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Insider’s Guide to Turkey’s Otherworldly Wonder: Cappadocia
Don't miss seeing the "fairy chimneys" of Cappadocia by balloon. Photo: Earl Starkey
The insider advice on this page is from one of Wendy’s Trusted Travel Experts for Turkey: Earl Starkey of Sophisticated-Travel.
Turkey has been Earl’s second home since he first ventured to Cappadocia 20 years ago. He started his company in 2002 to offer travelers tailor-made luxury itineraries with a wider array of cultural and culinary experiences than were typically available at the time. He now lives half the year in Istanbul but is constantly crisscrossing the country to stay abreast of the latest hotel, restaurant, and gallery openings and to collect even more uniquely Turkish experiences that other travel firms don’t offer—say, a private cooking lesson in the home of a noted chef or access to a normally off-limits ancient ruin. Earl knows that a guide can make or break a trip, and he is known for handpicking only the savviest, all of them highly educated, personable, and accomplished in their own right.
Where to Stay and Eat
Best bang-for-your-buck hotels
Cappadocia is a melding of natural and human wonders: striking rock formations—including the famous fairy chimneys—some with cave houses carved into them that date back as far as the fourth century, others with frescoed churches from the Middle Ages. Kayakapi is a hotel that makes use of more recently carved (but still historic) caves for its guest rooms and suites. Kayakapi’s location on a hill at the edge of the town of Urgüp allows for beautiful views of the valley below, and the rooms are so huge that some of the suites have their own pool. You can actually rent a whole six-bedroom “mansion” if you are traveling with extended family or group of friends.
Kayakapi cave houses, Cappadocia. Photo: Kayakapi Premium Caves
There are also wonderful hotels in Uchisar, the highest point in Cappadocia. Argos in Cappadocia recently went through a yearlong renovation that added several rooms; some suites have views of the valley. There is also Millstone Cave Suites, which has fantastic service.
Restaurant the locals love
Ziggy’s Café in Urgup has delicious local food; in summer, the view of town from their terrace is very special.
Dish to try
Testi kebabi, which is lamb or beef cooked inside a ceramic urn that is then brought to the table and broken open to reveal the delicious meat inside. Local Restaurant in Goreme serves the best version of the original dish (the more modern style is to add vegetables).
Meals worth the splurge
Seki Restaurant, at the hotel Argos in Nevsehir, serves artfully prepared dishes fusing Continental and Turkish cuisine and made with local ingredients, paired with excellent wines from its own vineyard.
Milocal, at Millstone Cave Suites, also has wonderful food.
View of Ürgüp from Terrace of Bistro Manzara, Cappadocia. Photo: Kayakapi Premium Caves
What to See and Do
Don’t miss
The town of Gulsehir, with its wonderful 13th-century Church of St. Jean carved out of a rock face and decorated with well-preserved Byzantine frescoes. Then you can hike from town through the otherworldly rock formations of the Cat Valley to the seventh-century Open Palace (Aciksaray) monastery, which has one of the most elaborate façades of all of the cave church complexes in Cappadocia (and that’s really saying something). The monastery is in all the guidebooks but very few people ever visit—their loss!
Cappadocia. Photo courtesy Earl Starkey.
Don’t bother
Staying in Goreme, the village in the center of Cappadocia. Twenty years ago it was filled with charming local villagers, but they’ve all since sold their homes to hotel owners and have left—so now you’ll only see other tourists. Stay in Urgup, Ortahisar, or Uchisar to have a chance to interact with locals and see a slice of real Turkish life.
Hidden gem
The Church of St. Theodore in the village of Yesiloz was built from hollowing out the rock from a cliff in the eleventh century. You’d never guess from the outside how large the church is—it has three apses—and the frescoes are in remarkably good condition.
Cheap thrill
Trekking on horseback through the valleys gives you a completely different perspective on the landscape. The guides and horses at Cemal’s Ranch will take very good care of you.
Bragging rights
During the summer, which is prime wedding season in Turkey, Earl can arrange for travelers to attend a kina gecesi (henna night), which kicks off the three-day celebration. The evening starts when the bride is brought in, her face covered with a red sheer cloth. Women apply henna to her hands and wrap them to give her palms the desired ornamental color. The attendees can put henna on their hands as well, for good luck, and sometimes even the groom’s hands are dyed. Then there’s music and dancing (men with men and women with women, in traditional Turkish fashion), and a more-the-merrier atmosphere in which everyone is welcome. Travelers who’ve participated in one of these events always come away having made new friends.
Downtime
Take a hike through the beautiful Ihlara Canyon or a boat ride on the Kizilirmak River in Avanos.
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Best Times to Go
May, June, September, and October for the driest, sunniest, and most mild weather. It’s very cold in December, but it looks like a magical fairyland, with all the fairy chimneys covered in snow. Another benefit of going during the cooler months: You don’t have to get up at 4:30 a.m. for the balloon ride, as they can fly later in the day in colder weather.
Worst Time to Go
February, when the snow is gone and the weather is cold, rainy, and just miserable.
Biggest Rookie Mistake
There has been a flood of new hotels opening in Cappadocia at every price point. An inexpensive hotel may look lovely online, but if you’re not careful you could end up in a place with no hot water, poor service, and no heat in the winter. Research your hotel choice carefully.
Word of Warning
Don’t go walking in the valleys alone, especially if you’re a woman. Crime is rare, but it does occur from time to time, so it’s safer to be with a group.
Airport Intel
The airports in Nevsehir and Kayseri are small and easily navigable. If you have connected from an international flight and your luggage has been forwarded without going through customs in Istanbul (generally this is only possible for those flying Turkish Airlines), you need to go through the international terminal to collect your luggage and go through customs there.
Tipping Tip
You cannot tip on your credit card in Turkish restaurants; you must leave the gratuity in cash. Ten percent is the customary offering.
Don’t Forget to Pack
A warm fleece or jacket for the evenings, even in summer. The temperature can really drop at night as Cappadocia is at a high altitude.
Instagram Moment
Uchisar Castle—a towering rock formation that was hollowed and used as a fortification in ancient times—in the orange glow of sunrise or sunset, captured from high above the ground in a hot-air balloon.
The Souvenir
Cappadocia is renowned for its fine pottery; some of the best is sold at Chez Galip in Avanos. Galip is a wonderful host who will show you how to use a pottery wheel and show you his most unusual “hair museum,” where he’s collected more than 16,000 specimens of hair donated by women passing through his shop.
The Dosim shop at the Goreme Open Air Museum sells high-quality goods ranging from evil eyes and other small souvenirs to artwork, pottery, replicas of ancient artifacts, and jewelry. Everything has some historical significance, is made in Turkey, and is sold at fair prices set by the government. You may pay more here than you would in the bazaars outside the museum, but you’ll know that you’re getting something that’s high quality and not made in China.
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