A weekend in Cappadocia
Two unhurried days among rock-cut churches, walking valleys and cave rooms, with a sunrise or two kept free for the balloons.
Cappadocia is a short flight from Istanbul, and a weekend is enough to see its essentials if you resist the temptation to do everything. This plan keeps mornings for the light and afternoons for walking, with time left over to sit on a terrace and watch the valleys change colour.
Before you go
Fly into Nevşehir Kapadokya or Kayseri and base yourself in Göreme, Uçhisar or Ürgüp. If a balloon flight is on your list, book it for your first morning so the second is free as a backup: flights only go ahead when the wind allows.
Day one: Göreme and the valleys
Sunrise
Whether you are in a basket or on a hillside, be up before dawn. On a good morning, dozens of balloons rise together over the valleys, and the view from the ground is extraordinary in its own right.
Morning
After breakfast, visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum, a monastic complex of rock-cut churches and chapels, several with well-preserved frescoes. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia. Go early: the painted churches are small and fill up quickly.
Afternoon
Walk one of the valleys. Rose Valley and Red Valley are known for their sunset colours; Love Valley for its tall, narrow pinnacles; Pigeon Valley, between Göreme and Uçhisar, for the dovecotes carved into its walls. Trails are informal in places, so carry water and an offline map.
Day two: Uçhisar, underground and Avanos
Morning
Climb Uçhisar Castle, a rock outcrop riddled with rooms, for the widest view in the region. Then drive south to one of the underground cities, such as Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu, multi-level settlements dug deep into the rock and used as refuges.
Afternoon
End in Avanos, a town on the Kızılırmak river with a long tradition of pottery made from the river's red clay. Workshops welcome visitors, and many still use kick wheels.
Where to stay
Cave hotels are the obvious choice, and the best of them are wonderful: cool, quiet rooms cut into the rock, opening onto terraces. Read our notes on what to look for in a cave stay before you book.
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