Cappadocia is full of instagrammable photo spots you shouldn’t miss. Surreal rock formations, hot air balloons, ancient ruins, impressive valleys and magical sunsets are waiting for you and your camera.
Here are my 9 favourite instagram photo spots in Cappadocia for your next trip to Turkey. Plus I summarized the best views of the flying hot air balloons in Göreme for you. At the bottom you will find a map with all the locations to save them.
Hot air balloons in Göreme
Cappadocia is known for the magical hot air balloons. You shouldn’t leave this destination without taking a photo of this fairytale spectacle. You’re wondering, where to watch the hot air balloons best in Cappadocia?
The place to be is the village Göreme. The hot air balloons take off and land near Göreme and sometimes even fly directly over the city. The hot air balloons always take off at sunrise and fly for one hour. So you have to wake up really early to enjoy this event. Many people look at the balloons in the morning. So prepare for some people at the most popular spots or at the terraces of the hotels.
Keep in mind that the direction of flight of the hot air balloons depends on the wind. Their exact flight route is only determined spontaneously in the morning. Therefore, the balloons may fly close over Goreme one day and be further away the other day.
Here are my 5 favourite spots to watch the balloons in Göreme:
Terrace of a hotel
Watching the hot air balloons from the roof terrace of your hotel in Göreme is more privat and relaxed. A lot of hotels have beautiful decorated terraces, so you should book a hotel after its roof terrace. We stayed in the Kookaburra Pension and really liked it.
Love Valley
This valley is the perfect place to watch the hot air ballons landing really close. Depending on the wind this valley is the landing site of the balloons. But this varies every day.
Balloon Launch Site
The hot air balloons often start close to Göreme at the so called Balon Point (I marked this place in the map below). Here you can get really close to the hot air balloons.
Aşiklar Tepesi
This viewpoint is the most popular place to watch the hot air balloons start at sunrise. In Google Maps it is called Sunrise/Balloons View (also marked in the map below). Every morning a lot of people walk up the hill to watch the balloons from this point. So it can get a bit crowded. From this point you have a very close view on the balloons.
Balon Seyir Terasi
An other viewpoint that is not so popular and a bit more far away from the hot air balloons starting. But in the foreground you can see the village of Göreme, the flying hot air balloons and a beautiful view of the sunrise.
Galerie Ikman
The Galerie Ikman carpet shop in Göreme is an Instagrammable place where you can do a photo shoot. The store has a beautifully decorated area for this purpose. For a 15-minute photo shoot with your own camera or cell phone, you pay 15 euros per person. For 50 euros per person, an employee of the store will take drone photos of you. We were able to take some photos and videos there without any stress and were virtually alone.
Alternatively, the carpet and lamp shop Sultan Carpets a few streets further in Göreme offers a similar offering. There you can take photos for half an hour for 10 euros per person and, in addition to the carpet shop, you also have an area with typical Arabic lamps.
Watch the hot air balloons fly in Göreme
Galerie Ikman with its carpets is a beautiful photo spot
Love Valley
Love Valley is one of the most famous valleys in Cappadocia due to its striking rock formations. You can take beautiful photos from the viewpoint above the valley. This place is also magical to watch the sunset and the hot air balloons. The entry to the viewpoint is free, but you pay 20 TL (around 60 cents) for the parking. An other nice shot is directly in front of the eye-catching stones while you go on a hike in the Love Valley.
Devrent Valley
My absolute favorite valley is the Devrent Valley or also called Imagination Valley. Countless rock formations stand like a sea in the middle of the valley. What a beautiful photo motif. Right at the entrance to the valley there is a large fairy chimney that looks like a camel. There aren’t that many tourists in the Devrent Valley and if you walk a little way from the beginning of the valley you pretty much have it to yourself. Nice for a walk to explore some hidden ancient caves. There is no entrance fee to the valley and parking is also free.
Mythical stone formations in the Love Valley
The view over Devrent Valley is insane
Selime Monastery
Selime Monastery is a nice photogenic spot if you want to take some shots of ancient caves. Plus, the view from the top of the monastery is breathtaking. By car you have to drive 1 and a half hours from Göreme. Or you can book the green tour and have yourself driven there. You pay around 10 euros (330TL) entry into the monastery. With this ticket you can get to the Ihlara Valley and vice versa for free.
Pasabagi Valley
The Pasabagi Valley has some unusual fairy chimneys that look like giant mushrooms and are great for photos. This valley is fenced and is often visited by tourists. Entrance to the Pasabagi Valley costs around 10 euros. But the valley is definitely worth the money. You can even climb into some of the old caves there. We also took some nice photos there in the evening.
Marvel at the ancient caves in Selime
See the surreal stone formations in Pasabagi Valley
Open Air Museum Göreme
I heard that the open-air museum in Göreme has some nice photo spots with ancient churches and stone caves. I wasn’t there myself, but I was thrilled by the photo spots around the museum. There are a few fantastic viewing points above the museum and right next to the parking lot there are freely accessible caves that are perfect for taking a few photos. The entry to the Open Air Museum Göreme costs around 15 euros per person, this includes 10 euros (300 TL) for the entry plus 4 euros (100 TL) to enter the dark church.
Ihlara Valley
The Ihlara Valley is a wonderful place to see the ancient caves and walls in a green vibrant environment with a little river. You can take a wonderful 15 kilometer hike through the valley to the Selime Monastery. Cappadocia is mostly full of rocks and little vegetation, so this valley is special and gives your photos a lively touch. The valley is quite far from Göreme, a 1.5 hour drive away. You can book the Green Tour or drive with your rental car. You pay around 10 euros (330TL) entry in the Ihlara Valley. With this ticket you can get to the Selime Monastery and vice versa for free.
FotoShooting with horses
You’ve probably seen many videos and photos of people walking through the middle of a running herd of wild horses. These recordings were also taken in Cappadocia. Unfortunately, because we didn’t have enough time, I couldn’t do this shoot and I don’t know how expensive it is. One provider of such shoots is the Dalton Brothers Horse Ranch. Prices are only available upon request, so get in touch there.
Viewpoint close to the Open Air Museum Göreme
Explore nature in Ihlara Valley
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