Valley Hiking

One of the best ways to explore Cappadocia is on foot. A hiking tour offers a more pensive experience and a good exercise. You will be able to explore the caves and churches that often go unnoticed on a regular tour. There is also a chance to meet and chat with the locals which often provides you with some surprising bits of information about the area. And let’s not forget all the great pictures that you can take on the trail!

ROSE & RED VALLEY HIKING

You will be picked up from your hotel for this tour. It starts in the spectacular Rose & Red Valleys. From the top of the valley, from which you can observe Ortahisar Panorama, you will walk down the winding path surrounded by fruit trees.
The trails are well marked with breathtaking views on all sides - each trail has plateaus and valleys with unique rock formations, colors and shapes along the way. There are many hidden cave churches to visit as well as small gardens and dovecotes made from the cave dwellings. You can stop for a glass of tea along the way.
After lunch we make our way down to the village of Cavusin where we can explore the ancient cave city and famous church. We continue above Cavusin along the ridge of the cave villages and down to the beginning of Pasabag valley. In this area we will see fairy chimneys of different shapes and sizes - and in various stages of being formed and eroding. Our driver will be waiting in front of the Big Pigeon Church (Büyük Güvercinlik Kilisesi) to drive you back to your hotel. The total hike is between 7-12km depending on the trails used.

SWORD’S & LOVE VALLEY HIKING

This hiking tour starts from the top of the Swords Valley (Kılıçlar Vadisi), where we will begin walking among the ancient cave settlements with many open cave houses and churches to explore. We continue along the top of the plateau with impressive views on both sides.
We continue down to the main road and cross over to the famous Love Valley where the trail winds through tall, column-like rock formations. Further up the trail we reach the Goreme Sunset Point.
We continue down through the old city streets of Goreme going past the old derelict building and modern hotels until we reach the village center. From Goreme center we continue on towards Pigeon Valley - with a visit to the Kadir Durmus cave church and walk around and above the recently revealed cave church. The views towards Uchisar are fantastic from this location. Then we go back to the Pigeon Valley trail that winds its way towards the village of Uchisar. The trail is mostly flat until we reach base of the village where we will climb up to the winding cobblestone streets to reach the Uchisar Castle at the very top of the hill. From the top of Uchisar Castle we can see across the heart of Cappadocia. Our driver will pick us up at the bottom of this hill and then deliver you to your hotel to complete your hiking tour of Cappadocia. Today’s hike will be is 7-10 km in total.

IHLARA VALLEY HIKING

This 14 km hike is one of the most popular amongst our day treks. It is generally an easy walk, following the river; there are some short parts where we have to scramble on rocks. We will pick you up from your hotel after the breakfast and our car will take us to Ihlara town centre.
We will begin walking after we arrive in the quaint and colorful village of Ihlara where we walk down to the small waterfall and pools. Local villagers still fish in this part of the river and this is where the gorge begins to narrow. We will walk along the side the river with lush trees surrounded by sheer rock walls on both sides. There are several hidden cave churches that were carved into the walls - throughout the day we will visit some with beautiful frescoes painted with scenes from the New Testament.
Halfway on the trail, at the base of the village of Belisirma, we will stop to enjoy lunch on the river. The local restaurants provide traditional dishes from the region. After lunch we continue along the more remote trails until we reach the village of Selime. This part of the walk looks significantly different as the gorge widens and many farmers use the lands for planting vegetables or grazing their cows, donkeys and sheep. The trail ends in Selime village - if time allows we will be able to visit the breathtaking Selime monastery perched at the top of the valley. Our driver will be waiting to take you back to your hotel.