Best Photo Locations in Cappadocia (with Map)

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The whimsical Cappadocia in Turkey is one of our favourite places on the planet and it also happens to be one of the most magical and photogenic regions of the world with an abundance of stunning photo locations. From hot air balloons dancing across the sky to the towering fairy chimneys and lunar landscape Cappadocia is a photography dream. We’ve put together this list of where to take the best photos in Cappadocia to help you find some of the best photography locations.  From roof terraces with a view to panoramic sunsets, we hope you have as much fun as we did visiting the best photo spots in Cappadocia!

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Balloon at dawn over Cappadocia

1 | Sultan Cave Suites

The roof terrace of the Sultan Cave Suites is one of the best photo locations in Cappadocia and boasts, arguably, the best view of the hot air balloons rising over Goreme and the Cappadocia Valleys – check prices now!

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Sunrise at Sultan Cave Suites
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The hot air balloons dancing across the morning sky

The colourful hotel terraces are photography heaven, and are set up with colourful rugs and cushions as well as a beautiful Turkish breakfast spread on the rooftop which makes for great photos against the stunning backdrop of a balloon filled valley. Izmir, the resident hotel do, often makes an appearance and, despite the mantra never work with animals or children, she’s a fantastic participant in photo shoots!

Click here to book Sultan Cave Suites now!

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Chilling with Izmir

Cappadocia best photography spots tip: due to the popularity of the hotel only guests are allowed onto the roof terrace and the staff do check. if you want to take photographs from the Sultan it’s probably best to reserve a room  – check prices here

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That view!
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Going old school with the instant!

Renting A Car in Cappadocia

Cappadocia is a vast area to explore and we found it invaluable having a rental car to explore the area. It avoided the time and cost of taxis and gave us the freedom to explore Cappadocia on our own schedule. We rented a car in Turkey as part of our overall Turkey Itinerary, however even if Cappadocia was our only destination we still would have rented a car there. We use RentalCars.com for all our car rentals and they have a great selection of cars at Cappadocia airport, Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport.

Having a rental car allowed us to visit so many beautiful places in Cappadocia before and after the crowds to get beautiful views and great photos. 

We’re huge fans of road trips and have driven rental cars in almost 50 countries so we have a lot of experience renting cars in foreign countries. Book your car now with RentalCars.com, where you will find competitive prices on rental cars.

Book your rental car in Cappadocia now

2 | Panoramic View (Red Valley)

The panoramic viewpoint is a short drive from Goreme and is by far our favourite location in Cappadocia for sunset. It’s a popular stop for tour buses during the day but is often relatively quiet on weekdays for sunset. The views from the Panoramic Viewpoint are incredible and as the sun goes down across the valleys the sky lights up and the landscape of the valleys warms to lovely shades of pink and red.

Cappadocia best photo spot tip: there are views at many points along the road but our favourite spots was Crazy Ali’s Panoramic Cafe where there are love seats and cushions perched on the edge of the valley which also make for beautiful selfie photos.

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One of the best sunsets of our lives (shot at Crazy Ali Panoramic Cafe)
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The sunset from further along the Red Valley

3 | Galeri Ikman Carpet Shop

Turkey is famous for its colourful textiles and many visitors will have seen the beautiful images from the inner courtyard of the Turkish rug shop Galeri Ikman. We stumbled upon this by accident after we couldn’t find the shop initially and realised it has recently moved to a new location – check out the map at the end of the article for the exact location of Galeri Ikman. The open air courtyard is draped in colourful Turkish rugs and tapestries and, as an added bonus, there is a fairy chimney in the background.

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The open air Galeri Ikman

 

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Galeri Ikman is also great for people shots

4 | Devrent (Imagination) Valley

This area is a short drive from Goreme and, while you won’t find any cave churches or balloons here, it does boast a stunning landscape that looks like you’ve been transported to the moon. The valley is also famous for the rock formations which, if you use your imagination, actually do look like animals! The most famous formation is camel like in its shape!

Cappadocia Photo Tip: The main stop for Devrent Valley is on the main road that loops around Cappadocia but it gets crowded with tour buses. For a quieter place to take in the view and capture photos drive to the car park further along the main road which overlooks Devrent Valley.

 

5 | Uchisar Castle

Uchisar Castle is located on the highest point in Cappadocia is and it offers the best uninterrupted views across the entire Cappadocia landscape with Uchisar overlooking the numerous valleys in the area. At one time over 5,000 people lived in Uchisar Castle and the houses carved into the side of the hill remain as evidence. Some of the best cave photos can be found here.

Cappadocia best photo spots tip: try to get to Uchisar Castle one morning for sunrise as the views are simply incredible. Sunset is also beautiful here with the after dark views across to Goreme stunning. As well as the Sultan Cave Suites, we stayed in two other hotels in Uchisar during our time in Cappadocia, the Rox Cappadocia (check prices here) and the Taskonaklar Cave Hotel (check prices here) and both had amazing views.

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Uchisar Castle by day…
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…and Uchisar Castle by Night

6 | Fairy Chimneys

The iconic Cappadocia Fairy Chimneys are a collection of rock formations which were one million years in the making. The chimneys located a few kilometres off the main road between Goreme and Avanos. The fairy chimney are really unique and offers some excellent photo opportunities. There are fairy chimneys dotted all around Cappadocia but the Fairy Chimney Valley is the largest collection in one place.

Cappadocia best photo locations tip: Due to it’s location right beside the main road the fairy chimney valley gets very busy during the day with tour buses. So try to visit just before sunset or early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

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For scale! The Fairy Chimneys tower above the landscape

 

7 | Fairy Chimneys (Panoramic View)

This is a relatively hidden photo spot we stumbled right beside the Fairy Chimney Valley. It’s located up the on the hill to the right of the Fairy Chimneys (as you stand on the road facing the valley of fairy chimneys). After a few minutes you’ll come to a cliff edge and a truly beautiful view across the Cappadocia landscape, looking back over Goreme andwith Love Valley on the horizon.

Cappadocia best photo locations tip: It’s best to visit in late afternoon or at sunset when the Fairy Chimneys are is less busy with tour buses. This is a great place for sunset in Cappadocia as it offers such a large panoramic view across to Love Valley.

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Sunset over Cappadocia with Love Valley in the distance

 

8 | Hotel Rox Cappadocia

The fantastic décor of the hotel, the phenomenal breakfast and the view from the roof top make the Rox Cappadocia one of our favourite hotels and one of the best photo spots in Cappadocia – check prices now!

Located beside Uchisar Castle, the Rox Cappadoica has sweeping views across the valley and Mount Erciyes on the horizion. Their trademark wicker love seat on the roof makes for truly unique photos against the backdrop of the Cappadocian landscape.

Book Hotel Rox Cappadocia Now! 

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The rooftop is set up for some great shots
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The hotel is a perfect contrast to the landscape backdrop

 

9 | The Evil Eye Tree

The evil eye symbol is synonymous with Turkey where receiving the evil eye is believed to cause misfortune and you will come across many evil eye charms to protect against the evil eye. There are a few evil eye trees dotted throughout Cappadocia and they make for great photo opportunities with the laden branches of blue, white and black glossy charms in beautiful contrast to the dramatic landscapes.

Cappadocia best photo locations tip: our favourite evil eye tree for photos was overlooking Pigeon Valley on the road into Uchisar.

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The evil eye tree with Uchisar Castle in the background
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Clay pots are also a popular addition to the trees

 

10 | Pigeon Valley 

Located between Goreme and Uschisar, Pigeon Valley is so named because of the thousands of pigeon houses which were once carved into the rock to attract pigeons to fertilise the land. There are lots of great viewpoints between Goreme and Uschisar but we loved the view from one of our hotels, the Tasonaklar, whose stepped grounds offered magnificent views over the valley with the added bonus of being able to sleep in a giant cave suite – check prices now!

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Pigeon Valley from our terrace

 

11 | Museum Hotel

We don’t usually include hotels in our guides to the best photo locations but the combination of distinctive properties and incredible views make Cappadocia unique in this respect.  The Museum hotel in Uçhisar, with its incredible views over the surrounding valleys and Roman ruins scattered throughout its ground offers excellent photo opportunities. The hotel is based on the concept of a living museum and even the rooms contain relics and we’ve seen some incredible photos of the balloons passing over the infinity pool at sunrise and the Roman Ruins overlooking the valley. We weren’t able to reserve a room with our 6 month old as the hotel only allows guest age 12 or over but would stay in a heartbeat if we could –  check prices for The Museum Hotel!

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The view from the Museum Hotel

 

12 | Sunset Point Goreme

A few minutes from the centre of Goreme Sunset Point, or Lover’s Hill as it’s also known as, offers panoramic views across Goreme. It’s the perfect vantage point from which to capture the dramatic Cappadoica landscape and it’s also a great choice for watching the balloons take off at sunrise.

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13 | Sultan Carpets

What can we say, we love a backdrop of colourful textiles! Sultan Carpets is a treasure trove of bright and colourful rooms overflowing with carpets and is another great photo location. The main room is open air and makes for great pictures.

Cappadocia best photo locations tip: Sultan Carpets is first and foremost a carpet shop and a place of business. Please be courteous and ask the owner’s permission if you want to take photos.

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Sultan Carpets

 

14 | Love Valley

Love Valley, the landing area for the balloon rides, is somewhat of a hidden gem in Cappadocia.  Located on a dirt track parallel to the main road between Goreme and Cavusin, Love Valley runs south to Uchisar Castle and we highly recommend visiting this stunning area for post sunrise photos. Watching the balloons land was a fun experience and offers a chance for a different perspective for some balloon filled photos of Cappadocia.

Cappadocia best photo locations tip: Love Valley is the usual landing are for the balloons, so once you’ve finished watching sunrise, hop in your car and drive straight to Love Valley to catch the balloons before they land. It takes 10-15 minutes from Goreme, however the track can be quite rough and is busy with locals so drive slowly in your rental car!

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Watching the balloons land at Love Valley
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We love the colourful array of balloons (and super happy balloon riders!) coming into land!

 

15 | Balloon Launch Site

The balloon launch sites are one of our favourite and most memorable photo locations in Cappadocia. The launch sites vary due to weather conditions and, on our visit, they took off from close to the main road half way between Cavusin and Goreme. It was incredible to watch the huge balloons inflate and the morning sky lit up in a sea of colours as the balloons were fired up. After the balloons take off head to high ground to watch them float past almost within touching distance.

 Cappadocia best photo locations tip: Aim to get out to the launch site and allow 15-20 minutes to climb up the hill above the fairy chimneys around 20-30 minutes before the sun is due to rise. If you’re not sure where to go, follow the mini-buses and trucks carrying the balloons.

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The morning sky lit by the hot air balloons
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The scale and colour of the hot air balloons inflating is mesmerising

 

16 | The Open Air Museums

Goreme and Zelves open air musuems are incredible to visit and have a multitude of photo opportunities. Goreme Open Air Museum was a Byzantine monastic settlement and its rock hewn churches, which house stunning Byzantine frescoes, are accessible to visitors. Zelve Open Air Museum was once home to one of the largest communities in the area and its landscape is dotted with honeycomb houses in the cave town.

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The rock buildings at Goreme Open Air Museum
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Well preserved Byzantine frescoes

 

17 | The Three Beauties (Üç Güzeller)

Sometimes referred to as the Three Graces, the three beauties are a trio of fairy chimneys which are said to represent a princess, her shepherd husband and their child. Her father, the King, was unhappy with her choice of suitor and ordered for the killing of the princess and her family. She begged God to make them a stone or a bird and, as legend has it, they were transformed into the three fairy chimney’s which watch over the town of Urgup today.
 
The chimneys are a symbol of Cappadocia and a beautiful image of the region. The chimneys dominate the landscape and the Three Beauties viewpoint is an excellent vantage point to capture their scale and beauty.
 
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The Three Beauties

 

Map of the Best Cappadocia Photo Locations

`Click here for an interactive Google map you can save to your phone

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