The Top 5 things to do in Cappadocia, Turkey

Previously on the blog I reviewed the amazing Yunak Evleri Cappadocia, (Turkey) a unique cave hotel carved into a mountain cliff. Whilst researching that trip I put together some must-see sites and Top 5 things to do in Cappadocia. Unfortunately there was a lot of rain during our trip so we were unable to do as much as I'd hoped for. However, I wanted to share my research with you should you be planning a trip to Cappadocia any time soon. 

FLYING IN A HOT AIR BALLOON AT SUNRISE

Cappadocia has unreal amazing landscape which makes Balloon flights one of worlds the top 3. The spectacular surrealistic landscapes combined with excellent flying conditions allow the balloons to gently drift over and between fairy chimneys, pigeon houses hewn into the unique rock formations, orchards and vineyards through impressive valleys. The photos on Trip Advisor look incredible and I was devastated to miss this whilst there. The photos reveal distinctive rock formations, breath-taking colours, features and rippled ravines.

VISIT RED VALLEY

Red Valley (Kizilcukur) is one of the best places to watch the sunrise and sunset in Cappadocia. The valley is located in the middle of Goreme National Park named after the red coloured tuff rocks and fairy chimneys spread through the valley. 

According to this website whilst I was researching tours, the valley could be explored between 1-2 hours.  Red Valley has such a beautiful landscape in a dreamy crimson colour that attracts its visitors. 

LOVE VALLEY & UCHISAR CASTLE

Love Valley has an amusing nickname, affectionately known as the Cock Rocks. You can get a better idea on the pricing and hiking tours on this website. With regards to the castle itself, I pulled this review from Trip Advisor : You can photograph it for free from one of the many terraces along the road. Going up is 15 TL per person. It's not a hard climb but the view honestly isn't as good as just sipping on some tea and admiring it from afar.

ZELVE OPEN AIR MUSEUM

According to Lonely Planet, Zelve was a monastic retreat from the 9th to the 13th century and then a village. Today its sinewy valley walls, topped with knobbly rock antennae, are a wonderfully picturesque place for poking around. And according to Cappadocia History, the Zelve Open Air Museum is located 5 kilometres south of Avanos, here on Google Maps. You drive straight up to the entrance gate, which has a small gift shop and several cafés. Entrance is 20TL/person (in 2020), and free with a MüzeKart.

LAKE TUZ – THE PINK SALT LAKE

The photos of Lake Tuz I found on the blog Journey Era, are staggering. It's not the most touristy spot neither, which is remarkable. Perhaps the instagrammers of the world just haven't found it yet. I would love to discover this next time I'm there, and for reference I'm including this snippet from the same article. 

There is a tour that takes you to salt lake for sunset. Book your tour: Salt Lake Sunset Tour