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Travel bucket list idea:

Last updated: 25 June, 2023
Expert travel writer: Jeremy Seal

Cappadocia’s most visited site, just outside the village of Goreme, is a monastic complex consisting of dozens of chapels and cells set side-by-side, all carved into a natural amphitheatre of rock that has been preserved today as a UNESCO-listed open-air museum.

The complex contains more than 30 churches and chapels, some decorated with exceptional Byzantine frescoes dating from the 10th century to the 12th century.

Don’t miss

Don’t miss the museum’s Dark Church (Karanlik Kilise; extra charge); the frescoes are exceptional. Another exceptional church is the Buckle Church (Tokali Kilise), which is just outside the main entrance (retain your ticket).

Price from: £10
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: 2 hours

Getting there & doing it

The entrance is half a mile outside Goreme on the Urgup road, a 15-minute walk or short taxi ride from the town. The site is well signposted, with useful information boards.

The compact site is easily negotiated by independent visitors, who are free to wander around at will, avoiding the bottlenecks caused by tour groups. For a more in-depth history of the site, audio guides can be hired at the ticket office.

As Cappadocia’s top site, it’s one of those places you just have to go to, but beware the crowds. It’s often swamped by coach tours, especially in the busier months.

The narrow entrances and tunnels are not designed for tour group visits, and are one in, one out, which can frustrate. Some of the steps and climbs may be arduous for elderly visitors.

There’s a fancy and ultra-modern café within the premises, otherwise Göreme has plenty of cafés for a snack lunch.

When to do it

Open all year round, seven days a week. Avoid the queues by arriving early or late in the afternoon.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Transfer from Nevşehir Airport to Göreme

Goreme

Transfer from Nevşehir Airport to Göreme
Max 19 people of group transfer direct to Goreme. Air-conditioned of vans, mini bus. English speaking drivers. Drop directly to your hotel not to any common points.

Price: €14

Min age: 0

Rating 4.75 / 5 [48 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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North Cappadocia Red Tour with Goreme Open Air Museum

Goreme

North Cappadocia Red Tour with Goreme Open Air Museum
The itinerary of Red tour covers the main attractions of the North Cappadocia. That’s why it is also known as North Cappadocia tour. You will explore the most famous valleys (Devrent and Pasabag), visit Göreme open-air museum, Çavuşin village, Uçhisar castle and the pottery town of Avanos.

Price: €35

Min age: 0

Rating 4.85 / 5 [372 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Full-Day Tour in Cappadocia with Goreme Open Air Museum

Goreme

Full-Day Tour in Cappadocia with Goreme Open Air Museum
We try to organize tour with less people and full interest with them. Timing is also so important for us to make our guess to organize their limited time in Cappadocia.

Price: €65

Min age: 1

Rating 4.94 / 5 [67 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Small-Group Cappadocia Tour: Devrent Valley, Monks Valley and Open Air Museum in Goreme

Urgup

Small-Group Cappadocia Tour: Devrent Valley, Monks Valley and Open Air Museum in Goreme
Wonder at the natural and man-made treasures of Cappadocia on this full-day tour! Mother Nature has turned the region’s volcanic hills into crowds of bizarrely shaped cones and pinnacles that almost defy belief. Traveling by air-conditioned coach, head into the extraordinary landscapes to ogle the weird formations of the Devrent Valley and Pasabag. After an included lunch and time at a pottery workshop in Avanos, visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum to see its fresco-coated, rock-cut chapels. Enjoy personalized attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to 20 people.

Price: $90

Min age: 0

Rating 4.75 / 5 [8 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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