Cappadocia Travel Guide

Valleys and fairy chimneys

The valleys are best explored on foot, early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the light turns the rock pink and gold.

• Paşabağ (Monks Valley) — multi-capped fairy chimneys, one housing a chapel dedicated to St Simeon; off the Göreme–Avanos road on the way to Zelve.
• Çavuşin — a village below an old cliff-side settlement, and the starting point for several valley trails.
• Devrent and the Three Beauties — in the Ürgüp district: Devrent’s curious rock shapes and Üç Güzeller, a “family” of three fairy chimneys.
• Güvercinlik (Pigeon Valley) — between Göreme and Uçhisar, its rock walls dotted with old dovecotes.
• Kızılçukur (Red Valley) and Güllüdere (Rose Valley) — the classic sunset walk, with rock churches hidden along the trails.

Where to stay

First visit, with balloons the priority? Stay in Göreme or Uçhisar, closest to the launch sites. Prefer restaurants, wine and a little town life? Ürgüp. Want peace and character? Mustafapaşa or Ortahisar. On a budget or travelling by car? Avanos or Nevşehir city offer good value and are the closest to the airport.

Cave hotels — rooms carved into the rock — are the signature Cappadocia stay. Many are on steep lanes, so give your transfer driver the hotel’s name, not just the village.

A simple three-day plan

Day 1: land at NAV, transfer to your hotel and walk the Rose or Red Valley at sunset. Day 2: sunrise balloon flight, then the Göreme Open-Air Museum and Paşabağ. Day 3: an underground city and the Ihlara Valley, by tour or hire car. Keep a spare morning for the balloon in case the first attempt is cancelled, and check the best time to visit before you book.