For campers and wild camping enthusiasts, Turkey itself is a true paradise: few restrictions, wild camping tolerated more or less everywhere, gas at less than 1 Euro per liter, and hospitable people offering you çay (tea) on every street corner.

At the center of this Eden for road trip enthusiasts, lies the most precious gem: Cappadocia!

Famous for rock formations that look like they’re from Mars, ancient underground cities, and flocks of colorful hot air balloons, Cappadocia is a unique destination that is indescribable unless seen with your own eyes!

In this article, you’ll find a Complete Guide to Cappadocia by Camper containing all (and I mean all!) the information you’ll need to visit this region by camper and enjoy it to the fullest 😉

Happy reading! 🙂

Are you thinking of visiting Cappadocia by Camper?

Get ready for your trip!

In almost 5 years of traveling with our orange van Arancino, we’ve seen many wonderful places, but those as damn unique as Cappadocia can be counted on one hand!

Beyond the raw, untouched nature that frames it, beyond the balloons that color every sunrise, beyond the warmth and kindness of the Turkish people, perhaps the thing that amazed us most about this place is this: here the air smells like freedom!

Traveling by van, we felt truly free here: you can park wherever you find a spot and stay as long as you want, you can camp freely and enjoy nature at 360° without too many restrictions.

Given the distance from Continental Europe, there are relatively few campers and vans in Cappadocia, making it easy to find an isolated spot to enjoy the view, the peace, and the slow passage of time 🙂

In this article, I’ll tell you about our experience in Cappadocia, giving you all the useful tips to prepare for your camper trip to this fantastic dream destination!

Let’s get started right away! 😀

WATCH THE DRONE VIDEO:

BETWEEN VANS AND BALLOONS

1. Where is Cappadocia Located?

Cappadocia (in Turkish “Kapadokya”, which means “Land of Horses”) is a semi-arid geographical area located exactly in the heart of Turkey. Today, this region of Central Turkey is mostly contained within the Turkish province of Nevşehir, and to a lesser extent in the provinces of Kayseri, Aksaray, and Niğde.

THINGS TO KNOW TO GET TO CAPPADOCIA BY CAMPER

If you are planning to arrive by camper coming from Europe, after crossing the Balkan Peninsula, you can enter Turkey either from the border with Greece or the border with Bulgaria.

1.1 ENTERING TURKEY: THE BORDER

At the Turkish border, you will be asked for:

• Passports
• Vehicle Registration Document
• Driver’s License
• International Insurance (formerly called “Green Card” – make sure you are insured for Turkey, otherwise you will have to buy insurance at the border – the code for Turkey is “TR”)

Our Experience. The border check, in our experience, lasted about 30 minutes; they checked a few compartments roughly, congratulated us on the order and cleanliness (great job Isa! xD), and gave us the green light.

1.2 INTERNET IN TURKEY

During all our travels, we normally always rely on our trusty Starlink mounted on the roof of Arancino, but unfortunately at the time of our visit (May 2023), the Starlink service in Turkey was not yet active (though it seems it will be soon).

At the border, they sell SIM Cards for about 15 Euros, which then need to be topped up to buy data packages. Doing the math, buying a Turkish SIM at the border, 50GB would have cost us about 50 Euros.

Since it didn’t seem like a good deal, we started looking online and found an E-SIM service called Maya Mobile that offers unlimited data (with hotspot capability) for 46 Euros. In 5 minutes we placed the order, the virtual SIM arrived in our email, and we were operational in Turkey.

1.3 ROADS, HIGHWAYS, AND TOLLS IN TURKEY

Driving in Turkey is great!

Aside from the anarchic and frantic mess of traffic in large cities (Istanbul above all), the vast majority of roads in Turkey are a pleasure to drive: wide, straight, well-paved, well-maintained, fast, and without potholes 🙂

Highways are paid, while normal roads and expressways are free. Since we like to drive slowly and had time anyway, we preferred to travel on normal roads.

We discovered that in Turkey you can get anywhere without needing to enter toll roads, with the exception of the bridges between Europe and Asia which are always paid:

• To cross the Bosphorus in fact (the strait connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara), it is necessary to cross one of the three bridges in Istanbul or take the Eurasia Tunnel, an underwater tunnel connecting the European part of Istanbul to the Asian part.

• For campers, the toll cost to cross the Bosphorus varies from 2 to 5 euros on the bridges (based on the size of the camper and the bridge you decide to take). The Eurasia tunnel, however, can only be used by cars and minivans, and the cost is around 2-4 Euros (depending on the time of day).

• If you don’t want to go through Istanbul, you can also cross the Canakkale Strait Bridge which divides the Sea of Marmara from the Aegean Sea; the one-way cost is about 12 Euros.

• To pay the bridge tolls there are no toll booths: cameras monitor the license plate of those passing through and issue the bill. For foreigners traveling in Turkey, the easiest way to pay tolls is to log on to the Turkish Highways Website, click on “Foreign Vehicle Payment”, enter your vehicle’s license plate number and pay online.

• The fees to be paid appear online at midnight of the same day and can be paid within the next 15 days of using the toll road without incurring penalties.

NOTE: If you don’t pay the due tolls, you will be stopped at the border when leaving Turkey.

1.4 SPEED LIMITS IN TURKEY

The speed limits in Turkey are as follows:

• Urban Areas: 50km/h (sometimes 30km/h, sometimes 60km/h).
• Extra-Urban Roads: 90km/h (but often 82km/h?!)
• Highways: 120km/h

A curious thing you will surely notice as soon as you arrive in Turkey are the numerous and curious signs with a maximum speed of 82km/h (see photo above). Well, I tried to investigate why, but no one seems to have a definitive explanation as to why the speed limit wasn’t rounded; it’s just how it is now haha 🙂

1.5 POLICE IN TURKEY

During our trip through Western Turkey to Cappadocia, we encountered very little police.

Speed checks seem to be very sporadic (which is why many break the speed limits!) and most of the time you see blue and white police lights in the distance, as you get closer you discover it’s actually just a cardboard cutout! Yes, you heard right, there are cardboard police scattered almost everywhere! 🙂

Out of curiosity, I stopped to see one up close, and they don’t seem to have any built-in speed cameras. That said, they are certainly very creative stratagems to make cars slow down on stretches of road where people tend to speed too much 😀

1.6 REACHING CAPPADOCIA BY CAMPER

As already mentioned, once you enter Turkey you will notice that the roads are generally fast and in good condition.

The road to Cappadocia offers beautiful views, crossing plains of plantations and mountain formations lost in the middle of absolute nowhere.

My advice is to plan your itinerary to arrive in Goreme (the central city of Cappadocia) during daylight hours: this way, you’ll have time to get your bearings, understand the geography of the place, and calmly choose the most idyllic spot to park 😉

Some small roads to reach the most picturesque parking spots are unpaved, so arriving by day helps you settle in logically and without stress 🙂

2. What is Cappadocia Famous For?

Cappadocia is a region famous for its natural beauty, which serves as a backdrop to the human activities of the place.

From a natural point of view, Cappadocia is a semi-arid place covered with rock formations mainly composed of tuff.

Tuff is a soft, crumbly stone that is easily excavated (you can almost dig it with your bare hands!), which in ancient times, between 1800 BC and 600 BC, proved ideal for building the first human settlements in the region. Goreme, along with the city of Matera, is in fact one of the oldest preserved human settlements in Europe.

Among the most iconic rock formations in Cappadocia are certainly the Fairy Chimneys, the Rose Valley, and the White Valley (we’ll talk about all of them later in the article 😉 ). Additionally, the region is dotted with underground cities that extend as far as 5-10 floors entirely underground!

Speaking of man-made attractions instead, what makes Cappadocia incredibly popular are the hundreds of hot air balloons that rise into the air all in unison at every sunrise: a one-of-a-kind spectacle. Besides this, Cappadocia is also an ideal place for days of exploration by quad, horse, or camel, as well as obviously for trekking and camping in the open air!

In short, the union between man and nature works here, it’s pleasant, and it creates a place where you can enjoy nature with all the necessary calm 🙂

3. Can You Do Wild Camping/Parking in Cappadocia, Turkey?

A premise: wild camping in Turkey, outside of paid campsites, is technically prohibited.

That said, rejoice: the reality is something else entirely!

The truth about Turkey is that this rule is so NOT enforced that probably even the local police don’t know it 😉

During our three weeks in Turkey, we parked just about everywhere and never had any problems.

We saw locals grilling in the flowerbeds of Istanbul just steps from the center of Sultanahmet, camping on beaches, mountains, plains, even inside the crater of a volcano!

Everyone brings out their BBQ, tables, chairs, Turkish music… and no one says anything 🙂 In short: freedom! ;D

Taking a quick look at the Park4Night app (where we also saved all the parking spots we stayed at 😉 ), you can see for yourself how more or less in Turkey you can park and camp freely almost anywhere (obviously always respecting those around you!) 🙂

One day, we were parked on a remote beach, and the police came to knock. We got scared and asked if it was legal to be parked there. They replied that there was no problem and explained that the police only patrol to ensure the safety of tourists, but there’s no problem with camping 🙂

Then, for the trouble, they offered us a çay (hot tea) ;D In short: just wow!

In Cappadocia it’s the same: the entire Goreme valley is full of spacious dream promontories where you can camp, enjoy the view, and see the balloons at dawn up close.

Campers and vans can park in all the places they can reach, with the exception of the balloon launch zones and obviously private land.

4. The Best Places to Park Your Van/Camper

to See the Balloons

As we’ve already said, the hot air balloon flight is one of the most incredible attractions in Cappadocia. Choosing the best place to park the camper to observe them, however, is not so straightforward.

In fact, there are a few things to know:

1) The balloons fly ONLY early in the morning, between 4:30 and 6:30 AM!

Yes, all the photos you may have seen of Cappadocia on Instagram were taken early in the morning. Hot air balloons use the principle of hot air which, being lighter than the surrounding cold air, pushes them upwards. In the morning, the cold air allows the balloons to soar with ease, which is why all companies choose this time to fly.

2) The balloons change trajectory every day!

Depending on the wind direction, the balloon tours fly over the Goreme valley every day following a different trajectory, taking off from different locations and landing in different places. For this reason, the same parking spot can be great one day (once a balloon passed literally 50cm from our camper – we broke into a cold sweat eheh), while other days it might be far from the balloons’ path.

3) The balloons do not fly if the wind speed is above 20km/h or in case of heavy rain.

Balloons are not planes or helicopters, and the weather significantly impacts their flight capability. For this reason, balloon tour companies postpone flights when weather conditions are not optimal. To check if the balloons will fly the next day, simply consult the official hot air balloon flight website, which is updated in real-time. If the areas are red, weather conditions are adverse and the balloons won’t fly. If the areas are marked in green, then set your alarm early and get ready for the show ;D

After these three premises, I want to share with you what we think are the most picturesque and breathtaking parking spots from which to observe the balloons and where to camp during the day 🙂

OUR TWO FAVORITE PARKING SPOTS

After our trip through the Balkans and Turkey, we have no doubt: Park4Night is the best app for finding parking, by far! Below, I’ll show you the screen of the Goreme area on Park4Night with what, after a week of driving here and there, were our two favorite spots:

5. Five Experiences to Have in Goreme, Cappadocia

Near Goreme there are three impressive valleys, one next to the other, called Red Valley, Rose Valley, and White Valley.

All three places are incredible conglomerates of tuff spurs, sometimes red, sometimes pink, and sometimes white 🙂

These valleys are ideal for embarking on trekking routes to discover the nature of Cappadocia and the ancient settlements in the rock!

Walking the valleys independently (with the help of Google Maps) is an experience that allows for maximum freedom of exploration. It’s important to bring plenty of water and cover your head well, as there are no fountains along the way and temperatures are generally very high (except for winter).

There are many paths, some within everyone’s reach while others are a bit steeper. Many are also dead ends, so wandering through the valleys is also a kind of maze in search of the exit ;D

If you prefer better-organized activities, you can join one of the many exploratory tours that depart every day from Goreme: by car, horse, camel, quad… you’re spoiled for choice! ;D

Personally, I recommend planning at least two full days to explore everything these fantastic valleys have to offer; they are truly places that seem to come from another world! 🙂

SPECIAL EXPERIENCES TO DO IN CAPPADOCIA

4.2 VISIT THE ROCK VILLAGE OF UCHISAR

Seeing it from afar, the village of Uchisar looks like a giant anthill.

Also called the “Turkish Matera”, Uchisar is the highest point of the Goreme valley and is something impossible not to notice, whether by day or by night.

Many houses and small dwellings carved into the tuff, little windows peeking out from the rock formations, buildings perched on the tuff mountain with a huge castle on top dominating the horizon line over the entire surrounding valley. An impressive place!

To visit Uchisar, we think it’s advisable to dedicate at least a couple of hours, plus an hour for the guided visit to the castle, which is very interesting for understanding the history of the village and Cappadocia in general.

If you visit during the hot season, it’s better to visit in the early morning hours or in the evening to avoid the heatwave 😉

4.3 TAKE AN UNFORGETTABLE HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE

Simply put: an experience you will remember for the rest of your life.

Cappadocia is the best place in the world to try the experience of a hot air balloon ride (discover all the 11 Most Beautiful Places in the World to Fly in a Hot Air Balloon) and, if you’re not afraid of flying, this is definitely the experience to have once you’ve come this far.

Prices for balloon tours vary depending on the season and period, but to give you an idea they range between 130 Euros (in low season, budget balloons) to 250 Euros (in high season, premium balloons). It’s not the cheapest experience, but it’s certainly one of those things you do once in a lifetime.

After doing some research at local agencies, we came to the conclusion that the best deals are found online, and that to get the best price it’s worth booking one or two days before at most!

We can personally recommend to check out BalloonScanner, it’s basically a Skyscanner but for hot air balloons!) that can help you comparing all Cappadocia hot air balloon flights and see the actual prices of different companies.

Personally, I hate negotiating prices face-to-face as where I am from it is not custom and I am very bad at it, so booking online worked great for us :)). 

The balloon tour, regardless of the company, more or less always works the same way: they pick you up where you’re staying (or in the case of the camper, where you’re parked) at about 4:00 AM, you have a quick breakfast, and they take you to the launch site.

The flight lasts about 60 minutes and depending on the package you buy, you fly with a group ranging from 12 to 30 people. Once landed, you celebrate with a non-alcoholic sparkling drink and are taken back to your hotel or camper.

4.4 GET LOST AMONG THE FAIRY CHIMNEYS

Simply put: an experience you will remember for the rest of your life.

Cappadocia is the best place in the world to try the experience of a hot air balloon ride (discover all the 11 Most Beautiful Places in the World to Fly in a Hot Air Balloon) and, if you’re not afraid of flying, this is definitely the experience to have once you’ve come this far.

Prices for balloon tours vary depending on the season and period, but to give you an idea they range between 130 Euros (in low season, budget balloons) to 250 Euros (in high season, premium balloons). It’s not the cheapest experience, but it’s certainly one of those things you do once in a lifetime.

After doing some research at local agencies, we came to the conclusion that the best deals are found online, and that to get the best price it’s worth booking one or two days before at most!

The balloon tour, regardless of the company, more or less always works the same way: they pick you up where you’re staying (or in the case of the camper, where you’re parked) at about 4:00 AM, you have a quick breakfast, and they take you to the launch site.

The flight lasts about 60 minutes and depending on the package you buy, you fly with a group ranging from 12 to 30 people. Once landed, you celebrate with a non-alcoholic sparkling drink and are taken back to your hotel or camper.

DISCOVER ACTIVITIES TO DO NEAR THE FAIRY CHIMNEYS, GOREME

4.5 VISIT THE UNDERGROUND CITY OF DERINKUYU

In the southern part of Cappadocia, about a 30-minute drive from Goreme, lies Derinkuyu, perhaps one of the lesser-known and less touristy locations in Cappadocia.

The first time I heard of Derinkuyu was while reading the book Off the Map (a fantastic read discovering the most unknown, forgotten, and secret places in the world, ed.). During our trip to Cappadocia, we finally got to go, and I must say the excitement was high.

Derinkuyu is an entire underground city carved into the rock, winding through eight floors underground in many tunnels and small rooms.

Today, the site is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The visit to the underground city lasts about 45 minutes, you can park the camper 50 meters from the entrance, and the entry ticket costs 250TL (about 12.50 Euros).

It’s certainly not a “simple” visit: the tunnels are narrow and dark, there are no windows, you often have to walk hunched over, and there’s no room for two people to pass at once (so if someone is coming up a ramp, you have to wait to pass).

If you suffer from claustrophobia, I strongly advise against visiting Derinkuyu.

If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a different experience, and maybe a bit of adrenaline, this place is incredible and the entrance price is definitely worth this probably unique experience in the world. I’ll leave you the official site here with all the information you might need 🙂

6. Filling and Emptying Water in Goreme, Cappadocia

7. Can You BBQ in Turkey?

You can already prepare the camper for Charcoal and Knives!

Having a barbecue in Turkey is in fact tolerated almost everywhere, as long as you don’t bother those around you.

During our trip, we saw locals grilling everywhere (even in the flowerbeds on the Istanbul seafront!) and asked for information about it several times. Everyone (those who understood us, ed.) assured us that there’s no problem with grilling in public.

Traveling with our camper, I think we’ve never grilled as much as in the three weeks we traveled through Turkey: in Cappadocia among the fairy chimneys, on the beaches, in the inland forests… it was practically a BBQ every day! ;D

Here in the photo above, three friendly guys on a hill above Goreme had just finished cooking us a delicious typical dish! Cooking outside is also a way to meet new people, share your culture, and make friends 🙂

8. The Best Supermarkets in Cappadocia and Turkey

In Turkey there are essentially 5 supermarket chains: A101, SOK, BIM, MIGROS and Carrefour. In addition to these, there are small supermarkets and local markets.

The chains A101, SOK and BIM essentially have many (sooo many!) small budget supermarkets, around 150-200 sq m. These are supermarkets where you can find a bit of everything, there isn’t much choice, but generally the prices are excellent.

On the contrary, Migros and Carrefour are brands of larger supermarkets and giant hypermarkets, they have much more selection (here you can find all the international brands), but the prices are also considerably higher.

Personally, I recommend buying fruit and vegetables at the markets (they’re fresh and cost very little), while for stocking up the camper, whichever supermarket is most convenient for you 🙂

I recommend doing a big shop before arriving in Cappadocia: here there are only small shops and you might not find everything you need.

Note for cold beer enthusiasts: For beer, Turkey is quite expensive, even at the supermarket an average beer costs around 2.50. For this reason, my advice if you have space in your camper is to stock up before arriving in Turkey, maybe in nearby and super cheap Bulgaria ;D

Note for tea enthusiasts: they practically throw it at you!

9. FAQ, Fun Facts and Tips for Visiting Cappadocia

from Our Experience

Below, I thought I’d answer the main questions I asked myself before arriving in Cappadocia and that you’ll probably ask yourself too when planning your trip.

I hope these FAQs help you visit Cappadocia with more curious and informed eyes 🙂

FAQ ABOUT CAPPADOCIA BY CAMPER

10. Cappadocia by Camper – Conclusion

Concluding this article, I want to emphasize that being able to visit Cappadocia by camper, as well as being a dream trip, is truly an incredible privilege (for which we are very grateful!).

Traveling by camper in this region allows you to have perspectives that you couldn’t have from a hotel, and experience priceless emotions!

I really hope that with this article you’ve gotten all the essential information to plan and organize your camper trip to Cappadocia and that it helps you make the most of your next adventure! 😀

If I’ve forgotten something, or you’re looking for some information not included in the article, you know you can always write to me here in the comments below and I’ll reply as soon as possible 😀

Before you go, I want to leave you with one last very personal piece of advice:

“If you’re dreaming of visiting Cappadocia by Camper… DO IT! Turkey isn’t a dangerous place like TV makes it out to be! Turkish people are kind, hospitable and you’ll truly be welcomed with open arms! Cappadocia is an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G place and, despite being far away, it’s really, really worth it!”

As always, please let me know if the article was useful to you in the comments below (it motivates me a lot to write more! 😉 ). Similarly, let me know if you have other tips you’d like to see added to the article, or if you found any errors (it can always happen!) 🙂

I wish you a life full of happiness and carefree travels!

See you in the next article! 😀