Things to Do in Cappadocia: 20 Ideas by Time of Day, with Prices

The best things to do in Cappadocia follow the clock: a balloon flight or balloon watching at sunrise, rock-cut churches and an underground city by day, a valley walk or ride at sunset, and a show or a cave restaurant at night. Most of the valleys are free to walk. The main museum, Göreme Open-Air Museum, costs €20 for foreign visitors, and a shared balloon flight starts from $199 per person with us. If you want the main sights done in one day with a guide and lunch, our Cappadocia Red Tour starts from $50 per person.

Below are 20 ideas, sorted by the time of day they work best, with what each one costs and how long it takes. For advice on how many nights to stay and which valleys to pick, see our Cappadocia for first-timers guide.

The list at a glance

Site tickets are the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's current prices for foreign visitors. Tour prices are ours, per person.

At sunrise: balloons in the air or from the ground

1. Fly in a hot air balloon. This is the reason most people come. Balloons take off at dawn from fields around Göreme and drift over the valleys for about an hour. Shared flights with us start from $199 per person in a standard basket, and comfort, premium and private baskets cost more. Every flight needs permission from the civil aviation authority that morning, so it can be cancelled for wind or fog. Book your first morning, not your last. Our balloon price update compares the basket types.

2. Watch them instead. On a flying morning, more than a hundred balloons rise at once, and the view from the ground is almost as famous as the view from the air. You can walk up to the ridges above Göreme for free, or join our sunrise balloon watching tour from $35 per person with transfers. Many cave hotels have terraces facing the launch area; see Cappadocia cave hotels.

3. Have your photo taken with the balloons. A photographer takes you to a viewpoint or a terrace at dawn. Our balloon photo shoot with a professional photographer starts from $103 per person.

Sunrise in Göreme ranges from about 05:15 in June to about 07:58 at New Year, so check the time the evening before.

History in the rock and underground

4. Göreme Open-Air Museum. A group of rock-cut churches and chapels with painted interiors, most from the 10th to 12th centuries. The Dark Church (Karanlık Kilise) has the best-preserved frescoes and a separate ticket. Arrive at opening time, before the tour buses. Entry is €20 for foreign visitors, rising to €22 on 1 April 2027. See our Göreme Open-Air Museum page.

5. Zelve and Paşabağ. Zelve is a cave village whose people moved out in the 20th century when the rock became unsafe. Paşabağ, also called Monks Valley, has fairy chimneys with two and three caps. One ticket covers both for €12.

6. Devrent Valley. No buildings, just rock shapes that people compare to animals, including the well-known "camel". It is free and takes half an hour.

7. Uçhisar Castle. The highest point around Göreme, a rock outcrop riddled with old rooms. Climb it in the late afternoon for the view across the region. Ortahisar has a similar rock castle with fewer visitors.

8. An underground city. Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu are multi-level refuges dug into the soft rock, with ventilation shafts, stables, kitchens and rolling stone doors. Derinkuyu goes down about 85 metres. Each costs €13, rising to €15 in April 2027. One is enough for most visitors, and they are a good choice on a rainy day. They do not suit people who dislike tight spaces. See Derinkuyu Underground City.

Ticket tip. MuseumPass Cappadocia costs €65 and covers the ministry sites, including the open-air museum, the underground cities and Zelve-Paşabağ. It pays off if you plan to see several of them on your own.

Valley walks

Most valleys around Göreme are free and crossed by footpaths. Paths split often and are not always signposted, so use an offline map or go with a guide.

9. Rose and Red valleys. The classic late-afternoon walk, between Çavuşin and the ridge above Göreme. The rock turns pink and red as the sun drops, and there are rock-cut churches along the way. Finish at a viewpoint for sunset. See Red Valley and Rose Valley.

10. Pigeon Valley. About 4 km from Uçhisar down to Göreme, past hundreds of old pigeon houses cut into the rock. Starting at the top makes it mostly downhill.

11. Love Valley. Known for its tall, slender chimneys. Walk the valley floor or watch the balloons from the rim at dawn.

12. Ihlara Valley and Selime. A different landscape: a river canyon about 15 km long, with poplars, rock churches and a riverside path. It is a long way from Göreme, so most people see it on the Green Tour together with an underground city and Selime Monastery. Our Green Tour with Ihlara Valley and an underground city starts from $77 per person. Our Cappadocia Green Tour guide describes the route.

13. The north valleys in one day. If you only have one full day, the Red Tour links Göreme, Paşabağ, Devrent, Avanos and Zelve with a guide and lunch, from $50 per person. Our Cappadocia Red Tour guide lists the stops. A private Red Tour with your own guide starts from $161 per person.

On a horse, a quad bike or a camel

14. ATV quad ride. Quad bikes follow dirt tracks through the valleys, usually timed for sunset. Expect dust in summer and mud after rain. Our ATV quad safari through Rose, Love and Red valleys starts from $44 per person, and the sunset ATV ride in Red and Rose valleys from $65 per person.

15. Horse ride. Cappadocia's name is often explained as "land of beautiful horses", and riding through the valleys is a quieter way to see them than a quad. Rides suit beginners. Our horseback riding safari starts from $38 per person, and a 1-hour valley ride at sunrise or sunset from $90 per person.

16. Camel ride. A slow hour among the chimneys, popular with families. Our camel ride with hotel pick-up starts from $59 per person.

Crafts, food and evenings

17. Avanos pottery. Avanos sits on the Kızılırmak, Turkey's longest river, and has made pottery from its red clay for centuries. Workshops let you watch a potter at the kick wheel, and often try it yourself. Visits are free; buying is optional.

Eat testi kebab. The local speciality is meat and vegetables slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot, which is cracked open at the table. Many restaurants in Göreme, Ürgüp and Avanos serve it. Cappadocia is also a wine region, and local wines are on most restaurant menus.

Wander a village. Ürgüp has old stone mansions and the viewpoint of Temenni Hill; Mustafapaşa has carved Greek houses; Çavuşin has a cliff of abandoned cave homes.

18. Turkish night. A dinner show with folk dances from different regions, usually in a large cave restaurant. Our Turkish night show with dinner and unlimited drinks starts from $59 per person.

19. Whirling dervish ceremony. The Sema is a Sufi ritual, not a show, and is performed in silence; photos are often restricted during the ceremony. Our evening whirling dervish ceremony starts from $56 per person.

Day trips beyond the valleys

20. Go further. With three or more nights, a full day outside the core area is worth it:

• Tuz Gölü (Salt Lake): a huge, shallow salt lake to the west, white and glassy in dry weather. Our private Salt Lake tour starts from $107 per person.
• Hattusa: the Hittite capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the rock reliefs of Yazılıkaya nearby. Our private Hattusa and Yazılıkaya tour is an 11-hour day, from $278 per person.
• Erciyes: in winter, the ski resort on Mount Erciyes near Kayseri, with about 150 km of slopes. Our Erciyes ski day tour includes equipment rental and lunch, from $117 per person.

Fitting it into two or three days

Two nights. Morning one: balloon or watching. Then the Red Tour. Sunset in Rose Valley. Morning two: a second balloon chance if needed, then the Green Tour, or the open-air museum and an underground city on your own. Evening: Turkish night or the dervish ceremony.

Three nights. Add a free day: Pigeon Valley from Uçhisar in the morning, Avanos in the afternoon, and an ATV or horse ride at sunset. The extra night also gives you a third balloon morning.

Four nights or more. Add a day trip, or slow down: walk Love Valley at dawn and spend a full day in Ihlara at your own pace.

Our Cappadocia daily tours from Göreme page lists the guided options by day, and where to stay in Cappadocia compares the villages.

Tours that cover this

• Cappadocia Red Tour: Guided North Valleys Day Trip with Lunch: from $50 per person.
• Cappadocia Green Tour: Ihlara Valley Walk and Underground City: from $77 per person.
• Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride: Standard Sunrise Flight and Transfers: from $199 per person.
• Cappadocia Tour Package 4 Days: Cave Hotel, Red Tour and Valleys: from $750 per person. Private, three nights with airport transfers.

All our options are on the Cappadocia tours page.

Frequently Asked Questions