If you have an Instagram account, you’ve almost certainly seen dreamy photos of hot air balloons, cave hotels, or crazy rock formations in Cappadocia, Turkey. I remember the first time I saw a photo of the hot air balloons dancing above the rooftops at sunrise in Cappadocia. From that moment on, I knew Cappadocia was a place I needed to see in my life.
In the last few years, Instagram has gone absolutely crazy for Cappadocia. I was worried that after seeing all the incredible photos online, my expectations for Cappadocia would be way too high. However, Cappadocia turned out to be one of my favorite places in Turkey and one of the most memorable travel experiences I’ve had. Cappadocia is a truly unique location and deserves a spot on your travel bucket list if it isn’t on there already!
When to Visit Cappadocia:
Although you can visit Cappadocia all year round, if you really want to experience the hot air balloons, your best bet is to visit in the summer. The hot air balloons do fly all year but will be canceled due to bad weather or high winds. The weather for flying hot air balloons is best in July and August—the balloons are statistically most likely to fly in these months. However, the hot air balloons do still get canceled some days in July and August, so I highly recommend visiting for at least 3 nights if you don’t want to leave Cappadocia without experiencing the balloons. I only spent 2 nights in Cappadocia and almost missed out on the hot air balloons!
We visited Cappadocia in mid-August, and although it was hot, I found that the dry heat didn’t bother me too much. Staying in a cave hotel was a great way to stay cool! Keep in mind that summer is also the busiest time to visit Cappadocia (and thus more expensive), so make sure to book your hotel in advance!
Where to Stay in Cappadocia:
Cappadocia is home to some of the most unique hotels in the world! In particular, Cappadocia is famous for its cave hotels carved into the natural “fairy chimney” formations. Many hotels also have stunning rooftop setups to watch the hot air balloons in the morning. We stayed in the town of Göreme and loved that we were within walking distance of lots of restaurants and activities. However, there are many other towns in Cappadocia that you can stay in, including Uçhisar and Ürgüp.
We chose to stay at Ottoman Cave Suites which I would definitely recommend! We actually ended up staying in the “King Suite” because I waited too long to book and it was the last room left. The room was inside an enormous cave and had a giant round bed and jacuzzi. For sure the most unique hotel room I’ve ever stayed in! Ottoman’s included breakfast buffet was also awesome, and the staff was very kind. For the record, Ottoman Cave Suites didn’t sponsor me in any way, I just had a great experience there!