thing you should know about Cappadocia is that some of the main points of interest are not free. Depending on the number of places you want to visit, the bill can quickly add up.

However, most of the paid attractions are free with the Museum Pass Cappadocia. This card costs 1500 TRY (~50€) and can be purchased at the first place you visit in Cappadocia where they accept this card. It is valid for 3 days after first use.

I know Cappadocia sounds like one of those places you’d visit once in a lifetime, but the truth is that it’s so special that you’ll probably leave wanting to go back someday 😍. I know, at least, I do.

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