After four days of whimsical wanderings through Istanbul (click for blog), eating our hearts out and immersing ourselves in the sights and sounds of the biggest city in Europe, my friend Ashlyn of Middle World Adventures and I hopped a flight to Cappadocia for part two of our lively Turkish caper. We are typically the DIY travel types, diving deep researching historic sites, must-sees and top quality eats, and finding ways to save a dime, but this trip was different. It was to be our last trip while we both were stationed in Europe together, because we received orders to return stateside by the summer. So, to celebrate our last hurrah (and my birthday!), we decided to hire a guide for three of our four days in Cappadocia (as is quite common and customary), and let the experts guide the way.
WHY CAPPADOCIA? This other-worldly region of Türkiye (pronounced tour-key-eh) is best known for breath taking views of the hoodoo-covered valleys surrounded by colorful hot air balloons. The landscape is truly unparalleled – but what we learned is that the history is every bit as mind boggling! Settlements began during the stone age here, but with the soft volcanic stone eroding over time and easily carved by hand, the region is most famous for the caves and cave churches dug by early Christians hiding from the Romans during Roman occupation (300’s AD). There are over 600 cave churches scattered around the region and countless cave dwellings to complement them. Perhaps the most impressive are the underground cave cities that are impossibly intricate, much like an ant farm! We learned so much about the ever changing history of the region from our tour guide Kadir, and recommend either reading up on Turkish history before visiting or definitely hiring a guide to appreciate everything there is to see.
OUR FLIGHT: We took the evening flight from SAW-ASR and with only a carry-on, it was under $100 per person for round-trip airfare. Keep in mind you will need to also arrange for transport to and from the airports as both SAW in Istanbul and ASR in Cappadocia are about one hour from the main destinations of Istanbul and Göreme. Our transport from the airport into town was the nicest we have ever seen (left). Thanks for arranging it for us, Erkan (the cost was included in our tour, but will probably run around $20 for shared or $75 for private transport).
OUR HOTEL: There are many popular cave hotels (an absolute must in Cappadocia) located in the center of Göreme, the most popular and bustling town in Cappadocia. We opted instead to stay in the quieter village of Uçhisar next to the iconic Uçhisar castle, overlooking the valley. We wanted a good view of the balloons since we wouldn’t be taking a ride in one. We loved our hotel, Kale Konak, and highly recommend it. We booked it on Booking.com and found it to be comfortable and very friendly with a most impressive Turkish breakfast spread! The cost was $550 for 5 nights in a two bedroom cave, $275 per person ($55/night), breakfast included. (Photos of Kale Konak cave hotel below.)
OUR GUIDE: Erkan Vural (+90 533 745 97 43) is well known and highly recommended in the military expat community, so he was our first contact in scheduling a tour guide. As he was unable to personally guide us due to a last minute emergency, he arranged for the wonderful Kadir Cetin (+90 506 433 06 70) to take over, and we loved him! Either gentleman can be reached via WhatsApp. We explained that we are not typical “instagram” visitors (they get many of those who want to book photo shoots) and we weren’t interested in a balloon flight, but instead preferred to focus on the culture and history of the region. Kadir was awesome, answering all our questions and keeping us engaged for three full days of exploring! We bonded over our love of basketball and he held his own with Star Wars and Game of Thrones trivia. The cost for 3 full days for two people transport included, all entrance fees, plus luxury transport to and from the airport was $1150 USD ($575 per person, plus tip, meals are separate). Having a guide is the way to go if you want to streamline your trip, packing in as much as possible while learning as much as possible. Erkan recommended places to stay in both Cappadocia and Istanbul, and even suggested tour guides in Istanbul if we wanted them. Kadir was very helpful in finding places for us to eat and tailoring the itinerary to our interests.
ITINERARY:
- Day 1: Arrive late, transport to hotel.
- Day 2: Beautiful Turkish breakfast at hotel, picked up in van with driver and Kadir for tour of Goreme Open Air Museum, Love Valley, Monk’s Valley, Imagination Valley, lunch at Köşebaşı Kapadokya, visit to Turkish pottery studio with demo, Göreme panoramic view, Uçhisar view, dinner Millocal restaurant.
- Day 3: Beautiful Turkish breakfast at hotel, picked up in van with driver and Kadir for tour of Underground City Kaymakli, Hiking Red Valley, lunch at Kapadokya Orman Restaurant, Pigeon Valley overlook, dinner Kadıneli.
- Day 4: 6AM watch hot air balloons, beautiful Turkish breakfast at hotel, picked up in van with driver and Kadir for tour of Mustafapasa town, Keslik Monastery, Sobesos ancient Roman city, Karabaş Kilise caves, Soganli Valley hillside walk, lunch at Soğanlı Kapadokya Restaurant & hidden chapel visit, Göreme hill views over Cappadocia, dinner at Centre restaurant.
- Day 5: 6AM watch hot air balloons, last amazing Turkish breakfast, visit Uçhisar Castle, shopping around town, walk in Pigeon Valley, late lunch at Reserved Restaurant, Hammam spa treatment at hotel, early to bed for 3AM transport to airport for 6AM flight.
DAY 1: Arrival
As mentioned before, we arrived quite late to Kayersi airport, a tiny little hub in the center of Türkiye. Our driver had been alerted that we were running late, and he was waiting for us with our names on a sign and the nicest triple lux transport we had ever seen! I hated to sleep on the one hour drive to our hotel, but craved it knowing we had a big day of touring ahead of us. When we arrived at Kale Konak cave hotel in Uçhisar, we were greeted warmly and our bags were brought to our room by the attendant. The room was comfortable and had two big beds in different rooms for us, plus a generously appointed bathroom and little treats for us each day. The temperature was very comfortable in May when we were there, and we didn’t need heat or cooling in the cave. I can imagine it could get warm in the peak of summer even though it is technically under ground! I don’t believe there is A/C here, so I recommend visiting in the off season (April, May and September, October). Either way, I highly recommend this hotel! They’re super friendly and the whole compound is like a maze with so many cool hallways and common rooms to explore. They even have a Turkish Hammam to use if you book 24 hours or more in advance. (Room photos below.)
Day 2: Tour
We woke up early on Day 2 and had a delightful breakfast. It should be noted that we just showed up for breakfast and sat down and they began bringing us food – we didn’t order anything but our beverages! The food just kept coming, and we didn’t need reservations for the time slot. It was amazing. The classic Turkish breakfast consisted of delicious breads and pastries (including homemade beignets), a different kind of egg prepared each day, burek, cheeses, fruit, a variety of jams, vegetables, spreads, honey and olives. Plus Turkish coffee and tea? Huzzah! What a great way to start each day. We were so spoiled!
After breakfast (and a quick snuggle with the dog and cat of the hotel), we met Kadir with our driver right outside our hotel and headed to Göreme Open Air Museum. Although this is a very touristy place, it is the number one destination in Cappadocia for a reason. As a World Heritage Site, it boasts incredible rock formations and historic caves and cave churches that date back to the Byzantine Empire (330 AD) and served as a monastery, dwellings, and various well preserved hidden churches. If you’re staying in Göreme, it is possible to walk here as it is just 1km outside of town. Entrance fee is around $21 right now with an additional fee to enter the “dark church” (aka the “Michael Jordan of cave churches”), but all of our entrance fees were included in our tour guide fee.
Here we learned about pigeon houses, a very important living resource for the people who once inhabited these cave communities. Pigeons not only provided food with their eggs and little bodies, but the egg was also used for paint, and the pigeons were used to deliver messages. Apparently the droppings were also used as fertilizer! Pigeons were a very valuable commodity! These pigeon houses resemble tiny prisons cut along rock faces and look more like a little hotel for birds with the small holes all in a line. Here at the Göreme Open Air Museum you can also see beautiful paintings inside the cave churches and learn a little bit about the stories early Christians were sharing. As most cave communes had several chapels, it was clear their faith was paramount to their survival. It’s important to note that one thing you can’t do here like in other places is climb all through the caves. It is very protected, so only enter where it is permitted. We spent a little over one hour exploring and learning about the history and then moved onto Love Valley.
Love Valley is one of the most famous vista points in Cappadocia. This is a popular spot for hot air balloons, and it overlooks Love Valley and the Red Valley. Why is it called Love Valley? Some say the fairy chimneys here are quite suggestive, leading one to conflate “love” with a valley full of phallic symbols. However, according to Kadir, this was a place young lovers would come to “hide out” and meet behind the tall hoodoos to escape town and have some privacy. That makes sense! It certainly is a protected valley. At the top of the hill is a little tourist spot with souvenirs and a cafe overlooking the valley – a classic photo opp. There is no entrance fee for this viewpoint.
From there we continued on to Monk’s Valley. Also known as Pasabag Valley, this spot has an entrance fee (tickets also get you into Zelve) and a fairly well established visitor center and shops. This was a quick stop for us, not just because it rained, but because it’s easy to walk in and see all the best spots in about 30 minutes. The fairy chimneys are some of the most impressive here, with very prominent “hats” on top of the chimneys. They were formed over thousands of years of wind erosion on the different layers of rock. If you want to expand this visit, add nearby Zelve Open Air Museum. It’s only about 1.5km walk between the two with lovely vistas along the way. Note: Monk’s Valley has paid bathrooms so have coins handy.
Pasabag Valley was once home to a community of Simeon hermits. In one of the three-headed fairy chimneys (above), there is a chapel dedicated to St. Simeon with crosses decorating the entrance. History tells us that Saint Simeon was living in isolation near Aleppo during the 5th century when people started spreading rumors that he was a miracle maker. He didn’t love all the attention, so he decided to move northwest to neighboring Türkiye (at the time Byzantine Empire) and Cappadocia to live on top of a 2m high column much like a monk – then later moved to the top of a 15m column. He sat on top of these pillars day and night! This unusual behavior continued for 37 years, and he eventually died on top of a column. Today people visit the hermitage to see the columns and many consider it a pilgrimage site. The hermits of Cappadocia hid away from the world by digging out dwellings inside the fairy chimneys instead of living on top of them like Saint Simeon. They hollowed out the chimneys from the bottom to the top, in the process creating rooms that could be up to 15m high! This valley is also a spot used for outside events and concerts – there are plans in the works to make it a more useful location, including the recent planting of lavender fields.
We had worked up quite an appetite, so before lunch we made a quick photo-op stop at Imagination Valley (below) also known as Devrent Valley before lunch. People look for shapes in the rock formations the same way we look for shapes in clouds – the most popular of which is the “camel of Cappadocia!” Kadir let us know that camels didn’t naturally exist here and they were brought here for tourism, so this is the only “true” camel of the region – made out of stone! He encouraged us to look at the rocks to see what we could see in the same way we would look at clouds. It’s worth a quick stop for sure and is very close to Monk’s Valley.
For lunch we headed into Göreme to eat at a delicious restaurant I highly recommend that was one of our favorite lunches of the trip: Köşebaşı Kapadokya. It had all the delicious Turkish delights including vegetarian versions of our favorites. We loved this meal! It’s a fairly new restaurant and is also in other locations in the region, so I’m sure it’s good everywhere if it was this good here!
After lunch Kadir asked us if we wanted to visit a ceramic making factory (Kapadokya Seramik) or a silk rug weaving factory, although we didn’t need to visit either – this was a bonus. We chose ceramics, and I ended up having a quick lesson in pottery from the master himself! We were graciously hosted with tea by the master potter and his son (clearly head of sales) as they provided us with a demo and then insisted we give it a try. I loved the opportunity, even though we felt a little bit guilty that there was no charge whatsoever for this “tour.” It certainly was nice to have exclusive access to learn all about the intricate Turkish past time! These ceramics are each totally unique and take many hours to complete as they are painted with pointillism. They’re very expensive – we couldn’t afford any of the pieces made by the master. Still it was amazing to walk through the huge shop gallery. I will admit we didn’t feel any pressure at all to buy anything (unlike other places we have been) but my own guilt crept in for their generous hospitality and I ended up getting a little teacup. A little part of me wishes I had money to burn as I would’ve loved a beautiful vase – and they ship everything for you, included in the price!
We were getting pretty tired by the end of day one, but we had one more stop on the way back to our hotel to clean up before dinner. Kadir showed us his favorite viewpoint: Göreme Panoramic View. This is a great spot to see the whole Göreme valley and climb out on some huge dome rocks for cool pictures. I can see why he loved it so much – it’s gorgeous!
On our way back to Uçhisar and our hotel, we pulled over for a view of Uçhisar from the opposite side of Uçhisar Valley. It was lovely to see the view of the “castle” from here and we could even see our hotel nestled at the bottom of the castle on the hill. Of course there are a few camels here for photo ops but keep in mind they aren’t native to Türkiye! This is just a quick stop for the special view.
After getting cleaned up, we walked down the hill about 5 minutes from our hotel to Millocal Restaurant Kapadokya, passing Uçhisar Valley again and saying hello to the sheep. This restaurant was another highlight of our time and we highly recommend it even if you’re not staying in Uçhisar! It had a gorgeous view over the valley, including a spectacular sunset vantage point so the buttes of Red Valley turned bright orange. We shared a variety of mezze plates and appetizers and a delectable dessert. Remember that alcoholic beverages are much more expensive in Türkiye because it is generally a “dry” country, so liquor is highly taxed. We didn’t indulge here to save money (and I think our wait staff was disappointed about this).
We walked back home and crashed – sleping like babies after such a full, incredible, delicious day! Take me back!
DAY 3: Tour
Our second full day of touring began with another marvelous breakfast at the hotel followed by a pickup time of about 8:30 AM with Kadir and our driver (who was also great, by the way, and deserves a proper shout out). Check out that spread!
We went directly out of town about 25 minutes to Underground City Kaymakli (opens at 8AM). We were glad to get there early because we had the caves almost to ourselves, but by the time we were leaving it was getting VERY busy and Kadir told us it can get quite crowded inside. This was one of my favorite experiences because it really helped immerse us in what life would’ve been like for the ancient people of Cappadocia.
These caves were thought to have first been dug in the 8-7th centuries BC by Phrygians, a people who evolved and whose language died out in the Roman times. Later, during the Byzantine era, the caves were drastically expanded by early Greek Christians, explaining why many of the chapels have Greek inscriptions. These early Christians used the caves to hide from frequent Arab raids, as evidenced by their narrow and shortened tunnels designed to prevent raiders from finding their way or moving quickly with weapons. They also had huge stones that blocked passages to help inhabitants hide or escape if necessary. There seemed to be rooms for everything from common areas and sleeping rooms to cooking, animal stables, eating and even wine making!
Above you can see a clear photo of me attempting to push a huge stone across a passage, the same way it was intended as a safe-guard many years ago. These tunnels were so intelligently designed that they even had huge shafts for air circulation, as I can imagine living underground could get quite stuffy after a while. I don’t think there were many 6′ tall ancient Cappadocians. Also, given that the only source of light would have been candles/fire, it was impressive to see how clean and well preserved they are. This is probably the most grand and intricate of the underground cities of Cappadocia, but archaeologists continue to discover new caves and underground dwellings all the time. It is estimated that there are around 200 underground settlements…resembling this:
After our eye-opening one hour tour of Kaymaklin underground city, Kadir guided us on a beautiful hike through the Red Valley. This was the perfect balance for the day – first cooped up underground, and next outside in the fresh air, the only people as far as the eye could see. The whole hike we had stunning views of the colorful mountains and rock formations all around us, and it was a fairly leisurely hike so we could appreciate everything without getting too tired. I do recommend having amphibious footwear if you plan to hike this trail, though, as there were some spots that had flowing water and got rather muddy and tricky to traverse.
We took the long route to the Red Valley lookout near “Star Box Cafe” so we could see a wide variety of landscape. It is possible to do a much shorter version of this hike if you start in the large open flat that appears to be a parking area – and probably is used for hot air balloons. This is also a popular area to do four wheeler tours. The only challenging part of this hike was climbing straight up through the Rose Valley portion towards the Star Box Cafe rest area. It was also the most rewarding part of the climb! The views (below) were some of the best of the whole trip!
After a brief pitstop at the cafe to try tea with local honey, we climbed up beyond the little rest stop to a spectacular lookout point (photos below). It was surreal to see the colorful layers of different stones and get a 360º view of the valley. This was definitely the cherry on top of a memorable day! The sky was also threatening rain, so we took in the vista and headed back down through the valley to have lunch. I loved the walk back too, as you can see it was on narrow paths that were carved into the soft rocks. So cool! I wish I could pinpoint our exact route, and I have looked carefully at All Trails to see if there is something similar to what we did, but what I can say is the locals know best. Ask Kadir! He has the inside scoop on a hiking route that covers the most territory without being too difficult.
I admit I was on a high after the hike, and wasn’t paying close attention when Kadir explained the significance of the gravestones, some of which had birth dates in the 1300’s and death dates in the late 1900’s or even 2000’s! This means someone who appears to have been born in 1301 and died in 2002 converts to 1922-2002 (80 years), and is a big difference! On January 1, 1926 Türkiye adopted the Gregorian calendar, which explains the change of dates.
We were so excited to have lunch at this little hole in the wall restaurant where we were the only guests. The hosts at Kapadokya Orman Restaurant brought me and Ashlyn delicious vegetarian dishes in individual baking trays with tons of vegetables, sauce and local cheeses, plus bread, mezze dips and plenty of Turkish coffee. We also tried künefe, a lightly sweet Turkish cheese dessert that has a crispy fried coating and is very stretchy. It wasn’t my favorite but is definitely worth trying!
As the hike took approximately 2.5 hours and our lunch didn’t end until 3:30, we were fairly tired and ready to wind down for the day. Kadir brought us to one last stop – Pigeon Valley – which had a terrific view overlooking Uçhisar. They call it Pigeon Valley for all the pigeon houses visible in the distance, but also because it is positively overrun with pigeons! This is a fun spot to walk to from Uçhisar as well. There is no fee to visit. I admit it was nice to have a private ride all around the region, but it is definitely possible to walk or hike to most of the highlights in Cappadocia within the red tour lines (on the map at the beginning).
Ashlyn and I hung out for the remainder of the afternoon, and weren’t sure we were hungry enough for dinner, but decided to walk down to the village in Uçhisar anyway to check out the women-owned Kadıneli restaurant for a small bite to eat. We had gozleme and baklava which was simple and delicious, but I think we appreciated the atmosphere and little old Turkish grandmas in their skirts and scarves the most. We love supporting women-owned businesses! I would love to return for a proper meal, although I did notice it wasn’t especially vegetarian friendly.
We walked back up to our hotel with tired feet and happy tummies for another good night’s sleep in our cozy cave rooms.
Day 4: Tour
I set my alarm for 5AM to check the status of balloon flights so I wouldn’t miss the hot air balloons. Using the link here, if the flags turn green, the weather is cleared for take off. If it’s red, it’s no-go. People get up before dawn to meet their balloon tour guides so they can be floating through the skies come sunrise. It’s such a moving experience to watch them quietly and gently move about the landscape, every now and then seeing a big burst of flames as one balloon tries to get sky-high. This morning (after two dismal no-fly mornings) was the most spectacular sight! I sat there on the cliff overlooking the valley with tears in my eyes. It was positively breathtaking and SO peaceful to watch. It was so clear we were also able to get an incredible view of Mount Erciyes in the distance covered in snow!
Come breakfast time, I was on a high without even having taken a balloon flight! It wasn’t on our bucket list to take to the skies, but it is one of the top attractions in Kapadokya. Flights cost upwards of $200-300 per person for a basic balloon flight, but expect to shell out thousands if you want a private ride!
After another indulgent and insanely delicious breakfast we were picked up by Kadir and our driver and whisked away to the town of Mustafapasa. This small village used to be a bustling town called Sinasos with a large population of Turkish speaking Greeks. In 1924 the Treaty of Lausanne dictated that all Christian Greeks would have to leave Türkiye and all Muslim Turks would be forced to leave Greek territory in a “population exchange.” Although this part of history was given names that sugarcoat the event, 1.6 million people were displaced and it was devastating for many. Walking through Mustafapasa felt a little bit like wandering through a ghost town. There are efforts to revive it with new cave hotels being built to draw tourism, but the truth is it is a quiet and deserted place.
The only evidence of the Greek history lies in the few buildings that remain from the era including the Konstantin – Eleni Church (below) built in the late 1700’s and abandoned when the Greeks left. At the time the church was built, Christian churches were not allowed to be erected in the Ottoman Empire. There is a legend that says in the 1720’s the empire gave Christians a tiny window of 80 days to build their churches, so this church was erected by all the Christian villagers banding together during this time. It was then renovated in the 1850’s after the empire began allowing Christians to once again openly celebrate. Of course it was only used for 75 years in the condition it is today before the “population exchange” left the village barren. It is haunting to visit a place like this, and consider what it was like for the people 100 years ago when new borders were drawn between Türkiye and Greece.
After our brief visit in Mustafapasa we made a special visit to the Keşlik Manastırı. The location of this monastery is in a beautiful valley surrounded by flat mountains and it is kept by a single man who has volunteered to preserve the historic spot in exchange for using the land around it to farm and live. It was wonderful to see such care and dedication to the history of this spot, as these caves were some of the best preserved and most unique we had seen so far! The black soot was still thick on the ceilings from years of candle and torch usage, and all the classic details and features (like small graves, cooking and eating areas, wine making spots and of course the chapels) it was so fun to explore! I highly recommend visiting this monastery as it feels different from the others, and meeting the keeper was delightful as well as he offered us tea and showed us a selection of hand made items as local, traditional souvenirs. Also we were the only ones there!
After Keşlik we decided to do some light trespassing. Our itinerary called for a stop at Sobesos, an ancient Roman city that has been uncovered by excavation and archaeologists in 2002. The road appeared closed as we approached the dig site, but no one was there so we walked over to take a look. I was a bit awe struck to imagine this Roman village being uncovered before our eyes, including administrative center, bathhouse, cemeteries and chapel. The main attraction is the chapel, or Roman church is covered in details like intricate mosaic flooring that reminded me a bit of Pompeii. It is clear these ruins date back to the fourth century, a time when the Romans were embracing Christianity under Constantine, based on the layout and features of the church. What a discovery! We didn’t stay long so as not to overstep, but it was amazing to see this site up close.
On our way south to the Soğanlı Valley, we stopped on the side of the road to view an old cave dwelling that has been retrofitted with electricity and is inhabited today (above). It is located right on the side of the road! Speaking of side of the road, Kadir brought us to another cool site that, if you weren’t paying attention driving past, would be very easy to miss. Ylanli Kilise is another village of cave dwellings and chapels built high into the mountainside, and contains one of the most colorful churches we saw, known as the Serpentine or “snake” Church. There are many detailed paintings inside that display Biblical stories, and Kadir noted that after the early Christians left the region, these chapels were then found and inhabited by the local population who saw these paintings and images as sacrilege and bad luck, so out of superstition they scratched the eyes out of most of the paintings of people. This is evident in many of the remaining cave churches in Cappadocia!
We explored this area totally on our own, which was awesome to have such exclusive access to some of these historic spots. It was a beautiful day, and Kadir suggested we walk back across the valley on the opposite side of the road so we could see a few more unique cave chapels and formations. This area was apparently used as a filming location for a Turkish movie, and I can see why – it would make such a picturesque set! We walked the brand new stone path past dome church and took in the mountain vistas all around. What a perfect day.
We worked up quite an appetite, and Kadir recommended we eat at a nearby restaurant that has all outside seating amongst the blossom trees. Soğanlı Kapadokya Restaurant was idyllic (have cash as they don’t take credit cards) – the food was amazing and the setting was straight out of a fairy tale! I loved all the hand made breads, sizzling veggie options they brought us, local cheeses and homemade yogurt as desert topped with honey from their very own bees. We were so spoiled! After we ate, Kadir showed me yet another hidden cave church up a ladder and across a little creek. We had to climb around very steep cliff sides to reach it but it goes to show how determined these people were 1500-1800 years ago to practice their faith and survive in regional Anatolia (Asia Minor). Kadir pointed out the very distinct Greek writing and I noticed that the patterns on the ceiling reminded me a lot of patterns on blankets and textiles I have seen in many shops. I wonder if these ancient paintings were the inspiration for the fabric patterns?
The drive back to Göreme was a little over an hour, so we had plenty of time to chat about our three days of incredible tours and what – if anything – we’d still like to be able to see. I showed Kadir a photo of Göreme that included a road surrounded by cave hotels and Uçhisar castle in the distance, and he knew exactly where that was, so it became our last stop! Our driver dropped us off at the bottom of Göreme hill (aka Love Hill, aka Sunset Point) where Kadir paid a small fee for us to walk up. There is a tiny shop at the top and a 360º view of Cappadocia valleys in all directions. This is a very popular spot to watch balloons in the morning as well, with hundreds of people hiking up for up close views of balloons all around. This spot is easily reached on foot from all cave hotels in the center of Göreme. It’s a must-see place in the region for sure!
This was also where we said goodbye to Kadir, our trusty tour guide for three full days. He took such good care of us and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for the best of Cappadocia in any amount of days. We paid him in cash and included a tip. Our trusty driver picked us up at 3AM two days later to bring us to the airport, so we had one last time to see him and give him a tip separately.
We had one more day in Cappadocia with no tours planned, just for us to recoup and explore on our own. We had such incredible lunches on our tour days that we weren’t very hungry at dinner time – but we still wanted to go check out certain restaurants down town in Uçhisar. That night we paid a visit to Centre Restaurant. From the outside it looks like a welcoming home, and inside has that same cozy feeling. The menu was great, and we grabbed a few things to try even though we weren’t very hungry. It was all delicious and the hospitality was great! We especially loved how you could see the chef cooking in what appeared to be a household kitchen. We shared the mushroom pasta, cheese rolls, baklava and a “crispy pumpkin dessert” that was unlike anything we had tried before, made of hard but soaked chunks of pumpkin with tahini and walnut topping and little slices of ice cream to go with the desserts. Yum!
Day 5
Ahhhh Day 5. Another brilliant morning for balloon watching! It wasn’t quite as spectacular as day 4, but still worth waking up at 5:00 to catch a glimpse of the colorful orbs bobbing around the valley. I’m sure it’s amazing to watch them from downtown Göreme too, but I loved seeing them with the whole of the valley out in front of me, and nothing blocking the view. I wandered around the hilltop village area to try to get better views but noticed there were a few stray dogs out that morning that were very territorial and didn’t look too friendly – with me OR with each other. I also noticed (see pic below) a section of the Uçhisar hilltop that was under construction and had piles of trash around – making it a little less magical. I stuck to the safety of our hotel and nearby the Uçhisar Castle for the best views. Then it was time for our last breakfast in Türkiye. We were going to make it count!
That day was fairly cloudy but thankfully didn’t call for rain, so we decided to take our time getting ready, have a leisurely breakfast and walk next door to finally tour Uçhisar Castle. We had been seeing it every day but it was time to climb up and get a birds eye view of things inside and out. The “castle” is well preserved, with a small gallery and museum area in the bottom at the entrance. There is a nominal fee to enter (approx $1.50) and it gives you one of the best views in all of Cappadocia.
The castle has plenty of hand rails for safety – which is good because there are several places with sizable drops! Once you reach the top, the views are 360º again and close to five miles in every direction. It is said that there could have been upwards of 1,000 people living in this “castle” at a time. It would’ve been a bustling place much like a beehive!
After visiting the castle we took a walk down the hill and stopped at all the shops to take a look at the traditional Turkish gifts for sale. Textiles, jewelry, and pottery were among the most popular items, but antiques and trinkets were popular too. We were shown the basement of one of the shops where tons of pottery was stored, with many pieces that glow in the dark (see below)! I wish I could’ve afforded the beautiful vase that caught my eye but alas, this wasn’t the trip for indulgent gifts for myself. I found a unique ring with a stone that changes color in the light and picked up a pair of the parachute pants women and men wear casually that almost look like a skirt, but they use them when they’re working as comfortable, billowy attire. I always grab a little something for the kids, too – and there certainly were plenty of items to choose from. I did feel the shops were “selling” pretty strongly to us, so the minute we showed any interest they were very eager to pitch their products.
We were most excited about our meal this day, as it was supposed to tide us over until the next day; we had to go to bed early because we were being picked by our driver up at 3AM for our flight! We decided to have a mid afternoon “linner” (like a lunch-dinner) and we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. Reserved Restaurant may have been my favorite of the whole trip and such an awesome explanation point on our time in Cappadocia! We actually stumbled upon it quite by accident as the original eatery we had intended to visit had just been sold and was now some sort of gentleman’s club. Whoops! Enter Reserved, where we were welcomed and treated with the most tasty bread, mezzes, salads, and desserts we could’ve dreamed of! Every single thing was drool-worthy and I didn’t want to leave. Ashlyn couldn’t get over the cheesecake. I loved everything! This place also has live music at night and very cool outdoor scene that would be a lot of fun in a busier season. I appreciated having all the attention on us, though!
On our way home we encountered a huge yellow lab – or was it a golden retriever? Hard to tell. I think it was a lab. Anyway, it followed us for over a mile on our walk back up the hill. We felt bad as it looked a bit mangey but was definitely friendly, we think because we were women. When we passed men in shops, the dog slunk away appearing scared. It was obvious he was thirsty, so we found a bowl and gave him some water, and also fed him a little hot dogs we found at a convenience store. The dogs in Cappadocia belong to “everyone” according to Kadir, so we felt ok doing a little bit to help our furry friend make it through another day.
This is amazing view over Pigeon Valley is what we saw on our walk back up the hill to our hotel. I had decided I didn’t want to leave Türkiye without getting a proper Hammam spa treatment, which includes a full body exfoliating scrub and bubble massage – it’s quite intimate! Our hotel arranged for a private masseuse to meet me at their Hammam, where I laid down on the marble slab with nothing but a small blanket over me and I was treated to this bubbly scrub. If you have never had an official Hammam spa service before, it’s a must! But I warn you, all modesty will have to be left at the door. It left me feeling so clean and relaxed, a really great way to end the holiday. We rested well that evening and had a comfortable early wake up call for our transport to the airport that took about one hour. Turkish airports are a little chaotic in that it feels like herds of people everywhere, but somehow they get the job done. It’s all worthwhile and part of the experience!
I admit that leaving Cappadocia (for Istanbul) on a long two-flight travel day back to Belgium was sad. Ashlyn and I were both accompanied by a heart-sinking feeling knowing we wouldn’t see each other again for a very long time, let alone be able to travel like this for many years to come. This trip was something extra special, and definitely left a mark on us both. We agreed it was some of the best food we had together on a trip (tough to top the Balkans or Barcelona) but we will remember this far away land as one of the most colorful, delicious, and interesting places we had ever visited. Thanks for the memories, Cappadocia! Until next time – teşekkürler!
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