Cappadocia is best understood at walking pace, and this active week explores it on foot and by bicycle rather than from a coach window. Starting and ending at Kayseri Airport, the programme strings together five days of guided hiking and one full day in the saddle, linking the region's famous valleys, cave villages and open-air museums through orchards, vineyards and soft volcanic rock. Distances are moderate, typically between 4 and 13 kilometres on foot per day, and a daily snack pack keeps you going between lunch stops.
The walking days follow some of the most rewarding trails in central Anatolia. You hike through Pigeon Valley to Uchisar, climbing its castle for wide views, then continue through White Valley to the fairy chimneys of Love Valley. Another day leads from Gomeda Valley through Pancarlik Valley to the quiet town of Ortahisar with its fortress, followed by an afternoon in Red Valley ending at Cavusin. From Cavusin a more demanding route climbs past a rarely visited church of John the Baptist to the summit of Bozdag for a panorama of Uchisar, Goreme, Avanos, Ortahisar and Zelve with Mount Erciyes behind, before descending through Red and Rose Valleys past the Grape Church, the Cross Church and old pigeon houses. The final trek visits Derinkuyu Underground City and then follows the river through the green Ihlara Valley, with rock-cut churches and an early rock-cut mosque, to Selime Monastery.
On the bike day you ride a quality Trek mountain bike, with water, a guide and a support vehicle provided. The route runs through Pancarlik Valley to Ortahisar and on to the Goreme Open Air Museum, renowned for its frescoed rock-cut churches from as early as the 10th century, then through Red Valley to Cavusin and the fairy chimneys of Pasabag. After lunch at Zelve and a visit to its open-air museum, you pedal past the strange rock shapes of Devrent Valley to finish in Urgup. Accommodation is in typical Cappadocian hotels, including a cave hotel and a village pension in Cavusin, with breakfast daily and five lunches included.
| Tour type | Shared small group · multi-day tour |
|---|---|
| Duration | 7 Days 6 Nights |
| Price | From €1,024 per person |
| Departures | Every day |
| Guide | English-speaking licensed guide |
| Stops | 14 |
| Booking | Instant request online, confirmation within 24 hours · TÜRSAB-licensed operator (A-5751) |
Your full program, day by day — click a day to see every stop.
You are met at Kayseri Airport and driven into the heart of Cappadocia to your hotel in Goreme or Urgup. The rest of the day is free to settle in and enjoy your first sight of the fairy chimneys before the active days begin. Dinner is not included. Overnight in Goreme or Urgup.
The walk starts at 9:00 with a moderate hike through Pigeon Valley, about 4 km along the valley floor from Goreme to Uchisar. The valley takes its name from the countless dovecotes cut into the cliffs; pigeons were once kept here for carrying messages, for food and for their droppings, which fertilised the surrounding vines and the walnut, quince and apricot trees you pass. In Uchisar you climb the castle for sweeping views and have time to explore the town before lunch at a family-run restaurant, where local dishes are served in traditional clay pots. In the afternoon the path leads through White Valley, with its small fields and odd rock formations, to the fairy chimneys of Love Valley, where a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice awaits. An easy trail then brings you back to Goreme. Overnight in Goreme or Urgup.
After breakfast you are transferred to the bike base for a briefing and fitted with a Trek mountain bike. The ride heads through Pancarlik Valley to the village of Ortahisar and then to the Goreme Open Air Museum, where rock-cut churches preserve some of Cappadocia's finest Byzantine frescoes, dating back as far as the 10th century. You continue through Red Valley to Cavusin and on to Pasabag, known for its outstanding fairy chimneys. Lunch is taken at Zelve, followed by a visit to the Zelve Open Air Museum, before the route passes the remarkable rock formations of Devrent Valley and ends in Urgup, from where you are driven back. Dinner is not included. Overnight in a cave hotel in Urgup or Goreme.
After breakfast a short drive of around 19 km takes you to Gomeda Valley. The morning hike of roughly 7 km and two hours follows Pancarlik Valley to Ortahisar, a peaceful town crowned by a fortress used in Byzantine and Seljuk times. After a short wander and lunch in Ortahisar, you transfer about 3 km to Kizilcukur, the Red Valley, for an afternoon walk of around 6.5 km and two and a half hours that finishes in the village of Cavusin. Overnight in a pension in Cavusin.
Today's route leaves the classic paths behind and suits walkers who enjoy height. From Cavusin you climb through abandoned houses to the rarely visited church dedicated to John the Baptist, decorated with distinctive paintings, then continue to the top of Bozdag. The panorama takes in Uchisar, Goreme, Cavusin, Avanos, Ortahisar and the Zelve Open Air Museum, with Mount Erciyes on the horizon. A gentle path across the plateau descends to Red Valley, where lunch is served at a modest restaurant run by a local family. In the afternoon you visit the winery and the Grape Church, then walk through Rose Valley past pigeon houses and the Cross Church. The day covers about 7 km from Cavusin via Rose Valley to Kizilcukur and a further 4.5 km from Kizilcukur towards Goreme. Overnight in Cavusin.
A drive of about 1.5 hours brings you first to Derinkuyu Underground City, dug five levels below the surface and used as a refuge for centuries. You then continue to Ihlara, the only evergreen corner of Cappadocia, for a mostly easy 13 km walk along the river at the bottom of a deep canyon, with a few short sections of rock scrambling. Willow and poplar trees line the path and birds glide overhead as you stop at rock-cut churches, some with striking wall paintings, and at a rock-cut mosque carved beside one of them, believed to be the first such example found. After a late lunch in the valley, you walk on to Selime, where the trek ends near the extraordinary rock-cut Selime Monastery, before the drive back to Goreme. Overnight in Cappadocia.
After a final breakfast you are transferred to Kayseri Airport for your homeward flight, ending a week of trekking and cycling through Cappadocia.
Kayseri Airport, Goreme → Pigeon Valley, Uchisar, White Valley, Love Valley → Pancarlik Valley, Ortahisar, Goreme Open Air Museum, Red Valley, Cavusin, Pasabag, Zelve, Devrent Valley, Urgup → Gomeda Valley, Ortahisar, Red Valley, Cavusin → Cavusin, Bozdag, Rose Valley, Kizilcukur, Goreme → Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery → Kayseri Airport
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Extra day tours you can add along your route — Kayseri Airport, Goreme, Pigeon Valley, Uchisar, White Valley, Love Valley, Pancarlik Valley, Ortahisar, Goreme Open Air Museum, Red Valley, Cavusin, Pasabag, Zelve, Devrent Valley, Urgup, Gomeda Valley, Ortahisar, Red Valley, Cavusin, Cavusin, Bozdag, Rose Valley, Kizilcukur, Goreme, Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery, Kayseri Airport.
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It was important for us to have a guide who spoke Russian, and Ender was wonderful. He explained every detail at Dolmabahce Palace. The Princes Islands day trip was a beautiful break from the busy city.
Our guide Ender was incredibly knowledgeable about Turkish history. The hot-air balloon ride at sunrise in Cappadocia was the highlight of our trip. Everything was perfectly organized — from airport pick-up to the last d...
Ender was our Italian-speaking guide and we felt like family. He took us to local spots tourists never see. The hotel choice in Sultanahmet was perfect for walking everywhere.
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