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Goreme (Göreme, pronounced guh-reh-meh, uh like er in "her") 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".

[edit] Get in

[edit] By bus

Several bus companies have day-time and overnight buses that run directly from Goreme to Istanbul (or directly from Nevshehir, 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. There are connections to Konya (3½ hours), Denizli (10 hours), Pamukkale (10 hours), Selcuk (12 hours), Kusadasi (12 hours), Marmaris (13 hours), Bodrum (13 hours), Alanya (9 hours), Cirali (10 hours), Kayseri, Trabzon, Van.

If you book your ticket directly to Goreme, make sure that the bus (or a smaller van associated with the bus company) will drop you off at the Goreme bus station (otogar) even if the bus ticket says Goreme. It is a common occurrence for a bus company to sell you a ticket that says Goreme but then drop you off somewhere in Nevshehir, sometimes at a tour office, and hope that the folks at the tour office will help you get to the Goreme bus station.

[edit] By plane

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. There is regular bus service to Nevşehir (every half hour as of Oct. 2008), and from there to regional destinations including the underground cities at Kaymaklı and and Derinkuyu. Dolmus service also runs approx. every hour to nearby cities like Avanos and Urgup.

If you travel by bus, make sure you know when the last bus back to Göreme is. It is possible that service from Nevşehir stops at 18:00.

[edit][add listing] 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.

• Göreme Open Air Museum. 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). 15 YTL, 8 YTL extra for the Dark Chruch which is worth it.  edit

English and Japanese speaking tour guide : Murat E-mail: muratdinc@hotmail.com Tel: +90 532 3240679

[edit][add listing] Do

• 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. €150), 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.

• 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.

• Turkish Night Dinner. 8PM to 11PM. Hotels and agencies will offer to take you to a real turkish dinner in an underground restaurant. It is very touristy with dance troups, dervish dancing, etc. But the food is good and beer, wine, and raki is plenty and free. It is good value for the money and if you go there in a group it could be fun. YTL 40.  edit

[edit][add listing] 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][add listing] Eat

• Meeting Point Cafe, Müze Caddesi (near the Canal). Cenap and Anniesa are very delicious hosts; order in advance and taste their Testi Kebap cooked in coals, it is a real delight! Then taste the excellent smoothies and fresh juices (we recommend orange and watermelon or watermelon and ginger). Don't even think of leaving without sampling their cakes!  edit
• Manzara Restaurant, Goreme (up the hill from the center of town). I believe this place used to be called Utopia but has changed ownership. With one of the best views in town, catching the sunset with a cocktail from the upper deck is a must do in Cappedocia. They also have a lower deck and indoor dining with a fireplace. The kabab plate is a good choice for dinner.  edit
• Firin Express, (off the main street by the junction). Has freshly baked and wonderful Pide and Lahmacun for a few Lira.  edit

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, but is overpriced for the quality of food and a stiff service that is out of place in an otherwise informal town. Alaturca is on the secondary road that 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][add listing] 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][add listing] Sleep

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 of 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 sandstone (tufa) which 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.

• (Gümüş) Silver Cave Hotel,[1]. Informal & friendly service, clean rooms with en-suite shower/wc, and very reasonable rates make this hotel/pension a pleasure to stay in. Located in Göreme 5 minutes walk from the bus station, Gümüş makes a great starting point for exploration of the surrounding areas. Help with planning tours and visits to local culture is available upon request. Facilities include a cave bar, flower garden, barbecue & laundry service. ☎ +90 384 271 24 38 (gumus@silvercavehotel.com, fax: +90 384 2712821). Single rooms from 15 euro, doubles from 25 euros. Breakfast included. [2]

• 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 bus station (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.

• Local Cave House Hotel, [3]. Located in the center of Goreme, offers 9 cave rooms 1 family cave suite 1 honeymoon suite, deluxe suites with double and single bed.  edit

• Rock Valley Pension, (300 metres from bus stop, plenty of signs along the road), ☎ +90 384 2712153 (info@rockvalleycappadocia.com, fax: +90 384 2712821), [4]. Great place to stay, with swimming pool and huge lounge area. Extremely friendly staff. Dorm rooms starting at 10YTL, including free breakfast and free wi-fi internet. double rooms from 50 Lira.  edit

• Nomad Cave Hostel, (5 minute walk from the bus station), ☎ 0090 3842712204, [5]. checkout: 10:00 am. 12€.  edit

• Kelebek Pension, Kelebek Pension Aydinli Mah. 50180 Goreme / Nevsehir, ☎ (+90) 384 271 2531, [6]. A simple, very beautiful hotel/pension. The rooms are nice and there's a beautiful, airy common area for relaxing, eating breakfast, and using the internet. I stayed in a small inexpensive room (with medieval frescoes on the roof) but some of the rooms are quite grand. €35 +.  edit
• Ottoman House, Goreme. Simple and affordable hotel with friendly, english speaking staff. Breakfast is included and the rooftop views boast views of the hot air balloons taking off.  edit

[edit] Mid Range

• Traveller's Cave Pension, Gaferli Mah. No:28 (5 minutes walk from Goreme bus station: free pick up from Goreme bus station), ☎ '+90'' 0384-271-2707 (pension@travellerscave.com, fax: 0384-271-2624), [7]. checkin: 24-hour; checkout: 10:00AM. located at high position at Goreme, with great Goreme national park view from their room and terrace. offers great breakfast, hospitality, cheaper OP tours and other service  edit

• Traveller's Cave Hotel, Aidinli Mahallesi Görceli Sokak no 7 (5 minutes walk from the bus station: free pick up from bus station), ☎ '+90'' 384 271 2780, [8]. checkin: 24-hour. located at high position. Good breakfast, books tours and other service (partner with HIRO tours), good free wireless internet From Euro 50-70 depending on the room.  edit

[edit] Stay safe

• Dogs Like much of Turkey, Göreme has a significant stray dog population. Rabies is endemic in Turkey, so appropriate precautions should be taken. (See the CDC "Yellow Book" chapter on rabies [9].) Anyone bitten by a dog (or other carnivore) should seek immediate medical care. There is a clinic in Goreme - ask at the information desk for directions.

• Many parts of the caves and rocks are accessible only through paths that are not particulary safe.

[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.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!