Skip to Content

The Uchisar Castle Viewpoint In Cappadocia: Complete Guide

The Uchisar Castle Viewpoint In Cappadocia: Complete Guide

The Uchisar Castle is in the small, but beautiful town of Uchisar in Cappadocia, Turkey. It’s one of the best viewpoints in Cappadocia and is only a short drive or a small trek from the nearby town of Goreme. I had one of my favorite Cappadocia sunsets here and the Uchisar Valley below was incredible!

UCHISAR CASTLE IN CAPPADOCIA

In this blog post, I will share everything you need to know about visiting Uchisar Castle in Turkey.

HOW TO GET TO UCHISAR CASTLE

The most popular region for tourists to stay while exploring Cappadocia is a town called Goreme. Uchisar is the other nearby town, which is also an option for accommodation but Goreme is the popular choice by far. Goreme is packed with hotels, restaurants, and cafes, while Uchisar is a little quieter but still has lots to see. There are a few different ways to reach Uchisar Castle. I did the hike through Love Valley, which leads you to Uchisar.

  • If you are in Uchisar Village, simply walk to the entrance of Uchisar Castle. 
  • From Goreme town center to Love Valley is 3km, which takes 5-10 minutes by driving. You will then hike through Love Valley for 60-90 minutes before reaching Uchisar Castle. 
  • From Goreme town center, drive for 10 minutes before reaching Uchisar Castle.

Below is the Google Map pin location of Uchisar Castle and you can see it is quite close to Goreme Town and connected by both the Love Valley Trail and the Pigeon Valley Trail.

BEST RENTAL CAR COMPANY IN TURKEY

untitled

When you book your Turkey Rental Car online, I personally recommend and always use Discover Cars. They search for both local and international companies, so you get the best deal!

TOURS THAT INCLUDE UCHISAR CASTLE

There is an awesome tour: Full-Day Cappadocia Tour, which is an epic day of adventures including the following.

  • Visit Red Valley, renowned as one of the most spectacular valleys of Cappadocia
  • Hike through the colorful and breathtaking fairy chimneys of Red Valley and descend to underground cities
  • Walkthrough narrow corridors and discover numerous rooms and storage carved from the soft volcanic stone
  • Cavusin Castle visit
  • Explore Pigeon Valley and its picturesque sceneries as well as the towering Ortahisar Rock Castle

 Book your tour: Full-Day Cappadocia Tour

a picture of a picture of a picture of a picture of a picture of a

Full-Day Cappadocia Tour

  • Visit Devrent Valley
  • Customizable
  • Hotel Pickup

MY EXPERIENCE AT UCHISAR CASTLE

We began the day in Goreme Town and hitchhiked 3 kilometers to the start of the Love Valley Trail. We then spent the next two hours marveling at the earth’s pillars and rock formations as we made our way through the valley to Uchisar. You can check out all of the details in my blog post about how to hike from Love Valley to Uchisar

Once we arrived at Uchisar Village we were immediately surprised at how fancy the area was. As we hauled ourselves up the hill, a BMW zipped past us along the cobblestone road. Luxury spas and resorts lined the old-fashioned roads and we felt a little out of place. That was until we made it through to the back side of Uchisar Village. The front side, the one pictured below is almost like a fancy facade to the normal village out the back (Well normal except that its home to a castle and an incredible valley.)

Before we even entered the castle gates, we stopped to take in the views of Uchisar Valley, which is worth a walk in itself with lots of cave dwellings and epic chimneys, hoodoos, and earth pillars spread throughout the valley beneath the Uchisar Castle.

Several quirky-looking cafes are perched amongst the rocks that look out over the valley and up towards the castle. This is a great spot for tea, coffee, or a snack before heading up to the top of the castle. 

The entrance fee to Uchisar Castle was 9 Turkish Lyra, which is about $1.50 USD. That is good value because this is one of the top attractions in Cappadocia I assure you.

The trek isn’t tough with about 100 stairs to the top. However, the path first leads you inside the caves of the castle before you emerge to begin walking up the stairs on the exterior. If you are interested in doing some actual treks in Cappadocia I made a guide covering all of the hikes in Cappadocia.

It honestly took us less than five minutes to reach the top although if you struggle with stairs it may take you a maximum of fifteen minutes. It’s achievable for children and those who might not be in the best climbing shape. It’s a viewpoint for all!

When we reached the summit of the Uchisar Castle viewpoint, there were about 15 people hanging out at the top checking out the expansive view. A Turkish flag billowed in the chilly wind atop the castle and can be seen all the way from Goreme.

With 360-degree views, there really is a lot to take in so make sure you walk around to all corners to see out over Goreme and all of the surrounding valleys. If you reached Uchisar by trekking through Love Valley like us, you will be able to look down on the completed trail with a sense of achievement.

Even further in the distance, you might be able to spot a snow-capped mountain. It is in fact, Mt. Erciyes, which is a popular ski resort in the region. Although if you are visiting in the summer like we were, you will feel far from the cold of a ski resort as you battle the hot sun.

Looking down on Uchisar Valley below gave us a great view to check out the cave dwellings and admire their fourth-story windows, pigeon holes, and balconies!

Our favorite part of Uchisar Castle was finding a little cave hideaway to chill in and once the sunset from. The views from our little cave were mind-blowing as the sun slowly receded across the valley, giving depth to all of the ridges.

THE 3 MOST POPULAR CAPPADOCIA TOURS

UCHISAR CASTLE HISTORY

  • The Uchisar Castle was used as a defense mechanism to prevent attacks from the enemy in the 15th and 16th centuries
  • Its history lies in the Ottoman Period from Rome (Byzantine) Era.
  • In the Persian and Seljuk periods, it was used as the main control center of trade ways like the Royal Road and Silk Road.
  • THE 
  • Uchisar Castle has been a member of the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985 and was included as a National Park in 1986.

PHOTOS OF UCHISAR CASTLE FROM GOREME

Uchisar Castle is quite an iconic landmark in the region and can be seen from almost anywhere. At the main sunset viewpoint in Goreme, I snapped some shots of the Uchisar Castle both at night and during sunset.

WHERE TO STAY IN GOREME, CAPPADOCIA

Where I stayed: Design Cave Suites Cappadocia – I was lucky enough to stay at the Design Cave Suites in Goreme. The location was great and I walked to all attractions. The rooftop garden was awesome for sunrise balloon watching. The buffet breakfast spread was amazing as were the cave-style room designs.

Best Cave Hotel with Pool: Local Cave House Hotel– This cave hotel rose to fame because of its incredible pool. Make sure you click the link and check out how epic the pool backdrop is, with those classic Cappadocia rock formations in the background and traditional cave rooms it is a top pick.

Cave Hotel with Best Roof View (and dogs): Sultan Cave SuitesThis cave hotel became famous because of its epic rooftop area for sunrise viewing. Guests can lay out on traditional pillows and carpets while watching the hot-air balloons flying above. The hotel dog might also join you for a photoshoot on the roof!

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THE REST OF MY CAPPADOCIA BLOG POSTS?

Click on one of the articles below to check out all of the places you should visit while in Cappadocia!

The big guide! This post has all of my favorite activities, which I personally did while in Cappadocia for ten days: 24 AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN CAPPADOCIA

The hiking guide! Find out about all of the best hikes in Cappadocia with details, directions and lots of photos: 8 AWESOME HIKES IN CAPPADOCIA

Thinking about flying in a hot air balloon in Cappadocia? Read this first: CAPPADOCIA HOT AIR BALLOONS: THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU FLY

Have you heard about the castles in Cappadocia? Check these out:

THE UCHISAR CASTLE VIEWPOINT

ORTAHISAR CASTLE VIEWPOINT

CAVUSIN CHURCH, VALLEY & CASTLE

Not sure where is the best region to stay? Wondering which hotel provides the best value? Check out this guide that will help you decide: WHERE TO STAY IN CAPPADOCIA: THE BEST HOTELS & HOSTELS

OR… I write a post about the 12 BEST CAVE HOTELS IN CAPPADOCIA that you might find interesting.

I’ve written a blog post for almost all of the places I’ve visited while in Cappadocia. You can find every single one of these articles right here: CAPPADOCIA ARCHIVES

Wherethesoulswander

Friday 5th of July 2019

Wow heard of this place many times, only seen baloons and more baloons. Those hikes look stunning, makes me curious myself instantly!