5 of the most amazing cave hotels in Cappadocia
By Ling and Jace
home / back to turkey
Pool and rock chimneys at the Local Cave House Hotel
In some places that we’ve travelled, we haven’t focused too much on where we sleep, but Cappadocia is a completely different story.
The unique natural landforms and historical architecture make every building an archaeological spectacle. There aren’t many places in the world where you can stay in locations like Cappadocia, where the buildings are one with the natural landscape.
During our trip to Cappadocia, we visited as many cave hotels as possible. We’ve put together this post to help you choose between some of the most unique cave hotels in Cappadocia with the best views to see hot air balloons, interesting architecture or rooms, and a number of options to suit different budgets.
Compare the best cave hotels in Cappadocia
We have included more information about 5 of the best cave hotels in Cappadocia below, but here is an overview:
Local Cave House Hotel: Most unique outdoor area with rock chimneys behind the pool
Price from AUD $250
Sultan Cave Suites: best interior design with antique furniture.
Price from AUD $400
Artemis Cave Suites: closest to the town centre in Göreme, with a garden, terrace and traditional Turkish baths on site.
Price from AUD $200
Tulip Cave Suites: most beautiful traditional Byzantine building with only seven rooms (some with spas) and views over the town.
Price from AUD $130
Koza Cave Hotel: highest rooftop terrace.
Price from AUD $300
Room inside Koza Cave Hotel
The highest rooftop terrace in Göreme, shot from Koza Cave Hotel
contents
How to get to Cappadocia and the cave hotels
Tours which include cave accommodation
By flight and transfer
Note: we paid for all accommodation on our trip, however this post contains affiliate links. If you decide to have a similar experience in Cappadocia, we may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Hot air balloons during sunrise in Göreme
Rooftop terrace at Koza Cave Hotel
WHAT MAKES A STAY IN A CAVE HOTEL SO UNIQUE?
Historically, the town of Göreme was carved into the rocks, and the valleys and chimneys are dotted with ancient cave houses, chapels, tombs and temples. There are also 36 subterranean cities in the area, which once allowed thousands of people to live in secrecy below ground.
A lot of ancient architecture in Cappadocia can still be seen, with modern designers carefully working to the preserve the original and natural stone walls. Cave hotels are extremely unique to the area, and we’d recommend them as a way to experience the history and unique landscapes during any visit. They are beautifully designed and usually incorporate Byzantine architecture, natural features of the landscape, and artefacts that are unique to the area.
HOW TO GET TO CAPPADOCIA AND THE CAVE HOTELS
There are several options for getting to Cappadocia and staying in a cave hotel, either independently or as part of a tour. We’ve researched the most highly-rated and affordable options that we found convenient to book on platforms like GetYourGuide.
BY TOUR
One of the most convenient ways to travel to Cappadocia and stay in a cave hotel is by joining a tour. Here are the best options that we could find which specifically include stays in cave hotels (check with each individual tour provider for the exact accommodation):
2 day all-inclusive trip from Istanbul: this trip covers our favourite landscapes in Cappadocia and includes return domestic flights from Istanbul and 1 nights’ accommodation in a cave hotel.
2 day trip from Istanbul with hot air balloon flight: this tour has very high reviews and also includes 1 night stay in a boutique hotel and hot air balloon tickets for the next morning.
4 day trip from Istanbul: this is the perfect tour to make the most of the area, with 4 days to explore and 3 nights’ accommodation in a cave hotel. It includes return domestic flights to Istanbul.
2 day trip from Istanbul by overnight bus: while the tours listed above travel by domestic flight, this is a more affordable option by overnight bus, which takes around 11 hours. It also specifically includes accommodation at a cave hotel.
BY FLIGHT ANd TRAnsfer
There are two airports in the area: Kayseri Erkilet Airport and Nevsehir Kapadoky Airport.
There are usually direct flight options from Istanbul to Nevsehir, which is the closest airport to Göreme. The most affordable airport shuttles from Nevsehir Kapadoky Airport can be booked in advance here, and will take you to any accommodation that you end up booking in Göreme, Avanos, Uçhisar, Nevşehir, Çavuşin, Ortahisar, or Ürgüp.
Kayseri Erkilet Airport is around 1 hours’ drive from Göreme. As it is further away than Nevsehir airport, it sometimes has cheaper flight options. Airport shuttles from Kayseri Erkilet Airport can be booked in advance here, and similarly go to any accomodation in the areas mentioned above.
Subterranean city carved into rocks of Goreme
Morning view from Koza Cave Hotel terrace
Rock formations in Goreme
THE BEST HOTELS IN CAPPADOCIA TO SEE THE HOT AIR BALLOONS
Each morning in Göreme, the sky fills with hundreds of hot air balloons. At night, everything in the valley glows. These experiences are extremely unique to the area in Cappadocia, so we tried to find the best vantage points during our stay to take it all in.
If you want to see the hot air balloons in the morning from the cave hotels listed below, we’d recommend waking up just as the sun starts to rise. When we visited in Autumn, this was at around 6.15am, but it’s best to ask the hosts for the precise hot air balloon times.
Another incredible way to see the hot air balloons in Göreme is by travelling into the valley at sunrise. We’d recommend this sunrise tour which includes pick up from any cave hotel and private transfer to the most scenic locations to see the balloons from the ground.
If you are able to include it on your trip, we’d also recommend taking a hot air balloon flight. This is one of the most highly-rated hot air balloon tours, and was one of the most surreal experiences that we’ve ever had. There are hundreds of balloons filling the sky each morning, but as it is one of the main reasons people travel to Cappadocia, they also book out very early. We’d recommend booking as far in advance as you can, noting that they can always be rescheduled or refunded if you happen to have bad weather and it’s not possible to fly on the day that you book.
Hot air balloons landing in Goreme valley
Hot air balloons landing in Goreme valley
HOW LONG TO SPEND IN A CAPPADOCIA CAVE HOTEL
When we visited Cappadocia, we were told that most people tend to stay in the region for around 3 nights. We think that this would be a great amount of time to see a lot the valley and recommend this 4 day trip from Istanbul as an option for getting there, which includes accommodation in a cave hotel.
We ended up staying just one extra day, for 5 days and 4 nights in total. The slightly longer stay was perfect for us to fit in more hikes through the Rose Valley, as well as to take day trips to nearby towns like Kayseri.
We also didn’t have the best weather during our stay, and the hot air balloons were cancelled on three of the mornings. Luckily, with the extra day it meant that we could still make our tour to fly in one.
5 OF THE BEST CAVE HOTELS IN CAPPADOCIA
LOCAL CAVE HOUSE HOTEL
Of all of the cave hotel options that we visited while we were in Cappadocia, the Local Cave House Hotel has the most unique outdoor area, with access to a pool and day beds at the base of huge rock chimneys. We arrived at the Local Cave House Hotel in the afternoon and had the chance to swim after a day of hiking through the Rose Valley.
The courtyard area is a dreamy place to relax, with one of the most mystical structures in Göreme. There are also a number of balconies throughout the hotel to enjoy the sunrise and sunset, which are impressively built around the rock structure. The owners have also taken care to preserve the houses of different tribes which lived in the rock in ancient times.
SULTAN CAVE SUITES
Sultan Cave Suites is one of the most visually interesting cave hotels in Cappadocia, as each of the 35 rooms have been decorated with unique artefacts and antiques that are linked to the history of the area. The Sultan Cave Suites have been built over the ancient cave dwellings, and the original local architecture has been carefully preserved and incorporated when designing the rooms.
We love that the owners of Sultan Cave Suites also opened the Seten Restaurant and Anatolian Cultural Centre, which supports local and international artists with concerts and exhibitions. The Sultan Cave Suites have an incredible rooftop view of the hot air balloons each morning from Aydinli Hill, and guests are welcome to access the swimming pool and Turkish Baths at the neighbouring Kelebek Special Cave Hotel at any time during a stay.
ARTEMIS CAVE SUITES AND SPA
Artemis Cave Suites are located within the town of Göreme itself, and make for an incredible relaxing stay with a garden and traditional Turkish baths on site. There are 24 cave and stone rooms in this hotel, which range from standard to deluxe caves and suites.
If you want to stay closer to the restaurants and shops in town, we’d recommend Artemis Cave Suites for the location. Despite being near the centre of town, it still captures some of the most impressive rooftop views, with an elevated walkway and terrace for views of both the town and the hot air balloons rising over it at sunrise.
TULIP CAVE SUITES
Tulip Cave Suites are housed in a traditional Byzantine building, and located on the upper part of Göreme in the national park. As its location is towards the top of the town, it has mesmerising views of the surrounding mountains, valleys and hot air balloons each morning.
The accommodation offered in the Tulip Cave Suites is unique as it was originally part of an old cave-house and 5th century chapel. The rooms are carved into the rocks with natural stone walls, and decorated with traditional handmade rugs and local ceramics. There are only 7 boutique rooms to choose from, and some also include a private spa bath. Because there aren’t many rooms, we’d recommend booking this one ahead if possible.
KOZA CAVE HOTEL
Koza Cave Hotel is a beautifully designed, family-run cave house that overlooks the Pigeon Valley in Göreme.
Without a doubt, Koza Cave Hotel is the best hotel to stay in if you want to see the hot air balloons each morning as it has the highest rooftop terrace in Göreme. The view is simply unbeatable. The terrace at Koza is only open to guests in the morning, which means you’ll get an exclusive and quiet view in an otherwise very popular and busy town.
The rooftop itself is filled with huge rugs, stools for Turkish tea and wine, and cushions against the rocks. A lot of care is put into setting it all up, and it’s a serene place to hang out with other travellers throughout the stay.
In total, there are only ten guest rooms at Koza Cave Hotel and each one is quite unique (you can see all room options here). We stayed in the Standard Double Room, and our booking included breakfast each morning. The room was in it’s own section of the hotel, with a small and secluded courtyard in front of it as well.
We’ve put up a full review of our stay at Koza Cave here, with everything you need to know about the rooms, location, and how the owners are working towards sustainability. Because there are only ten guest rooms and private access to the viewpoint, we’d recommend booking ahead if possible.
Night in Göreme, shot from the rooftop of Koza Cave Hotel
Aerial view of Göreme, shot with a drone
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