Woohoo, we’re finally here! Sadly, we had to skip Cappadocia during our six-week road trip through the Caucasus in Autumn 2024, so this time (end of October 2025) we took a lot of time for it. We ended up staying for 9 days! So we really got to know this extremely interesting and world-famous Turkish region very well. We visited Cappadocia with our 4-year-old Mila and 1-year-old Leo, as part of a longer overland trip through Turkey with our Land Rover Defender converted into a camper. We spent one night in a campsite but we wild-camped the other seven nights at three different locations. Wild camping is tolerated and widely practiced in Turkey. Due to this fact, as well as the exceptionally hospitable locals and their affection for children, Turkey is a very appealing country to us and we are always happy to return. In this article, we take a closer look at our time in Cappadocia.
Places: Göreme, Love valley, White valey, Rabbit valley, Pigeon valley, Rose valley, Red valley, Uchisar, Ortahisar, Zelve, Pasabag Vadisi, Avanos
How: with our LR Defender camper overland from Slovenia
Accommodation: campsite, wild camping
WE TRAVELLED AROUND TÜRKIYE AND CAPPADOCIA WHEN MILA WAS 4 YEARS OLD AND LEO WAS 1. READ MORE ABOUT CAPPADOCIA WITH KIDS IN THIS POST.
GETTING TO CAPPADOCIA | our route from Slovenia and other options
WITH YOUR OWN VEHICLE: from Ljubljana to Göreme, the tourist center of Cappadocia, is about 2200km. If you are really motivated, you can do it in two days. Well, our journey seemed a bit slower, because we first spent one night in Serbia, one in Bulgaria, and then flew from Istanbul to Egypt for 10 days, where we travelled around with a rented car. After landing back in Turkey, it was really time to discover the unknown corners of this interesting country. We spent another night in the interesting Nallihan reserve before arriving in Cappadocia.
BY PLANE: Istanbul airport is very well connected to Europe and the rest of the world. From there you can add a domestic flights to Nevsehir or Kayseri. There you can rent a car or join one of the organized trips which take you to Cappadocia.
PLANE + BUS / CAR: Of course, you can also fly into Istanbul and rent a car there. This will save you the drive from home to Turkey and gives you the freedom to discover the area at your own pace. If you do not wish to rent and drive a car, you can joing one of the organized groups starting from Istanbul. There are many many offers and you can find a good deal even if you do not book in advance.
ACCOMMODATION IN CAPPADOCIA | from cave hotels to campsites
In Cappadocia you have a variety of accommodations available, from small, cute BOUTIQUE HOTELS, many of which are arranged in so-called CAVE HOTELS, meaning the rooms are located in volcanic rock formations, to slightly larger HOTELS, PRIVATE ROOMS, CAMPSITES and even GLAMPINGS. We wild camped all nights except one, when we went to an official campsite, so I’ll write a little more about that below.
(WILD) CAMPING IN CAPPADOCIA | our experience
WILD CAMPING is a popular in Turkey for both locals and many tourists who come here by land from Europe and other parts of the world. Every weekend, locals head to the beaches, parks, forests, mountains and even cities with tents, caravans or camper vans. We, too, in the more northern and eastern parts of the country, experienced the charms of wild camping in Turkey last summer and easily decided to go for this way of traveling again this time. Sleeping in the wild is supposedly not explicitly allowed by any special law, but in practice it is absolutely tolerated and the police will not chase you, unless you break some rules or unknowingly find yourself in a “dangerous place”.
And Cappadocia is rightly known as one of the most beautiful places in the world where you can wild camp! Although there are many tourists here, they mostly hide in the hotels at night, which are concentrated in Goreme or the surrounding area. And all this beautiful landscape remains only for those who dare to sleep under millions of stars. In 9 DAYS we wild camped AT 3 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, we stayed at one for 5 days because we really liked it, and for one night we also chose an official camp because we really needed a hot shower.
Wild camping in Turkey also brings a bonus point of a UNIQUE MORNING VIEW OF HOT AIR BALLOON TAKEOFF. And you don’t even have to get out of your pajamas. In our experience, the most beautiful views of the sky full of balloons and therefore the TOP PLACES FOR WILD CAMPING are from the top of the cliff above Love valley, as well as from larger grassy areas above the Red valley, where we also found the ideal place where the balloons took off practically a few meters from our Defender. This experience was just crazy. For ORIENTATION AND COORDINATES, you can check out the P4N APP, if you don’t arrive too late in the afternoon, you can easily find places where you will have your peace. But by the way, we found “our spot” ourselves, so sometimes it’s worth putting the phone down and explore on your own.
HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHTS IN CAPADDOCIA |”bucket list” experience
And speaking of balloons… A BALLOON FLIGHT IN CAPPADOCIA is probably one of those adventures that is on the list of many travelers. At this point, I have to disappoint you right away, we did not decide to fly this time. There were several factors that contributed to this. The main one was of course that most providers DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE TO FLY. Our two were 4 and 1, so one of us would have to stay with them anyway. Then it just seemed pointless to us, and besides, I had already flown in a balloon at another location. Then there is the PRICE OF THE FLIGHT, which ranges from 150 – 300 euros per person (depending on the season, the size of the balloon basket and also on where you book). On top of all that, we were already in the second half of October and at night and early in the morning it was only a few degrees above zero and the air was freezing cold.
The flight lasts 45-60 minutes, and you are brought to the takeoff site before sunrise, where a hot drink and snacks await you. In front of you, balloons with baskets are brought in with SUVs and special trailers and they start blowing air. It’s all really loud and will definitely wake you up if you’re sleeping in a car just a few meters from the takeoff site. There’s no need for an alarm clock. Let me also mention that if you’re wild camping in larger open areas, never park somewhere in the middle, but to the side. Most of these areas are used for balloon takeoffs and they need the space.
And one more thing to point out – BALLOONS DO NOT FLY EVERY DAY! We only caught them twice in nine days. We followed LIVE UPDATES and weather conditions on a special page of Kapadokya Universitesi, where they report every day whether the balloons are allowed to take off or not.
But as I said, even if we didn’t fly in a balloon, we were not deprived of unique views of this beautiful landscape and the sky full of colorful moving dots and spots, bathed in the glow of the sunrise. I believe that we will return to this very place one day and I hope to experience this very special feeling again.
OTHER ACTIVITIES IN CAPPADOCIA | organized day trips and other offer
As one of the main tourist attractions in Turkey, Cappadocia offers a whole host of activities besides balloon flights that you can take part in. The most popular ones include HIKING THROUGH THE NUMBER OF VALLEYS, where you can admire the fantastic rock formations, and EXPLORING UNDERGROUND CITIES AND CAVES. You can do all of this on your own, without guides. You can also go on an adrenaline-filled 4WD RIDE or a slightly less adrenaline-filled OLTIMER CAR RIDE (mostly convertibles). You can also treat yourself to a couple of hours of CAMEL or HORSE RIDING through the different valleys.
How about a PHOTO SHOOT with a professional photographer in fancy clothes, provided by them? There are also offers of POTTERY and CARPET EMBROIDERY COURSES. If you were to propose to your sweetheart, you can arrange to set up a “romantic” scene at sunset on top of a cliff and so on. Basically, you can stay here for two weeks and you won’t get bored.
Especially since we are traveling as a family with children, we prefer to explore around spontaneously and enjoy nature at our own pace because we don’t have to adapt to the group’s schedule, so we didn’t participate in any organized activities.
CAPPADOCIA WITH KIDS | excellent destination for family travels
Visiting Cappadocia with kids? Why not! We really thought it was unique. Since we were wild camping, Mila and Leo had a lot of space to run around freely every night before going to bed and every morning before breakfast. And we didn’t bother anyone, even if “we” were a little louder. In addition, there are a lot of caves and former underground abandoned homes in Cappadocia and our kids were discovering these hidden rooms with great enthusiasm. Every day we met horses, camels, birds, dogs and cats. Every day we were outside all day. Every day we went on several hikes. We also climbed to the top of a couple of ancient castles. So we find Cappadocia to be a really perfect destination for all outgoing adventurous families.
Our kiddos were also excited about the balloons and they got up at an incredibly early hour as soon as they heard the loud sounds of the canvas being filled with air. This was soon followed by a thousand and one “wows” as they, wrapped in their jackets and blankets, watched the dancing dots of balloons in the sky in the glow of the sunrise. In Cappadocia, they also found their favorite bakery, where a friendly aunty sold the best crispy bread that they craved for weeks later. It was really great! And we really think Cappadocia is a great family destination.
SIGHTSEEING IN CAPPADOCIA | what we saw and experienced during our 9-day visit
Since we stayed in Cappadocia for 9 days, we ended up seeing and experiencing quite a lot. Still, we would have easily stayed longer! We visited GÖREME several times, which is definitely the tourist center of Cappadocia. We also saw the castles and town centers of ORTAHISAR and UCHISAR. We walked through several valleys or parts of them. We spent the most time in the LOVE VALLEY, RED VALLEY, ROSE VALLEY and SWORD VALLEY valleys, we also quickly visited WHITE VALLEY, RABBIT VALLEY and PIGEON VALLEY. We almost visited the ZELVE OPEN-AIR MUSEUM and PASABAG VADISI, but it was just too crowded here (plus a rather high entrance fee) that we gave it a pass. We also stopped at the famous, so-called “fairy chimneys”, THREE BEAUTIES and elsewhere. In addition to everything, we explored nearby caves and former underground dwellings almost every afternoon. Below is a description of all the above, in random order.
GÖREME | tourist center of Cappadocia
The town of Göreme is a TOURIST CENTER at the junction of various valleys of this 100 km2 large national park of the same name, which is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Most of the happening, restaurants (you can find everything from Korean to Italian cuisine), shops, hotels, providers of various excursions and adventures, and public transport connections are located right here, so you definitely won’t miss a visit while exploring Cappadocia. In Göreme, it is also possible to stay overnight in one of the extremely interesting CAVE HOTELS, which are arranged in authentic ancient caves of volcanic rocks. Since we were camping this time, we skipped this option, but maybe we will take advantage of it another time!
In Göreme we stopped several times at the market for fresh vegetables, fruit and spices as well as at the bakery, where we discovered really good bread. We haven’t bought souvenirs for many years, but here we easily made an exemption. We also found a laundry, where we washed our now really dusty clothes and bedding, post office and ATMs. In the last week of October, the main season was already coming to an end, but there was still a really lively atmosphere. We also spent one night in the local CAMPSITE, because we really needed a hot shower – we still prefer wild camping, but the PANORAMA CAMPING in Göreme was really great too.
LOVE VALLEY | easy hike in the valley of love
The name of the valley comes from a local LEGEND OF TWO LOVERS from feuding families who, despite their disapproval, persisted in their relationship. The latter eventually led to tragedy and, according to the story, divine forces created the characteristic rock formations as a symbol of eternal love. AN EASY SHORTER HIKE, suitable for smaller kids, is possible through the valley. There are several starting points with parking lots, we drove a little further from the larger gravel parking lot (38.663423, 34.829289) and thus shortened the first part of the hike, which is a little less visually interesting. After just a few minutes of walking, we found ourselves among beautiful autumn-colored vines, from behind which rose the so-called “fairy chimney” rock formations and the views were truly fantastic.
The view of the Valley of Love is also spectacular from the top, below we can see hiking trails among the characteristic rock formations. Surprisingly, we had to pay a minimal entrance fee to enter the road on the west side by car, but it was still worth it. In addition to VIEWPOINTS, there are also quite a few mobile BARS and typical, Turkish-decorated PHOTO POINTS. If you are camping wild, there are also a couple of really great spots here, which unfortunately are not suitable for families with small children, as they are in quite steep areas, where of course there are no fences.
ORTAHISAR | rock castle, charming old town and a great viewpoint
We stopped at the lovely town of ORTAHISAR at least three times during our visit to Cappadocia, as we found a children’s playground, a mechanic (who fixed the non-working horn on our Defender, without which driving in Turkey is almost impossible haha), and the friendliest restaurant where we got really delicious pide.
The center of this small town is really nice with its shops, markets and bars and restaurants, but the biggest attraction is definitely the imposing ROCK CASTLE on top of an almost 90m high rock, which is also the second highest point in Cappadocia, right after a similar freestanding rock with a castle in the town of Uchisar. The most beautiful view is from the VIEWPOINT called ORTAHISAR PANORAMA (38.618369, 34.867211).
WHITE VALLEY | panoramic (offroad) drive over white sandy hills
AKVADI, also known as the so-called “WHITE VALLEY” is a unique valley in Cappadocia, known for its unique WHITE ROCK FORMATIONS. We found this area cool because it was not very visited, and Google maps was not very helpful, so we went a little offroad and it was just right. If you do not have your own means of transportation, then you can visit the valley as part of a QUAD BIKE TOUR or you can go on foot or by bike from Göreme.
RABBIT VALLEY | another stunning peaceful valley
Right next to the aforementioned “White Valley” is a smaller area called “Rabbit Valley”. There are also opportunities for shorter hikes here, we just happened to find ourselves on the top of a cliff from where there was a beautiful view of the valley, but since the children were asleep, we only had a short photo stop here. Otherwise, this valley also seemed less visited to us so if you are looking for less touristy spots in Cappadocia, then I definitely recommend visiting it.
AVANOS | pottery (work)shops and wine cellars
One day we also visited the town of AVANOS, which is located just a few kilometers north of Göreme. The main reason for the visit was the world-famous POTTERY WORKSHOP CHEZ GALIP, a family business that has been active in the field of clay creation for the sixth generation. You can take part in one of the workshops, or you can just buy something as a souvenir. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos, but the entire estate is really inspiring.
Along the way, we also stopped at a couple of WINE SHOPS in Avanos and stocked up on some excellent CAPPADOCIAN WINES. Winemaking in the region has a 4,000-year tradition, and the combination of volcanic and sandy soil, the higher altitude and the special climate make the wines truly special. This time we didn’t manage to visit a winery and taste the wines, so in the following weeks of our trip around Turkey we sipped a glass here and there at dinner, and we also brought a few bottles home.
UNDEGROUND CITIES AND CAVES | possibillities of exploring the underground world in Cappadocia
Did you know that there are AROUND 200 UNDERGROUND CITIES in Cappadocia? Most of them are not open to the public though, but the entire region is intertwined with underground tunnels, chambers and caves. You can visit the 2 MOST FAMOUS UNDERGROUND CITIES, namely DERINKUYU and KAYMAKLI. The first extends to a depth of over 80m (about 18 floors) and is considered the LARGEST UNDERGROUND CITY IN THE WORLD, with a capacity of around 20,000 inhabitants and their livestock at the time. Kaymakali is considered the widest underground city, it was connected to Derinkuyu by a tunnel, and could accommodate around 3,500 inhabitants.
In addition to the underground cities, Cappadocia is home to countless caves carved into a soft rock called tuff. The caves served as living spaces, as well as work spaces and sacred spaces such as churches and monasteries. Göreme National Park and the rock areas of Cappadocia are also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We also accidentally stumbled upon quite a few extremely interesting caves, which the children explored with great interest and enthusiastically turned into a playground.
PIGEON VALLEY | hiking from Göreme to Uchisar
From Göreme, you can walk to Uchisar along a picturesque, approximately 4km long marked hiking trail through the PIGEON VALLEY. If you don’t have time for that, you can at least make a short stop at one of the viewpoints on the outskirts of Göreme, from where there are wonderful views.
UCHISAR | the highest point in Cappadocia
One day we visited UCHISAR, where we climbed up to visit another amazing ROCK CASTLE, rising up on around 100mm high rock, which is considered to be the highest point in Cappadocia, at about 1400m above sea level. The entrance fee was not too high and we were rewarded with a truly magnificent 360° view of the landscape at the top.
The children’s imaginations were once again stirred by the castle’s numerous rock caves, and we had a hard time getting them back down. We also took a short walk through the old town center, which we found to be quite pleasant.
ROSE VALLEY, RED VALLEY & SWORD VALLEY | our favorite valleys of Cappadocia
Everything in Cappadocia is pretty wow, but if I had to choose one part that we liked the most, it would definitely be the area of these three valleys. I intentionally packed them under the same chapter, because quite honestly, I don’t know exactly where one ends and the other begins. The borders are not completely clear either on the map or in reality, and we also wandered around here rather mindlessly and without a plan. But all three are relatively next to each other. In this area, we also found our epic spot for wild camping. There are a lot of HIKING TRAILS here, on which we also met cyclists, groups of riders on horses or camels, and in the flat areas also excursionists on ATVs. The views, especially early in the morning and at sunset, are simply stunning. So I won’t go on too long here, let the photos speak for themselves.
“THREE BEAUTIES” | one of the most recognizable symbols of Cappadocia
Near the town of ÜRGÜP we made a quick stop at these three rock formations, also known as the “THREE BEAUTIES”, which symbolize a parent with a child, and of course there is a local legend in the background. There is a parking / entrance fee, which surprised us a bit, but that’s okay. You can see similar rock formations in Cappadocia for free, but still, this group is one of the most recognizable signs of Cappadocia.
ZELVE OPEN AIR MUSEUM | hiking between former cave homes, monasteries and churches
One day we also wanted to visit the famous ZELVE OPEN-AIR MUSEUM, where during a HIKING ON MARKED PATHS we could admire numerous, especially large, pointed rock structures containing CAVE HOUSES, MONASTERIES, CHURCHES and other interesting spaces carved by the former inhabitants of Cappadocia. In addition, there is a 3D show on display, which shows the history of the Ottoman Empire and the chronological development of the region and civilizations. It sounds extremely interesting, but as soon as we parked and walked to the entrance, our desire to visit slightly disappeared. In contrast to most other parts of Cappadocia, where we had stayed the previous days, there was an indescribable crowd here, full of buses and loud groups of tourists. In addition, we had to take into account the factor of potential tiredness of our kids during the hike and sightseeing, and the fairly high price of the entrance fee. In the end, we changed our minds at the counter at the entrance gate and turned around.
PASABAG VADISI | “the valley of the monks” and mushroom like rock formations
From the Zelve valley we drove a good kilometer further, to the PASABAG VALLEY, which is famous for its MUSHROOM-SHAPED ROCK FORMATIONS. Unfortunately, the story repeated itself here too, with a crowded parking lot and an even longer line at the ticket office, so we drove on as well. You can see a little bit from the road, but otherwise it is possible to go on shorter hikes in the interior of the area. To be honest, we didn’t think it was worth it, because in the days before we had seen a lot of similar things, which were free to visit and without crowds of tourists. But if you are limited in time and want to tick off the main Cappadocian sights, it might be interesting!
So instead of visiting the two most tourist-packed spots in Cappadocia, we stopped that morning at this beautiful secluded spot, a little off the main road, where we were completely alone. Just like we like it best. We prepared a delicious fresh picnic lunch and admired this crazy landscape in pure peace, without a crowd of people around us. And even though we didn’t visit the two “must see” locations, we didn’t regret it. Sometimes certain feelings and memories of simple moments spent together count more than a check on a list of places to see. And in nine days in Cappadocia, a huge pile of these feelings and memories accumulated.
With this thought, I conclude this comprehensive article and hope that the information provided in this article and my impressions will be useful to someone else when planning a visit to Cappadocia.
