Tips Cappadocia

A trip to Cappadocia can generates so many questions, such as which is the best season to visit, what am I going to see and what should I be careful about. It is best to know everything before you arrive, in order to avoid lines, move around easily and comfortably and save money and time. The most useful Tips for Cappadocia are here.

General

• The best season to visit it is early October or mid-April.
• The ideal number of days in order to get to know it is 4 to 5.
• You will see the best sunsets from the top of the Uchisar castle and from the Red Valley.
• Find good exchange rate in your country to exchange money. The exchange rate through the bank (for card payments) as well as at Göreme’s exchange agencies is not good.
• Buy a tourist sim card (180 Turkish liras or cheaper) from the airport of Istanbul, so that you have free GB, sms and talking minutes. (It is valid for one month). The best company is Turkcell. It has 4G signal everywhere.
• In Turkey 1MB costs 12€!! While if someone calls you, both you and the person calling you are getting charged!
• Even if you are not morning people, you will be (by force), as the imam will be waking you up at the crack of dawn!
• SOS: The nazar (blue eye beads) that you hang on the wishing trees are taken down, to free up space, and re-sold!!
• The weather changes very quickly; do not get disappointed. One moment you might see clouds, and suddenly a wonderful sunset may appear in the horizon.
• The small signs with a white and red arrow are pointing to the restaurants and hotel that exist in that direction.
• Cappadocia lives and breathes from 5 until 8 in the morning (because of the balloons). Also, it is all empty and quiet by 20:00, apart from the restaurants.
• There is an ambulance outside of every attraction that concentrates a lot of people.
• Be cautious of the way you climb up and stand on rocks. There is danger of landslides.
• Cappadocia is dressed in a cloud of dust (mainly around and inside the valleys).
• If you want to stay in a cave hotel, book way in advance, as occupancy during high season reaches 100%!
• All the cave hotels are cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
• In Avanos and Urgup you will find the cheapest souvenirs.
• Under the Cavusin castle there are cheap souvenirs and nice shops.

 
Transportaion

General:

• For better and easier transportation, rent a car.
• SOS: Rent a tall car (like a jeep: cost 25€ per day) for off-road excursions as well as to avoid the speed bumps.
• There are a lot of speed bumps on the roads, so you will hit the car’s grille if you are going fast.
• Outside (almost) all attractions there is parking upon charge.
• Book transportation to the airport via Shuttle Bus through your hotel, for just 6€ per person!
• Caution on the streets! Turkish drivers are aggressive.
• Most streets are paved and new, while at many spots they are double-lane.
• Oil and gasoline are more expensive in the villages.
• When you see road signs with radars they mean that at the entrance-exit they set up radar speed guns, just like in Morocco.
• On central streets there are fake police cars, in order to discourage drivers from speeding.
• In the afternoons, there are a lot of tours with horses and ATVs that take place, which are crossing the streets. Slow down and keep your eyes open.
• In Cappadocia there are two airports. One in Kayseri and one in Nevşehir.

 
Transportation from and to the airport:

• The easiest way is via shuttle bus, at 6-14€ per person, route duration 1 hour. SOS: Book your seats before your arrival.
• Taxis are faster but they are also more expensive (around 25-30€).
• With the local bus, whose routes are scarce and only during the daytime.

 
Buses:

• The routes for the big towns are hourly, from 07:00 to 20:00, and the ticket is very cheap.
• For the other locations there are mini buses.

 
Super Hot Tips – Balloons:

• The latest you book, the more the chances: a) Not to find seats for the day or period you want b) The ticket price will be 2 or 3 times up!
• The torch “breaks” the cold by a lot in the balloon!
• Pick companies that have baskets of 12 persons maximum capacity, so that you are more comfortable.
• Prefer seats that are on the sides, and not central ones, so that you get a better view.
• If you pay cash, you have a discount of about 10-20€ per person, depending on the company.
• Don’t worry about which side you should stand on, as the pilot turns the basket around so that everyone gets to see.
• The standard flight duration is 1 to 1¼ hour, but it might get reduced to 30 minutes if it is windy.
• The more days they have not flown due to winds, the more their price goes up!
• The location that most balloons land is this.
• At takeoff and landing locations, there are ambulances and police cars, just in case.
• Check the weather report for winds. Up to 10km, flights are performed normally.
• All companies accept cash in Euros €, while if you wish to pay via card the cost will go up.
• The best locations to watch the balloons take off are the hill of Göreme and the Rose Valley .
•  In order to find the location you like, you must search for it from the previous days with the light of day.

 
Hot spot air balloon: 

If you do not want to pay for the sunset point, we have a tip for you, but you will have to climb (send us a message at info@travelen.eu)

?  Read the complete guide for the Hot-air Balloon ride in Cappadocia and make the best choice  ?

Attractions

General :

• Most museums are open 08:00-17:00 in the winter and 08:00-19:00 in the summer.
• Very Useful Tip: The (Museum Pass Cappadocıa) is advantageous as it offers free entrance to a lot of museums and places like the Göreme Open Air Museum and the Dark Church, the Ihlara Valley, the underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymakli, the Zelve Open Air Museum and the Fairy Chimneys, the church in Çavuşin and the archaeological museums of Nevşehir and Hacıbektaş!
• In order to go up to the Sunset view point after 06:00, the ticket costs 3 liras.
• For the Red Valley you pay entrance of 10 liras (only if you are by car).

 
Ride with an ATV or horse

• It is not recommended for people who are allergic to dust, experience breathing problems etc.
• Wear light-colored clothes because there is a lot of dust.
• You do not need a driver’s license for the ATVs.
• Ask if the company you picked offers you masks for the dust
• Children under the age of 12 cannot drive the ATVs, but they can ride with an escort.

 
Göreme Open Air Museum

• SOS: Be there at the opening (08:00) because later it is flooded by groups.
• It is accessible on foot by Göreme. 20’ walk.
• From 09:30 onwards it is not easy to find parking.
• With the same ticket, you can get inside the impressive Tokali Church, which is located close to the main area, on the right.
• During the opening some churches are closed but they open later, as well as the café.
• The Dark Church is the most beautiful and well-maintained. It has an extra entrance cost of 18 liras, while photos and videos are prohibited.
• In every church, only 20 people are allowed to enter at a time.

 
Uchisar Castle

• In the summer months, avoid climbing up during the afternoon hours.
• If you go up at the opening, you might catch a lot of balloons that have not come down yet.
• Even though the sunset is the ideal time to take the best pictures, tourists are plenty and don’t make your task any easier.
• During operating hours, entrance by car is upon charge.
• Every half hour, there is a bus that connects Göreme with Uchisar.

 
Urgup

• A bit outside of Urgup, you will find the famous three sisters.

 
Ihlara Valley

• Visit it at 10:30-11:00 as it has better light. Also, it gets flooded by groups later on.
• At the parking you pay 10 liras for as long as you stay.
• The best spot in the valley is this.
• The route to the cafés inside the river is about 1.5km long.
• Along the way you will find a lot of benches, bridges as well as instagram-perfect spots for photographs.
• The best floating houses to sit are Numbers 4 & 17.

 
Fairy chimneys και Zelve Open Air Museum

• The Hottest spot is HERE .
• The Fairy Chimneys and the Zelve Open Air Museum have a combo ticket (18 Turkish liras), but different entrances, which are 2km apart.
• If it is windy the air is filled with find dust, which makes the visit of the site difficult.
• At the Zelve Open Air Museum there is parking upon charge 5 liras (you can park it a bit down the road without charge), while at the Fairy Chimneys parking is free.
• The most beautiful spot at the Zelve Open Air Museum is the winery (on your left as you enter).

 
Underground cities Cappadocia (Derinkuyu & Kaymakli)

• Visit them at the opening (08:00-09:00) to avoid the groups. The first one comes at 09:00!
• When it is crowded, you cannot move comfortably in the already very narrow passages and rooms (avoid it)!
• The underground city of Kaymakli is not so deep but it has larger rooms and a better theme.
• Tall visitors (1.85m and taller) will have a hard time, as many passages are narrow and low!
• Derinkuyu, on the other hand, has endless levels, but not such a beautiful theme as Kaymakli.
• It is strictly prohibited for people who tend to feel claustrophobic.

 
Pigeon Valley

• It is one of the easiest walking trails in Cappadocia. Do not miss the chance to take a walk around.
• The best spot inside the valley is THIS.

 
Love valley

• If you go early in the morning you will avoid the crowds and groups, but you will be against the sun!
• The best spot (Hot Spot) which is very close to the theme and has good lighting is this.
• It is one of the best locations for a sunrise with the balloons (they fly pretty close and the theme is very interesting).
• On the site there are two pieces of fabric by air balloons. They were placed there on purpose, because from high up (by satellite or drone) they look like some kind of creature! Check it out HERE

 
Food – Entertainment

• The traditional Turkish Ravioli must be small, thin, with beef filling and it must have garlic and yoghurt.
• The most well-known restaurants in Cappadocia work with reservations (especially for the evenings). If you want to enjoy your meal, make sure you have made reservations one to two days in advance.
• Be cautious about where you buy pomegranate juice from, as a lot of stomach disruptions have been reported.
• Their cuisine is dressed with plenty of spices that are heavy. This is why many dishes are not recommended to people with stomach problems.
• In Urgup you will find plenty of restaurants with traditional cuisine, good quality and low prices.
• Tipping is not mandatory, but greatly appreciated.
• Politeness is not a main qualification of the waiters!

 
Tourist traps

• In Avanos, Urgup and other “non” touristy places you will find many souvenirs, at prices even 5 times lower!
• When you book a car, many companies, bring you another one that is much smaller, on the pretext that it is similar to the one you booked! Insist that they give you one that is actually similar or a discount of about 30-35%.
• If you want to visit the Uchisar Castle by car, tell them at the entrance that you are staying at one of the hotels (e.g. the Dream Hotel), so that you don’t pay entrance for it.

Tips Cappadocia