Sunrise at Cappadocia

Cappadocia, in central Türkiye, is a landscape of volcanic tuff carved by wind and water into cones, chimneys and valleys. For centuries people cut homes, churches and whole underground cities into the soft rock around Göreme.

Sunrise is the famous hour here. On calm mornings, dozens of hot-air balloons lift off in the dark and drift over the valleys as the sun comes up, so the first light catches the balloons, the rock spires and the plains all at once. The evening light is warm and slow, turning the valleys rose and orange.

A sunrise over Cappadocia is a gift for someone who dreams of travel — a morning that looks like nowhere else on Earth.

The best season

Balloons fly most mornings from April to November, when the air is calm; spring and autumn are the clearest and mildest. Winter sunrises over snow-dusted valleys are rare and beautiful.

Where to watch

The hills above Göreme and the Love Valley viewpoint look east over the valleys for sunrise. For sunset, Rose Valley and Red Valley glow brightest as the sun goes down.