Best places for sunrise in Cappadocia 🎈

By Roberto (Updated Mar 2025)

⏱7 min

Hi there! If you’re looking for the best places for sunrise in Cappadocia, this is your post. We came back from our 10-day travel around Turkey that has been a crazy adventure with our little Lara since she is only 7 months. Travelling has never been this hard but I’m glad we did it because now we have many experiences with our baby, and epic photos too!

Before getting to the places to watch the balloons, I want to start with some basic information about the balloons in Cappadocia.

Important notes to watch the balloons in Cappadocia

First of all, you have to know that the balloons don’t fly every morning. We spent three nights there and I went the three mornings to watch the balloons. The first two days we were delighted with really good views and clear sky, but the last one it was really windy and the balloons didn’t take off.

This is really important because if you only spend one night in Cappadocia, the risk of leaving without watching the balloons are high. More or less 66% of days the balloons make it. Check this place for more detailed info.

When to go to see the balloons

Balloons start to fly around 30 minutes before the sunrise, so for example, if Google says the sunrise is at 6:30, the balloons will start to get ready and fly at 6:00. After the sunrise, they will fly around Göreme for roughly one hour. Our suggestion is to go before sunrise. Considering this, let’s check those best places to watch them fly!

Best places for sunrise in Cappadoccia

Before writing this post, I checked MANY others and I’m going to be honest, there is not a perfect place to watch the balloons, basically because every day they fly in different directions depending on the wind. They can fly higher or lower in the valley, and sometimes they fly very separated from each other. What I found is that there are different best places that offer different views and vibes.

All the balloons fly around Göreme, and usually they land behind Love Valley (the valley on the west side of Göreme). They also try to fly over this valley because it’s so picturesque. So, the best areas to enjoy the balloons are in or near Göreme.

1. The Hill of Yaila Cafe

I came here the first day and it was a great discovery. I was alone with another couple and then some horses came. What I like about this location is that you have a panoramic view of EVERYTHING, since you are on a hill. No matter where the balloons are, you’ll see them. The bad thing is that it doesn’t offer a close view of the rock penises. 😅 (We call them that because the rock formations are a phallic shape and hence why it is called Love Valley.)

To get here, I suggest you park the vehicle near “Love Valley Trail” point, in Google (don’t worry about parking, unless you park on the road, the tow truck won’t take your car). From there, walk up the hill for 2-3 minutes until the location you want and open your mouth to say … woah. In case you don’t have a car, you can wake up earlier to walk 35 mins from Göreme.

2. Love Valley by the bottom of the “penises”.

We came to this location our second morning and I love the photos we took. I’ll print some of them for sure! It’s a good location because you have a good view of the balloons, you can get really close shots if they fly low (some fly really low and close to the rocks) and you will be alone since everyone goes to the proper lookout. Additionally, the rock formations are so close and they look amazing in photos. I went here thanks to a Novo-Monde post that I really liked 🤙🏽

The bad thing about this location is that you only get one or two directions for the photos and you have to walk for 15 minutes from the same parking location from the previous lookout, “Love Valley Trail” point, in Google.

3. Love Valley Panoramic View Lookout

If you ask someone in Göreme or do a quick search on the Internet, this is probably the spot they recommend to watch the balloons. The views from this place are really good (from photos I’ve seen) because you can see the rock formations and all the balloons over Love Valley, but it is really crowded. If you don’t mind being surrounded by people and want a convenient spot reachable by car, this is one of the best places for sunrise in Cappadocia.

4. Sunset/Sunrise/Balloons Highest View point in Göreme

Another alternative, in case you don’t have your own car and don’t want to walk much, is a lookout near Göreme, that takes 10 minutes to walk to. Expect many people and decent views. I was going to this place my third day but the balloons didn’t fly that morning. What I don’t like about this location is that if the wind blows north, the balloons may be far from you. Again, it’s a lottery. The place is here or look for the giant Turkish flag. You have to pay at least 30 TL for parking.

5. Private terraces in hotels

Finally, one of the most Instagrammable and famous locations, are the cave hotels that have decorated rooftops. You can pay for them even if you’re not a guest (in some hotels). The most famous hotel is Sultan Cave Suites. Another alternative is Koza Cave Hotel.

The hotels leave a prepared set up and people line up to take the photos. They can even help you or take some pics. It doesn’t have the magic of the other places but (I’m not going to lie) the views are amazing. I would pay if you’re looking for a very nice couple photo or modelling. But we do prefer natural landscapes 💚 like this one.

Personal opinion about the balloons in Cappadocia

Some people asked me if the hype around Cappadocia and the balloons are worth the trip there. And my answer would be: yes. Cappadocia offers a unique landscape with the bonus of the balloons (that started as a business in the 80’s by a French company). Also, the vibe is different to other places we have been worldwide.

Cappadocia is a region with many small things to do, history and plans, and it’s a cool destination for 3 days. I’m just concerned about how it’s going to look or be in the next several years, since we saw a lot construction, new restaurants, and so many options for tourists. This is good for the town and people but terrible for the authenticity of the places. So… our advice is to visit it soon and remember to visit these best places for a sunrise in Cappadocia!

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