If you want to have a different holiday, we will recommend Cappadocia as a route without exception, if you say "I will not fit in the sky", "I have both eyes and my heart is full" or "I will accumulate moments that I cannot get enough of". Cappadocia contains so many details to be seen, to visit, to be seen, to tell them all is like counting a lace noose. But when we are gone, there are 10 things to do in Cappadocia that we say, take time, try, see, you will not forget. What are they?
10 Things to do in Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a miraculous formation and cradle of civilizations that you cannot see anywhere in the world. You will travel to a different history in each corner, and you will be surprised by listening to a legend in every language. In addition to those well-known fairy chimneys that amaze you, you will talk about the underground cities, castles, valleys, and even the color of the sky that were still inexplicable, saying 'it was different'. Here's what to do in Cappadocia and our suggestions to get back without doing;
1- Visit the historical places of Cappadocia.
If we count the corners of Cappadocia in Ürgüp, Göreme and Avanos; In every corner, you will encounter structures that bring the stories of different civilizations. The history of many of them is old enough to reach the Chalcolithic period, the Hittites; some of them are recent history traces that form the basis of Turkish civilizations such as Seljuk and Ottoman.
The valleys where Christians live illegally and spread by fear of Roman repression, churches and madrasahs where you will sometimes find hidden and sometimes tidy in the valleys; Houses carved into rocks, pigeons that have been a source of livelihood will tell you different tales and take you to different times. Among the things to be done in Cappadocia, Göreme Open Air Museum does not end with counting the frescoes in complex structures, which we will call 'must see', Ihlara's secret paradise, the castles, mosques, rock tombs, tombs that look at the top of the view, 'Saint Cappadocia'.
If you have time, we will start the tour by marking indispensable historical monuments such as Göreme Open Air Museum, Ihlara Valley, Uçhisar Castle, with an abundant dotted region map.
Let's add the Cappadocia museums to our list as the most authoritative history narrators. The Cappadocia Museum of Art and History, which tells the history of Cappadocia with more than 200 babies, the Cappadocia Ethnography Museum in Ortahisar, which depicts the region from past to present, and Avanos Hair, which is included in the Guinness Book of Records, which is among the 15 most interesting museums in the world. The museum is worth a visit. A rich history feast awaits you both in the field and in the halls.
2- Get down to the underground cities.
Among the 10 things to do in Cappadocia, one of the most interesting experiences will be to go deep into the center of the world. What's in the deep? If we say to you, which is made using mathematics with a mysterious and awesome engineering intelligence like the Egyptian Pyramids; it is so deep that we still have not reached the deepest, it is estimated how many meters it is; Or if we say that it is equipped with capillary air ducts where thousands of people and animals can breathe without going out 10 meters underground for a long time; What do we say if we say that the doors are closed with huge millstones, to whom we do not know what and against, and the protection measures are astonishing?
There are 36 underground cities currently known in Cappadocia. The biggest of them is the history of BC. Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu Underground City dating back to 3000s. We recommend you to visit the underground cities of Özkonak, Tatlarin, Mazı, Özlüce, Gaziemir as well as we recommend Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu among the things to be done in Cappadocia. You will feel the longing of the people who escaped from wars only when you are visiting the underground cities, and you will be thankful that you did not live at that time while walking by crouching.
3- Walk in the valleys accompanied by fairy chimneys.
If you are a traveler who loves trekking and enjoys bird chirping and walking among fruit-laden trees; Let's not forget the most enjoyable walks among the things to do in Cappadocia. Vegetation contains different colors on the canvas of each season. The leaves turned red in autumn, they are replaced by a lush nature in spring. We also add that you will never see a nature under snow in winter so attractive. You can make pigeons companions in the valleys where the streams are accompanied, and sometimes you will encounter waterfalls.
You can remove apricots and plums from the branches of trees and glide through the vineyards. Valleys are not only walking trails, but also necklaces with historical churches, living spaces and fairy chimneys carved into the rocks. The
Pigeon Valley, which has been discovered and frequented by everyone, the Red Valley that comes to mind when the sun goes down, the Love Valley, which evokes romance, Zelve, where the fairy chimneys show, and the Pasabak are worth seeing. And there are valleys such as Gomeda Valley that shudder like the movie plateau that has not yet been appreciated so we go and see.
Of course, I should respectfully analyze the streets of Göreme, Çavuşin and Ürgüp in the list of things to do in Cappadocia. You can only see the magnificence of the old stone houses by walking through the streets and take long breaks to take photos. In short, walk in Cappadocia. Both in the valleys and on the streets! Believe you will not get tired.
4- Take a balloon tour.
In Cappadocia, passing through the clouds, seeing the valleys floating below the fairy chimneys, fluctuating according to the pleasure of the wind, and landing wherever the wind's heart desires will be one of the most free moments.
Maybe you can contact the companies working professionally in the region to participate in the Cappadocia balloon tour, which is special enough to be a marriage proposal or a honeymoon gift and permanent enough to add a unique moment to your life. Among the 10 things to do in Cappadocia, we strongly recommend the balloon tour as the most diverse activity.
Do not miss the awakening of nature, the thankful stances of fairy chimneys, the opening of the eyes of the sun before sunrise. Although Cappadocia balloon tour is an expensive activity, believe it is worth it.
5- Make pottery in Avanos.
In the workshops called 'chez', which you will see in the center of Avanos, you will see what the master and then the artist within you can do. You will be proud of "I did this" by sitting on the wheel and watching the clay form between two palms, turning into a vase or jug. Making pottery is one of the prescription items that even therapists are good at mental health today. We say 'make pottery' among the things to be done in Cappadocia and we guarantee that you will enjoy it. In the meantime, you will see many works made of both clay and stone at Güray Museum in Avanos, and you will once again witness how the soil accumulated by Kızılırmak creates an artistic people. Come on, mud your hand in the mud and start to reveal your side of the artist!
6- Wander with ATV, ride a horse.
If you are a traveler with the view of 'Adrenaline is good', you can enjoy the freedom by crossing the muddy and wetlands with an ATV tour. No license or driver is required to use ATV. You can rent it daily or hourly.
Riding a horse does not require as much experience as a jockey. You are informed about your safety on horse farms and you receive a short training. Moreover, recreational horses are tame horses that know how to do their jobs. It would not be a lie if we say that the full moon safari is more saturated by riding a horse. You will have a lot of fun in the mysterious and colorful ravine valleys of Cappadocia accompanied by fairy chimneys to say "don't touch my pleasure".
7- Discover the tastes of Cappadocian cuisine.
You can find a fan of the world cuisine in Cappadocia, as well as the dishes that are derived from the essence of the Central Anatolian cuisine and tasted by the local people's talent. But if you are looking for 'fastness', there are a few special presentations that we must try. Although the test kebab is a flavor that enters the region from outside, its cooking is completely exclusive to Cappadocia.
The test breaks on your table and you are half saturated with the flavor of the steam. Special cooking methods for tandoor, pottery. It is more delicious as the meat is cooked for a long time. Even baked beans will be different when you eat them. In addition to the kebabs, you can also taste the foods that have not leaked into the city life, such as stuffed quince, divıl, kömbe, leak.
8- Join wine tastings.
The region is actually the first grape paradise that comes to mind when it comes to the winery of Central Anatolia. The name of the white wines produced with Emir grapes is beyond the borders and is known throughout the world.
The vineyards planted since the Hittites owe the quality of their grapes to the tuffaceous soil of the region. The tuffaceous soil ensures that the vines give good grapes and are protected from pests, as well as cellar formation by easy carving.
The cellars carved into the rocks add a quality maturity to the wine with constant temperatures in summer and winter. Although there are many large and small wine producers around Nevşehir, Ürgüp Turasan and Uçhisar Kocabağ winemaking are one of the oldest and most famous wine producers in Cappadocia. We would like to stop by these companies among the 10 things to do in Cappadocia to taste and buy abundant award-winning wines.
9- Flock to the Turkish nights.
Especially in Uçhisar and Avanos, foreign tourists are very interested in Cappadocia Turkish nights, which are organized to promote Turkish culture and have fun. You will have fun watching different dances from whirling dervishes, orientation, fasil to folklore in huge rock-carved underground restaurants. While having fun, you will be affected by the atmosphere of Cappadocia, as well as the delicious food and fine wines of the local cuisine.
10- Stay at Kaya hotels.
If your expectation is for comfort in accommodation, you will wake up with a view overlooking the valleys in the local themed cave rooms in Uçhisar with the most luxurious hotels ranked in the world. If your budget is suitable for more modest accommodation, there are plenty of locally arranged stone houses in Cappadocia.
You will experience both the traces of the old life and the harmony of modernity together, and you will say 'good morning' to the most beautiful mornings of the world.
Let us remind you that Cappadocia is one of the best funds to take photos, and it is a land where you can create great albums even if you are not an expert in photography. A unique world awaits you on the ground or in the sky or under the ground.
You just have to digest the moments and put your photo on the album. The to-do list in Cappadocia does not end here. We leave the rest to your discoveries and wish you a good holiday.
