Cappadocia. A magical place of fairies, elves and beautiful horses like from a fairy tale. It is one of those that especially fascinated us and caused that feeling “we have to come back here”.
How we traveled
After touring Istanbul we continue our journey through Turkey towards Cappadocia. We decided to stay in Goreme and we bought direct one-way flights from Istanbul to Nevsehir at a price of 30 € per person.
By the way, there are two airports near Goreme, Nevsehir and Kayseri. Nevsehir is closer to Goreme.
Transfer from Nevsehir Airport to Goreme
There are two transport options to the accommodation – taxi or shuttle. Ride prices are fixed and the shuttle is €3.20 per person and the taxi is €30. We chose the shuttle. The driver dropped us off near the accommodation.
Where we were accommodated
We stayed at the Wonder of Cappadocia hotel where we took a deluxe room with a balcony and a view of the place. The hotel is located 5 minutes walk from the center, on a slight hill. It is taller than all nearby, which offers a beautiful view. A rich and varied breakfast is served on the top-floor terrace. It also has a space decorated for photography. On the balcony and on the terrace we feasted on the view of the balloons every morning at 7AM. We paid €45 for a bed and breakfast for two.
What we saw
Goreme is a tourist place with a bunch of different restaurants, cafes, shops and agencies offering excursions and activities. The same excursions offered in hotel accommodation can be found at slightly cheaper prices in agencies, depending on which hotel you are staying in and which agency you come across. The balloon flight depends on the weather, so we immediately booked the flight for the morning in the Alpino Travel agency on the first evening. We got the best offer for all other trips at the World Walker Travel agency.
Balloon flight
The balloon flight enchanted us. The aerial view of the valley is really special. Images say more than words. The pilot first rides high into the air at an altitude of 1500 meters after which he lowers the balloon into the valley and among the rocks. The balloon rotates in the air every now and then so that everyone, regardless of which side of the basket they were placed on, can see everything.
Arriving at the starting point, you get a sandwich and juice. It is customary to celebrate every balloon flight, so after the flight you are toasted with non-alcoholic champagne.
The balloon can be flown in baskets with a capacity of 6, 8, 16, 20 and 28 people. The smaller the number of people the more expensive the price. We flew in a basket with a capacity of 28 people and it cost us €55 per person. The same flight was offered to us in other places at a price of €75. A ticket for a basket with a capacity of 6 people costs approximately €180 per person.
Balloons fly every morning at 7 PM. Flights were canceled on days of bad weather forecasts such as rain and strong winds.
Red and green tour
Both tours include visits to photogenic valleys, historical sites and an organized lunch with a guide in English. The places visited are different. The green tour includes hiking lasting about an hour. The given price is really affordable because all tickets are included. If you visit the sights in your own arrangement, only a ticket for one sightseeing in some places costs approximately 100TL-150 TL [€10-€15]. We paid €30 per person for the red tour and €35 per person for the green tour.
If you are coming, the direct contact of the agent from the travel agency is in the picture of the business card.
Red tour
The tour begins with a visit to Uchisara, a place where you can see houses in caves that can be entered. One of the nearby sights that can be visited in your own arrangement and is not included in the tour because it takes too much time to tour is Uchisar Castle. It is also the highest point in the whole town.
The second stop is the Open Air Museum, one of the most important attractions of Cappadocia, which consists of mountain ridges, valleys and peaks called “fairy chimneys”. A huge complex of stone monasteries and churches that operated between the 9th and 12th centuries is visited here.
Next is a visit to the Love Valley, a place that is extremely photogenic and has one of the most beautiful scenes of “fairy chimneys”. It is continued to the clay pot factory in Avanos, where you learn about the history of making and the top master shows the whole process of making one pot.
Next is Imagination Valley, a place for great photos with rock backgrounds in various shapes – camels, elephants, lizards, shark fins, etc.
The last stop is the Monks Valley and a visit to the Archaeological Museum known for its perfect fairy chimneys sculpted from ancient lava, ash and basalt.
Green tour
The first stop is a visit to the underground city of Derinkuyu, followed by a hike in the Ihlara Valley. A church with frescoes is seen in the valley. The route is not exhausting. It is more like an easy walk in the canyon by the river. There is a restaurant where lunch is organized.
The tour continues with a visit to Selima Monastery built during the 8th and 9th centuries BC. In the 11th century, it was turned into a caravanserai, or accommodation for traveling merchants.
The penultimate stop is Pigeon Valley, a photogenic place with a bunch of pigeons, which is what the name of the valley says.
Finally, a visit to a huge silver jewelry store with a large selection of jewelry with a precious stone sultanate.
Horse riding
There are two horse riding tour options – lasting 1 or 2 hours. We paid €25 per person for a 2-hour tour. The maximum rider weight can be 100 kg. The guide rides first and leads a column of horses that gently follow him one after the other. The scenes we saw riding through the canyons are really beautiful so it’s a real shame not to go to this activity.
ATV tour with quads
We paid €17 per quad for a 2-hour quad ride. The tour is similar to the one with the horses. The guide goes first and the others follow him. Similar places as with horse riding are visited. We each took our quad. It is also possible to take 1 quad for 2 people.
Asiklar Tepesi [Sunset point]
Above Goreme is a lookout point with a beautiful view of the place. The lookout is extremely popular at sunset. You can see the photos at this time of day in the gallery. Images say more than words. It is possible to have a drink or eat ice cream at sunset.
It is a 10-minute walk from the center of Goreme. The ticket is paid 3TL [€0,30] per person. If you come by car parking is paid 10TL [€1].
Restaurants where we ate
The price of accommodation included a buffet breakfast. Also, excursions had organized lunch.
Goreme – Kebapzade Restaurant
The first evening we sat in this restaurant for dinner. Delighted with the food, we continued to come the next few days. The food is also more than excellent. Although it was November and there were not too many tourists, the restaurant was full every evening. You can sit either inside or on the terrace. The staff is extremely friendly. It can be eaten for about €10 per person.
Long story short
| Travel period | November 2021 |
| Corona test | Digital covid certificate for vaccinated or medical certificate of past illness or negative test, with the obligation to fill in a travel form |
| Currency | Turkish lira, can also be paid in euros |
| Airline ticket price from Istanbul to Nevsehir | €30 per person with luggage included 15kg |
| Price of transfer from the airport to the center of Goreme | €3,20 per person [shuttle], €30 [taxi] |
| Average price per night | €45 for two persons with buffet breakfast |
| Average price of a meal in a restaurant | €5-€10 per person |
| Price of a balloon flight | €55-€180 per person |
| Price of the red tour | €30 per person |
| Price of the green tour | €35 per person |
| Price of riding a horse | €25 per person, 2-hour tour |
| Price of ATV tour with quads | €17 per person, 2-hour tour |
We hope you found this guide useful in creating your next trip. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us by e-mail ks.lostintheworld@gmail.com or via social media, and we will do our best to answer you in as much detail as possible.
