A small town 10 km east of Göreme (Ürgüp), with restored stone mansions turned into boutique cave hotels, local wineries and quieter evenings. It is as close to the balloon launch fields as Göreme, and the base for Mustafapaşa's old Greek houses, the Three Graces fairy chimneys and the Devrent (Imagination) Valley.
Highlights
- Boutique cave-mansion hotels
- Three Graces fairy chimneys
- Mustafapaşa's Greek houses
- Cappadocian wine tasting
- Temenni Hill sunset
- Ortahisar Castle
- Balloon flight from the nearby fields
- Kaymaklı underground city
Things to do
- Hot-air balloon flight (weather permitting)Morning · 3h 30m
- Mustafapaşa village walkMorning · 2h
- Kaymaklı underground cityAfternoon · 2h
- Wine tasting at a local wineryEvening · 1h 30m
- Temenni Hill sunsetEvening · 1h
Tours & tickets
Tourisma may earn a small commission if you book — it never changes your price.
When to go
Best time: April – June, September – October
Worth knowing
Balloon Flights Often Cancelled in Winter
Cappadocia's balloons fly only on calm, clear mornings, and from December to February snow, fog and wind ground them for days at a time. Book the flight for your first morning so a cancelled one can move to the next, and plan at least three nights. The valleys under snow are beautiful, but nights fall below freezing: pack warm.
Heads up
Balloons Depend on the Morning Wind
Balloon flights are confirmed only the evening before or at dawn, and are cancelled on windy mornings even in the best months. Book for your first morning, with a company that refunds or rebooks, and keep a second morning free.
Worth knowing
Bayram Holiday: Buses and Flights Sell Out
Ramazan Bayramı (about 9-12 March 2027) and Kurban Bayramı (about 16-19 May 2027, often stretched to nine days off) send millions of Turks travelling. Intercity buses and domestic flights sell out and prices jump, coastal hotels fill, and some museums close on the first morning. Book transport and rooms early, and avoid travelling on the first and last days of the holiday.
- Ramadan (Ramazan) — The fasting month, expected from about 8 February to 9 March 2027. Life for visitors carries on: restaurants, cafes and sights stay open, and alcohol is still sold in tourist areas. In conservative cities (Konya, Mardin) eat discreetly in daylight. At sunset the iftar meal fills restaurants and Sultanahmet's square becomes a night market; drummers wake the neighbourhoods before dawn.
- Ramazan Bayramı (Eid al-Fitr) — The holiday ending Ramadan (expected about 9-12 March 2027). Millions of Turks travel home: intercity buses and domestic flights sell out and prices jump, so book a few weeks ahead. Some museums close on the first morning; Istanbul's bridges and public transport are often free.
- Kurban Bayramı (Eid al-Adha) — The four-day feast of the sacrifice (expected about 16-19 May 2027), often stretched to nine days off. The biggest travel rush of the year: buses, flights and coastal hotels book out and fares double, and the Aegean and Mediterranean resorts fill with Turkish families. Avoid moving between cities on the first and last days.