• Get in
• Get around
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Sleep
• Stay safe
• Get out

Goreme (Göreme) is a town in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. The town is centered in the middle of a internationally popular region that is best known for its natural rock formations, often called "fairy chimneys".

Love Valley

[edit] Get in

Several bus companies have day-time and overnight buses that run directly from Goreme to Istanbul (or directly from Nevshevir, 20 minutes down the road). You can catch a bus from Istanbul by catching a ferry to the Harem ferry port. Make sure you book a couple of days in advance in peak times as buses book out.

By Air

The nearest airport to Goreme is Kayseri. Turkish Airlines as well as Onur Air have several flights a day from Istanbul. Once you arrive at the airport, you can take a Taxi to the Bus Terminal (shared should run to 12 YTL to the Bus Terminal) and the bus ticket to Goreme is 7 YTL per person.

[edit] Get around

The town of Goreme is fairly small, and walking is your best option. Walking also provides excellent views of the surrounding canyons, which are sights themselves. Available for rent are mountain bikes, scooters, motorcycles and all terrain quads. Dolmus service also runs approx. every hour to nearby cities like Avanos and Urgup.

[edit] See

Goreme has a wide selection of natural and cultural wonders. Simply walking through the village you will be amazed at the bizarre 'fairy chimney' rocks cut naturally by the wind and rain.

Several tour operators offer a one day package that includes a stop at a Caravansari, one of the amazing underground cities, a walk through the ancient churches decorated with frescoes, and finally a stop at a carpet/pottery/oynx shop. These one day tours are excellent and worth the money, as they include admission. Avoid buying at the shops, however, as you pay 2-3 times higher through commissions.

• <see name="Göreme Open Air Museum" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="" hours="" price="10 YTL">The museum has a great collection of caves and fairy chimneys. If you have 2-3 hours, that should be plenty to walk to the Open Air Museum from Goreme center and to get back in time for dinner. Be sure to visit the church in a cave across the highway outside the museum entrance, whıch is included in museum admission (save your ticket).</see>

[edit] Do

Sunrise in Goreme

• Balloon Rides - are one of the most popular activities in Goreme. Typically lifting off at sunrise, these rides last around 45 minutes and literally go wherever the wind may blow in the Cappadocia Valley. The balloon carriages hold around ten people with the pilot riding air currents much like a boat, floating down the valleys, often below the ridge line and quite close to the chimney rocks. It's a fantastic ride and if you've ever had the urge to splurge on a balloon ride (approx. €140), this would be the place to do it. Several hot air balloon companies offer dawn balloon rides, claiming they are better than anywhere else in the world. Ask around about safety records, as some operators are better than others. Operators include:

Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Tours

• Hiking - Following the paths along the valleys is an amazing (and free) option. Check with your hotel owner or the tourist office for a map of the area with suggested walks and trails. There are several nice loops on packed dirt, sand and rock, that maintain a constant elevation and pass through the scenic valleys.
  • The hill to the north of town is an easy 15-minute walk and offers a view of the town and Uçhisar.

[edit] Buy

Avanos, 10 km away, has been a pottery center for centuries. Many stores will sell pottery in Goreme, and you may end up at a pottery workshop at the end of a tour, but for the best prices, head into Avanos and wander around the back streets. Compare the prices and quality, and if you are worried about it surviving shipping/your backpack, ask them to stand on it to test the strength (vases, jugs, and larger objects should take their weight). While the quality in touristy shops is often high, you will be paying 2-3 times what you otherwise would.

Goreme and the surrounding areas also have several carpet shops, whose primary business is from tourists.

[edit] Eat

Goreme has a wide selection of typical Kebabs and Pide, as well as some unusual 'pottery' dishes that are prepared and served in a clay pot which you can 'break' open. Many of the restaurants and bars change hands on a regular basis, making specific recommendations difficult.

That said, Alaturca, with mains from 15-20 YTL, is considered to be one of the finer dining establishments in central Turkey, and is well worth a visit. Alaturca is on the secondary road thast heads towards the open Air Museum.

• Silk Road Kebabs (near Pasha Bar) has excellent and filling chicken kebab (get the 1/2 loaf) for 2.5 YTL.

[edit] Drink

Simply walking by carpet shops will open invitations for tea. If you're thirsty, take advantage of this free drink and learn something about carpets at the same time.

For the bar scene, several bars and clubs are open (primarily in the high season), and there is a disco in nearby Avanos frequented by locals and tourists alike.

[edit] Sleep

• Cappadocia Cave Hotel. Free Aiport Transfer. Relax in the friendly and comfortable

atmosphere of Cappadocia's beautiful cave accommodation complex.

• Cappadocia Hisarevi Cave Hotel is a beautifully restored cave house with 10 tastefully decorated bedrooms. Cappadocia Hisarevi Cave Hotel is an ideal choice for those who want the amenities and security offered by modern hotels, yet prefer the comfort and ambiance of a small bed and breakfast inn. All rooms are non-smoking. Located in the town Ortahisar which is 5 km away from Ürgüp and we are just minutes from most downtown Cappadocia attractions.

• Paradise Cave Hotel, [1]. Cave rooms with reasonable prices. Paradise Caves Hotel and Pension is here in the tiny town of Göreme, where pigeons are still housed in lofts carved in the valley walls, where lemons fill the cellars, and where the harvest of grapes roll home in horse-drawn carts. Rooms are clean and comfortable and most rooms have satellite television and hair dryers. http://www.paradisepension.com

http://www.cavehotelcappadocia.com info@cavehotelcappadocia.com

Goreme has an incredible selection of hostels, hotels, and guest houses (some 60 odd), and also offers some of the cheapest backpacker accommodation in Turkey. The friendly (and tout-free) accommodation office can help you find something. Dorm beds are around 10 YTL, Single Rooms from 15 YTL, and doubles from 20 YTL. Upmarket and boutique hotels also exist in Goreme. Many places include breakfast in these prices (as at Mar 2008).

Many of Goreme's hostels and hotels offer the unusual option of sleeping in a cave. Much of the rock in the area is fairly soft, and for centuries rooms (and houses) have been created by cutting directly into the soft rock. Comforts in these 'cave rooms' range from truly cave like to beautiful and tasteful with modern bathrooms; almost all have windows and are fairly well lit.

• Shoestring Cave Hostel - a good budget option with authentic cave rooms and dorm rooms starting at 10YTL. Heat and hot water are solar powered often leaving a scarcity of heat in the cooler spring and fall seasons. Tasty breakfasts are available from the on-site kitchen for a nominal charge.
• Flintstones - a bit up the creek; literally. It's up the dry riverbed from the scooter and bicycle rental near the busstation (and in fact, almost at the start of the pigeon valley hike) but they have nice rooms, a dorm, a pool and laundry service. It's about 20 YTL for a two person room. And yes, you get to sleep in a cave so there might be some insects there. They have the same solar heated showers so be early or be cold. There are some mixed reviews though.

• Goreme House A home away home really. English speaking hosts and personnel, offers great base to explore the Cappadocia region with friendly and lively atmosphre and 13 bedrooms which 2 of them are suites. Stay in Style at Goreme House. www.goremehouse.com

[edit] Stay safe

Dogs There are a number of vicious dogs in the area, with numerous unprovoked attacks on tourists reported. Dogs are known to attack from behind. Turkey is a country that carries a risk of rabies, so anyone bitten should seek urgent treatment, despite what they are told by their hotel. There is a clinic in Goreme - ask at the information desk for directions.

[edit] Get out

Bus there are numerous buses from Goreme to other parts of Turkey. The cheapest fare quoted to Istanbul as at Mar 2007 was 35YTL direct to Sultanhamet through Kent, though this required changing buses at Nevshevir and a second time in istanbul.

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