Holiday in Göreme

What makes Göreme special as a destination?

Göreme in the heart of Cappadocia is one of the most surreal places on Earth — a landscape that looks as if a sculptor has shaped it from tuff stone. The famous fairy chimneys, mushroom-shaped rock formations made of volcanic tuff, rise like silent guardians over a valley where people have lived in the soft stone for thousands of years. The absolute highlight — and one of the most iconic travel experiences worldwide — is a hot air balloon ride at sunrise. Every morning, dozens of colorful balloons ascend into the golden sky, floating over the fairy chimneys, rock valleys, and tuff landscapes, offering a sight that regularly makes it onto the lists of “once in a lifetime” experiences. The Göreme Open-Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a complex of rock-hewn churches and monasteries from the 10th to 12th centuries. The Byzantine frescoes in the Dark Church (Karanlık Kilise) and the Buckle Church (Tokalı Kilise) are of exceptional color intensity and are among the best-preserved in the entire Byzantine world. Göreme itself is a charming village where many of the old cave dwellings have been converted into atmospheric boutique hotels. Staying in a cave hotel, where the bare tuff stone forms the walls while balloons ascend outside, is one of the unique experiences in Turkey. The surroundings offer top-notch hiking opportunities through spectacular valleys. The Red Valley (Kızılçukur) glows at sunset in all shades of red and orange, the Pigeon Valley (Güvercinlik Vadisi) impresses with countless pigeon houses in the rock walls, and the Love Valley with its phallic rock needles provides wonder and smiles. The underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymakli, just a few kilometers to the south, are another sensation of Cappadocia. Dug up to eight stories deep into the tuff, they provided shelter for thousands of people from invaders and feature ventilation systems, wells, and even churches — an underground wonder of ancient engineering.