Cappadocia 3 Day Private Guided Tour, Balloon Optional

Cappadocia

Pickup is at your hotel, where the guide and van collect you before the first run of sightseeing begins.

Goreme Open Air Museum

Goreme Open Air Museum holds the remains of churches carved directly into Cappadocian stone, and it is among the most visited sites in the region. The frescoes inside the rock-cut structures are what most people slow down for.

Costo extra

Avanos

Lunch is in Avanos, a town whose pottery goes back to the Hittite period. Local craftsmen work red clay taken from the residue of the Kizilirmak River, the longest river in Turkey.

Fairy Chimneys

Pasabagi, also called Monks Valley, is the postcard picture of Cappadocia: tuff cliffs and tall fairy chimneys standing in the open. The name comes from the Christian monks who once sheltered in the rock, and the valley is UNESCO-listed for its geology as much as for its place in Cappadocian history.

Costo extra

Devrent Valley

Devrent Valley goes by the name Imagination Valley, since its rock formations resemble sculptures.

Cappadocia

The day closes with a transfer to your Cappadocia hotel.

Goreme

Optional: a hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia with the first light of the sun. The balloon ride is not included in the tour price and has to be purchased separately.

Cappadocia

Another hotel pickup by your guide, and the next set of sites begins.

Rose Valley

Rose Valley is one of the walking valleys of Cappadocia, and the hike through it passes rock-cut churches along the way. The walk ends with a rest in Cavusin, an old Greek village known for its Christian houses and churches.

Cavusin

A break follows in Cavusin, the old Greek village with its Christian houses and churches.

Ortahisar

Ortahisar Castle is built in much the same style as Uchisar Castle, with storage caves visible in the rock.

Kaymakli Underground City

Kaymakli Underground City is one of the largest and deepest of the many such settlements in Cappadocia, and the route goes well below ground. Inside are stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, churches and wineries.

Costo extra

Pigeon Valley

Pigeon Valley is named for the dovecotes cut into its cliffs. From here you see abandoned cave homes, the old Greek houses of Uchisar and Ortahisar Castle, and the biggest mass of fairy chimneys in Cappadocia. 4.30 pm.

Cappadocia

At the end of the tour there is a transfer to your hotel or to Kayseri Erkilet or Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport for your return flight. Service ends there.

Cappadocia

One more hotel pickup by your guide opens the last stretch of the itinerary.

Ihlara Valley

Ihlara Valley is walked for 3 km, a green canyon that drops as much as 100 metres in places. Cave churches along the route hold some unusual frescoes, and lunch is taken beside the river.

Costo extra

Selime Monastery

Selime Monastery reads as a castle at first sight, but the shelters, churches, chapels, bedrooms, storerooms and large cathedral inside settle the question. Your guide explains how monastic life worked in Cappadocia.

Costo extra

Belisirma

An hour is set aside for lunch in the valley next to the river. Soup and salad come first, then a main dish chosen from a list, with seasonal fruit to finish.

Derinkuyu YeraltI Sehri

Roughly 40 minutes of driving leads to the underground city. Local people first used it as a natural deep freeze, and the late Romans later took it as a shelter against possible Arabian invasions. About an hour is spent below, with your guide explaining as you go.

Costo extra