Where to Base Yourself in Cappadocia

Göreme has lodging options ranging from backpacker digs to fancy rock-cut hotels, and it's the easiest base if you don't have a car. It's also near the Göreme Open-Air Museum and many of the most scenic valleys. It's also quite busy and has a rather touristy feel to it.

Ürgüp is more tranquil than Göreme, and a bit farther from the main attractions. Although it doesn't have the delightful fairy chimneys of Göreme, it does have a growing cluster of hotels carved out of the rocks: generally small boutique lodgings that cater to a more upmarket clientele.

Uçhisar: between Nevsehir and Göreme, is central enough to be a good a base and calmer than other nearby towns. High on a rock outcropping, Uçhisar has incredible views of the surrounding valleys. It's popular with French tourists and non-Turkish signs and information are more likely to be written in French than English.

Avanos is at the north end of Cappadocia, is on the banks of the Kizilirmak River; it's quiet but scenic.