Göreme
Currency
TRY
Language
Turkish
Timezone
Istanbul
Continent
Asia
Discover Göreme
Göreme is a village in the middle of Cappadocia, and the landscape is the monument. The fairy chimneys — tuff columns capped with basalt, cut by erosion — fill the valleys, and people have hollowed them for two thousand years into houses, dovecotes and churches. The Göreme Open Air Museum gathers a dozen Byzantine rock churches whose 11th-century frescoes survived, the Dark Church first among them, dark precisely because the absence of light preserved its colours. Uchisar Castle and Ortahisar Castle are two entirely hollowed outcrops, and the first is climbed to see the whole region at once.
When to go
April to June and September to October: mild, clear, and the best window for the balloons, which only fly in light wind. Summer reaches thirty-five degrees and the valleys become hard in the middle of the day. Winter drops below freezing and snow on the fairy chimneys is spectacular, but flights are often cancelled. Always allow two spare mornings if the balloon matters to you.
Getting around
Göreme is crossed on foot in ten minutes. The valleys are walked: Love Valley, Rose Valley and Pigeon Valley link up on marked paths, and that is the best way to see Cappadocia. Shuttles serve Uçhisar, Ortahisar and Avanos. Scooters and quads are hired everywhere. Nevşehir airport is forty minutes away, Kayseri an hour.
Where to eat
Testi kebabı, a stew cooked in a clay jar broken open at the table, is the regional dish and is ordered ahead. Mantı, tiny dumplings under garlic yoghurt, come from Kayseri nearby. Cappadocian wine has been made since the Hittites and is tasted in the village cellars. Turkish breakfast, spread over a whole table, is a full meal. Three halal addresses are listed, which means little in a Muslim country.
Good to know
The Turkish lira is the currency and its rate moves fast: change as you go. The balloon flight is booked ahead, costs a lot, and is cancelled for weather with nothing anyone can do — operators refund or reschedule, so check which before paying. A night in a cave hotel is the local experience, but some rooms have no window. Walking shoes matter more than anything else.
Where to Stay in Göreme
Top Activities in Göreme
parkGöreme Historical National Park
Free
landmarkCappadocia
museum