Cappadocia Green Tour (Ihlara Valley & Underground City)

~09:00 – Hotel pick-up – We pick you up from your hotel in Göreme, Ürgüp, Uçhisar, Avanos, Çavuşin or other central Cappadocia areas in the morning, usually between 09:00 and 09:30. Exact pick-up time depends on your hotel location and will be confirmed one day before your Cappadocia Green Tour.

Drive towards South Cappadocia – After meeting your English-speaking guide, you travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle towards the southern part of Cappadocia. Your guide gives a short introduction about the region, volcanoes and the plans for the day.

Visiting Sights on Cappadocia Green Tour

• Esentepe Panorama Point – Your first stop is a beautiful viewpoint known as Esentepe, where you can see a wide panorama of Cappadocia’s valleys, fairy chimneys and villages. From here, your guide will point out key spots like Göreme and Uçhisar and explain how the soft rock was shaped over thousands of years. It is a perfect place for your first photos of the day.
• Underground city (Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı) – Next, you visit one of Cappadocia’s famous underground cities. The exact site (Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı) can change by date and daily conditions, but each one offers a similar experience: multi-level rooms, narrow tunnels, air shafts, stables, kitchens, storage rooms and chapels carved into the rock. Your guide explains how people used these cities as safe shelters during attacks and how daily life worked underground.
• Ihlara Valley – After the underground city, you continue to Ihlara Valley, a long green canyon cut by a river. Here you enjoy an easy walk along the riverside path, surrounded by high rock walls and trees. Along the way you can see rock-cut churches and simple frescoes from early Christian times. Your guide will choose a suitable walking section depending on the group and time, and there will be many chances for photos and short rests.
• Belisırma Village – In the heart of Ihlara Valley, you reach Belisırma Village, a small riverside settlement where you stop for lunch. Many restaurants here are built beside or above the water, creating a very peaceful atmosphere. You enjoy a set-menu lunch with local dishes while listening to the sound of the river and looking at the canyon walls around you.
• Yaprakhisar Panorama – Later in the afternoon, you visit Yaprakhisar panorama, a viewpoint with dramatic rock formations, fairy chimneys and wide views over the valley below. The landscape here is wild and impressive, and many visitors say it looks like a movie scene. It is a great final stop for photos and to enjoy the unique Cappadocia landscape before returning to your hotel.

Lunch in Belisırma Village – During the middle of the day, you have lunch at a local restaurant in Belisırma. Lunch is included in the tour price and usually comes as a set menu; you can choose drinks on the spot and pay for them separately if you wish.

Easy walking and breaks – The Cappadocia Green Tour includes relaxed walking in Ihlara Valley and some walking inside the underground city. The routes are not too hard, but there can be steps, slopes and narrow passages. Comfortable walking shoes and a basic level of fitness are recommended.

Guided commentary and free time – At each stop, your guide shares stories and information about the history, geology and culture of Cappadocia in simple, clear English. You also have free time to take photos, enjoy the views, rest by the river and explore at your own pace.

~17:00 – Return to your hotel – At the end of this full-day Ihlara Valley and underground city tour, we drive you back to your hotel in Cappadocia. You usually return around 17:00, depending on traffic and group speed, with a deeper understanding of the valleys, villages and hidden underground world of Cappadocia.