Planning a trip to see hot air balloons but don’t know where to stay in Cappadocia? I recently visited this magical place and stayed in 3 different hotels and visited a few more. Here are my recommendations.
WHERE TO STAY IN CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY
Visiting Cappadocia and seeing the hot air balloons rise in the morning with the sun has been one of the most amazing traveling experience I’ve had to date. When organizing your trip to Cappadocia, you may be faced with the difficult decision of which town to stay in. Cappadocia is the name of a region and is actually made up of several different towns. If your main goal, like me, is to see the hot air balloons or even ride one then the most recommended towns by far are Goreme and Uchisar.
Goreme is a the most touristic town out of them all and offers the most tours, buses to neighboring towns, restaurants and hotels. It also has lots of fairy chimneys and stylish cave hotels. On the other hand, Uchisar is less busy and more quiet but still close and reasonably touristic. It is only a 10 minute taxi ride from Goreme and has the best views of the hot air balloons, in my opinion. Because there’s plenty of open space around Uchisar, some of the hot air balloons can get really close and you can capture spectacular balloon photos! My suggestion is to stay in both towns like I did. Stay in Goreme for the first 2 nights and thoroughly explore Cappadocia. Then, stay in Uchisar, away from the hustle and bustle, and enjoy the stunning views.
MUSEUM HOTEL
The Museum Hotel is by far my favorite hotel in Cappadocia and it’s definitely one of the best in the area. Museum Hotel is located in Uchisar, very close to the Uchisar castle, and is the only Relais & Chateaux hotel in Turkey. From the beginning to the end of my stay all the staff were very friendly and professional (although some didn’t speak English).
The one thing that distinguishes Museum Hotel is the various different common areas available to guests. There is a beautiful infinity pool, open dining areas with stunning views, multiple gardens and a relaxing lounge area. Another awesome thing about Museum Hotel is that they have UNLIMITED TAP WINE (both red and white) in every guest room. Can you believe it? I was SO happy when the staff showed me my very own wine tap in my room. This reason alone is enough for me to want to go back and stay there! Oh, I forgot to mention that they also have a complimentary pillow menu for you to choose your pillow from! And the sheets were the softest I’ve ever slept on.
I’ll let the photos do the rest of the speaking! All I can say is, you won’t regret staying here!
SULTAN CAVE SUITES
Sultan Cave Suites is probably one of the top search results when looking for where to stay in Cappadocia. And given how friendly the staff are and its amazing vantage point over Goreme, it’s no wonder. This hotel is Instagram famous for its beautiful terrace where you can take some of the most surreal balloon photos. The terrace is now only open to hotel guests so make sure you book your room now before it sells out! (The terrace does get crowded with guests and everyone has to take turns to take photos with the hot air balloons)
Other than the gorgeous terrace where all guests congregate every morning to capture the perfect photo, it also is very conveniently located with a delicious restaurant. Many of the guests I saw were Chinese and one of their local staff spoke fluent Chinese! It’s really easy to book tours and guides – simply ask the staff and they can set you up with whatever you need. Sultan Cave Suites also has a adorable dog called Izmir. She is loved by all the guests and makes for the perfect photo prop!
If you don’t mind the touristy vibes in Goreme and want the best view of the hot air balloons, Sultan Cave Suites is definitely a top choice. Oh, and it’s much more affordable than Museum Hotel!
AYDINLI CAVE HOTEL
When I was walking back to my hotel one evening, I came across Aydinli Cave Hotel. I had seen a photo before on Instagram so was curious to see what it looked like in person. The staff were super friendly and eager to show us around their hotel. There are many stairs to climb but it makes for good exercise! Before we left, they gave us each a box of Turkish sweets – how lovely!
What’s amazing about Aydinli Cave Hotel is that they have the best view of all the gorgeous cave hotels of Goreme. It also has a terrace where you have a stunning view of the balloons. Given its amazing (9.8!!!) reviews on Booking.comย and very affordable pricing, I will definitely consider staying here next time!
DOORS OF CAPPADOCIA
In addition to staying at Museum Hotel and Sultan Cave Suites, I also stayed one night at Doors of Cappadocia. Like most other cave hotels, Doors of Cappadocia also has many levels and stairs to climb. It is tucked away in a smaller street off of the main roads of Goreme.
What I loved about Doors of Cappadocia was the elevated platform on which the bed was placed. It really made me feel like I was living and sleeping in a cave! Also, they have a outdoor pool from which you can get an amazing view of all the balloons in the morning.
Photo Source: Booking.com
Booking.com
ROX CAPPADOCIA
Rox Cappadocia is a hotel I considered booking while browsing on Booking.com. It is located in Uchisar, like Museum Hotel, but much more affordable. What caught my eye was the beautiful terrace from which you can see and photograph all the hot air balloons. It also has exceptional reviews (9/7!) on Booking.com so maybe I’ll check it out next time I’m in Cappadocia!
| Photography by Austin Donohue |
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Amazing photos! So cool!
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Thank you! Hope you get to visit one day!
Thanks for your very interesting post, Tina.
I really love Cappadocia!
Thank you! I love Cappadocia too! One of the most beautiful places I’ve traveled to ๐
So incredible babe, your photos are next level!
x Rubi
Pose & Repeat
Lovely post! I am traveling to Cappadocia in December. Which hotel would you recommend during the winter months? I am worried we will be disappointed by the Museum Hotel if the gardens and outdoor areas are covered in snow…
I have seen Museum Hotel in Winter covered in snow and it’s still very beautiful! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed ๐