Cappadocia, Turkey is ALL over Instagram these days. It’s easy to see why, the area is known for beautiful hot air balloon rides and its otherworldly landscape. If you’re planning a trip to Cappadocia, or just dreaming of this bucket list destination, here are the top five spots to snap an epic Instagram photo.

Rooftop of hotels in Goreme

Cappadocia is known for its amazing hot air balloons. Every morning (weather permitting) hundreds of colorful hot air balloons take to the sky, bringing tourists on the ride of their life. But, the best view isn’t from the balloon basket, it’s from the hotel rooftops. 

Boutique cave hotels have been popping up all around Cappadocia, especially in the area’s main town called Goreme. Almost all of the hotels have rooftops that make for the perfect place to watch the balloons take to the sky. Not only are the hotel rooftops perfect to view the balloons, but most of them are also decorated for visitors to get the perfect shot. Locally made pillows, blankets and delicious breakfast spreads are set up to bring extra color and texture to your photo. 

There are so many hotels to get the perfect rooftop shot. I stayed at Ottoman Cave Suites and really liked their photo setup. One of the most popular rooftops is at Sultan Cave Suites but if you want to stay there you have to reserve a room early. It books up very fast and only hotel guests are allowed on the roof in the morning.

Pasabag

Pasabag is a short taxi ride outside of Goreme. In English it means “Valley of the Monks.” This is one of the best spots to see Cappadocia’s famous “fairy chimneys” (the tall mushroom shaped rock formations seen throughout town). It can get really crowded with tour busses, so I recommend going early in the morning or right before it closes to avoid crowds. If you want to get a shot with a camel, you’ll find the camels towards the entrance. The owner charges a small fee to take a photo with them and he’ll walk the camel wherever you’d like to shoot.

Galerie Ikman

This colorful rug and home goods store is located in the center of Goreme. It has become so popular on Instagram that the owners started charging a fee equivalent to $10 to shoot inside. They also offer a drone service for a higher fee. The store is set up beautifully for many different photo opps, and the owner really lets you move around and take lots of different options. Aside from having a great time shooting here, I loved spending time with the owners and learning about the store’s rich history. I ended up purchasing a few handmade pillowcases that I love!

Balloon launch field

I’m not sure of the proper name for this area, but it’s where the hot air balloons take off from. It’s a large field near the Cappadocia open air museum. If you ask your hotel concierge to arrange for a driver to pick you up around 5:15a and bring you to the balloon launch area, they should know where to go.

This is a perfect spot to go to if you’re looking for more close up shots of the balloons. My only piece of advice is to be fast- the balloons get ready and take off quickly. It was such a cool experience seeing the balloons fire up for flight and then ascend, but it happens fast.

Vineyards

Did you know that there are wine vineyards in Cappadocia?! Turkey is actually the world’s fourth-leading producer of grapes. I loved taking pictures amongst some of the vines in the area. It was even more special because I caught some balloons too!