Göreme Town & Cave Hotels

Göreme

Cappadocia's tourist hub, where cave hotel terraces among the fairy chimneys offer a private viewing box for hot air balloons. It is also the departure point for every day tour and balloon flight.

Göreme is the heart of Cappadocia's tourism. The town itself is built among fairy chimneys and rock dwellings. Over the past 30 years, most of the residents' cave homes have been converted into cave hotels, ranging from backpacker hostels at a few dozen euros a night to boutique hotels at several hundred. Most rooms are carved into tuff, which keeps them warm in winter and cool in summer. The biggest draw is the rooftop terrace. Without leaving your room in the early morning, you can watch over a hundred hot air balloons rise over the town. Sultan Cave Suites and Mithra Cave have terraces that are widely shared on social media. Non-guests usually need to buy breakfast or pay an entry fee to use them. Around the central bus station, you'll find balloon companies, day tour agencies (Red, Green and Blue tours), car rental shops and ATV outfitters. Restaurants serve clay-pot stews, pide flatbread and Turkish breakfast. In the evening, there are whirling dervish (Sema) shows and Turkish night performances. Walkable attractions include the sunrise and sunset viewpoint north of town (Aydın Kırağı, around €5, most crowded during balloon hours and at sunset), the entrance to the Pigeon Valley trail south of town, and the open-air museum 1.5 kilometers away. From Kayseri or Nevşehir airport, a pre-booked shuttle takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to reach the hotels in town. Be aware that cave rooms can be humid and have many steps but no elevator, so ask your hotel for help with large luggage. In peak season and on balloon mornings, roads in town get congested, so allow extra time to reach the launch site. The town sits at about 1,100 meters, so temperatures can vary widely between day and night.

Göreme Town & Cave Hotels

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