If you want to have an extraordinary holiday, to collect unforgettable memories, to feel satisfaction of your experiences with your eyes and hearts, then, we will suggest Cappadocia as a fantastic route. It is not possible to count all activities that you should do in Cappadocia because places for attraction points, places and sightseeing routes have many details. Though, there are 10 unforgettable activities that you should exactly try, see and take time off. Are you wondering? Let’s move on!
10 Attractions in Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a home for miraculous formations and civilizations that you won’t see anywhere in the world. You will be surprised when you hear the myths in different languages, and you will travel between different periods at each points of Cappadocia. Beside the famous fairy chimneys that will be fascinated about, you will mention about underground cities, castles, valleys and even color of the sky as ‘it was totally different’. Let’s see the top things to do in Cappadocia that you should not return without doing these.
1. Visit historical places in Cappadocia
If we suppose that Avanos, Ürgüp and Goreme are the corners of the Cappadocia, you will see many structures that have stories about different civilization in these locations. Some of them as old as Chalcolithic period and Hittites and some are traces of recent history which constituent the base of Turkish civilizations as Seljuk and Ottoman. You will taken away to different times by the valleys where Christians lived illegally, spread and multiplied with fear from Roman pressure, hidden or ordered churches and monasteries in the valleys, the houses that carved into rocks and the dovecotes which tell different tales used as livelihood. There are countless things in activities in Cappadocia that we say ‘you should exactly see’ such as frescos of complex structures in Goreme Open Air Museum, the hidden heaven of Ihlara Valley, tombs, mosques, and the castles that look from the top that have a meaning as ‘Saint Cappadocia’. Begin with many places that marked on the Cappadocia map if you have enough time, but if not, begin with -must seen- historical places like Goreme Open Air Museum, Uçhisar Castle, and Ihlara Valley.
Cappadocia museums should be added as the most authoritative history narrators of activities in Cappadocia. Cappadocia Art and History Museum narrates the history of Cappadocia interestingly with more than 200 dolls, Cappadocia Ethnography Museum in Ortahisar depict the region from past to present, and Avanos Hair Museum, which is one of the worth-to-see places with its thousands of women’s hair strands, is included in both the Guinness Records Book and the most interesting 15 museums around the world. A rich history feast awaits you both in the field and in the halls.
2. Get down to the Underground Cities
One of the most interesting experiences in 10 attractions in Cappadocia is to go down to the underground like going to the center of the Earth. Do you know what awaits you in deep? Here are some hints:
- The place was built with using splendid engineering skills and mathematic and have mysterious like Egyptian Pyramids.
- It is so deep like that there are some places that unexplored yet and we only have predictions about the depth.
- The place that under 10 meters or more deep, equipped with lots of capillary air ducts, it provided to live for thousands of people and animals without going up.
- We still don’t know why they needed to close the gates with huge millstones, but their protection methods are really impressive.
There are 36 known underground cities in Cappadocia. The biggest of them is Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu Underground Cities that dated back to 3000 BC. We recommend you to see Özkonak, Tatlarin, Mazı, Özlüce, Gaziemir Underground Cities as much as Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı. You will feel the longing to the sunlight of people who lived in and tried to escape from wars, and you will be grateful that you didn’t live in those years.
Note: Best option to visit underground cities is to join Cappadocia Daily Tours. Please visit our Cappadocia daily Tours Page. We recommend it highly because you can learn much with accompanied professional tour guide and visit other important places.
3. Walk in the Valleys Accompanied by Fairy Chimneys
If you are one of these travelers who like go trekking, walking with bird chirps and among trees full of fruits, we should not skip the most delighting walking tours in attractions in Cappadocia. Vegetation presents different colors on the canvas on each season. The reddish leaves of fall changes places with green nature in spring. We should add that you won’t be able to nature as attractive as under the snow in the winter. The doves can be friends, streams and waterfalls can be accompanied to you while you walk in the valley. You can walk among vineyards with ripping off apricots or plums from the branches. The valleys are not only walking routes but also special places which have carved churches, life places and fairy chimneys. While Güvercinlik Valley is a place to be explored and frequently visited place by everyone, Kızıl Valley is known for its enormous sundown, Love Valley is for calling to romance, and Zelve, Paşabağı is for the shows of the fairy chimneys are worth to be seen valleys. We can recommend you to go to another valley which is not explored enough yet, the Gomeda Valley, it looks like a movie plateau with its shuddery atmosphere.
The streets of Göreme, Ürgüp and Çavuşin should be added respectfully to do list in Cappadocia without forgetting. You can see the magnificence of old stone houses only by walking in the streets and you can have long breaks to take photos. Shortly, walk in Cappadocia both in valleys and streets. Believe us, you will not get tired.
4. Join a Balloon Tour
Seeing the valleys and fairy chimneys while flying with balloon through clouds, fluctuating with the enjoyment of the wind and landing to the wherever wind wants will be your feeling free moments in Cappadocia. You can book your Cappadocia balloon tour, maybe for a marriage proposal or giving a special honeymoon gift or to add a unique memory in your life. We strongly recommend the Cappadocia balloon tour as the most different activity for 10 attractions in Cappadocia. Don’t miss the awakening of nature, the grateful poses of fairy chimneys, and opening the eyes of the Sun before sunrise. Even if Cappadocia balloon tour is an expensive activity, it’s really worth it.
In order to book your balloon tour with us, please visit our Balloon Tour web page.
5. Make Pottery in Avanos
First, you will see masters in many workshops named as ‘chez’ at the center of Avanos, after then you will see the artist in you. You will be proud of your works from clay that get shapes in your palms and transform to a vase or pitcher. Making pottery is one of the healer things for mental health. We say ‘make pottery’ among activities to be done in Cappadocia and we guarantee that you will enjoy it. By the way, you will see many works that created from both clays and stones in Guray Museum, Avanos, and how the clays of accumulating of Kızılırmak River create an artistic population. Come on and touch clays, put your hand in the mud and get your hands dirty to reveal your artist side!
6. Drive ATV, Ride a Horse
If you are one of travelers who think adrenaline is always a good idea, you can feel freedom by crossing muddy and wetlands. In order to drive ATV, it is not needed to have driving license, or any driving experience and you can rent for hourly or daily. Also, it is not needed an experience for riding a horse. You will train for riding, in horse farm by professionals for your safety. The horses that used for using horseback tours, are already malleable. It would not be a lie to say the full moon safari is better with riding a horse. You will have fun in the mysterious and colorful valleys of Cappadocia accompany with fairy chimneys.
For details about ATV Tours and booking , please visit our ATV Tours web page.
For details about Horse Riding Tours and booking , please visit our Horse Riding web page.
7. Explore the Tastes of Cappadocia Cuisine
You can find tastes that both belong to the world cuisine and the local food which prepared tasty by talented local people and have the essence of the Central Anatolian cuisine in Cappadocia. We have a suggestion, a very special presentation, if you are especially looking -local and specific- food. Although testi kebab is coming from out of the region, the cooking and presentation style is special for Cappadocia. Testi kebab is broken in your table and you will be almost full up with its steam. The tandoori and stewpan are the special cooking styles of Testi kebab. I Because of the meat cooksfor a long time it is more delicious than normal. Even the haricot bean will be different when you eat it in its popular place. Besides kebab, you should try the other local and special tastes such as dıvıl, kömbe, sızgıt and ayva dolması.
8. Join Wine Tasting
The region is actually the first grape paradise that comes to mind when it comes to the winemaking of Central Anatolia. The fame of the white wines that produce grapes of Emir spread to the world. The reason of the high quality of grapes in cropped from Hittites is tuffaceous soil. Tuffaceous soil provides having high efficiency grapes, protecting insects and creating vaults by carving easily. The vaults that carved into rocks ensure that temperature stays stable both winter and summer, so it provides the good quality tastes of wine. There are many vineyards around Nevşehir but Ürgüp Turasan and Uçhisar Kocabağ Vineyard are the most famous and oldest vineyards in Cappadocia. As one of the 10 attractions in Cappadocia, we recommend you go to these vineyards to taste the flavor awarded wines and buy them.
9. Join Turkish Night
Foreign tourists are interested in Cappadocia Turkish Night that are being organized for introducing Turkish culture especially in Uçhisar and Avanos. You will have fun in the huge stone carved underground restaurants with dances of whirling dervishes, belly dances, folk dances and music. You will be impressed for, as qualified wines and delicious meals of the cuisine as, the special atmosphere of places while you will have fun.If you would like to get more details and even booking, please visit our Turkish Night Web Page.
10. Stay Cave Hotels
If your expectation is comfort in accommodation, you will wake up in cave rooms that have local themes and the scenery of valleys in Uçhisar in the most luxurious hotels ranked in the world. If your budget is enough for the cheaper ones you can still find stone houses with local theme in Cappadocia. You will say ‘good morning’ to the most beautiful mornings of the world and will see both the historical living traces and its harmony with modernity in here.
Let to remind you, Cappadocia is the one of the best backgrounds for photography to create amazing photograph albums even if you’re not a professional about photographs. Even on the sky or underground there is a unique world that awaits you. You will only live your moments and put your photographs in your albums. It is not the end of to do things in Cappadocia but now it is your time to explore the region! Wish you have a pleasant holiday!