Tips on How to Maximize your Turkey Trip in Goreme

Our first stop in our 10-day Turkey trip was Goreme. Famed for its otherworldly landscape and hot air balloon ride, we were psyched to see this place everyone has been raving about!

How to get to Goreme from Istanbul?

If you’re coming from Manila, the most convenient route is to fly Turkish Airlines. It’s the only airline offering a direct flight from Manila to Istanbul, and from there, you can seamlessly connect to a domestic flight bound for Kayseri or Nevsehir — the two closest airports to Goreme. Turkish Airlines usually checks baggage through to your final destination, even for domestic connections. However, since you’re entering Turkey, you’ll still need to go through immigration in Istanbul before catching your domestic flight. Don’t worry though — Istanbul Airport is incredibly efficient.

In our case, we flew China Southern Airlines — not the most straightforward route, but a total steal at only PHP 25,000 roundtrip! So really, no complaints here. For anyone considering this option, here’s a quick breakdown:

• CZ398: Manila to Guangzhou, departing 5:40 PM
• CZ8065: Guangzhou to Istanbul, arriving 7:10 AM
• Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Kayseri: departing 9:40 AM

Because we flew a different airline for the domestic leg, we had to exit immigration, collect our bags, check in again, and go through security. I was initially panicking about the 2.5-hour window — but wow, I underestimated how efficient Turkish airports are. We landed early, immigration was smooth, baggage claim was fast, and the domestic check-in area was very organized. A far cry from what I’m used to!

 

Where to stay in Goreme

Well, not saying this is the MUST STAY AT hotel, but we stayed at Majestic Cavehouse, in part because they’re fairly new so the prices were such a steal! Anyway, it’s one of those cave hotels (natural caves made into a hotel) – but don’t worry because they’re 100% safe since the government certifies all of these. Also, take note, their 4-person room was HUGE (2 bedrooms + bath + living room). Amazing view of the city from the living room too! I felt so spoiled.

 

How to get around Goreme (and nearby towns like Avanos)?

Option 1: Walk

Goreme itself is super walkable. It’s a small town with one main road lined with restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops. Outside that stretch, there’s not much else to see — but that’s fine because Goreme is really a base for exploring greater Cappadocia.

Option 2: Booked Tours

This is the easiest and most efficient way to explore the region. Whether you book via Klook, Viator, your hotel, or the local agencies dotting the streets, most tours include pick-up and drop-off from your hotel. It’s hassle-free and covers a lot of ground.

Option 3: Taxis

There’s a taxi stand in the town center, and it’s easy to get a ride. Just ask them to use the meter. That said — brace yourself — taxis are EXPENSIVE. We took one to Avanos and were shocked at the price. But hey, it’s still more convenient than figuring out the local bus system.

Option 4: Bus

We actually tried taking the bus from Avanos back to Goreme. It’s definitely doable and quite straightforward once you figure out the stop. Our bus was late, which made us nervous, but it did eventually arrive. Riding with locals was a lovely experience — it gave us a peek into everyday life in Cappadocia.

 

What to see and do in Cappadocia

Hot Air Balloon Ride

This is the reason to go to Cappadocia — and it lives up to the hype. If you’re not doing a hot air balloon ride, you’re honestly missing the best part of the experience (half-kidding, but also not really).

Tips:

• Prices vary wildly depending on the season and where you book. Some people say Klook is cheapest, but for us, our hotel offered a better rate. Ironically, we later saw cheaper deals from agencies along the road! So… shop around.
• Stay at least 2 nights to increase your chances of catching a ride. Balloon flights are canceled if the wind gets too strong — safety first! Having backup days gives you a better shot.
• Don’t overdress. I thought it’d be freezing, but between the crowd and the constant heat from the burner, it was perfectly comfortable with just a jacket.

It’s genuinely breathtaking to see the region’s surreal landscapes from above — from fairytale chimneys to ancient valleys — all bathed in sunrise light with dozens of colorful balloons floating around you.

 

2. Red, Green, and Blue Tours
These are the three classic day tours in Cappadocia:

• Red Tour: Goreme Open-Air Museum, Pasabag (Fairy Chimneys), Love Valley, Uchisar Castle, Avanos Pottery Workshop
• Green Tour: Derinkuyu/Kaymakli Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery, Pigeon Valley, Goreme Panorama
• Blue Tour: Red & Rose Valleys, Cavusin Cave Village, Pigeon Valley, Underground City, Ihlara Valley

Fun fact: Green Tour is so-named because during the summer months, you’ll see the lush greenery of the Capaddocia landscape. We went during the ending part of winter though so we saw zero green, and pretty much just a smattering of snow here and there.

Anyway, these three tours overlap quite a bit — lots of rocks, valleys, and panoramic views. Instead of doing all three, we booked a private tour via Viator, and I highly recommend it (especially if you’re a group of 4-5). It gave us the freedom to customize the itinerary and move at our own pace. We chose this one: Viator Goreme Private Tour

Just a heads-up: entrance fees and lunch are not included. Consider getting a Museum Pass if you’re planning to visit several historical sites across Turkey: https://muze.gen.tr/MuseumPasses

Best way to check is to calculate ALL the attractions you plan to see while in Turkey (you might be surprised at which attractions fall under the Museum Pass and which don’t), then calculate based on that to determine if you should get a Museum Pass for the entire Turkey, for just one region, or maybe not at all.

 

Our tour highlights (we customized this!):

• Goreme Panorama: Great viewpoint. Apparently, the distinct landscape came about because of all the volcanic activity that resulted in a ton of lava pooling together here in Cappadocia (which was apparently a huge lake a millenia ago). Hence all that lava in the water resulted in the creation of these stratified layers. Cue many centuries later, the water receded, all but 1 volcano remains active, these layers appear and erosion (winter snow melting, summer sand devils carving a path) is the culprit behind these out-of-these-world structures. Super fascinating!
• Pasabag Fairy Chimneys: Instagrammable spot. Go early to avoid the crowds and heat. Actually, we tried to do this on our own because the ticket comes with a free audio guide, but the audio guide was honestly quite terrible, so best to come here with a legit guide
• Kaymakli Underground City: Absolutely worth it. This is really best visited with a tour guide because I learned so much – how the houses would have basements that led to the underground city so that residents could quickly pop in at a sign of danger, how the city is mostly composed of food storage (as water came from an underground spring – fun fact: this is still the case in Capadoccia today as the main water source comes from underground as the snow melts and pools there), toilets can only be found in Level 1 (poor you if you had to pee or poop but lived down in Level 8) and so on!

  Pro tip: go midday so you can stay cool underground during peak heat.

• Pigeon Valley: A quirky stop. Just cool to see all the pigeons flying in and out. Apparently locals enabled this by putting food into small caves so pigeons would roost there. They would then collect the poop and use them as fertilizers. Why include it in the tour? Because it’s hard to get here without a car, and honestly not worth it to go here just for this LOL
• Uchisar Castle: I contemplated doing this as a day trip because there’s also a town here, but I think I’m happy to have done Avanos instead. Anyway, this is actually a watch tower. It’s just that the Turkish word for castle and watchtower is the same, so when they translated it into English, it became a castle LOL

Skip (unless you have time):

• Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery: The hike through Ihlara Valley was serene and lush (the guide pointed out poplar, acacia, walnut, grapes etc as we were hiking), and the riverside lunch was charming — but the drive was long so I felt it wasn’t worth it. Selime Monastery, while historic, felt like another rock structure after a while.

 

Asiklar Tepesi (Sunset Point Hill)

Super amazing landscape view (extra beautiful nearer to the sunset hour). They do charge you 30 lira per person on the way up, but super worth it because you get to see the Rose Valley, the town of Goreme, Uchisar from afar, and even the Pigeon Valley (partially). We chilled here until the sun went down (munching on these strawberries we bought from the local market at 100lira for 1kg. What a steal!)

Fun fact: Capaddocia is actually one of Turkey’s agricultural centers. They produce 49% of potatoes for the country. They also produce a lot of other stuff like blackberry, grapes, as the soil here is incredibly fertile given all the volcanic activity, but alas, there’s little water so only plants that don’t need a lot of water can survive here

 

Goreme Open-Air Museum

This is a must-see, more for historical value than visual impact. You’ll see cave churches, chapels, and frescoes — some faded, some well-preserved. Technically, you can do this as part of a tour (and it’s a great option too especially if you have time). As for us, I decided to just DIY this because I heard there’s an audio guide anyway. Plus, you’ll spend at least ~2 hours here (or maybe less if you aren’t so keen), and it felt like wasted time on the tour if 1/4 of the day was already spent here. Anyway, some tips if you want to DIY it:

• Download the MuzeKart app for a free audio guide. Just scan your ticket!
• Go early (right at opening) to avoid the crowds and the sun.
• A short cab ride from the town center will get you there easily.

 

Avanos

Our guide suggested visiting Avanos, and it was a great detour. It felt more local and vibrant than Goreme, which empties out during the day when tourists go on tours.

• We stumbled upon a local market and bought 2kg of juicy oranges for just 40 lira!
• There are pottery workshops and wine tastings in the area too (sadly, we ran out of time). But definitely check these out, as that’s what they’re known for apparently

 

 

Where to eat in Goreme

Sedef

• What to order: Mixed Grill, Chicken Special, Sutlac (rice dessert)

Complimentary bread basket and dips were A+. Loved the variety — yogurt mushroom, red pepper spread, and more!

Dibek

• What to order: Pottery Kebab

Set in a former horse stable — now a cozy cave restaurant. Best pottery kebab I had in Turkey!

Beydilli Kebap Barbeque

• What to order: Adana Kebab, Chicken Chop (Tavuk Pirzola), Kunefe

Rooftop seating and my first taste of kunefe — stringy cheese dessert topped with syrup. Heavenly.

Ottoman Patisserie

• What to order: Baklava, Sahlep

It’s not life-changing, but it’s the only patisserie in town — and a pleasant place to try local sweets and chill.

Turkish Ice Cream Stalls

• What to order: Your preferred turkish ice cream flavor

It’s not WOW, but it’s a must-try when in Turkey because they have this whole “presentation” when they give you the ice cream because their ice cream is sticky (since it’s made from milk and orchid tuber – just like my fave sahlep drink hehe). Anyway, just try it!

 

Where to eat in Avanos

Bizim Ev

• What to order: Lamb Meat in the Oven, Dry White Wine by Kocabag

Tip: Eat on the ground floor — it’s cooler since it’s cave-style. Great food and fast service.

Osmanli Pide

• What to order: Pide and Lahmacun

Thin-crust Turkish pizzas with flavorful toppings. A slight kick if you choose the spicy ones!

Mado

• What to order: Ice cream

You’ll find Mado branches all over Turkey, so don’t be sad if you miss it here. But if you do have time, do check it out. Their date flavor ice cream was surprisingly good!