Cappadocia in central Turkey is known for its fairy chimneys, rock-cut churches and the many hot-air balloons that rise from the valleys at sunrise. The landscape has been shaped from volcanic tuff, and in several of the towns, you can sleep in cave hotels carved straight into the rock.
The towns are close together, but they’re very different. Some have rooftop terraces right under the balloons, others are quiet villages, and a few have the best restaurants. Here are my recommendations for six towns and hotels in several price ranges.
Contents
The Best Towns in Cappadocia
- Göreme - best town for first-time visitors and balloon views
- Uçhisar - best town for luxury and panoramic views
- Ürgüp - best town for restaurants and town life
- Ortahisar - best town for peace and local life
- Avanos - best town for families and lower prices
- Mustafapaşa - best town for peace and quiet and old stone houses
Below, I’ll take you through the six towns one by one. For each town, you’ll get a map, the most important practical information and three hotels in different price ranges, so you can find the cave hotel that suits both your trip and your budget.
1. Göreme - best town for first-time visitors and balloon views 🎈
- 📍 Distance from Göreme: You’re staying right in the middle of Cappadocia’s most visited town, and the open-air museum is about 1.5 km outside the centre.
- 🚌 Transport: Göreme has a bus station with minibuses to Nevşehir, Ürgüp and Avanos, and most tours and balloon flights pick you up at your hotel.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: About 40 minutes by car from Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport and just over an hour from Kayseri Airport.
- 💰 Price range: € to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £65 to £330 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Göreme is a safe town. Watch out on the steep, uneven paths up to the rooftop terraces and viewpoints, especially in the dark in the morning.
Göreme is my first choice if it’s your first trip to Cappadocia. The town sits in the middle of the landscape that’s on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, and you can walk straight from your hotel out into the valleys full of fairy chimneys.
The big draw is the balloons. The launch sites are in the valleys right around the town, so on mornings with still weather, the balloons float low over the rooftops. Many cave hotels in Göreme have a rooftop terrace for exactly that sight, and this is where you’ll get the classic photos with rugs, cushions and balloons in the background.
If you’d like to go up yourself, you can book a sunrise balloon flight over Göreme here. The flights are cancelled when it’s too windy, so it’s a good idea to book for one of your first mornings and keep a couple of extra days in reserve.
Just outside the town is the Göreme Open-Air Museum with rock-cut churches and monasteries, where several of the churches have preserved frescoes from the Byzantine period. You can walk there in around 20 minutes, and next to it are hiking trails through the valleys, such as Love Valley and Rose Valley.
Most people fly to Cappadocia via Istanbul, and with Turkish Airlines, the flight to Nevşehir takes between one and one and a half hours. If you’re changing planes, I’ve written a guide to getting from Istanbul Airport to the city centre, and if you’d like a few nights in the city first, you can read about where to stay in Istanbul.
The downside of Göreme is that the town is built around tourism. The main street is full of travel agencies, souvenir shops and restaurants with menus in lots of languages, and the rooftop terraces can be crowded in the morning. On the other hand, you’ve got everything within walking distance, and it’s easy to book tours without a car.
Places to Stay in Göreme
Sultan Cave Suites - best cave hotel with the famous rooftop terrace
Sultan Cave Suites is in the Aydınlı neighbourhood on the slope west of the centre, and its rooftop terrace is one of the most photographed spots in town when the balloons are in the air. The hotel has cave suites, a restaurant, a hammam and a pool, and it was the most expensive of my three picks in Göreme. Some guests mention that the beds are hard and that the air conditioning doesn’t always work well enough.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The view from the rooftop terrace was absolutely outstanding.”
See photos and book Sultan Cave Suites here.
Panoramic Cave Hotel - best mid-range choice with a terrace view
Panoramic Cave Hotel is in the southern part of Göreme, with a terrace overlooking the town and the valleys, where you can see the balloons in the morning. There’s a sauna, a hot tub and free parking, and the hotel has a high guest rating. A few guests mention minor things that need maintenance.
One guest highlights the view on Booking.com: “A fantastic place with an incredible view from the terrace.”
See photos and book Panoramic Cave Hotel here.
Rustic Caves - cheapest pick with a rooftop terrace and pool
Rustic Caves is in the northern part of Göreme and was the cheapest of the three places when I searched. You get cave rooms, an outdoor pool in summer and a rooftop terrace where you can watch the balloons. Some guests mention that noise from other guests can carry through.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “A super clean and comfortable room.”
See photos and book Rustic Caves here.
2. Uçhisar - best town for luxury and panoramic views 🏰
- 📍 Distance from Göreme: About 4 to 5 km by road to the southwest, and the journey takes under 10 minutes by car or taxi.
- 🚗 Transport: The minibuses between Nevşehir and Göreme pass through, but a taxi or hire car makes it easier to get around in the evening.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: About 40 minutes by car from Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport and just over an hour from Kayseri Airport.
- 💰 Price range: € to €€€€. The three places below cost roughly £45 to £235 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Uçhisar is a quiet town. The steps and paths up to the castle are steep and can be slippery, so wear proper shoes.
Uçhisar sits high on a hill with a huge rock castle in the middle, and from the top of the castle, you can see out over large parts of Cappadocia. The town is smaller and quieter than Göreme, but it has several of the area’s most exclusive cave hotels, often with terraces and pools facing the valleys.
Because the town sits so high, you get a great overview of the balloons in the morning. They usually take off in the valleys between Uçhisar and Göreme, so from the terraces here, you’ll see them rise over the landscape rather than right above your head. In the evening, the castle is lit up, and it’s a popular place to watch the sunset.
From Uçhisar, a hiking trail runs down through Pigeon Valley to Göreme, where you can see the old dovecotes carved into the rock walls. The walk takes a couple of hours at a relaxed pace, and you can take a taxi back.
The town is also on the road towards Nevşehir and the underground cities of Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu, which are part of the UNESCO site. If you’ve hired a car, Uçhisar is therefore a practical base for trips to the south, and the hotels are happy to help arrange tours and balloon flights.
I’d choose Uçhisar for a honeymoon or a special occasion, when you want to spend a bit extra on the hotel. The downside is that there are fewer restaurants and not much going on in the evening, so you’ll often end up eating at the hotel or taking a taxi to Göreme.
Places to Stay in Uçhisar
Millstone Cave Suites Hotel - best luxury hotel with terraces and views
Millstone Cave Suites is in Uçhisar close to the castle and has cave suites, a restaurant and terraces where you can watch the balloons in the morning. It was the most expensive of my three picks in the town and has a very high guest rating. A few guests feel the lighting in the rooms could be better.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The view is absolutely amazing.”
See photos and book Millstone Cave Suites Hotel here.
Zafora Cave Suites Hotel Cappadocia - best mid-range hotel with a heated pool
Zafora is in the northern part of Uçhisar and has a heated outdoor pool with a view that’s open all year round. It has one of the highest guest ratings in the whole guide, and you can see the balloons from the terrace. Some guests mention that it can be hard to control the temperature in the room.
One guest is full of praise on Booking.com: “The view, the staff, the rooms: definitely 10/10!”
See photos and book Zafora Cave Suites Hotel Cappadocia here.
Kemal Stone House Hotel - cheapest pick with a pool and balloon views
Kemal Stone House is a small guesthouse in the western part of Uçhisar and was the cheapest of the three places when I searched. There’s a pool with a view, free parking and a terrace where you can watch the balloons. A few guests mention hard beds and a smell from the bathroom.
One guest highlights the hosts on Booking.com: “The hosts were lovely.”
See photos and book Kemal Stone House Hotel here.
3. Ürgüp - best town for restaurants and town life 🍷
- 📍 Distance from Göreme: Ürgüp is east of Göreme, and the journey takes around a quarter of an hour by car.
- 🚌 Transport: Ürgüp has its own bus station with minibuses to Göreme and Nevşehir, and there are taxis waiting on the main square.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: About 50 minutes by car from Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport and around an hour from Kayseri Airport.
- 💰 Price range: € to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £70 to £355 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Ürgüp is a safe town. Keep an eye on the traffic in the centre, where the streets are narrow and the pavements disappear in several places.
Ürgüp is the largest of the towns in this guide and feels more like a proper town than a holiday resort. According to Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ürgüp is one of the most important centres in Cappadocia, and the town has old Greek houses from the time before the population exchange in 1923.
Here, you’ll find more good restaurants, wine bars and shops than in Göreme, and in the evening, there are locals out on the streets and not just tourists. The town is known for its wine, and you can taste wines from the area in several places. Walk up Temenni Hill in the middle of town, where there’s a view over both the new and the old neighbourhoods.
Many of the best cave hotels in Ürgüp are in the old neighbourhoods on the slope above the centre, where the houses are built into the rock. Just outside the town stand the three fairy chimneys known as the Three Beauties, and they make a good stop on the way to or from Göreme.
The balloons mainly take off in the valleys near Göreme, so from Ürgüp, you’ll usually see them further away, depending on the wind. If you want the big sight up close, you can join a tour that drives you out to the balloons at sunrise, or you can book a balloon flight with hotel pickup.
I’d choose Ürgüp for a longer stay, when the food and the evenings matter more than seeing the balloons from your bed. The town is also close to Mustafapaşa and the road towards Kayseri, so it’s a good base if you’ve got a hire car. The downside is that you’ll need to drive or take a minibus to most of the hikes in the valleys.
Places to Stay in Ürgüp
Sacred House - best adults-only luxury hotel
Sacred House is an adults-only hotel in the centre of Ürgüp with cave suites, a spa, a hammam and an indoor pool. It was the most expensive of my three picks in the town and suits couples who want a special hotel with good service. There’s no rooftop terrace with balloon views, and some guests mention that the air conditioning is weak in a few rooms.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “It’s the most beautiful hotel I’ve ever stayed in.”
See photos and book Sacred House here.
MDC Cave Hotel Cappadocia - best mid-range hotel with a heated pool
MDC Cave Hotel is on the slope southwest of the centre and has cave rooms, a restaurant and a heated outdoor pool with a view that’s open all year round. You can’t see the balloons from the hotel, but according to Booking.com, the hotel offers a free ride out to a viewpoint. A few guests have had problems with tours they booked through the hotel.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “A beautiful place to stay for a few nights while you explore the area.”
See photos and book MDC Cave Hotel Cappadocia here.
Cappadocia Pegas Cave Suites - cheapest pick with a much-praised breakfast
Pegas Cave Suites is in the southern part of the centre and was the cheapest of the three places when I searched. You get a small cave hotel with free parking and a high guest rating, and the breakfast in particular gets a lot of praise. There’s no balloon view, and one guest has complained about a smell from the drain.
One guest highlights the breakfast on Booking.com: “Everything was incredible. The breakfast was among the best hotel breakfasts.”
See photos and book Cappadocia Pegas Cave Suites here.
4. Ortahisar - best town for peace and local life 🏘️
- 📍 Distance from Göreme: About 6 km to the southeast, and the journey takes around 10 minutes by car.
- 🚗 Transport: Ortahisar is a little way off the main road between Göreme and Ürgüp, so you’ll have the most freedom with a hire car or taxi.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: About 45 minutes by car from Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport and just over an hour from Kayseri Airport.
- 💰 Price range: € to €€€. The three places below cost roughly £70 to £210 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Ortahisar is a very quiet town. Be careful on the castle’s steep steps and ladders if you’re not comfortable with heights.
Ortahisar lies between Göreme and Ürgüp and is built around a tall rock castle full of tunnels and viewpoints. It’s a place where people still live and work outside tourism, so you’ll see locals on the square and in the small shops. That makes Ortahisar a good choice if you’d like to experience Cappadocia at a slower pace.
From the top of the castle, there’s a view over the valleys and the cave houses, but there are lots of steep steps and narrow passages on the way up. In the morning, you can see the balloons from many of the hotel terraces, but they’re further away than in Göreme, and how close they come depends on the wind.
The hotels in Ortahisar are often smaller and more personal, and several of them are in restored stone houses around the castle. Prices are lower than in Uçhisar, and you’ll often get more space for your money. In the evening, there are a couple of restaurants around the square, but if you want more to choose from, it’s not far to Ürgüp.
According to the Turkish tourist board Go Türkiye, sleeping in a cave is part of any visit to Cappadocia, and you can do that in Ortahisar for a lower price than in the better-known towns. Many hotels here also help with booking balloon flights and tours with pickup.
I’d choose Ortahisar for couples and travellers who’ve been to Cappadocia before, or who simply want peace and quiet in the evening. The downside is that you’ll need a car or taxi for most of the sights, and there’s not much to do in the town after dark.
Places to Stay in Ortahisar
Elika Cave Suites Cappadocia, Curio Collection by Hilton - best luxury hotel with a spa and pool
Elika Cave Suites is in the northern part of Ortahisar and belongs to Hilton’s Curio Collection. You get cave suites, a spa, a hammam, a gym and an outdoor pool in summer, and it was the most expensive of my three picks in the town. The guest rating is a little lower than the others in the guide, and some guests mention dust in the cave rooms.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel was lovely, and the staff were so sweet and friendly.”
See photos and book Elika Cave Suites Cappadocia, Curio Collection by Hilton here.
Cappadocia Acer Cave Hotel - best mid-range hotel close to the castle
Acer Cave Hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the castle and has a lift, a bar and free parking. It has a high guest rating, and guests particularly praise the decor and the staff. A few guests mention that some rooms have a poor view, so ask for a room with a view when you book.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel was fantastic. Lovely decor, and the staff were very helpful.”
See photos and book Cappadocia Acer Cave Hotel here.
Cappadocia St. Nino’s Garden - cheapest pick with a garden and terrace
St. Nino’s Garden is a small bed and breakfast in Ortahisar with a garden, a terrace and free parking. It was the cheapest of the three places when I searched and has one of the highest guest ratings in the guide. Some guests feel the lighting in the bedroom is too dim.
One guest sums it up briefly on Booking.com: “A truly special place.”
See photos and book Cappadocia St. Nino’s Garden here.
5. Avanos - best town for families and lower prices 🏺
- 📍 Distance from Göreme: About 10 km to the north, and the journey takes around a quarter of an hour by car.
- 🚌 Transport: Minibuses run between Avanos, Göreme and Nevşehir, but a hire car makes it much easier to get around with children.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: About 35 minutes by car from Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport, which is the shortest journey in the guide, and just over an hour from Kayseri Airport.
- 💰 Price range: € to €€€. The three places below cost roughly £45 to £135 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Avanos is a safe town. Keep children close by the river, where the bank isn’t fenced off in several places.
Avanos sits on the Kızılırmak, the Red River, in the northern part of Cappadocia. According to Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the town’s pottery tradition goes all the way back to the Hittites, and the clay comes from the river’s red silt. Today, there are still lots of pottery workshops, where you can watch the potters at work and try throwing a bowl yourself.
The town is less touristy than Göreme, and prices are lower. Along the river, there’s a promenade with cafés, and in the Old Town, you’ll find cobbled streets with old stone houses. It’s a good town if you’re travelling with children and want a bit of space and a slower pace.
From Avanos, it’s not far to the open-air museum at Zelve and the fairy chimneys at Paşabağ, which are on the road towards Göreme. The balloons also fly over the area north of Göreme, and from several of the hotels in Avanos, you can see them in the distance in the morning.
In Avanos, you’ll find both larger hotels with pools and small guesthouses and apartments, often with a kitchen. That makes the town practical for families who want something to do between trips while keeping the cost down on a longer holiday.
The downside is that Avanos doesn’t have the classic cave hotels with fairy chimneys outside the window. The town is more ordinary to look at, and if you’re dreaming of a rooftop terrace full of balloons, you should choose Göreme or Uçhisar instead, at least for a couple of nights.
Places to Stay in Avanos
Suhan Cappadocia Hotel & Spa - best family hotel with indoor and outdoor pools
Suhan is a large five-star hotel by the river with an indoor and an outdoor pool, a spa, a hammam and a gym. It was the most expensive of my three picks in Avanos and suits families who want everything in one place. The guest rating is lower than the others in the guide, and some guests mention that the service is inconsistent.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything was perfect. I enjoyed my stay at the hotel.”
See photos and book Suhan Cappadocia Hotel & Spa here.
Hikmet’s House - best mid-range choice with balloon views
Hikmet’s House is a small guesthouse in the northern part of Avanos with a very high guest rating and a terrace where you can watch the balloons. There’s free parking but no pool, so it suits couples and smaller families who spend their days on trips best.
One guest praises the staff on Booking.com: “An exceptional stay! The whole team was incredibly professional, friendly and attentive.”
See photos and book Hikmet’s House here.
Adanos Konuk Evi - cheapest pick with one of the guide’s highest ratings
Adanos Konuk Evi is a guesthouse in the northern part of the town and was the cheapest of the three places when I searched. It has a very high guest rating from several hundred reviews, a garden, a shared kitchen and apartments with a terrace. You’re staying a little way from the river, and there’s no pool.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything. You can see balloons from the terrace by your apartment.”
See photos and book Adanos Konuk Evi here.
6. Mustafapaşa - best town for peace and quiet and old stone houses 🏛️
- 📍 Distance from Göreme: About 15 km to the south via Ürgüp, and the journey takes around 20 minutes by car.
- 🚗 Transport: You’ll need a car or taxi. There are minibuses to Ürgüp, but they don’t run very often.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: About an hour by car from both Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport and Kayseri Airport.
- 💰 Price range: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £55 to £205 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Mustafapaşa is a very quiet village. The streets are uneven and poorly lit in the evening, so bring a torch.
Mustafapaşa is around 5 km south of Ürgüp and used to be called Sinasos. According to the town’s municipality, most of the inhabitants were Greek Orthodox until the population exchange in the 1920s, and the village still has old stone houses and almost 30 churches and chapels.
What you get here is peace and quiet and architecture. The houses have carved facades in pale stone, and several of the old mansions are now hotels. In the evening, you can sit on a terrace without tour buses and souvenir shops, and in the morning, you can see the balloons in the distance when the wind carries them south.
See hotels in Mustafapaşa here.
The village is a good base if you want to see the less visited places in the southern part of Cappadocia. The Soğanlı Valley with its rock-cut churches is further south, and it’s also part of the UNESCO site. From here, it’s also closer to the underground cities than from Avanos.
There are only a handful of restaurants and cafés around the square, so many people eat at their hotel or drive to Ürgüp in the evening. The hotels are small, and several are in restored houses with courtyards, so book well ahead if you want one of the most popular ones.
I’d choose Mustafapaşa for couples who have a car and want a few quiet days away from the busy towns. The downside is that you’ll have to drive to almost everything, and you won’t get the balloons up close from your hotel. For a first trip, I’d combine a couple of nights here with a couple of nights in Göreme.
Places to Stay in Mustafapaşa
Seraphim Cave Suites & SPA - best luxury hotel with a spa and indoor pool
Seraphim Cave Suites is on the southern edge of Mustafapaşa and is a five-star hotel with cave suites, a spa, a hammam and a heated indoor pool. It was the most expensive of my three picks in the village, and you can see the balloons from the terrace. The hotel has a very high guest rating but not many reviews yet.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The place is incredibly beautiful and clean.”
See photos and book Seraphim Cave Suites & SPA here.
Gemosa Cappadocia Hotel - best mid-range choice with a garden
Gemosa is in the northern part of Mustafapaşa and is a small hotel with a restaurant, a garden, a terrace and free parking. It has a high guest rating, and guests particularly praise the breakfast and the staff. There’s no pool or spa, so it suits couples who spend their days on trips best.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “A very beautiful place with very hospitable staff and a lovely breakfast.”
See photos and book Gemosa Cappadocia Hotel here.
Demisos Cave Hotel - cheapest pick in a cave hotel
Demisos Cave Hotel is in the southern part of the village and was the cheapest of the three places when I searched. You get cave rooms, a restaurant, a terrace and a shared kitchen at a low price. The staff don’t speak much English, and one guest has complained that the staff smoke in the shared areas.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff were friendly, and even though their English was a little limited, we got everything we needed sorted.”
See photos and book Demisos Cave Hotel here.
Where should you avoid staying in Cappadocia?
I wouldn’t stay in Nevşehir itself, even though it’s the provincial capital and close to the airport. It’s a modern town with few cave hotels, and you’re a long way from the valleys and the balloons in the morning.
Be careful with hotels along the main roads outside the towns, too. They’re often cheap, but you can’t walk anywhere, and the view is usually of a road or a car park rather than fairy chimneys.
Finally, check what a cave room actually is before you book. Some of the cheapest cave rooms only have small windows or are in the basement, and if you want a balloon view, make sure the hotel has a terrace that faces the valleys.
If it’s your first trip to Cappadocia, I’d stay in Göreme, because you’ve got the balloons, the hiking trails and the restaurants right outside the door. Uçhisar is the best choice for a luxury trip with a view, Ürgüp suits you if you want good restaurants and town life, and Ortahisar and Mustafapaşa are for a quiet stay. Avanos is the most practical town for families who want a pool and lower prices.
Many people combine Cappadocia with a few days in Istanbul, and then you can use my guide to things to do in Istanbul. If you’d like to end your trip by the Mediterranean, I’ve also written about where to stay in Antalya.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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